The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

RESCHEDULED The Dordogne, Perigord and Gorges

May 14th to May 28th

Ride Director: Lucy Glover
Ride Co-Director: Randy Glover
Ride Driver: Jeff Messerschmidt
Report by: Kurt Vogler

Our group of 20 riders arrived in France with sunny skies and very warm weather. A few days in Bordeaux spent prior to departing were wonderful. As new BAC participants, we were thrilled to meet our group of experienced riders with wonderful senses of humor & adventure. Our first evening meeting got us well oriented and comfortable with the trip. My tandem partner and I are experienced cyclists who have led bike trips before, so we felt comfortable in our new, but familiar environment!

Cycling east of Bordeaux through the Perigord and Gorges of France was a true gem. Every destination proved to be a feast for the eyes and appetite! Our first night in St. Emilion was a harbinger of great things to come! Wow, what a region! The vineyards stretched far beyond the horizon and the Chateauxs were something to behold.

Once further east, we traded vineyards for amazing river gorges with ancient cliff dwellings that reminded us of the American Southwest. Tandeming through these areas was a joy; we stopped frequently to absorb just a little bit of history before hitting the pedals to reach our next goal. They ancient abbeys, churches and historic sights were endless. As the son of an amateur archaeologist, I was thrilled to cycle through and see the site where Cro-Magnon man was found. Great museums!

Several of our hotels had swimming pools, which turned out to be a wonderful bonus. Although we responsibly packed the necessary rain gear, we sure didn’t need it in week one! Swimming pools felt fantastic. Summarizing this trip’s highlights is difficult, as there were too many to list. The city of Conques was truly a dream stay!

Our group seemed to gel quickly and we enjoyed each others’ company immensely. Dinners were often spent outdoors which was welcome. (There are some benefits of a pandemic after all!) And the wine lived up to its reputation, as every “house” red wine I enjoyed was simply fantastic.

The organization of the trip made it a breeze for us two new riders. Lucy and Randy had things firmly in order and control; their years of experience leading BAC trips were obvious. Their choice of van driver was a plus too! We really enjoyed Jeff’s sense of humor and willingness to exchange funny German quips & phrases with us.

We really enjoyed our time on this two week trip and would recommend it to anyone looking for challenging daily mileage, but leaving enough time for exploring for a fit rider by day’s end. Thank you all for a great trip!