The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Châteaux of the Loire Valley 2024, Section 1

September 1st to September 13th

Ride Director: Bridgette Martinez
Ride Co-Director: Steve Saxe
Ride Driver: Jose Martinez
Report by: Cindy Fewell

9/1/24, Bike fitting & assembly followed by group dinner. Highlights of Angers: Chateaux de Angers, Galerie David D’Angers, and cathedral

9/2, Angers - Saumur, 43 miles follows the Loire River via scenic bike paths and small country roads. Lodging at Hotel Anne De Anjou, built 1780. Hotel is  comfortable, old, formerly elegant hotel located across the river. Highlights of Angers: Chateau Samaur - medieval castle with a museum.

9/3-4 three optional rides:

1) Rochemenier - Breze, 39m loop. Small country roads, the width of bike paths, with little traffic, traverse cultivated fields of sunflowers, hemp, apple orchards and vineyards. M14, is the village of Rochemenier - famous for the Museum Troglodytique, a 13th century village excavated out of soft rock. 2) Abbaye Turquant, 22m loop. M11 is Fontevraud Royal Abaye, an abbey/monastery housing up to 700 nuns (years 1101-1792). It was then used as a prison (years 1804-1963) decreed per Napoleon. Not to be missed. 3) Rochemenier - Abbaye, 47m loop.

9/5, Saumur - Azay le Rideau, 43m.  Docent led group tour of gardens and chateau of Villandry. Gardens comprise 14-15 acres of the most impeccably manicured and varied gardens in France. Azay le Rideau town highlight: Chateau de Saumur.

9/6-7, Azay le Rideau. Three optional rides:  1) Azay - Balzac Montbazon, 39m loop. Option to visit Honore de Balzac Museum (French novelist & playwright, 1799-1850). 2) Azay Lang Usse Chi, 45m loop. 3) Azay Usse Breh Lang, 26m loop. Option to explore Chateau D’ Usse, one of the largest chateaus in Touraine and well worth the visit.

9/7, Group treated to a 2 1/2 hour, five course dinner at L’ Aigle d’Or (The Golden Eagle), a 2022 Michelin rated restaurant.

9/8, Cycle Azay-le-Rideau to Amboise, 38 miles.

9/9, Two optional rides. Both end at Chateau de Chenonceau.

1) 08A, 25m and 2) 08B, 31m. 08B has an additional up/back 6m spur that to a smaller chateau that requires a ticket for admission (not visible from road). Schedule didn’t have time so 08B can be skipped.

Group lunch at Le Chaval Blanc in Blere. Group docent lead tour of Chateau de Chenonceau. Return ride sweeps around the back of chateau, on opposite side of Loire River, provides spectacular views and great hero shots.

9/10, Cycle Azay-le-Rideau to Amboise. Two optional rides: 1) Amboise  Bourdaisiere loop, 27m and, 2) Amboise Bourdaisiere  Veretz loop, 25m.

Amboise site seeing: Chateau du Clos Luce, the last home of Leonardo da Vinci. Rediscover his ingenious inventions! Amboise Chateau Royal is a nice visit. Evening wine tasting at Caves Ambacia accompanied by a superb charcuterie.

9/11, two ride options from Amboise to Cour-Cheverny, 37m and 29m.

9/12, 25m. ride through countryside and forested areas to Chombord Castle. Group docent lead tour of Chombord Castle (second largest castle in France next to Versalillas).

Overall: routes are accurate and easy to follow. This semi-based fixed tour allowed for participants to explore the historic sites in town and nearby via optional ride. Bridgette  DeShields invested an enormous effort into planning and communicating tour details such as routes, group dinners and delightful excursions. Transportation and logistics planning by Jose Martinez and Steve Saxe complemented Bridgette. Their extraordinary attention to details and planned time to explore historical sites made this tour a memorable and safe adventure.

Tips:

1.      Pack a small suitcase. Old hotels have tight spiral staircases. Often there’s no elevators.  Rooms in some hotels are very small.

2.     Bring a backup battery for phone. Google Maps and other apps will consume battery power! Put Ride w/ GPS on ‘airplane mode’ to save juice.

3.     Upon arrival ensure your phone & data plan works! Don’t wait until you need it.

4.     Hybrid rental bikes are heavier than gravel bikes from bike rental , L’equipe CYRPEO/Reve de Velo. Gearing is better on gravel bikes according to feedback. Rent one rear pannier for bike lock, rain jacket, and personal items (panniers cost additional for gravel bikes). Two panniers not necessary.

5.     While cycling you will visit many historical areas - chateaus, abbeys, museums… Some will not permit bike shoes w/ cleats that are not recessed. Bring slip on shoes even if you do have recessed cleats. You will walk on gravel and stone tiles. Stone spiral stairs are slippery in bike shoes!