Brittany

[biggaygibbon]

Going to pop to Brittany for a last minute cycling tour. Has anyone ridden around there and have any tips for routes? Will be on MTB so mix of on/off road good.

Chars

[RIP]

Yep, five days last September. Train from Milton Keynes - Portsmouth. Boat from Portsmouth - St Malo, train to Morlaix, rode 140 miles back, almost all of it along "Voies Vertes" - http://www.freewheelingfrance.com/where ... -ways.html. Bivi more or less anywhere you like. Absolutely cracking - the interior of Brittany is WAY less tourismo than the coast and there's loads of sleepy little villages with sleepy people in sleepy cafes and bars with all the time in the world to natter to you (in French ;-)).

"Reynaud"

[GregMay]

I've ridden there a lot on road, but not done any off road things in the area.

Roads tend to be nice and small, quiet, until you get near the tourist spots then it can get a bit nuts with campervans/motorhomes and close passes. Sadly, most of the ones I've had have been on UK plates.

If you're camping, it's a good idea to check out the smaller community campsites - they tend to be in many villages and quite cheap.

Enjoy!

[biggaygibbon]

Thanks guys. I will be going Plymouth/Roscoff. Getting a train down a ways and riding back up might be a plan. Just trying to get my head round possible routes.

[GregMay]

Thanks guys. I will be going Plymouth/Roscoff. Getting a train down a ways and riding back up might be a plan. Just trying to get my head round possible routes.

You can get maps covering the touring routes in the are - IGN do them IIRC

also these: https://en.francevelotourisme.com/base-1/itineraires

[DanLear]

There's always sections of the velodyssey - https://www.velodyssey.com/

Not done it myself, but the site has all the info plus GPX.

[ton]

did a nice loop from st malo last may.
st malo, dinan, saint bieuc, perros guerrec, morlaix, carahaix plouger, loudeac, dinan, dinard and st malo.
did about 350 miles, some on the voitre vertes. bloody ace area for cycling.

going back in june to ride the rest of the velodyssey, from bayonne back up to st malo

[biggaygibbon]

is it all tarmac or 'gravel' riding?

[Nevis]

I've been a few times as the plymouth ferry is my 'local'. I agree, it's a cracking place to ride. The only planning I did for my last trip was to turn right out of the ferry port. Had a cracking time just seeing where the road took us.
Hoping to go again for a long bank holiday weekend in May.

The Thursdsy night ferry is good as its the big boat. It has a proper waiter service restaruant with all you can eat starter and sweet buffets. Well worth it imo. Then you can have a couple of beers followed by a good nights sleep in a cabin. You get to france the next day fully refreshed and raring to go about 8.30am

Be interested to hear hoe you get on if you do catch the train down and ride the Velodyssey route back as this is something I'm thinking of doing in the Summer.

[Kumquat]

Theres lots of riding in Brittany.
Its not particularly hilly.
Massive network of "c" roads that are very quiet.
Voies vertes routes also. Some of which have no traffic at all.
There is the nantes to brest canal as well which has a tow path of course.
I have only done a bit of off road riding local to me (Josselin-ploermel area) but I am led to believe that the Huelgoat area is good for mtb.
You could have fun getting lost.
It's all very sleepy though.
Plenty of bivvying locations or municipal campsites. The pink granite coast is worth a visit.

[GregMay]

is it all tarmac or 'gravel' riding?

Tarmac of varying level inter spaced with back country and farmers roads. It really depends on where you go. Brittany is still quite a large place :)

[voodoo_simon]

Look for the Tro Bro Leon on starve, think Paris Roubaix but in Brittany. Will give you an idea of some gravel roads etc that are available

[biggaygibbon]

Thanks guys

[biggaygibbon]

All booked. Will let you know how I get on.
Is it acceptable to bivy on a ferry?

[Mariner]

Is it acceptable to bivy on a ferry?

To curl up in your bivvy bag on the floor yes.
Under a stair well if you are quick never tried on deck.
To start hammering in pegs no.