France by Bicycle | PART 5: THE LOIRE A VELO: AMBOISE TO VILLANDRY

[@garyseckel295]

Your friendliness, personalities, and your filming are SO pretty. The drone viewing inclusion was too pretty! Thanks for taking us viewers on your ride!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Awww thanks Gary! I really got into the drone on this trip, gives you a fresh perspective. Glad you could join us!

[@dreuxdemack1417]

No tour book, friend recommendation or brochure could capture the experience of biking in France like your videos. Well done, glorious moods on two wheels and two wonderful tour guides. Aimer, aimer!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

So glad you’re enjoying! Thanks for the kind words!

[@e-BikeLife]

OH MY GOD! Tours old town is so darn amazing! Cher can also mean pricey. I so much prefer climbing to having a headwind. A climb you know is going to end, the wind not so much. Château Villandry is renown for its fabulous gardens. More fond memories recalled because of your tour. Can't wait for the next.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Appreciate your comments! I wish we’d spent more time in Villandry. Great little village. As for the wind, at least we were on the flats, I once encountered furious headwinds climbing a mountain pass here in Colorado. Talk about a spirit crusher!

[@eff6582]

Bonjour ! Forgive my English. It's always a pleasure to watch your videos, the editing and the narration that made it make you want to be part of this good and happy team that crossed my country.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Crossing France brings out the best in anybody! What a great ride that was!

[@Biking360]

Those drone shots toward the end were awesome :)

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Jay, the drone took a while for me to get the hang of, but at this point I was really enjoying working with it.

[@dondonner1095]

Awesome

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Don!

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

Bonsoir, Superbe vidéo et si agréable de retrouver votre bonne humeur communicative, chaque vendredi.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Bonjour, c'est super de vous avoir là-bas pour profiter de cette petite aventure. Il en vaut la peine!

[@dennispiciullo8060]

Another great video, the terrain was beautiful, never been to France, looks like a great area for riding, people seem very courteous there, unlike Montana!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Dennis! This part of Europe has such a great infrastructure for cycling. It encourages more riders, and so many people ride, of all ages. Cyclists are just a part of life there.

[@moraes_m6187]

Thanks for sharing! Saint Martin Bishop of Tours - ora pro nobis!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

You're very welcome!

[@rosaliechristopher9956]

Another wonderful video, and the drone footage of the gardens was stunning. Well done, as always!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you! Aren't those gardens just incredible?

[@lindahowes5949]

Gorgeous scenery and skies. Those gardens looked stunning! Enjoying every chapter of your trip. Big question- did Nadia get the job she was interviewing for in the last chapter? Hope that or something better! 💜

[@nyounes1]

Happily employed again after a COVID restructuring bump Linda. Thanks for asking! I made the most of the unintended gift of time on this super ride with my beautiful family!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

What Nadia said. She's a rockstar. We're making plans for our next trip together! Woohoo!

[@cherylbigoness7441]

So gorgeous, planning on a France trip 2024 🎉if Lords willing!

[@juliannahenley4921]

I hope you get to see France. Its a gorgeous country.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

What part of France are you looking at?

[@cherylbigoness7441]

@@TheBicycleTourists we are going with a group tour, friends from Holland MI. Not sure the itinerary yet, but thought it was north France.

[@cherylbigoness7441]

@@juliannahenley4921 hopefully next summer, really enjoyed your video, all of them really!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

I'm sure you will enjoy it!

[@emilyprice8002]

the Cher river, next to the Sonny meadow. HeHe!!!!!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Not everyone would get that!

[@MarcelBijl1]

Wow so beautiful! We havent done that part of the Loire yet. On the bucket list for next year! Got to live the wind though haha 👍

[@TheBicycleTourists]

This was a really lovely stretch. You could spend a lot of time in Amboise alone.

[@PumpkinVillage]

What beautiful country but that wind made you earn every mile. Has Julianna picked out a new touring bike yet? There are some outstanding ones out there. Thanks for the video and take care, Al

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Well, in Tours she found bike she fell in love with but they didn't have the inventory. So at this point on the trip she's still riding the Salsa.

[@tonypaddler]

Another great video, the EV6 along the Loire looks exactly like what I need for my next tour in June/July. Flat(ish?), as my next tour will be after (almost) recovering from an illness, and I’ll have about 6 weeks to spare. Thank you very much Roland & Julianna 👍

[@TheBicycleTourists]

That's great to hear! It really is quite flat unless you want to climb to places like Sancerre. You're going to have a wonderful time!

[@alethearobinson8132]

Beautiful gardens at the castle. What a lovely journey. What month(s) were you in France? Just wondering for future plans.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

By the look of the trees, leaves, tractor plowing a field, mid September.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Cycliste Froissé is right, early, mid September.

[@bike4two810]

What was wrong with the wheel and did you replace her bike? Excellent footage and narration, really enjoy the videos

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you! According to at least two mechanics we spoke with, the wheel was rubbing from the weight of the panniers. the Salsa Journeyman is more of a gravel bike and not built for all this hard riding. We kept looking for bikes along the way, France was, like the U.S., dealing with distribution chain issues and inventory problems.

[@tomm8660]

What kind of drone are you using for the aerial shots? Curious how the wheel issue gets resolved, if it does. Those can be expensive! Great episode, those headwinds can be relentless!. Quite a slog at times...

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Hi Tom! We used a Mavic mini 2 for the drone. The rubbing tire had to do with the weight of the load, apparently. It continued to be a problem. The solution is in a later episode. Yeah, headwinds don't only make it hard to push forward (midwest mountains, as our friend in Illinois called them) but the constant blasting in your ears is a real drain as well.

[@Lepercurtidoo]

The Salsa Journeyman is a good bike for your relaxed, light style of bike touring. The problem is the700c wheels and tyres on yours. They are obviously too thin and can't cope the weight of the bags. Wider wheels and at least 2 inch tyres would have done the job perfectly in all comfort. Keep the journeyman, no need to buy another bike 😉 Bonne route.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

She had other issues with the Journeyman as well. Short wheel base. Clipping her foot with her front tire when turning, A drive train that was less than optimal on climbs.

[@klasjansson5814]

Very nice videos! Do you book your hotels, airBnbs in advance, or the same day?

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Hi! Thanks! We book same day, which only got us in trouble once or twice.

[@etthealienouttheresomewher1296]

What is the name of the B&B in Villandry?

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Sorry, ET, I really can't remember. I think Nadia booked it.

[@lesleykenwood2715]

Which is her dream bike that was unavailable at the bike shop in Tours?

[@TheBicycleTourists]

It is at 3:16 in the video, the Grande Globe-Tratteusse Classique.

[@lesleykenwood2715]

@@TheBicycleTourists I love my bike but if anything was to happen because of my very short stature, I would need a custom frame.

[@chrisdenison2277]

Roland, can you tell me what type of cycling cap you are wearing in this video? It looks to have a shorter bill which I am interested in. Thanks!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

PearlIzumi made that cap, I believe.

[@stevebailey7633]

Journeyman is designed for touring. Has fender and rack eyelets, a long wheel base and chainstays. What exactly makes her think this bike is not as good as something else for touring ?, she went across the US on this bike, seemed OK ? One method to beef it up is stronger wheels, but I think the frame is just fine.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Julianna found it hard for climbing, assume it needed a smaller chain ring. The front wheel would clip her foot when turning, I assume because of shorter wheel base. And several mechanics told us the wheel was rubbing due to weight. I’m no expert, but this was the situation that led her to want something more tour friendly. I hear the new Journeyer has improved some of these shortcomings.

[@stevebailey7633]

@@TheBicycleTourists If its the 30/46 double crank, she cannot go lower on the chainring. She would need to move to a triple, but that mean essentially a new drivetrain. There are tricks to moving to a cassette with greater low gearing, a Wolftooth adapter allows a cassette with lower gearing, she likely would need a new rear detailer. Foot hitting wheel is probably a result of 700c wheels on a small frame. An option is a different bike with 650B wheels, but I think its a problem that might not get resolved. Maybe look into a Rivendell Atlantis, the 50 & 53 sizes are 650B. They might be able to build with bar-cons, a triple ring, etc...in short a real old school tourer. Velo Orange makes nice stuff, or a Surly Disc Trucker

[@juliannahenley4921]

@@stevebailey7633 Hey Steve, You seem very savvy on touring bikes and gear. Wish we had you along with us. I eventually solved the bike issues and ended up very happy with the results!