I'm Finally Here! - Bikepacking The Bordeaux Wine Region

[@knutselaardre1272]

I cycled the Loire à Vélo route from Nevers to Nantes this year in May. Since then I have fallen in love with France. Beautiful cycle paths, beautiful region, good food, ... . I always slept in Chambre d'hôtes and therefore had a bit more comfort. My next trip in France will most likely also be towards Bordeaux and maybe even (partly) with the tent.😉

[@Jamie.S.]

Nice one Mike. In Australia we call those greenways, rail trails and yes they really are the best. It should be a rule that all old unused rail ways should be converted into rail trails. 👍

[@Dutcharmytent]

Here is Sussex, they did this conversion and the route literally is right outside my front door along side the river. It’s called the South Downs Link

[@chriscohlmeyer4735]

Crowds = ugh!! get me outa there 😊. When we are used to cooler climates we often forget about adequate hydration until we begin to feel the effects which then get worse before they get better.

[@JosephPelleritojr.]

Awesome video! Thank you.

[@SeanPOReilly-rq8fw]

Love to get there next summer. GPS had me on a steep muddy mountain bike trail with panniers. That was a long day.

[@mhe8545]

The worst nights sleep I have ever gotten were in campgrounds. RV generators, crowded and noisy. I love railtrails with camping along the way. Glad you got a break from the heat. Wow. France does accommodate cyclists. I guess my next trip.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Glad to be able to provide some inspiration. I can agree about RV's, I mean how much stuff do you really need to bring along. But I actually slept pretty good during most nights. I'm usually so tired after a day cycling out in the sun, that I have no problem falling asleep at night.

[@Dutcharmytent]

I toured northern France and the ww2 rocket sites 20 years ago and the roads were empty, and the towns. It was lovely.

[@edinelsonramirez5656]

**** thank you Mike, cheers!

[@Alan2Bordeaux]

Hej! Welcome to Bordeaux!

[@duett445]

Really enjoyed your trip through France, do you not wish you had a friend or your wife with you to share the great adventure.

[@RedHeadAgent]

I was so glad to see that you got a break from the heat. The scenery you shared with us was fabulous. And to get a chance for a swim, lucky you!

[@tomsitzman3952]

In November in the middle of the USA I was ridding a National scenic trail . I was not using my maps because I was following the trail signs. When I got to the corner the road went straight or turned right. The arrow on the sign pointed straight. It should have pointed right to the State Park 3 miles away. I went miles out of my way before I saw a car who told me I needed to retrace my route back the corner. I made it to the campground just as the sun set.

[@PumpkinVillage]

Another nice section of your ride. Glad the weather temps went down. Know what you mean about the crowds. I'm usually in and out of crowds too. Thanks for another well done video. Take care, Al

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Al, glad you enjoyed it!

[@Dutcharmytent]

Eating in rural France is a night mare I found. No where open and no shops. Luckily I took spam and noodles with me.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

Hej Mike ! Yeah, probably wild boar hunters, hunting season started on August 15 ( so many of them!). Regular hunting season, began on Sept 10, this year. 19€ ain’t cheap but at that price, you got a Swedish flag painted on that fence.... and your very own private swimming pool.

[@kizzmitten1]

Nice work Mike!

[@peterharrington8709]

Another cracking tour Mike! Thank you for taking us along. Starting to realise.... I only need get the ferry over from UK and start exploring.😃

[@Rlaplante73]

Super video, Mike! Beautiful trails and scenery, and great selections of music for the background ambience. Thanks for sharing your bikepacking tour with us :)

[@bjornotter4298]

De gamla nerlagda järnvägslinjerna är ju kanon att cykla på, vilken fin tunnel du nu fick tillfälle att cykla igenom.

[@mhe8545]

We have some really nice railtrails in the US. There is camping right along the trail. Some have lean twos, tent pads, water pumps and toilets.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

De gamla nerlagda järnvägslinjerna .... are being brought back to life in some parts of France. Freight trains that made no economic sense vs road transport faster, more flexible and ultimately cheaper won’t be back anytime soon, if ever, but disused tracks have reopened for commuter trains. In the vicinity of cities, 🚲 rail trails are likely to disappear replaced by light-rail for batteries powered or H2 engine powered trains, and for Tram-Trains (duospårvagn ?), even.

[@BikeTouringMike]

De var en av höjdpunkterna på den här resan. Här uppe i norr där jag bor stöter jag aldrig på sådana. Finns knappt någon järnväg här uppe.

[@wolfsmenschuffnvelo]

Hello Mike, Thank you for Sharing all your Videos from France. Greetings from Berlin, Ronald

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Ronald! Glad you enjoyed following along.

[@Balecart]

Good for you Mike it’s well deserved. What a fantastic journey.

[@alethearobinson8132]

Another fine video. Didn't really have France on my list. Now I want to go there. Thank you. Cheers 🌞🚴‍♀️🖖

[@BikeTouringMike]

Glad to be able to provide some inspiration!

[@myronas]

Hey Mike if you have time during the winter, would be nice to make a video regarding the equipment you had in this trip. Clothing, bags, what worked well, what didn't. Many thanks!

[@BikeTouringMike]

That video is already in the works. I filmed it during one of the evenings in France, and I'm about to start editing it this week. Stay tuned!

[@myronas]

@@BikeTouringMike 🙏

[@michaelganshirt8795]

Looks like you had a pretty nice tour in France. Did you experience any mechanical issues during your travels?

[@philkarn0]

Great stuff Mike, I've been enjoying this series, looking forward to the last one 👍🏼

[@MrCyclist]

Another great ride, besides the rain.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thankfully the rain only lasted for a couple of minutes, not like up here in Scandinavia where it can rain for days.

[@kevinw7044]

Good tour Mike. Looking forward to seeing your next adventure.

[@BikeTouringMike]

I'm already planning for 2024. We have about 90cm/35 inches of snow right now, so while it feels like it's far away, it's great to have something to look forward to and to keep busy with during these dark and cold months.

[@brianridley1102]

Great series Mike. How long do you ride before stopping for a break, as you are riding all day I would think getting off the bike regularly is important?

[@davidroberts7996]

Hello from Alabama Mike. Thank you for sharing your trips; videos; dialogs - really wonderful. Question: did you post this trip’s Sutra setup? If so, can you please provide a link? If not, can you comment on your bags & attachments and what is packed in each. I’m considering something similar for my Kona Rove. Thanks again! David

[@BikeTouringMike]

I did film a gear video during the trip. That video is coming up in two weeks time. Stay tuned! In the meantime, there's a list of all the gear I broght in the description of this video. But in the coming video you'll probably see more how I pack each bag.

[@mikaelhoo]

Hej Micke and thank you for the video! We are going to France ourselves again next summer and can't wait. Though I'm enjoying your videos I have to say I miss the older ones, some of which you've deleted. I can understand wanting to improve, but this overly stylized format for American audiences looks a bit stiff and not so relaxed as some of your previous videos. Just my personal opinion and there are never enough cycling videos on KZbin. Until the next one :)

[@alafenetre81]

For an unknown reason, picnic tables are very rare in France.

[@colinwellman9480]

what part of France? Plenty here in West France, usually with a signpost showing where to go.

[@alafenetre81]

@@colinwellman9480 I'm in the South. I meant in camp sites, particularly. But they're rare along biking tracks too and I never can eat on one.

[@BikeTouringMike]

I was able to find one at almost all of the campgrounds I stayed at. And along the route I use an app to find picnic tables, called Maps.me.