Pain and Fromage

While enjoying a toasted cheese sandwich earlier this year I was astonished to learn that Bovey Tracey is home to a bike framebuilder, Pi Manson. Framebuilding is a vanishing art with very few practitioners still working in the UK, with most bicycles now being made abroad. Pi is a passionate bucker of this trend. He … Continue reading Interview with Pi Manson

More fromage than pain in this episode, as Rich and the family are in Auvergne with a table full of local cheeses to sample for your pleasure. Auvergne is home to an enormous variety of cheeses and we taste everything from tiny wrinkled goats cheeses to enormous tommes. There are five AOP cheeses in Auvergne … Continue reading Cheeses of Auvergne

After arriving in Nice 48 hours ago, Rich and Graeme summarise the trip, discussing the route, gear and their favourite climbs. There is a special fromage du jour that links the first and last days of the trip, and Rich gets something in his eye.

Puget-Thèniers to Nice, 103km. The last day of our tour. After a leisurely packup we took on the last two climbs of the trip, interspersed with some magnificent scenery, improbable villages and great coffee, before finally arriving on the Côte d'Azur for celebratory beers.

Jausiers to Puget-Thèniers, 103km. Rich and Graeme set off for one last big climb, the stunning Col de la Cayolle, which we shared with a bike race. Rich talked through the last stretches of a col and of course there was a very good fromage du jour.

Briançon to Jausiers, 93km. Refreshed after our rest day we tackled a real icon, the wonderful climb up Col d'Izoard, the perfect Alpine climb. After a stunning descent, a puncture and a crash, we were behind again and had to push on hard top get over the last col.

La Chambre to Briançon 96km. Today’s ride started off gently with a great French breakfast but the work soon began with a long tough climb up two cols. First the scenic Col de l’Albanne, then after Valloire the big one - Galibier. A proper day in the mountains.

Annecy to La Chambre, 97km. A beautiful intro around Annecy lake and through gorgeous Alpine meadows. After breakfast, Rich met a collie that reminded him of home we tackled our first major col, the Col de la Madeleine at 1998m, and finished on a gorgeous campsite.

Vonnes to Annecy, 165km. A tough day. Today’s ride took Rich and Graeme into the foothills of the Alps. It was a grumpy start, a challenging ride and it took all our mental and physical strength to push through to Annecy - where all the campsites were full.

Bourbon-Lancy to Vonnes, 135km. Today there is a bit of everything: a long ride, good climbs, thunderstorms in the forecast and of course a mandatory stop for a cheese that Rich has been particularly looking forward to. Rich witters about warblers and there's even a big tunnel.