St Malo (5km)
En route to Decathlon in St Malo we stumbled across an Intersport store (another large European sports chain). We had origonally planned on getting a couple of Triban Trail 7's from Decathlon but the only one in stock was the wrong siz
e, the shocks were faulty and it was set up incorrectly (vertical handlbars etc). An offer to get the correct size bikes shipped overnight from Rennes did not seal the deal as we had visions of similiarly faulty bikes arriving and lengthy discussions ensuing.The bikes we chose were Giant Expression DX from Intersport with all the basics for touring:
- double-walled, 700mm diameter rims for durability and low rolling resistance;
- big tyres to avoid punctures and damaged rims (coincdentally our 40mm tyres and 700mm are the biggest diameter combination commercially availible);
- an upright and comfortable riding stance;
- adjustable shocks;
- panniers and mudgards.
Susans bike is an easy-on easy-off girls style bike chosen because there were no more mens bikes in stock. The frame design has its benefits but it cant carry a water-bottle or frame bag. The bikes have a lightweight aluminium frame which the salesman was very excited about. We didnt see this as a big asset since we are taking 25kg gear each, bringing our total bike weight to a formidable 40kg, plus rider.
It was a satifsying moment when we managed to get all of our gear onto our brand new bikes in front of the store. We headed off into the late afternoon sun with a great sense of elation and comfortably rode 5km to the first chateau camping.
Day 2: Weds 06 May
St Malo - Taden (25km)
We still needed to purchase essentials (cooking gear, bike repair kits etc) so spent most of the day shopping in St Malo. We had planned an easy first day on the bikes along an estaury inland towards Dinan. However we quickly discovered that roads aren't always great for biking - there were plenty of hills in this short section!
Mark learnt how wide his bike was by wheeling into a post and breaking a bag coupling. Superglue and cable-ties made light work of the problem.
Susan also discovered her pannier rack was bent at an alarming angle. Luggage was repacked and weight moved away from the panniers as much as possible (for example pegs for the tent were moved to Marks frame bag).
Day 3: Thursday 07 May
Taden - Loyat (100km)
The morning was spent riding alongside the tranquil Rance canal. We were happy to find the voie verte (local cycleways) which lead us first through the picturesque town of Dinan, then through quiet farm roads and well maintained sleepy villages.
At midday the voie vert took the form of an old railway track which made for pleasant riding among lush green trees -
a welcome relief from the hot sun.We had to push on into the evening as we were off the tourist track and the nearest camping site was still a way off. Signage on the voire vert is very limited and we overshot our campsite by several kilometres. After a bit of backtracking we found ourselves a campsite for the night near Ploermel.
Day 4: Friday 08 May
Loyat - Camoel (65km)
The voie verte continued along the old railway track (asphalted) leading us gently up and down hills with minimal gradient.
It was a public holiday so the voire vert was full of locals out and about on bikes or roller blades. Everyone was very friendly with lots of Bonjours and Bon Appetits as we munched on our baguettes in the forest.
Our spoken french is still fairly limited but we can now roll out a Bonjour with the best of them (the secret is to barely touch the n). We even started to pick the different French acents.
At Questembert the voire vert ended and we reverted to country roads using the 1:100,000 scale maps we picked up along the way. These maps were a life saver enabling us to pick routes through quiet farm roads with few wrong turns.
Highlight of the afternoon was the beutiful and sleepy town of Le Guerno. Unfortunatly, due the public holiday, the cafes were all closed. That night we stayed near the coast in a sleepy campsite. Aching muscles and tanned limbs sent us quickly off to sleep.
Day 5: Saturday 09 May
Camoel - La Baulle (46km)
The morning was spent on the voie verte (mostly on roads). The coast was similar to the Coromandel with clay hills, pine trees and sandy white beaches. Ironically there are far less people than the Coromandel in summer.
Gorgeous sunny weather until late afternoon when we had our first down-pour of the trip.
We bought a gas cooker (finally!) and enjoyed a hot meal. No more baguettes and cheese for a breakfast, lunch and dinner!
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