Georgie Ormrod

Memory fails me when I try to reconstruct meeting Georgie via the internet. It could have been just before my 2012 Pyrenees trip, and I know it was before 2012 Coffeeneuring, because I remember her jumping into riding for coffee with both feet. In any case, the Pennines, where she rides, remind me something of the Berkshires, where I ride. (No, not that Berkshires, this is the one one the west side of the Atlantic.) The cycling struck me as somewhat different though, and wanting to learn more about rough stuff riding and audax in England, I asked if she would agree to an interview. Happily, she did, and her answers give a superb sense of cycling in the Pennines. All photos are Georgie's.

You live in an area of England called the Pennines. It looks so beautiful in your photos, will you describe it?
I live in just one part of The Pennines. The Pennines themselves are a ridge of hills that run up the length of the north of England from about half way up towards the border of Scotland--essentially separating the east from the west. The Pennines have a mixture of farmland, areas of natural beauty (such as The Peak District & the Yorkshire Dales) and post-industrial towns that thrived during our cotton industry. I live in one of those post-industrial towns. Most of the houses line valley bottoms with larger conurbations in-between valleys. They often have canals, railways and disused railway lines snaking through the area, which help with cycling on the flat. Between built up areas we have plenty of wild open moorland on hill tops -- usually it requires climbing some steep slopes to make it to the tops!

And your climate?
The Pennines are notoriously wet! We have a temperate, damp climate, which is why the cotton industry thrived here during Victorian times. Canals and railways linked mill towns to Manchester and the port at Liverpool. My home town has an old textile mill in it that was used in The King's Speech. This place has been a museum for donkeys years, but in the next valley, Rossendale, we had working cotton mills until just the other decade. Obviously there was a massive decline in the cotton industry with most fabric now being made in India and China and we're left with a densely populated, but deprived area, albeit one with amazing countryside. To the west of where I live is the plain of Lancashire, which stretches towards the coast and is quite flat. I do sometimes ride there too, but it's less to my taste.

What is the riding like where you live?
Cycling here is fantastic! If you love hills!! Which thankfully I do. I think hills give the best rewards with the views that open up. I've always loved hills and always want to know what the view from the top is. We do have narrow roads that snake over them to connect the valley conurbations, but we also have old pack-horse roads that are mostly boulders of stone that are now classified as bridleways (more on that later).

How much is cycling a part of the culture?
Historically cycling thrived here in the 50s and 60s, but much less so now. I suppose because of the dense population and narrow valley bottoms, which are often the only flatter roads; we have very high concentrations of cars packed onto a few roads. Most people would not dream of cycling here.

Of those who do ride, what kind of cycling do you see most?
I suppose because there is so much auto traffic, we do have quite a number of people who just go mountain biking and we have some wonderful purpose built facilities for this in woods and old quarries. But as everywhere else in England, we do have a reasonably healthy road cycling culture. In my experience, many clubs are made up of older generations riding during the week when roads are quieter. Utility cycling is few and far between and in my region cycle commuting ranges from about 1.5% to a maximum of about 2% and most of those are fast blokes!

But you do sometimes commute by bike, don't you?
Yes I do. I commute by bicycle more often than not, but I keep an eye on the weather as the roads are fast and not very wide; if it's windy, it can be pretty scary getting buffetted about with traffic passing with a inches to spare. My commute is also 9 miles each way with some significant climbing in both directions- it really adds length on to my work day, but it does wake me up in a morning and help me relax in an evening. I never need to worry about what I eat or think about needing exercise.

Commute option across the moors

Do you always travel the same route?
No, I do like to mix things up with the commute too as it can feel like a chore otherwise. In summer I can go a shorter, but off road route over the moors, which is BRILLIANT FUN! (alas not suitable in the dark or the wet or the ice) and I can go a route with some greenway & canal that is a few miles further. I actually first got my bicycle to commute to work when my office was three miles from home, but due to service restructures my office has since moved twice, both times further away! Stephen & I are in the process of getting our own place together and then the journey will be even longer so I will probably explore options of trains or part ride / part drive. And hopefully we will do tandem commutes more often!

What is your own favorite kind of cycling?
As many local roads are not much fun on the whole for cycling, I favour rough-stuff cycling. Rough-stuff is an old fashioned term coined back when tarmac was taking over-- the phrase was used to differentiate from smooth stuff ie. tarmac. The Rough-Stuff Fellowship was born in the 1950s for cyclists who knew that where smooth stuff ended, the cycle journey could begin. It's more off-road cycle touring than hard-core mountain biking. And we are happy to push & carry bikes should the path be worth it. The Rough-Stuff Fellowship ride for the enjoyment of the countryside rather than adrenalin thrills.


And we ride to the slowest rider, so everyone is welcome. The club has factions all over the country and we have national meets twice a year. In my neck of the woods there are four factions quite close together, so there are plenty of rides I can join and I usually make between three and six rides a month, depending on the weather and where the rides are.

Do you organize, lead, or design any of those rides?
Yes I do. I am a total map fiend. I love sitting down and plotting routes. My main problem is working full time means I can't always try out a ride to perfect it before the day, which can sometimes be an issue, but sometimes things just work out ok. I'm still learning the art of leading rides and finding my own style of leading. The club members are all very supportive and we have a wealth of very experienced riders who I can always rely on and who have become more like a family over the years.

Leading a Rough-Stuff Ride

What distances are the rides?
We have weekly family friendly rides that are up to 15 miles through to tougher rides that usually max out at 35 miles. As anyone knows off-road miles are very different in distance terms to on-road miles.

What kind of roads, or trails does it use?
Most rides have some bridleway--these are usually stoney tracks on hills that are like a wider footpath that horse-riders and cyclists are allowed to use. They can, however be very muddy! We also ride through woods, on canal towpaths and in recent times greenways, which are often reclaimed disused railway lines that are smoothed over with tarmac. We do also add some quieter lanes in.

I believe I read in your blog that you also ride brevets, or audax rides. The word audax derives from,the same Latin as audacious, and I think audax rides are essentially the same as what we call randonnee rides in the U.S.
Yes audax rides are like your brevets & randonneurs. They range 50 - 150km for brevets and well right up to LEL & PBP distance.

I think most of my readers are familiar with Paris-Brest-Paris, but will you describe LEL and does it require the same qualifying series?
London Edinburgh London is 1400km. But you don't need to go through a series of rides to qualify. One day I might be ready! I can dream.... and aim for that in the future...maybe.

What distances do you ride?
I've only been riding audax for a year, so I'm starting out small. I've done a few lovely 100km rides, although I can ride further, the time limit is a bit of a mental hurdle for me. I like riding my vintage ten speed for these rides, but that does limit the speed a lot. I've also enjoyed riding the tandem on a couple, which really speeds things up especially in terms of navigating; not having to stop to check directions really keeps the ride flowing fast! But Stephen's not really up for longer distances.

Do you have any specific goals?
This year I'm starting to work on collecting AAA points. Audax Altitude Award! Which makes sense since I live in the hills. I'm starting with smaller distances through winter and to build up my speed. But I would love to get my brevet 500 (5x 100kms) & randonneur 500 (50, 100, 150, 200 at randonneur speed) this year. But working full time often makes getting round to obtaining these goals quite tough. I keep chipping away.

Those are 2 very fun goals. I am not aware of them here, but will have to look. They both seem like challenging goals for riders who don't aim for the longest distances in one go. Here some riders aim to complete a 200K every month. That appeals for similar reasons. 
Are all audax rides organized by an official group of some sort? Did I also read that you can design your own routes?
Some rides are organised and they're always so friendly and welcoming. I love these because they make me visit places that I wouldn't necessarily ever think of visiting. You can also build your own rides and do routes that are set up to ride by yourself at any time. But doing the organised ones is easiest and most fun for me.

If you build your own ride, can it count in the qualifying series? Also, does it become a recognized route?
As far as I know it is only certain rides that are allowed to qualify for PBP, so ones you've designed yourself probably wouldn't qualify. And yes, any route can become recognised if it's validated via Audax UK correctly. There are some lovely routes around here that I know would make brilliant events and perhaps one day I'll organise a ride of my own for people to enjoy. That certainly is something I would love to do. A lady who lives on the Isle of Man has had a couple of her DIY rides turned into Permanent events. The Isle of Man is somewhat isolated from mainland UK, so to get her audax fix, she does her own thing. I'm hoping to get over to the island soon to try out a couple of her routes.

Are the two organizations (Rough Stuff and Audax) related?
Rough-Stuff (RSF) and Audax are completely separate. Audax rides are on roads, albeit remote ones on the whole. Both are unsupported & require that you bring your own emergency supplies. RSF rides are about being sociable, so any problems are fixed together, Audax is about being self-reliant in terms of navigation and with any bike problems.

Is either more popular there? If so, why?
Both are popular and many RSF riders do ride Audax. Audax has more members, but by its nature it appeals to all road cycling clubs. Most cycling clubs around the country put on their own audax ride or sometimes even series of rides every year.

What is that series?
This isn't a specific series. One example would be that Calderdale CTC put on audax rides of certain lengths that allow a rider to complete a Super Randonneur award if they do all the rides. Does that make sense?

Absolutely! Let's go back for a minute to those beautiful images of yours. Do you carry much equipment?
Usually I just take a little snapper digital camera with me, but if we're going on tour, we have a better camera that we take. I'm always stopping to take pictures. I love dramatic skies especially.

December Ride

What are you aiming to convey in your images?
I like to take the pictures to show my mum where I've been; she has limited mobility, so she enjoys looking at the adventures I've had. In terms of my blog, I suppose I'm show-casing the beauty of my region. It's not classically beautiful like The Lake District or Scottish Highlands for example and I suppose most people would never consider visiting this region for their holiday. When I started blogging, I hoped people in the area might recognise the beauty beyond the local towns, but I think that people who look at cycling blogs are already interested in getting out & about, so I'm not sure I've inspired anyone to take up cycling.

I've thought that also. I used to organize my routes into formats that other riders ... new riders, or visitors to the region could use, but my stats showed that those route reports really weren't being looked at.



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A little bird told me that you and Stephen are getting married ...
In fact the plan is that Stephen & I are to get hitched on our bicycle tour this year. Fingers crossed it doesn't rain!

Congratulations! And, Georgie, thank you so much! Your answers paint a lovely picture of your cycling world. Readers, visit Pennine Peddling for more about riding there, along with great photos of the region.

Noémie and Josée: Canadian cyclists

Here is the last of this season's interviews with other cyclists. It is long, largely because it is in two languages, so I've posted it as one post only.

Noémie Asselin and Josée Gervais are Canadian cyclists who rode together from Salmon Arm, BC, Canada, (about 375 miles northeast of Vancouver) to Los Angeles, CA, where Josée departed the trip to return to Canada, and school. Noémie continued solo to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

I discovered their blog La Vida Es Mejor Cuando Viaja En Bicicleta  and had never seen anything like it. Their writing was in French, English, and a little Spanish. Equally interesting, I couldn't always tell who was writing. Communicating the story was their goal ... without pride of authorship, and to a varied audience.  They told me that the reason for the blog was to share their trip with friends and family, and so they needed to write in English and French. 

This gave me the idea to attempt something similar in an interview ...  have a little virtual adventure, and post a bilingual interview.  I hope my attempt does not do a disservice. If you, reader, will be offended by grammatical errors, stop now. All three of us are guilty, your author most particularly when writing in French. The answers in French and English are different, generally one is not a translation of the other. Noémie answers in French, though sometimes translating into English. Josée replies in English. Read what you want to, what you can, or find a dictionary to help out! 
 
Along the way, they made detours to meet new people or visit places that sounded interesting. Their story is inspirational for anyone wanting to learn something about a different culture, and different ways of life, while journeying by bicycle. 
 
Noémie Asselin et Josée Gervais sont des cyclistes canadiennes qui roulaient ensemble de Salmon Arm, BC, Canada à Los Angeles. Salmon Arm se trouve quelques 600 kilometres nord-est  de Vancouvee. Une fois arrivée à Los Angeles, Josée est retournée chez elle pour ses études.  Noémie a continué seule à Puerto Vallarta, Mexique. 

 
Quand j'ai découvert leur blog La Vida Es Mejor Cuando Viaja En Bicicleta, je n'avais jamais vu une tel site. Elles écrivent en français et en anglais ... avec un peu en espagnol. On ne pouvait toujours svoir qui écrivait quoi. L'essentielle c'était de raconter leurs histoires et de se faire comprendre par le plus grand nombre de lecteurs. Elles m'ont dit que leur but a été de partager leur voyage avec leurs familles et amis, donc il fallait écrire en français et en anglais. 
 
Ça m'a donné l'idée d'essayer quelque chose de la même façon ... tenter de faire un interview bilangue, en anglais et français ... pour une petite aventure virtuelle. J'espère que cette tentative ne soit as inutile.  Si vous, lecteur de ce blog, vous vous sentez offensé  par les fautes grammaires, ne continuez pas à lire.  Nous trois sommes coupables, surtout moi, celle qui pose les questions, particulièrement en français. Chaque réponse est differente en anglais ou en français. Je ne traduis pas les réponses. En génerale, Noémie répond en français, mais quelque fois aussi en anglais, et Josée répond uniquement en anglais. Mes questions sont en anglais et en français. Lisez ce que vous voulez, ce que vous pouvez, ou trouvez une dictionnaire pour vous aider.

En route, elles se sont arretées en des lieux qui leur semblait interressants; soit pour faire des connaissances de gens, soit pour apprendre de choses nouvelles.   Leur histoire est un encouragement pour quelqu'un qui voudrait, tout en ayant une aventure à bicyclette, de faire connaissance d'autres cultures et  façons de vie. 


 

D'où êtes-vous? Où habitez-vous maintenant? Comment avez-vous fait connaissance?
Where are you from, where did you grow up, and how did you meet each other? 
Je suis native et habite à St-Ferdinand, un village du Québec situé au milieu des villes de  Montréal et Québec. J'ai fait la connaissance de Josée lors d'un voyage sac à dos en Colombie-Britannique, grâce a l'entremise de Couch-Surfing.  J'ai demeuré environ six  mois dans sa ville, Salmon Arm,  pendant lesquelles nous avons eu  la chance de faire ample connaissance et de planifier notre périple à vélo.


We both grew up the middle child of large families, in small towns, and on the opposite sides of Canada. Last year Noémie made her way west from Quebec, to travel and learn English, stopping in Jasper for a few months and then to Salmon Arm, British Columbia.  This is where we met, she was planning on staying for a few days, which led to a few more and then finally we convinced her to really stay and enjoy the berries, lakes, and music festivals in the Shuswap. Then six months later, as fate would have it we were packing our panniers to cycle south!

You opened your story with a quote " L'important n'est pas de savoir où on va mais pourquoi on avance!" Sidiki le guide fou. In English I think that would mean something like: the important thing is not to know where you are going, but why. Why did you choose that, and who is this crazy guide Sidiki?
Vous avez ouvert votre histoire de randonnée avec ces mots de Sidiki, le guide fou: " L'important n'est pas de savoir où on va mais pourquoi on avance!" Pourquoi avez-vous choisi cette citation, et qui est ce guide fou, Sidiki?
C'est  au Burkina Faso, Afrique de l'Est que j'ai rencontré Sidiki, un guide touristique mossi.  Avec lui, j'ai fait mon premier deux  jours à vélo, soit 90 km dans le désert du Sahel sur des vélos de fortune avec très peu d'eau en réserve (d'où le surnom le guide fou). La citation vient de lui et je crois s'appliquait à perfection à notre voyage, car le plus important n'était pas  la destination finale mais la randonné en tant que tel.


I encountered Sidiki, a tour guide, in Burkina Faso, East Africa.  Together, we did two days , 90 km with a bike in really poor condition in the Sahel and just a little bit of water (why his nickname is the crazy guide).  The quote is from him and I think was perfect for us trip, cause the most important isn't the final destination but the all journey.

Récapituleriez-vous votre randonnée pour nous:  où vous avez commencé, pour combien de temps vous avez roulé, et où vous avez fini?
Will you briefly recap your ride for us, where you started, how long you took, where you finished?
 Nous sommes parties de Salmon Arm, CB,  jusqu'à Santa Barbara, CA,  ensemble, soit 2 mois et demi  et plus ou moins 3600km.


We started the trip at the end of August 2011, deciding to leave from Salmon Arm and take a detour trip slightly north up the Sunshine Coast, then down Vancouver Island to visit my relatives and spend a few restful days on some of the Gulf Islands. After a grueling 8 days of cycling in Canada and over 900kms of extremely hilly roads we were ready to sail south! We went down the Olympic Peninsula in Washington and after Portland came out on the Coast and from there we followed the ocean.  It took two and a half months to get to Santa Barbara where I left for Texas on the train and Noemie carried on for three months making her way down Baja California and parts of the mainland.  When we really wanted to cycle in one direction we covered a lot of ground, although this rarely ever happened as we were always on the lookout for festivals, good camping and people to meet.

How did you get the idea for your adventure?
Comment avez-vous trouvé l'idée pour cette aventure?
Noemie had mentioned that she was going to cycle to Mexico when she arrived in Salmon Arm, but wasn't sure of any details. I continued to be jealous for a few months until I finally decided to buy a bike and join her!

J'avais en tête de partir quelques mois au Mexique ou en Amérique Central/Sud depuis quelques temps lorsque l'idée de me rendre en bicyclette est venu en premier plan. Il faut préciser que différents récit de cyclotourisme m'avait inspiré, que j'adorais faire du vélo et que depuis plusieurs années je parlais de descendre la côte pacifique jusqu'au Mexique. En combinant les deux,  l'idée mais apparue parfaite et plutôt excitante.

Avez-vous fait beaucoup de cyclisme avant de commencer cette randonnée?
Did you have much cycling experience before you started?
 Je me promenais partout en ville en vélo, par contre, je n'avais jamais fait plus de 40 km avant de commencer à m'entraîner pour ce voyage.


The first day of our trip we cycled 105kms, which until that point was the longest ride of the summer. Otherwise, we rode our bikes to work and went on occasional cycling excursions on the weekend. The first week of our trip we crossed BC, and that was the ultimate training session, and we're proud to say that we never pushing our bikes once!


What did your family and friends think about your trip, did they understand why you were going??
Vos amis et familles, qu'est-ce qu'ils ont pensé de ce voyage ...  ont-ils compris la raison de votre randonnée?
 Both of our families are accustomed to us leaving for consecutative months to travel. As a result, they have mostly put their worries aside and grown interested and supportive instead. We had friends who actually joined us for portions of the trip, our friend Bree in Washington and Caleb in Oregon for a few weeks. We traveled with a three person tent which was our free little hostel.
Ma famille et  amis furent les premiers ainsi que les plus fidèles supporteurs.  J'ai la chance d'avoir des parents extraordinaires qui malgré leurs inquiétudes m'ont toujours poussés  à continuer et me rappelait sans cesse à quel point c'était une aventure unique et enrichissante. 

Josée, you wrote, "Traveling and camping are familiar to me, although the bugs in my eyes and sore legs every night is something very new." Was the physical challenge or the mental challenge harder?
Josée, vous avez écrit, en anglais, "Traveling and camping are familiar to me, although the bugs in my eyes and sore legs every night is something very new." En français, j'imagine c'est quelque chose comme: "Faisant le voyage et le camping sont familiers à moi, mais les bestioles dans mes yeux, et les jambes fatiguée sont choses nouvelles." Qu'était le plus dificile: le défi physique ou intellectuelle?
It depends. Certainly at the beginning we found the physical challenge the hardest. The first week of the trip I ate all my meals lying flat on my back because it took too much energy to sit up. We were sore, tired and constantly hungry. The mental challenge came later when our bodies adjusted to the rigorous exercise and the days turned into weeks then months. Although, cycling as a duo made it so we always had someone to laugh with, which became essential with our luck of flat tires and the common encounter of ravaging raccoons, who loved to deplete our food source!

Noémie, est-ce que ça changeait après Josée est partie et vous étiez seule?
Noémie, did that change once you were riding solo without Josée?
Oui sa changeait du tout au tout. Le défi  premier était ma sécurité( surtout au Mexique) et de devoir me débrouillé seule sur la route. J'ai apprécié  voyager duo car l'énergie était incroyable et solo puisque se fut un grand défi personnel.
Yes, everythings was news. The first challege became my security (specially in Mexico)  and to survive by myself on the road. I enjoyed ride with Josée for the magical energie and solo to accomplish a personal challenge.

Noéme you wrote, "Bref, quand on pedale pas, bien on mange!!" I think that means "when we are not pedalling, we eat well!" And you met so many people along the way! Was learning about organic farming always one of your goals?
Noémie, vous avez écrit, "Bref, quand on pedale pas, bien on mange!!"  Et vous avez rencontré beaucoup de gens. De decouvrir les fermes biologiques, c'était toujours un but pour vous?
Oui, ce fut un des objectifs du voyage. J'ai grandi sur une fermette utilisant des méthodes biologiques et je voulais prendre l'occasion de se voyage pour m'instruire à se propos. Arrêter dans des petites fermes bios nous donnait l'opportunité de prendre une pause de notre vélo et de travailler différents muscles tout en apprenant.  En fait, c'est suite à ce voyage que mon intérêt de poursuive mes études dans le domaine d'agriculture bio c'est confirmé.


Yes, that was a goal of the trip. I grow-up on a little farm using the organic way of farming  and I liked to took this occasion of the trip to learn more about it. Stopping in differents  farms  gived us the possibility to take a break of biking, work others mucles and learn by the same occasion. Actually, after this trip I decided to go study organic agriculture.


Tell us a little about wwoofing...  what is the network and did you need to make arrangements in advance?
Dites-nous quelque choses au sujet de wwoofing. Qu'est-ce que c'est le reseau et a-t-on besoin de faire des réservations en avance?
WWOOF qui se traduit en français comme Opportunités dans des Fermes Bio du Monde Entier est un mouvement regroupant des fermes écologiques de partout au monde. Ces fermes ont donc un profil que tu peux consulter sur le site wwoof(nom du pays).org et ensuite contacter celle chez qui tu aimerais passer quelques temps. En échange de 25 à 30 heures de bénévolat en moyenne par semaine tu obtiens logis et nourriture, tout dépend de la ferme, de la saison et de leurs disponibilités.


World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a network of farmers and willing workers throughout the world.  The exchange is usually 5-6 hours of work a day for free room and board. It's a really neat way to learn more about organic growing while meeting amazing people and the communities they live in. You do not need to arrange very far in advance, you simply e-mail or phone the farm and ask them if they need wwoofers and then make a plan!



What were your favorite foods?
Quels étaient vos plats ou vos nourritures favorites?
Céréales granola avec fruits, noix et yogourt ou lai FROID!!

It seems that we were always eating so it is hard to narrow it down!  At the beginning we cooked great pasta, quinoa, and lentil stews. Unfortunately though, the cooking luxury was short lived as the stove was broken within a few weeks, making us resort to eating raw foods for the remaining few months.  Our staples were peanut butter, trail mix, oats, granola bars and lots of lettuce, celery as well as an abundance of other vegetables and fruits.  We always tried to eat local when we could, stopping at u-picks and fruit stands along the way. We were even lucky enough to be following the blackberry season, waking up in the morning to pick a bag to pack along for the day. 

And tell us a bit about couch surfing.
Et dites-nous quelque choses de couch-surfing
Couch-surfing is a worldwide traveling community where poeple volunteer to host travelers on a short-term basis. Individuals and families of all ages  and with very diverse backgrounds are involved, most have an interesting profile to show their availability, interests and anything else they want to share. It is completely free, although most hosts are also travelers at one point and so it works as an un-regulated exchange. We met many amazing people while couch-surfing and would really recommend it for anyone wanting to have an unforgettable experience and truly meet the locals.


Couch-Surfing est une organisation à but non lucratif de niveau mondial qui encourage un échange entre ses milliers de membre.  Chaque personne à un profil où tu peux faire une demande pour rester quelques jours chez la personne où seulement la rencontrer. Lorsque tu voyages cela te permet de rencontrer de nouvelles personnes et de partager leur quotidien et lorsque tu es chez toi de continuer à voyager par l'entremise des gens qui débarques chez toi. Bref, c'est exceptionnel!

Were there any particular high points to share with us?
Quels etaient vos expériences la plus forte?
One of the many highlights was cycling through the redwood forest, and feeling tiny amongst the magnificent giants. We ended up getting sick for a few days and by chance we happened to be camping in the redwoods, nature's way of telling us to take it easy. Another highlight was spending a week up a steep mountain road, outside of Carmel, CA, with two of the most amazing individuals. They took us all over the Bay Area to meet their friends and showed us the wonders of living so near to the ocean. We even got brought along on a road trip to San Jose, CA with their contra-dance band, we had a lovely night learning how to dance!! Ultimately, the people are what really made our trip so memorable.


La première semaine fût mémorable. Pédaler tout les jours dans les montagnes, se rendre compte de notre  force, sentir nos muscles de cuisse se former, se coucher dans notre tente complètement épuisée et fière, se dépasser jours après jours et se faire aborder plusieurs fois par jour était complètement nouveau et très excitant.

Where was your favorite place to ride?
Quel etait votre endroit favori pour faire le vélo?
The Oregon coast, with its wide shoulders, amazing views and georgeous blue skies that never rained, made for a cyclist's paradise.


Ils en a plusieurs !! La gorge de la rivière Colorado, les parcs de Redwoods, et tous les jours sur le bord de l'Océan Pacifique étaient complètement géniaux.

Josée, why, when and where did you leave the bike trip, and what did you do with your bike?
Josée, pourquoi, quand et où avez-vous quitté la randonnée à vélo? Qu'avez vous fait avec votre bicyclette?
One of the reasons I had decided to cycle through the states was to make my way to a midwifery school in El Paso, Texas.  My intention was to check out the school, where I hoped to study in the future (I will now be heading back down this summer to start in the fall program!). Therefore, Noémie and I went our separate ways once we reached Santa Barbara, she kept going south while I took the train to Texas with my bike sadly stowed in a box.

Noémie, how much further did you ride, and where?
Noémie, après ça, pour combien de km avez-vous roulé, et jusqu'à où?
J'ai continuée de Santa Barbara à El Rosario, Basse- Californie Nord soit environ 1000 km plus loin puisque j'ai pris quelques détours.

What advice would you give someone who wants to go on a long bike trip?
Quels conseils donneriez-vous à quelqu'un qui veut faire une très longue randonnée à vélo?
D'être prêt à se dépasser mentalement et physiquement chaque jour. Lire différents récits de voyage et faire du vélo le plus possible, beau temps mauvais temps est une bonne façon de commencer.D'être prêt à se dépasser mentalement et physiquement chaque jour. Lire différents récits de voyage et faire du vélo le plus possible, beau temps mauvais temps est une bonne façon de commencer.

Buy good quality tires, unless you want to learn how to patch and change a tube really well! I would also recommend not planning too much in advance; just let the road take you were it wants to. It was nice to leave our busy lives in the city and have minimal plans except what we were going to eat and where we might sleep that night. Flying by the seat of your spandex shorts is the key!


Are you both back in Canada now? Where and when did you return?
Êtes-vous maintenant, toutes les deux, rentrées au Canada? Depuis quand?
Just recently, at the end of February, Noemie came and to Vancouver for a visit on her way back up from Mexico and on her way home to surprise her family in Quebec.  I was home in Vancouver since the middle of November, in time to get settled in one spot to start working and taking classes towards my midwifery training.

Je suis de retour au Canada depuis quelques jours seulement. En fait, je suis arrêtée chez Josée  il y a deux jours et je suis présentement assis dans l'autobus en direction du Québec bien impatiente de revoir ma famille et amis.


Do you have any plans or dreams for another cycle trip?
Avez-vous des plans ou des rêves pour un autre randonnée à vélo?
OUI, sans aucun doute. Voyage en vélo est en un sens complètement additif, quand tu commences tu veux plus t'arrêter et quand tu t'arrêtes tu veux toujours recommencer. Pour mon prochain voyage j'aimerais bien visiter l'est du Canda mais aussi  faire Mexique-Bolivie, l'Asie et peut être aussi l'Afrique.


We had barely left Salmon Arm and we were making plans to cycle around Quebec and the east coast and dreaming of a three or four year world trip. As well we have vowed to use our bikes instead of cars whenever possible not only to use less oil, but to take the time to slow down and enjoy every inch of what the road has to offer.

Interview with Pamela Blalock, part 2

This is part two of an interview with Pamela Blalock, a versatile cyclist from New England, USA. If you missed the first part, you can read it here.Pamela Blalock, part 1

These sound to me like impossibly difficult rides, and you mentioned that you have also participated in them on a tandem. When was that?
In 1992, two tandems completed BMB: one with two men, and the one I was on with my partner at the time, Steve. I think there has been at least one tandem every year since, but I don't know for sure. It is a challenging tandem ride. John and I completed the ride on tandem in 1994.





Is riding a tandem an advantage, disadvantage, or just a different experience?
I'm going to say it's different. There are advantages and disadvantages. You always have someone to ride with and talk to. But if something goes wrong and one get sick or injured, you both have to slow or stop. On the other hand, one can help the other through a rough spot. But one can't ride off to get help if the bike breaks down. With the extra weight, tandems are harder on parts. They also are going to be a bit slower up hills and faster down.  The tandem likely will climb at the average of the two riders' paces. In our case John climbs faster than I do on a single bike, so we climb faster on the tandem than I do alone, meaning we go faster together than I would alone -- this is an advantage. But if one has to stop to sleep/pee/eat, then both have to stop.  Tandems can be hard on parts, so chances of a mechanical may be increased. Finally,  the tandem is just harder on our butts -- which you can imagine is an issue on a 750 mile ride. Being able to stand will help a lot in this regard, but I do find I have to do a lot more standing on the tandem than on my single. The reward for doing this challenging thing together is amazing.


They are not races, no one wins and stands on a podium, or gets ranked. And  professional cyclists are banned from entering. But that doesn't mean it is not competitive and perhaps extremely competitive. How does participating feel ... race-like or not so much?
Any time two riders go out, it's competitive :-) PBP does recognize the first finishers. The results book from 1991 and 1999 was listed by hour. I believe now it may be alphabetical order. Everyone gets the same medal, but it does have the time stamped on the back. At PBP,  the front end is very competitive. There are team tactics and some not so nice things go on at the front. But for 95% of the riders, it's really all about finishing. People help each other out and cheer each other on. It is very friendly. Similar to a running marathon.


I learned that the ride's "Great Book" lists the names of all successful riders in it since the beginning in 1891. That's excellent, very cool!
 

When asking me about solo touring, people often suggest that I must be particularly brave, or strong, or fast. I usually respond that I'm just essentially stubborn. In your blog I read you describe yourself as "Stubborn Pamela." Do you think that stubbornness is a characteristic of cyclists?
Stubborness is not a bad quality to have to keep pushing when you have nothing left. There are certainly times that flexibility is called for, so I wouldn't say it's all about being stubborn. I am persistent!


That's a really good descriptor, I'll have to remember it. Also many people say to me things along the lines of … why would you want to ride up those hills?  isn't that hard? There seems a bit of an implication that it is a touch crazy. Well, maybe eccentric. And I have a hard time explaining just how "addictive," or compelling, or fun it is.  Does something with a compelling or addictive quality like that happen with long-distance cycling?
There is no doubt this type of riding is addictive. There are some who can do PBP once and then move on. I have not done a 1200km in many years now, but I still do many of the other events (up to 600km).  I just love to ride.


Riders must qualify for these endurance rides, completing a series of shorter, but still long rides, of 200, 300 and 600k, I think. What other long rides do you participate in, do you have favorites and if so, why?
My favorite distance event is the Fleche. This is a team event, where 3 to 5 riders have a destination and 24 hours to get there, taking a route of their choosing and covering at least 360km. I love the camaraderie of this event. I've also done a few Gran Fondos in Italy. These are 200km rides in mountainous areas with 10,000 of your closest friends. This type of ride has recently arrived in the USA. These days I do a few 200 and 300km rides, usually a fleche, and then a few super short hill climb races.  

You have written that you get a fair amount of training through commuting to work and that you continue to ride in the New England winter. Do you do other kinds of training and if so will you describe that?
I just ride, admittedly I ride a lot. I joke that if fitness is a side benefit, so be it.


Do you have any particular tours or randonnees planned for the next season or two?
Quadzilla! 

For the reader who, like me, isn't familiar with the event, Quadzilla is an annual endurance ride held in the New York Finger Lakes region. It begins in Ithaca, NY and consists of four consecutive days each  of 125 mile rides. When finished riders will have circled all eleven of the finger lakes. For more information and registration, visit Quadzilla.

Pamela, Thanks! You have a great deal of useful information on long-distance rides, specifically on training and qualifying,  bikes, lights,  shoes & pedals, tires,  and bags on your blog, The Blayleys: John and Pamela's Cycling Adventures. In addition to what is there, the reader will find more information and reports at The Blayleys, not just about PBP and BMB, but about touring in France and other countries, and all sorts of other things. Readers can find information about rides in their area at RUSA (Randonneurs USA.) 

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for me! Enjoy your 12,000 or so miles of riding in the coming year!

Interview with Pamela Blalock, part 1

Pamela Blalock is an amazing cyclist. Her blog, The Blayleys: John and Pamela's Cycling Adventures  and web site, The Blayleys,  came to my attention recently while looking for information about New England randonnées. Now, I really mean those words in my masthead that say "Bicycles are wheels. You can do all kinds of things with them."   So imagine how delighted I was to find Pamela's site, because she does in fact do all kinds of things with a bicycle ...  rides tandem and solo, commutes, rides year-round, tours, races hillclimbs and is a randonneur. I was thrilled that she agreed to this interview, which is focused on randonneuring, defined by RUSA as "long distance unsupported endurance cycling." This is part 1 of our email interview.


What drew you to cycling and how did that lead to randonneuring?
I have always ridden a bike. But my first exposure to club riding was also my first exposure to randonneuring. I met Gilbert Anderson through the North Carolina Bike Club. He had done PBP (Paris-Brest-Paris, described below) in 1979 and 1983, and he just told the most entertaining stories. He shared stories about French people in the little villages inviting riders into their homes in the wee hours, and climbing over fences on some ride where the route sheet sent them down a dead end trail, and of going into a convenience store to buy panty hose to keep warm. His stories were funny and romantic and just made me want to do these rides. I did a 100km ride and was hooked. I'm not sure how I jumped straight from 100km to 300km, but I did, and while it was hard, I was so excited when I finished. And I never looked back!

Probably because it is held in France, before discovering your site I knew a little bit about PBP, but nothing about BMB. Will you describe these rides? 
PBP stands for Paris-Brest-Paris. It is a 1200km (750 mile) ride from Paris out to Brest on the coast and back. Riders have up to 90 hours to complete the event. The clock does not stop. So the 90 hours includes riding time, eating, sleeping and all other stops. PBP is held once every 4 years and was first held in 1891.  Originally it was a professional race that, because it was so difficult, was held only every 10 years. In the 50's it became an amateur event and went to every 5 years, and then every 4. The last running, in 2011, had about 6000 participants from all over the world.

In 1988, inspired after doing PBP, a couple of guys from Boston conceived the Boston-Montreal-Boston 1200km ride, with the same format. Until then, there were no other 1200kms aside from PBP.



How is the culture of PBP and BMB different?
BMB had at most about 150-160 riders. PBP has 6000 riders. You are almost never alone at PBP. There are cheering spectators lining parts of the route in France. Crowding at controls can cause delays at PBP. At BMB, if you end up riding alone, you might not see anyone else for a long time.  PBP has massive support from the locals, at all hours, day and night, and everywhere. Lots of press, lots of folks at controls. Everyone knew what was going on. At BMB, no one along the route has a clue what BMB is. You are likely to get blank stares at convenience stores as you come in during the wee hours to buy something. When they find out you are on a long ride, the first question is what charity are you riding for, and folks seem offended if you aren't doing a charity ride.

 
What is the demographic of the participants like in the two races? I assume that both draw international participation.
Folks come from all over the world to do PBP. In the years it was run, BMB got a few Canadians, Irish (how I met John), English and French.  Most of the American 1200km rides have mostly American riders, with a few from somewhere farther afield. PBP is truly international and gets even more so with every running.


I've often thought that cycling gets so little coverage in this country, and women's cycling is really not on the public's radar at all. Although the first women riders in PBP were in 1931, you are the first woman randonneur whom I've read about. Has women's participation in endurance cycling changed since you've been involved?
I took part in the first BMB, along with 18 other riders, 4 of whom were women. One of those women got lost and did some bonus miles before getting a lift back on route and finishing (unofficially). So all 4 women "finished," but one was listed as unofficial. The first year likely had the highest percentage of women participants.

There are a few women in the area who do these types of events. One is Melinda Lyon, who has finished as the first woman at PBP several times. She has also done BMB many times, as well. Another local gal, Emily O'Brien, has done BMB, PBP, and Endless Mountains on a fixed gear bike.  She has also completed Furnace Creek, a RAAM (Race Across America) qualifier on fixed gear. Women make up a small percentage of randonneurs relative to men, but there are still quite a few women throughout the US doing these types of rides.

As for my track record, I attempted PBP in 1987 and did not finish. But I did finish BMB the next year. I went back and had a successful PBP in 1991. I did BMB on tandem in 1992 with my partner Steve, and in 1994 with John, who later became my husband. John and I also did PBP on tandem in 1999.


Do you try to keep to any particular strategy or tactics?

I like to make effective use of the allowed time. I typically try to get 5 hours of sleep a night, and take time to eat meals at each control. But otherwise I am riding. To paraphrase and clean up the language of one of my friends, time not spent riding, eating or sleeping is wasted time.  Eating is a big concern and a challenge. It's important to eat on and off the bike, and to find the right balance, eat enough to get through, but not so much that you puke when you ride up hills!

Good preparation is vital, both for the body and bike. I have often described brevets at 95% mental and 95% physical. I think you must have both.

It's important to have a reliable bike and to be able to fix any issues. I have become a pretty good bike mechanic as a result of either learning to fix something on the side of the road, or better yet, learning about and preventing issues beforehand. Since riders must complete a series of 4 rides of increasing length (200km, 300, 400 and 600) before attempting a 1200km, they and their bikes should be well-prepared by the time the 1200km comes around.

Is falling asleep at the handlebars a danger ?
I always try to ride with other people, especially at night. Conversation is one of the best ways to avoid the "noddies," nodding off to sleep. Plus it's just more fun and makes the miles pass by quicker. For me, pre-dawn is the toughest time. Once the sun comes up, I am awake again. So I try to arrange sleep stops for that time. One of the great things about riding the tandem is always having company. 

This is the first part of our interview. For Part 2 of Pamela's interview, click here.

Interview with Veronica and Colin Scargill

Veronica and Colin Scargill are cyclists I met on Col de Marie Blanque, in France in September 2011, when they were crossing the Pyrenees on a tandem and I was doing the same thing solo. The two of them made an indelible image in my head .... I was impressed at their traveling through those beautiful mountains on a loaded tandem and very much enjoyed visiting with them, partly because their enthusiasm and enjoyment of the world around them was infectious. We met again by chance two days later on Col du Soulor. I had ridden up the route from the north, they came over Col d'Aubisque. I am tickled to be able to interview them for this series.




Have you always ridden tandem?
We bought a tandem in 1971 soon after we were married. Colin has always been a stronger cyclist than Veronica so it made sense to combine our efforts. 

My instinct is that tandem riding seems much harder, though I don't know anything about it. Would you tell us a bit about the physics of it.
Tandems are generally faster downhill, because of the combined weight, but slower uphill depending upon the fitness of the riders. The two riders are known as steersman and stoker. There are no specific problems in cornering, but it does need a fair degree of adjustment to ride effectively together, so that the pedals turn with the same effort. We have the pedals sightly adjusted so that the stoker's pedals reach the top before those of the steersman. We do know couples who have never mastered the art of riding a tandem. Indeed some would say that the best stoker is someone who has never ridden a solo. We use hub brakes because with the extra weight of two people on two wheels, rim brakes can become very hot and we have burst tyres as a consequence. 

I am guessing that tandems might be much more popular in England than in the US, because I have met other English cycle tourists on tandems in France and virtually never see them in the US ... are they used often there?
There is an international tandem club, with members in U.S. but even in this country we attract comment as an unusual sight. In the U.K. efforts are being made to increase cycle use, and that will increase cycle touring. It could be that on the back of Olympic success and Tour de France success for British cyclists there is more interest. However in the U.K. the motorist is very dominant. It is hard to ease people out of their cars. A fair number of motorists feel cyclists have no place on the roads for which they think they pay with road tax. This is a myth since highways and roads are maintained through general taxation. The anti-cyclist motorist cannot see that by riding a bike there is less congestion on the roads, and a great savings in health bills. Moreover a bike is generally non polluting.

That attitude is common in the US also. Many motorists don't seem to understand or care that cyclists also pay for the roads through our tax dollars, and we have an equal right to use them! On a personal note I seem to remember that you ride without helmets....maybe not.... but was that a choice, or just what you do?
No, we choose not to wear helmets, since there is no purpose served, and the case has not been proved. Indeed we often think that it would make more sense for motorists to wear helmets since most head injuries occur to people in motor vehicles. 

Have you toured in England, if so where?
We have toured in U.K. notably in Derbyshire and Norfolk. And when the children were young we took them on cycle tours using a combination of child seats, "kiddi-cranks" and tandem or solos as needed.


Where else have you toured?
We went to Ireland one summer which we all enjoyed. Before the children we did tours in France, and in what was then Yugoslavia, and from Feb. 1974 – August 1975 we toured right around the world starting in New York. 

I had no idea! So, I googled you, and learned that your trip, finished on August 27, 1975, logging18,020 miles around the world, set an international record for touring on a tandem. That is an amazing trip, I'd love to learn more about it someday. Very very cool! Has your touring style changed since then?
In the early days we would camp carrying the tents and other gear with us or use Youth Hostels. These days we use Youth Hostels when available, but B&B sometimes as well, which gives a different perspective and needs a degree of adaptability since they can be so variable. 
 
I ride as a solo woman, you ride a tandem, but in some ways, the same questions pop up frequently ... the advantages of riding solo or with others, travelling as a solo woman ... or for that matter, solo man.
As to riding as a single woman, there are some famous precedents, Dervla Murphy being the one who comes to mind first, but there are several others. I suspect that the biggest problem is not so much the gender as the ability to maintain the bike, at least that would be Veronica's problem. She cannot even mend a puncture effectively. 

We met Heinz Stucke in 1975, touring alone all over the World. He had been on the road about 19 years when we met him, and we heard of him a few years ago still riding. He said that there were advantages and disadvantages to riding alone. For a man he could be seen with some suspicion whereas Colin accompanied by a woman was less threatening. But for a female cyclist this probably would not apply.


I knew vaguely of Heinz Stucke before you mentioned him, and just found this quote from his web site "...[my first]  trip was extended a bit longer than I expected, and a year and a half after my departure I decided to return to my hometown to work, marry, have children ... in short, all those things that one assumes one has to do. But after a year, I realized that was not what I wanted and not what I expected from life. On the 4th of November 1962, I took my bike and started a wonderful journey that has not yet reached its end."  That was written after 48 years of pedalling and 20 passports! 

I remember your saying to me something like you popped over to ride ... or some such... that made me sort of insanely envious! Would you compare touring in England and France? What draws you to France?
Riding in France is much preferable to that in the U.K because the French have a very different attitude to cyclists, and take pride in their cycling heritage. In defense of the U.K. motorist, it is true that French drivers have more room and that French roads are generally well maintained, even the most remote areas. Another personal reason to choose to tour in France is the language. Veronica speaks French moderately well having first been to France more than 50 years ago and frequently since then. 

After our interview, I learned that besides climbing Col de Marie Blanque (1035m) and Col du Soulor (1474m) last September you also rode up Col d'Aubisque (1709m) Col du Tourmalet (2115m) Col d'Aspin (1489m) and Col de Peyresourde (1568m) These are all famous Tour de France climbs and absolutely inspirational! I can't wait to go back and hope that we might meet again in the mountains of France. Your cycling story has been inspirational to me and spurs me on to try ever more ambitious climbing! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. 

Gerry Patterson Interview, part 2

This is the second part of my interview with Gerry Patterson, who rides, races and writes Mr. Patterson Goes to Languedoc and Cycling Languedoc from his home in southern France. If you missed the first part, you might want to read it first, here.

L'Etape du Tour

What motivated you to take up racing?

Good question. I’m not sure how I heard about this, but in November of 2010 I came across information on the Etape du Tour, a yearly sportive race in the Alps or Pyrenees that duplicates an actual mountain stage of the Tour de France. This was the beginning of it all and it has just snowballed from there.

Let me offer up a few statistics to give any reader who isn't familiar with the Etape du Tour some perspective: this first race you signed up for (sort of like your first tour ... across Australia) involved "only" 110km (68 miles) ... hmm, one thinks, that's perhaps manageable. But those 110 km included 4000 vertical meters (that is 13,500 feet) of climbing and is limited to 10,000 riders. The crowd alone would undo me, we don't even need to think about the climbing! And you are going to do two of these this year, separated I think by one week! 

Has that been a hard switch from touring?

Yes, it was, but just because I was suddenly working a lot harder on the bike. I learned I had a big ring on the front, for example! I encountered new words like ‘intervals’, ‘sprints’ and the ever-popular ‘fartleks’. I still enjoyed my rides, I suppose, but I was not going out for enjoyment anymore. My goals had changed. Now I was clipping in to suffer, so I would suffer less (theoretically) in the Etape, when it came in July. It’s a big change, but it’s still the bicycle.

I want to get some understanding of this suffering thing on a cycle. It seems central to the racing ethic, I see the word used all over the bike blog world. Years ago a dear friend told me that I was "the only person he knew who likes to walk up incredibly steep hills for days in a row, carrying heavy objects, in the rain." (I used to do a lot of backpacking.) Somehow, that seems related, though I have never thought of it, or bike touring, as suffering.

I’m no expert on racing, so I can only speak for myself, but I have never ‘suffered’ like I do when training for races (or even worse, races themselves) when doing touring or hiking (also an old favorite of mine.) There were definitely hard treks, like a few I did in the Himalaya, and surely hard climbs when touring, but you always have the luxury of stopping and resting with these activities, no matter how hard they are. With bike racing you can’t … or you shouldn’t. Imagine your hardest hike, now increase your heart rate by 20 to 40 beats per minute and sustain that effort for an hour and 45 minutes. That’s what climbing Mont Ventoux is like. Now, do that 3 times in one day and you get a big stage like the Etape du Tour. It’s probably similar to a triathlon like the Ironman, but I can’t say since I’ve never done one. And being in better shape doesn’t help either because, as Greg Lemond said, ‘It never gets easier, you just go faster’.

Though I couldn't have told you who said it, that is one of my favorite quotes about cycling also and I'm absolutely no racer.  Do you think suffering is an integral, even a defining part, of the community of racing ... a part of the camaraderie, the ethos, among peers?

Good question, and probably one that I am not well suited to answer, since I'm really new to the whole racing scene. … Maybe it changes in different countries, too. My experience with French riders, for example, is that they don't flaunt their suffering, but take it as just another part of their sport. Again, that's just my view today - it could very well change tomorrow. …There’s no denying that the ability to endure sustained pain is an integral part of the sport. It is what it is, you might say. 

  

Racing and touring seem like pretty different things, different skills, different mindsets. Could you talk a bit comparing your experiences?

Scenery Unseen in the Race

 Touring for me was always about travel and exploration. I still think that it’s by far the best way to see the world. The riding is relatively slow, with little or no thought of cadence, heart rate or speed (other than making sure you are fast enough to get to your campsite by dinnertime.) Racing is the opposite. You aren’t really going anywhere (literally, if you are on an indoor trainer,) or at least that’s not your purpose. You are riding to train and you train to get stronger and you get stronger to do better in races. The lovely scenery and freedom you feel on the open road (you can’t take that away) are bi-products. It’s an interesting transformation and I still shake my head sometimes that I am actually doing it…and even enjoying it!

Part of what I enjoy about touring is the kick, adrenaline rush I guess, that comes from long, sweeping or switchbacking descents. Is there some of that in racing, or is it so concentrated on technique that it is wholly about the race?

If you choose the right race you’ll have awesome descents, no question. However, from my perspective at least, there’s no time to enjoy them, other than the adrenaline rush part. Training is a bit different because it’s not as concentrated perhaps (at least you don’t have someone else’s wheel a foot in front of you when you are descending at 60 kph!)

Has racing ruled out touring?

 Not at all. I’ve got a trip that I’m planning for this summer (after my racing is done, mind you), possibly in the UK or Scandinavia. 

The little bit I've been there, it looks to me like most French cyclists ride with clubs. Is that true in your experience? Do you ride with French cyclists?

I’m not really sure either. There are a lot of club riders, but probably many more that ride with friends or alone. That said, in the races I’ve been in the vast majority of competitors ride in clubs. Probably 80% or more. I ride with French cyclists from time to time, but not as much as I should.

Why the word should? I spent part of last spring saying I should ride with a group ... because I thought it would make me a stronger rider, and it probably would, but I never did. But what is the  should in riding with French cyclists?

Simply because it replicates racing like no other type of training, which helps with things like learning how to ride close to others, riding in a paceline, closing a gap, etc. Someone else usually controls the pace, too, so you inevitably have surges, sustained hard efforts, relaxed spinning, all started by someone other than yourself, but which you need to ready for and, more importantly, able to follow. If you’re not doing races, I don’t see the need for riding with a club, other than the social aspect and improved fitness (but this might be debatable).

A bike in France is a happy bike, n'est-ce pas?

What do you like best about cycling in France?

It just feels right here. Where else can you climb a small hill close to home and have someone encourage you by saying ‘Allez!’ or ‘Ah…le grimpeur, bravo!’?

Absolutely, and I wondered for quite a while what was going on with my helmet when other cyclists told me “chapeau!”. You have 3 blogs, I'm mostly familiar with Mr. Patterson and Cycling Languedoc. Why did you separate them into two distinct sites?

Mr. Patterson Goes to Languedoc is simply a blog of my days on the bike and the one I enjoy working on the most. Cycling Languedoc is an information site for people interested in riding in sunny southern France. It’s also the springboard I hope to use if I ever decide to move more into the business end of Cycling. I do link back and forth, but I wanted to keep them separated in terms of content, since they are really built for different purposes, and maybe audiences as well.

And the third site?

The Bicycle: Riding to a Saner Future was an idea that hasn’t found its time yet, I think. It is supposed to be a place for longer, more in-depth articles that would be (or should be) more objective and wide ranging. I’m still trying to find my feet with that one.

Want a guide for Ventoux?

Explain your guiding service to us... how do you arrange trips, where do you go, what do you provide....

In a word – no frills. OK, that was two words, but it’ll have to do. Right now I’d just like to offer the opportunity for anyone visiting the area (Montpellier or Nîmes) to get out for a few ho hours and ride the beautiful countryside we have here. I wasn’t sure if there’d be a market for this sort of thing, since it doesn’t fit into the ‘tour’ category, but it seems that there are a few people out there who are interested.

This year I’ll also be branching out a little and am hooking up with at least one B&B to do guided rides from their place. This should be fun and will have some of the components of a tour without the logistics.

Also, I’ve done one proper ‘tour’, I suppose, since it involved a big van, food and support, but it was really only one (long) day. I had a group of riders from the US and UK who wanted to climb Mont Ventoux together and the day was a great success, I thought. I’d be really interested in doing this sort of thing again because I find myself with a good amount of knowledge on that particular mountain all of a sudden and there is a massive market, I’m sure of that. It’s really the climb of a lifetime for many cyclists. Here’s the page on my guided rides, if any of your readers are heading this way.

It is France, after all

OK, thanks! At any point I could pepper you with another handful of questions, but let's let it go for now. Happy cycling in sunny southern France, and do break training enough for a bit of wine (or I guess that's beer,) unpasteurized cheese and good bread for those of us in unforgiving winter lands!