After starting my new job I found out that my new boss was a total dick. I won’t go into details but handing your notice in after 3 weeks really isn’t what I had planned. Oh well.
What do I think will cheer me up? Oh yeh let’s get on the bike again
Now I totally blame Nathan Millward for my choice of direction this time. On one of his recent videos he’s down in the Vercours region and having been down there twice I thought 3rd time would be a charm.
With a short window of 11 days and only 2 days to plan, I hurriedly packed. It’s the great thing about being an organised list person, I could lay my hands on everything I needed for the whole trip and was packed in an hour . I then booked an early morning crossing from Poole to Cherbourg (brilliant, but getting up at 3am to ride down was too reminiscent of my on-call days and left me hanging for the rest of the day). I arrived in Cherbourg on Monday afternoon and took a leisurely ride down to St Lo. I’d packed all my usual stuff and decided to stay in hotels just booked on booking.com to remain flexible.
The PCX was a great bike to ride down on, once again comfortable for many hours in the saddle, and with a tank range of about 220/240 miles from 8 litres it meant not too many fill ups. Especially cause the French petrol prices are up at €2 per litre!!!
Day 2 was a nice ride to Blois. Only 300km and always programmed via ‘plan a thrill’ on the tomtom. I’m always impressed with the great roads it pulls up. Day 3 was down to Vichy with day 4 arriving in Saint Jean-en-Royans.
What a great town, it’s got bars, patisseries, restaurants, great walking, and a supermarket and petrol on the edge of town. Perfect.
I stayed for 4 nights giving me 3 clear days to enjoy the area.
My first day there I got up early and headed off on a 141 mile tour around the area, taking in Combe Laval, then heading down D518 en route Col de Rousset to Die, then back up Col de Menee then up to Grenoble, then around Gorges de la Bourne, and home.
I’ve said it before, this is probably one of my favourite riding destinations. The roads are relatively quiet with pretty good surfaces, the switchbacks are tight, views amazing and the balcony roads exhilarating. What more could you ask for?
My second day was spent exercising off some of the many sweet treats I had been eating on the way down. The French really know how to make great cakes!! I left from Saint Jean and headed up a track that climbed all the way up to the Combe Laval through the forest, it was only about 10 miles but big on elevation. The weather was about 26 degrees and sunny so a really good temperature. Much better than back home, so a great call to head down here.
Day 7 saw an early get up and a quick ride up to Combe Laval again (you have to-it’s addictive) and then on to Pont en Royans for a walk around the overhanging houses. Spectacular!
Well that was me done down there and needed to start making my way back up. I wanted to stop at Avallon cause it’s a beautiful small town but also wanted to ride Gorges du Nan. So it was to be a 7 1/4 hour riding day to complete 240 miles. But boy was it worth it. I stumbled on the Gorges du Nan while researching around the area and saw it looked interesting and was really glad I made the effort. It had similar views to Combe Laval, but the side wall was even lower and the road even narrower so made the experience pretty exciting. At one point I couldn’t even get a good photo as I was a bit freaked out I’d just fall over the wall. Anyway, I live to tell the tale and would definitely recommend going that way if you’re in the area.
From Avallon it was a day up to Senlis, again a wonderful town but pretty expensive and then up to Calais where I’m sat writing most of this in a hotel just round the corner from the Eurotunnel.
Calculating my trip, (as you know I love my stats…)
11 days
1,715 miles ridden
75 miles walked
£88 spent on petrol and almost the same on cakes
Once again the PCX125 proved a perfect long distance bike. Over 7 hours in the saddle and not a spot of a numb bum, economical on petrol (best mpg was 148!), 30 litres under seat storage, a tank range of 220+ miles from 8 litres of fuel, and a turning circle tighter than my belt after all the cakes - making the twisties all the more fun when you get there.
So that’s 6,628 miles ridden abroad this year… I really need to stop doing this
PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
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PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
The Meandering Moustache
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
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Re: PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
The Meandering Moustache
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
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Re: PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
The Meandering Moustache
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
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Re: PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
Looks like very nice trip. And a great bike for it.
Too bad about your new boss
but it's his/her loss.
I was going to make a short poem, but due to peculiarities of the English language weather and breather don't rhyme when read out loud. In my tired brain cheer, balcony, plan and cakes found no appropriate matches either.
I might try again later.
Too bad about your new boss
but it's his/her loss.
I was going to make a short poem, but due to peculiarities of the English language weather and breather don't rhyme when read out loud. In my tired brain cheer, balcony, plan and cakes found no appropriate matches either.
I might try again later.
Champagne taste on beer budget.
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Re: PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
As usual a delightful write up along with spectacular photos.... moustache and all.
I have seen a couple of rides on youtube from Vercours and it's becoming more and more appealing.
Time to get planning I think.
I have seen a couple of rides on youtube from Vercours and it's becoming more and more appealing.
Time to get planning I think.
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Re: PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
Fantastic range of mountains, been there a couple of times, will have to go back one day.
There is a memorial to the French Resistance up there which is a big cave that was used as a hospital which the Nazi's didn't find due to the inaccessibilty of the area at the time.
Great write up mate, thanks for sharing.
There is a memorial to the French Resistance up there which is a big cave that was used as a hospital which the Nazi's didn't find due to the inaccessibilty of the area at the time.
Great write up mate, thanks for sharing.
- Scott_rider
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Re: PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
Nice one .
Suzuki GSX-S1000F...the KTM 450 EXC-R has gone
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Re: PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
I am over 10,000 miles abroad this year...and have just booked a ferry to France next week.
To be fair though, I do have 8x the cc.
I'd never dare to calculate the fuel (or beer) cost!
- boboneleg
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Re: PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
Superb Chris, it really is a great area to ride . I did have a little shiver though when you mentioned Grenoble, never in my life have I encountered so many traffic lights on one stretch of road
one-legged adventurer
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Re: PCX125 to Vercours (a balcony is very supportive 😉)
Saw after 3 weeks that the new boss was a dross.
Had to put in the notice, it was was the bosses loss.
But it was boring just to sit on the bench.
Time to enjoy the smooth roads that are French.
Enjoying the views from the balcony roads.
Of their long thin breads he had loads.
Magnificent moustache has grown a bit.
But all things must end he had to admit.
After a week on switchbacks in the sun.
It was time to go home for another sort of fun.
Spending as much on cakes as on fuel.
The good ol' PCX is a jewel.
Yep. I'll see myself out.
Had to put in the notice, it was was the bosses loss.
But it was boring just to sit on the bench.
Time to enjoy the smooth roads that are French.
Enjoying the views from the balcony roads.
Of their long thin breads he had loads.
Magnificent moustache has grown a bit.
But all things must end he had to admit.
After a week on switchbacks in the sun.
It was time to go home for another sort of fun.
Spending as much on cakes as on fuel.
The good ol' PCX is a jewel.
Yep. I'll see myself out.
Champagne taste on beer budget.