Fancy a week trail riding through France??

[Tramp]

just to clarify Brian..if the track is wide enough and has "visible" use by a motor vehicle and there is no "posted" sign saying otherwise you can ride them..

All Gr`s are and where is tracks designated as Gr`s they are like connecting village tracks like some of our Droves etc.

I leave it up to people to decide where they ride..I have NEVER had a problem in France unlike the Uk...there is so many trails and tracks in France they are rarely over used..

Sorry Harty for thread highjack **********

[ChasF]

French Environment ministry circularDGA /SDAJ/BDEDP n°1 of June 2005 states: "the law considers that for a track to be presumed open to motorised traffic, it must be manifestly usable by a vehicle not specially adapted for off-road driving" .

This was only a proposal and was completely abandoned at the end of 2011. The only restrictions that exist are the 'no vehicle' signs which are placed on a commune by commune basis so it quite possible to be riding down a trail in the middle of nowhere when you arrive at a commune boundary and find the track is blocked. Also many of these signs only prohibit traffic in one direction in an attempt to prevent accidents between hunters vehicles. It is not evident on any maps which tracks are open and which are closed.

Also be aware that many sections of many GRs have vehicle restrictions, also many GRs have been diverted to follow minor roads rather than tracks to reduce maintenance costs. It is true there is no classification of tracks as in the UK so you can ride anywhere that there isn't a sign except in the National Parks (no signs just a blanket ban) or on private property. Using the IGN serie bleu maps is a start but they are often out of date or inaccurate at track level. There is no substitute for local knowledge if you want to make the most of you time in France and avoid endless U turns.

[Harty]

Sorry Harty for thread highjack **********

Not a problem mate, as it looks like we're going to use GR36, but it's good to get clarification that it can be used first :pinch:

[picos mestizo]

Thanks for the clarification Tramp.
Like everything that's great about the French, nicely ambiguous & clear as Mud.
Which is great for all the Anarchist ABR-ers

I guarantee the paragraph..................................

Contrary to information posted on a UK motorcycle site, GR paths are not normally open to motorbikes, quads or other motorised vehicles, except where these follow byways or tracks that are designated as such. On many sections of GR, motorbikes and quads are both unauthorised and unwelcome. GR routes are for hikers, not bikers. French Environment ministry circularDGA /SDAJ/BDEDP n°1 of June 2005 states: "the law considers that for a track to be presumed open to motorised traffic, it must be manifestly usable by a vehicle not specially adapted for off-road driving" ..................

was written by a Brit. expat RAMBLIAR. The quality of the English was not penned by a Frenchman.

It's the "unauthorised & unwelcome" bit I don't like!

Thanks Harty for allowing the aside & have a great trip which I will be following.

[Tramp]

Harty..as you may already know being a Trf memeber that the French have a similar organisation that if you join them they have gpx trail stuff..so I was told by a friendly frenchman :laugh: :laugh:

maybe chasF can post a link or offer advice

[Harty]

Harty..as you may already know being a Trf memeber that the French have a similar organisation that if you join them they have gpx trail stuff..so I was told by a friendly frenchman :laugh: :laugh:

maybe chasF can post a link or offer advice

http://www.codever.fr/

[ChasF]

www.codever.fr is the French equivalent to the TRF. I'm not sure if they offer .gpx routes but they do advise on what is a legal sign closing a trail and what is not. If you join Codever you automatically get 'protection judiciare' which means they'll fight your case if someone takes you to court - they've had quite a few successes.

GRs are equivalent to UK long distance paths - some are historical but most are modern inventions. The routes are not set in stone and over the years have changed a fair bit. Some of the older ones (GR6 and GR10) incorporate great chunks of old pilgramage routes used by monks and what were important trade routes. The trails used are still subject to closure as with all trails but in some areas great swathes have been closed off with stiles which only allow pedestrian access. In a lot of cases GRs just follow back roads as farmers have refused to keep tracks across their land open. In most parts of France tracks have been created by farmers and hunters so their usefulness changes over time and you'll find that many marked on the IGN maps have disappeared or changed. Tracks should be marked on the plan cadastrale as 'chemin rurale'. The Cadastrale for each village is available at the Mairie or on www.geoportail.fr.

[adrian650]

In most parts of France tracks have been created by farmers and hunters so their usefulness changes over time and you'll find that many marked on the IGN maps have disappeared or changed.

I was in Ardenne region in July 2012 and had both new and old 1:100 000 IGN maps. The new ones are easier to read- mainly because lots of small tracks have been deleted! Neither were accurate to what was on the ground in many cases. I was only bimbling around so didn't need to worry about U-turns, but on both this and a previous visit I did note '1-way' prohibitive signage as a previous poster mentioned. Of course if you're riding away from it you don't feel too guilty.

Definately worth poking around Codever website and note that some areas have schemes you can join to show you are nice and polite and you get a sticker. Not sure of benefit but it might go down well locally. I agree that the VERY FEW farmers and people you meet seem to be fine with M/C.

On-the-ground knowledge would really be an asset.

Someone asked for a typical view, well this is the 'easy' stuff I restricted myself to.

P1000436.JPG (51.95 KiB) Viewed 950 times

[Buzz777]

Hi guys,
If you need any help or run into any problems out here during your trip, please contact me through our website
www.normandysightseeingservices.com

Regards.

[Harty]

Can one you French living gents clarify if these is deemed a no go lane to ride?

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=moigne ... 7,,1,11.22