bikes

When any cyclist hears the word 'Roubaix' they think of the legendary Paris to Roubaix one day classic. And cobblestones. Dubbed 'the hell of the north' the race includes numerous sections over ancient cobblestones, many laid hundreds of years ago.  Renowned as one of cycling's oldest races, the cobblestone sections have lead to the development of innovative tyres, frames and wheels to combat the 'Sunday from hell.' Don't you love a race with such beguiling names? Today I rode perhaps the most infamous of the cobbled sections - a 2.4 km straight 'road' through a forest just north of the French town of Valenciennes, labelled the Tranchee d'Arenberg. The trench of Arenberg. I didn't actually plan to ride it. I was following a Google map between Valenciennes and Roubaix. As Cathie and I cycled into a forest, a man walking his dog, noticed our panniers and assumed correctly that we were long-distance cyclists and foreigners. He excitedly call...

We've been on the bike for eight days now. That's a little over 600 kilometres. But the real effort has been on the inclines ... let's call them hills, shall we? My Garmin tells me I've climbed 8,700 metres. It's more than I'm used to, even when cycling daily near my home in the Blue Mountains. Perhaps cycling over Mont Ventoux and Col de l'Espigoulier had something to do with it? Certainly, the highlight of the trip so far has been Col de l'Espigoulier on the first day. A winding switchback climb of nine kilometres, it was mercifully free of cars in perfect weather with the sun on my back and no wind. It's the first time I've climbed a mountain on Bruce, my new AWOL touring bike and he performed admirably, carrying me and the panniers to the summit without a creak. My wife sensibly cycled around the Col and met me on the other side. Both bikes have been great so far - they offer comfortable long-distance cycling and yet can climb any mountain th...