Steve Wartenberg - Biking Bordeaux and the Atlantic Coast: The Villages, Vineyards, Beaches, Bike Paths & Best Routes

Biking Bordeaux and the Atlantic Coast

The Villages, Vineyards, Beaches, Bike Paths & Best Routes

By Steve Wartenberg

Version 1.0

Copyright 2018 Steve Wartenberg The Steve Says Cycling Series

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-0-9851902-9-3

It was important to get off to a good start on my epic biking-Bordeaux adventure.

OK, important might be a bit of an overstatement. Its helpful, a good omen and much better than the alternative.

This bridge is shit, said the guy from O2Cycles. Dont take it.

We were at the designated meet-up spot in Bordeaux (the city), in front of one of the four Ibis hotels located within a couple hundred meters of the Gare St-Jean train station. And yes, thats a lot of Ibis hotels. And yes (again), many people try to check into the wrong Ibis.

I had just received my rented Cube, an all-carbon, German-made bike that had a rack on the back for my panniers. The O2Cycles guy asked where I was headed, and I told him across the river, onto the bike path.

There are two Bordeaux bridges in or near the center of town that cross the wide Garonne River: the Pont St-Jean, right next to the train station, and the Pont de Pierre, a kilometer or two north, along the water. I guess along the water isnt necessary when describing the location of a bridge.

The Pont de Pierre (bridge) is beautiful, the O2Cycles guy said. You must take it.

He was right.

The Pont de Pierre is a beautiful bridge for cycling, and theres a bike path from the train station and along the river the whole way. Bordeaux is one of the most bike-friendly big cities in all of France, with paths all along the Garonne, bike lanes on many of the streets and hundreds of people on bikes.

I crossed the Pont de Pierre, followed the river south and found my way onto the Roger Lapebie bike path.

This was the great start I had been hoping for, on what turned out to be a 21-day, 1,050-mile trip through the wine regions of Bordeaux and the beach-resort region of the Arcachon Bassin on the Atlantic Ocean.

I had debated for months whether to tour Bordeaux or the Dordogne River region. Ive cycled the Dordogne before, twice in fact, and its great. Really great. Id only been to Bordeaux once, to cover the Tour de France in 1988, and didnt do any cycling. Didnt see much of the city other than the train station and the press tent.

In the end, I decided it was time to cycle a new region. Plus, I like wine. And from what I had heard, theres lots of wine in Bordeaux.

It took less than 100 miles for Bordeaux to win me over.

I have to admit the pleasures of Bordeaux are a bit more subtle than they are in Provence and the Loire. Ah, but once I got a feel for the place, for the vast vineyards and hill-top villages, for the bike paths and quiet country roads, the ruins of once-majestic castles, and the endless miles of pine forests and beaches along the Atlantic Ocean, well, I was hooked.

Bordeaux is now in my pantheon of favorite French cycling destinations because

*The rides were scenic, and often included bike paths. There are more bike paths in this region than anywhere else in France Ive cycled, and the combination of bike paths and quiet country roads make it easy, safe and enjoyable to get around.

*I was able to map out fantastic day-trip rides from the towns in which I stayed multiple nights.

*Learned a lot about Bordeaux wine, including the fact that you can get a nice bottle of St-Emilion or Paulliac for 8 or 10 Euros. Not a Grand Cru, but a nice bottle nevertheless. I also learned the riding is a little harder the day after the night in which you drank an entire bottle of St Emilion or Paulliac all by yourself. I may have learned this lesson twice.

*The citadel at Blaye is massive and amazing, and theres an entire city within its walls. Hey, wait, is that what the word citadel means: A city within the walls of a fort? I think it does. Theres a hotel inside the Citadel. However: Book ahead, as this hotel fills up quickly. I learned this lesson the hard way, so you dont have to.

*The freakishly giant sand dunes at Pilat might just be even more amazing than the Blaye citadel and are another of Mother Natures miracles. The dunes were one of the highlights on the trip. And, I think I still have some sand from them in my ears and in my bike shoes.

*You can get great pizza and couscous in the Bordeaux region. Oh, and great French food too. Like crepes. And oysters. Arcachon is oyster central for all of France. They sell them at the local markets.

*Perhaps only in Provence do you see more cyclists. And here, in the Bordeaux region, more so than in Provence (where the majority seem to come to climb Mont Ventoux), a much greater percentage of the riders have racks and panniers on their bikes and are in the midst of multi-day trips.

This area was designed for bike touring.

So, come along as I go on large loop that starts and ends in the city of Bordeaux. Along the way, well explore the three most popular sections of this world-famous wine region, and also head west and then south to the beach resorts of Lacanau-Ocean and Arcachon.

Im not saying this is the route you should do. I understand that 21 days might be a bit too long, especially for those of you who arent freelance writers who can make their own schedule and whose job isnt writing eBooks about cycling in France.

Because of this, I will also include shorter route options in Chapter 8 (Route Options) and evaluations of each area Chapter 9 (Rating the Regions). My goal is to give you all the information you need to plan your own, self-supported trip, or pick the perfect organized ride.

Bordeaux is a big city, filled with museums, cathedrals, culture and lots of cafes and restaurants. An incredible number of cafes and restaurants. Its a quick 2-hour and 8-minute train ride from the Gare de Lyon in Paris. The Gare St-Jean is about a kilometer or two from the center of town, and very close to the Garonne River and the Pont St-Jean (the shitty bridge).

I decided to stay at one of the Ibis hotels near the train station. The other option was the center of town.

Why by the gare?

The meeting spot to get my rental bike was at one of the Ibis hotels near the train station. So, why not stay close to the meeting spot? I prefer easy. Plus, the Ibis hotels are generally nice. The four near the train station cost about 80 to 90 Euros a night, which is less than the center-ville hotels. And breakfast is included in the price, which is a rare treat.

On the negative side: The area around the Gare St-Jean is pretty much like the area around every train station in France: a little bit seedy. But its OK. I felt safe, and there are three or four restaurants right there, across the street from the gare. There are also two grocery stores within walking range.