Saturday

Today we cycled 85kms due the signpost problem but we remain in good shape. Arnica oil works!! Weather has been hot and we had our first puncture on my rear tyre. We replaced the inner tube quickly though and kept going. Our average speed on most of the trail (when we don't go down the wrong track!) is around 20 kmph which is not too bad. Tomorrow we have 75km to cycle.
OMA Factor today: three

Sent from my iPhone

Guide book not that accurate

Oops.. The trail has a missing signpost!!

Chateau Sully sur Loire

Gien

Funny directions

We think we were on the right route when we saw directions for 'Les Chasson Crapotte'

Saturday

Hello folks,
Our first day was tough after an early start. The train journey down to Never was good. Discovered that SNCF have the most over engineered coffee cup on the earth. Weather has been excellent so far. No mobile signal last night so we were not able to update you before today. As I write we are in Bonny-sur-loire. My bike has a bad squeak coming from the front brake which driving us mad but once we get to the next big town we shall try and get that fixed at a bike shop. The hotel last night was good and after a calzone and two bottles of water we called it quits. The guide book is not perfect and we have gone down the odd wrong turn but nothing that could not be corrected quickly.
Will post again later today when we get to Sully sur loire.
Best wishes to all!!

OMA Factor yesterday 4 stars

Sent from my iPhone

Introduction

Welcome all!! This blog is a real time capture of our Loire a Velo cycle adventure! This will be our main way to keep friends and family updated with our progress by sending posts and pictures from our mobile phones.


The Loire a Velo trail in France starts at Never in the center of the country and follows the river Loire right to the Atlantic coast covering a distance of 800kms.


More details and a map of the trail can be downloaded from the official Loire a Velo website:


Loire a Velo website in French
Loire a Velo website in English

Loire a Velo Brochures (download the first pdf)


For obvious copyright reasons we are unable to put any maps on the blog but the above brochure has a map that shows the places below.


Our itinerary is:


Friday 29th April 2011

• Up at 4:50am, train from Acheres to Gare du Lyon 05:25
• Train from Paris Bercy 7am arriving in Never at 9am
• Stage 1 - Never to La Charite-sur-Loire (42 kms)
• Stage 2 - La Charite-sur-Loire to Sancerre (25 kms)
• Stage 2 (and a bit) - Sancerre to Bannay (9.5 kms)

Saturday 30th April 2011

• Stage 3 - Bannay to Briare ( 35.5 kms)
• Stage 4 - Briare to Sully-sur-Loire (32 kms)

Sunday 1st May

• Stage 5 - Sully-sur-Loire to Orleans (45 kms)
• Stage 6 - Orleans to Beaugency (30 kms)

Monday 2nd May

• Stage 7 - Beaugency to Blois (35 kms)
• Stage 8 - Blois to Amboise (43 kms)

Tuesday 3rd May

• Stage 9 - Ambiose to Tours (28 kms)
• Stage 10 - Tours to Langeais (31 kms)

Wednesday 4th May

• Stage 11 - Langeais to Chinon (38 kms)
• Stage 12 - Chinon to Saumur (35 kms)
• Stage 13 - Saumur to Gennes (19 kms)

Thursday 5th May

• Stage 14 - Gennes to Angers (42 kms)
• Stage 15 - Angers to Montjean (40 kms)

Friday 6th May

• Stage 16 - Monjean to Oudon-Champtoceaux (38 kms)
• Stage 17 - Oudon-Champtoceaux to Nantes (30 kms)
• Stage 18 (if time and energy permits) Nantes to Saint-Brevin-l'Ocean (52 kms)

Saturday 7th May

• TGV from Nantes back to Paris