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Team Fatboy are off to the Dordogne for a family holiday in the summer and roof rack space will probably allow me one bike, so...
Do I go with my instincts which say take the road bike and do some proper French cycling, dreaming of le tour and taking in the sights
or...
Take the MTB and head for some of the awesome singletrack that you lot will now point me in the direction of?
Answers on a postcard s'il vous plait.
No-one ridden in the Dordogne then?
Not ridden but was there last year. Road riders galore and some awesome roads for riding on. Didn't see much of the off road riding scene but apparently there were loads of amazing trails
Parents owned a house there for years. Probably best to take a road bike unless you can find anyone local who knows any good off road stuff. Otherwise you might be wasting your time trying to find stufff. Stunning area though. Hire some canoes and drift down the river to Dome - stopping for picnics on the way.
Ride there about 10/12 years ago and there is some great trails if you just buy the local map and hit the GRs. I'd take the hardtail.
You'll not be disappointed with the roads, no idea re. trails.
I take my road bike - no faffing around trying to find trails etc when I'm on a family holiday and don't have endless time to go out on my own.
Dordogne is lovely for riding - whereabouts are you going? We went to the Northern part last year and it was amazing - good roads, no traffic and beautiful views. 🙂
IME the off road wasn't great - next time I go I'll deffo take my racer.
As above, the off road was pretty average.
Went 2 summers back, just below Sarlat, about 8miles due south, close to Domme too. Brilliant! Had a stunning off road loop back home after a nice windy climb on roads/lanes.
Really loved using the mountain bike, nice routes but you have to dig. I bought the Serie Bleu maps of the area. It is a crossing point of many GR routes so there were a lot around.
Previous trip was due west of that, and it was nice but country lanes, couldn't see any GR's.
Buy the blue maps, take a look and if GR's around take the mtb.
my tuppence
Q
IME - if I could only take one bike I'd take the road bike... get out early from where you're staying (like the locals) nice loop and get a grand creme and a croissant on the way back - brekkie with the family and then out for the day - everyones a winner!
If you're down near Bergerac then lots of nice road riding around and up out of the valley/vineyards but if you are up near Sarlat (as mentioned above) I'm sure that would offer up some ace off roading (think Cotswold-scale Jurassic limestone country - something like that) but not much I can offer here.
Now, if you could squeeze two bikes on the car!!!
Yes, where I was near Sarlat was absolutely brillaint, and I found some nice stuff, as said.
There were lots of cycling maps along the road, massive billboards showing huge loops. I was about a short mile away from a lovely dissused railway line turned into a cycle track. Never cycled so far on the flat! ( didn't go that far in milage, just that I live in a hilly area ). It was a serious route, going from Sarlat along east and from memory 30+ odd miles. Lovely stuff for roadies and/or families who like flat. Lot of it shaded by trees too.
That's another point - it gets hot in the Dordogne, 30C+ so an early trip is what the locals do. As I seemed to be in 'holiday sleepybyes' mode, I often started out when others were returning.
Nice to crash out beside a hot pool afterwards....makes a change from UK!
We stayed in Chassaignes whe we went and there was a French bike shop not far away that said next time we went we should take our mtbs and we could meet up. Can't remember if it was in angouleme or not.