Recommend some cycling spots in North of France next week

rorymcgrory

Hi,

I will be in France next week for work and will take the bike with me. I will be working around Bethune/Lille area.

Can anyones suggest some nice cycling routes in the region?

Kegs

Cee-Jay-Cee

Do you want us to suggest them now or next week as in your title???

rorymcgrory

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Do you want us to suggest them now or next week as in your title???

What would you think smart arse?

Raam

Not far from you.
https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Bos+van+Wallers+-+Arenberg/@50.4055852,3.4037893,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x47c2e9a1674fcf91:0x941d6641910e4221!8m2!3d50.4055852!4d3.405978

rorymcgrory

Thanks Raam,

Have you been here?

Raam

rorymcgrory wrote: »

Thanks Raam,

Have you been here?

I'd love to.

JK.BMC

rorymcgrory wrote: »

Hi,

I will be in France next week for work and will take the bike with me. I will be working around Bethune/Lille area.

Can anyones suggest some nice cycling routes in the region?

Kegs

You are quite close to the Belgian border there; there is an absolute warren of possible routes between yourself and Kortrijk; the lands to the south and east of it are absolutely cycling heaven. Might be a bit of a trek in the car and I don't have an exact map- but if you head towards Moorslede you will be on roads that were used for a world championship back before the war I think.
Anyway, maybe not much help but enjoy the trip.

NamelessPhil

If you're there on the 5th you could get on a train with the bike and go and watch the pros in Dwars door West-Vlaanderen. http://www.ddwvl.be/elite.php

wexandproud

cycling paradise all around there , as some of the lads said head east for some of pr course head north to the belgian border steeped in cycling history.Not to far from the most southern part of flanders course , that race in west flanders is a savage race every year and would be worth a look.
What i would do in that area is take in a spin around the ww1 monuments and battlefields even if not interested in history , it is captivating and and very moving and your right at the heart of where some of the worst trench warfare took place

JK.BMC

wexandproud wrote: »

cycling paradise all around there , as some of the lads said head east for some of pr course head north to the belgian border steeped in cycling history.Not to far from the most southern part of flanders course , that race in west flanders is a savage race every year and would be worth a look.
What i would do in that area is take in a spin around the ww1 monuments and battlefields even if not interested in history , it is captivating and and very moving and your right at the heart of where some of the worst trench warfare took place

Yes agreed; the Menin Gate in Ypres/Ieper and the surrounding lands have an incredible power about them; that literally millions died in these fields is quite a stirring thought; and travelling by bike is the best way to feel that legacy

NamelessPhil

Even a cursory Google search returns bike routes of the Belgian battlefields. http://www.fietsroute.org/Great_War_Centenary_Cycling_Flanders.php

wexandproud

JK.BMC wrote: »

Yes agreed; the Menin Gate in Ypres/Ieper and the surrounding lands have an incredible power about them; that literally millions died in these fields is quite a stirring thought; and travelling by bike is the best way to feel that legacy

dont want to go of topic , but i go to a sportive every year a bit further south than this . Ended up around the somme for a drive the day before the sportive , had no interest in ww1 other that it was something that happened 100 years ago , It really got to me seeing the place and all the graves on the rolling hills
fantastic cycling countryside all the way from there north , lovely rolling countryside ,

rorymcgrory

wexandproud wrote: »

dont want to go of topic , but i go to a sportive every year a bit further south than this . Ended up around the somme for a drive the day before the sportive , had no interest in ww1 other that it was something that happened 100 years ago , It really got to me seeing the place and all the graves on the rolling hills
fantastic cycling countryside all the way from there north , lovely rolling countryside ,

Have you any information on this?

wexandproud

the sportive is in a place called abbeville , its on sept 9th this year .''La ronde picardie'' , run by the same crowd who run the marmotte so its well run . Not an overly hard one [ only as hard as you make it] . i used to do the mamotte but just can't get time to do the miles any more . A reasonable level of fitness would get you around in gold standard time.if you google it a bit of info on it shows up and a few videos on utube. 19 of us went last year ,rosslare cherbourg then a 3 and half hour drive , cars plus van with bikes , 4 people in each car and stayed on a camp site in chalets , cost a bit less than 300 euro each for return ferry journey , diesel for van and tolls and 6 nights in chalets.
you could go channel tunnel but but it works out more expensive so we do it cheap and cheerful its handy if finances are a bit tight .

wexandproud

well rorymc . was just wondering did you get a bit of cycling done

rorymcgrory

I didn't actually. Last minute I had to extend my working week to Friday so it wasn't really worth taking the bike for one day.

On a positive note though I got my first outdoor cycle for the year in today. A short 30km. I live in the Nordics so the snows still melting.

I'll be going back down in the next few weeks so hopefully I get another opportunity.