before

before

after

PS — I broke my strict chickentarian diet yesterday…

I have worked as a cycling guide in France for the past 10 years for VéloSport Vacations.  We lead clients through France watching the Tour de France, riding in Provence, or climbing the Alpes and Pyrenees.  Each trip I learn something.  This summer I’ll be based in Malaucene at the foot of Mt. Ventoux.

My ride #1 (ride #2 was later in the day with le Patron, Chris) took me out of our little hamlet of Malaucéne and up the gentle climb of the Col du la Chaine.  It’s only a 4k 472m climb, but right out of the chute it is a lactic acid bloat-fest.  After that it’s a killer twisty up and down road hugging the side of the Dentelles (dahn-tell) range, thus names because of its jagged profile that looks like a row of teeth.

The loop took me past the Saint Amant, on of my absolute favorites, down into Beaume de Venise, through Vacqueyras then onto Gigondas.  The cool thing about being based here, and why I had to re-familiarize myself with this loop is because we use these totally cool, one-laner goat path type roads.  You’ll see the occasional farmer driving on his tractor and that’s about it, save the magpies.

The return goes through Vaison la Romaine and over an ancient Roman bridge.   The direct route back to Malaucéne from there is on the D938, but of course my route took the unmarked backroads, which I’d be happy to show you if you come on one of the trips.

I have worked as a cycling guide in France for the past 10 years for VéloSport Vacations.  We lead clients through France watching the Tour de France, riding in Provence, or climbing the Alpes and Pyrenees.  Each trip I learn something.  This summer I’ll be based in Malaucene at the foot of Mt. Ventoux.

our tidy shop with Mini

Some clients bring their own bikes, some rent from us.  Personally I think it’s better to rent and save the hassle of traveling with your bike.  We have 5 rentals for the first week.  Clients send their measurements – frame size, seat height, reach, setback, etc – and I set the bikes up. I make sure they’re clean, tuned, and ready.  They just bring their pedals and helmets.

We’ve leased a Peugeot 308 Wagon for the summer.  I racked it today.  Tomorrow I will decal it up for the pro look.  We use the car to follow our rides and shuttle clients.

A clean bike makes a good first impression and gives me a chance to inspect everything.

a well earned pastis

I have worked as a cycling guide in France for the past 10 years for VéloSport Vacations.  We lead clients through France watching the Tour de France, riding in Provence, or climbing the Alpes and Pyrenees.  Each trip I learn something.  This summer I’ll be based in Malaucene at the foot of Mt. Ventoux.

empty in my garage

My travel from the states takes me to Paris by plane then a transfer to the TGV (France’s high-speed rail line) to Avignon where my boss picks me up for the short drive northeast to Malaucène.  I generally take my bike with me using my Trico Iron Case.  I’ve had it for a long time and this year I replaced all its straps, buckles, and casers as they were showing wear and tear.  This is not the lightest case (about 20 pounds empty) and it is not the easiest to maneuver if you’ve got other luggage, but it does protect the bike very well.  I remove pedals, seat and post, bars, and wheels and wrap each tube in foam pipe insulation secured by zip ties.  Also in the case go my shoes, helmet, massage stick, a few tools, bottles, soft shoulder-carry bike bag (more on that later), a few bags of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, and spare zip ties.  I also have a Dakine 42 litre split roller bag and a backpack.  This is a lot of luggage so I try to pack the bare minimum.  Fortunately when I am there I am either riding – VSV team kit for uniform – or working with the clients and wear staff clothes, so the clothing bulk is not that great.

When I get to CDG airport and have to transfer down to the TGV train station it can be a real pain.  Oversize luggage comes out at a different place than the regular bags.  Look for the signs (hors baggage).  After I claim all my luggage and clear customs It’s time for a long haul to the train station.  This is a good time to have a wheeled cart which you should have grabbed at baggage claim.  Keep following the signs for the SNCF/Gare.  You’ll have to go up a level then down a level.  Look for the elevators to avoid the awkward bike box on the escalator dance.

Paris Charles de Gauelle TGV station

The next step is a bit dicey and can ruin your day if it does not go well.  I generally try to book my seat either in the first car or the last car because these cars have a luggage storage compartment.  That is all well and good but you must get access to these spaces from the train’s Controller or Manager.  This is the guy in the grey uniform who hops off the train at the station and walks the platform.  You must find him quickly and ask him if you may put your bike in the space.  Be polite!  Use your best French and manners.  This last time the guy made me sweat until the very last second saying, “non, non, non, it is impossible,” then hustling me to throw it on as the whistle blew.  You can try just putting it on the car any old place but I wouldn’t want to be you when the Big Boss finds it mid-route.

Now, once I arrive at my destination I unpack and assemble my bike then ship the empty bike box up to a friend’s apartment in Paris or to a hotel where I might stay the night before I fly out.  If and when I ride the train again I simply use my lightweight nylon shoulder bag which is not an issue on the trains.

At the VéloSport service course

Arrival ride with Mt. Ventoux in the background

I have worked as a cycling guide in France for the past 10 years for VéloSport Vacations.  We lead clients through France watching the Tour de France, riding in Provence, or climbing the Alpes and Pyrenees.  Each trip I learn something.  This summer I’ll be based in Malaucene at the foot of Mt. Ventoux.

Every few years my local paper’s Letters to the Editor  section features people writing in on the Cars v. Bikes subject.  Drivers are angry at cyclists who disregard traffic laws.  Cyclists are incensed by rude drivers yelling at them or running them off the road.  Recently I read about a cyclist in Indianapolis who pulled a gun from his fanny pack and shot out the back window of a car with whom he had had a honk-flip off-brake slamming on incident and about some municipalities who want to outlaw two abreast riding.  Seems like the intolerance on both sides is getting worse.  It all came to a head for me yesterday.

I have seen the enemy and enemy is us.

I was riding with Mikey going west on Eastern Avenue approaching downtown Cincinnati.  It’s a four lane (2 each direction) road.  We were riding side-by-side rolling along talking.  We caught and passed a guy who I would classify as a cyclist, but not a “racer” (carbon Specialized, jersey, shorts, helmet, middle aged).  We gave him a “Hello, how ya’ doing,” as we passed.  Two miles later we hit a red light as we entered downtown.  We were in the right lane.  There was a dump truck in the lane to our left already stopped.  We stopped.  Five seconds later, light still red, non-racer guy comes from behind and blows through the red light on the left of the dump truck and in the oncoming lane over the double yellow.  Really!!? I think I’d like to talk to this guy and gently persuade him not to do things that.  Explain how his actions reflect badly on cyclists in general.  The light goes green and I set off after him.  I have just about tracked him down when the next light changes to red.  I stop, he goes through… again.  I never did get a chance to talk to him.

Do I always obey the traffic laws when riding?  No, of course not.  Do I always obey all the traffic laws when driving my car?  No, of course not — and neither to you.  But I would like you to consider how your actions are perceived and how I now become – because of Joe Run the Red Light – that guy in the eyes of motorists.  I am lumped in with “all cyclists” and “all cyclists” look the same and do the same stupid things on the road in the eyes of many drivers.

Group Rides 

Ride two abreast.  It’s fine, it’s permissible under the law, it’s social, sometimes it’s safer.  But, if there is a car behind you, why not single up?  Give them a polite “thanks for your patience and not running us down” wave.  Riding three abreast?  Four abreast?  Crossing the center line?  I’ve seen it all on the local group rides.  This is not a race.  The road is not closed to traffic.You are not a pro.  You will never be a pro.  You will be dead if you keep riding like that.

Intersections 

My rule is always stop at red lights.  Sometimes, if there is not a car behind me and I don’t trip the light sensor, the light never changes.  If that happens I”ll roll through when safe.  If the police stop me I’d be happy to explain my actions.  Stop Signs: I have a fairly in depth set of “if / then’s” when dealing with stop signs.  If it is a 4-way stop and there are cars present and cued up then I stop with foot off the pedal and on the ground.  If it is a 4-way stop and there are cars present but not cued up and I am at the intersection first then I slow down to an almost stop, with foot on pedal, then go (a rolling stop essentially).  If it is a 4-way stop and a car can see me from any vantage point I make a good faith effort to slow down to an almost stop.  You are thinking, “hey, I’m not impacting the flow of traffic if I bust an intersection where cars are not present.  I’m not hurting anyone.  Why stop?”  Again — when you blow through an intersection I become you in the eyes of the motorist who sees you do it.  I become the target of his irritation and anger.

Ok, here’s the part where I become the sanctimonious, elitist, grumpy old bike racer.  I have been riding and racing bikes for 30 years.  I am a USAC Category 1 racer.  I have ridden and raced all over the US and Europe.  New guy rider who watches the Tour on Versus, buys a fancy bike and kit, trains twice per week and rides like an idiot in traffic — STOP IT!!  It is not cool, pro, or otherwise acceptable to ride like you do.  You are pissing off motorists.  I am not you.  I know how to coexist with cars.  I know how to ride safely.  The problem is that they (motorists) think I am you.

A postscript to cars:

Perhaps unbelievable to you, cyclists might be out there riding to work, are car drivers too, and have the legal right to be on the road.  We are riding 2′ – 3′ from the edge of the roadway to avoid holes, glass, dead animals, gravel, sand, opening car doors, and oh by the way, because we are allowed to under Ohio law.  Incidentally, we are not permitted to ride on the sidewalk (a favorite slogan yelled from the passing car) unless we are under age 13.  Slow down, don’t pass so close, stop talking on your cell phone, and do you really need to make a dangerous pass endangering my life, your life, and the lives of oncoming traffic just so you get to UDF 30 seconds quicker to buy your fat ass another milkshake?

OHIO LAWS FOR BIKES

http://www.cincinnaticycleclub.org/education/law/ohiobikelaws/

http://www.ohiobike.org/bicycle-law-digest.html