Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Non-Thorn Related => Topic started by: navrig on April 12, 2023, 05:35:51 PM
-
Has anyone cycled the canal recently?
I was planning to do that next week but I met a fellow tourer on the ferry last week who said the tow path, a year ago, was very badly cut up. He suggested MTB terrain.
I don't fancy that.
Or any suggestions for a website which might help. I can do the Google translate thing so even a French website would do.
-
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3d2&doc_id=20953&v=Hc
-
Well done! I'm busy reading your Crazyguy blog about this trip. I like your traveling philosophy. :)
-
I'll update this thread just in case someone else plans to ride the canal.
I joined the canal at Carcassonne and after staying there for a couple of nights and exploring the area around the canal and the station I decided to take the road route rather than risk the towpath. That was a mistake.
The first section of the road was awful. Heavily trafficked dual carriageway. So when I got to Trebes I changed my mind and jumped onto the towpath. I rode it all the way to Beziers and then beyond towards the Mediterranean.
The towpath was a mixture of things including
Asphalt/tarmac
Compacted gravel
Grass
Compacted mud
Loose gravel (rideable)
Very loose gravel (virtually unrideable).
The riding pathnxwitched regularly between north and south.
Some sections were under repair/construction and we used local roads to avoid.
One section was a local road.
Overall I was happy I chose the towpath. I did about 100km on the first day but it felt more like 130km as it was, at times, heavy going.
The compacted mud sections would have been hell after a downpour. Initially slippy and then sticky with your wheels clogging up (I've seen photos on Crazyguyonabike).