Canal du Midi

[navrig]

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.

[navrig]

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3d2&doc_id=20953&v=Hc

[Pavel]

Well done!   I'm busy reading your Crazyguy blog about this trip.  I like your traveling philosophy.

[navrig]

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).