Canal Du Midi surface

[Bippers]

Is there anyone out there who can tell me the general condition of the Canal Du Midi cycle route. I have heard its a bit dodgy.
 

[PH]

Dodgy in places would be more accurate, some parts are wide smooth tarmac, others are pretty rough, but it's all rideable on a touring bike as long as you're not in a hurry.  I rode parts of it from Toulouse to Carcassonne in 2014 and they were working on some sections then. 
I'd already ridden the Garonne from Bordeaux (Which is pretty much all good surface) so had probably had enough canal riding for one trip, when I got bored with dodging the holes and bumping over tree roots I'd find a road alternative.

[Bippers]

Thanks PH. That is just what I had heard. We prefer tarmac, must be getting soft. Planning a ride from the Med to St Malo next year, avoiding the hills!!! 

[Tigerbiten]

I'm a bit late with this reply but .......

If you look on the Open Cycle Map, the dotted part of the route beside the canal is the grass track section while the solid line tends to be macadam/tarmac sections.

In 2015 I did some of the grass track section on my recumbent trike but it was so slow (~5 mph) that I soon went back onto the road.

[Pavel]

I'm a bit late with this reply but .......

If you look on the Open Cycle Map, the dotted part of the route beside the canal is the grass track section while the solid line tends to be macadam/tarmac sections.

In 2015 I did some of the grass track section on my recumbent trike but it was so slow (~5 mph) that I soon went back onto the road.

I'm intrigued by recumbents after two short rides on a trike and a recumbent.  Do you have any website of your riding adventures Tigerbiten, where I could check it out?

[jags]

grass is only for sheep and cows there's sure to be super smooth flat roads in France.

anto.

[léo woodland]

Hi

  I'm probably too late but, since I live just 20km north of the canal, I thought I'd join in anyway. The path is surfaced from its western end until a little after Carcassonne (see below for a better way out of Bordeaux). There are more and more root ruts before you get to Agen, sometimes several in a row, but it's still ridable and better than the alternative. Just before Agen is the bike café, where there's a workshop, a restaurant and accommodation for 12. The path vanishes going through Agen to become a quiet canal-side road; ignore the signs that suggest you don't go beneath the bridges.

Just before Valence d'Agen, 20km further, is the old abattoir that is now a fairly basic cycling stop. There's a campground in the town but you could also camp here.

In Moissac, the path becomes a canalside road. Look for small direction signs as you get close to the town so that you fork  to the right instead of going into town. Then look for signs for the canal and the river, which are close to each other but go to different places. You want the path to the left.

All will be well then until after Carcassonne, where the surface ends and the path becomes really a hiking route. Later on it is simply unridable unless you like that sort of thing. I'm less familiar with it at the Mediterranean end but I know that at some stage the good surface appears again.

If you're riding from Bordeaux, the Lapébie path is a better choice. From the city centre, cross the river to the north and the path will start immediately, on your right, first of all as a segregated bike lane. It will soon turn into a beautifully surfaced path with no tree roots. When you get towards the end, turn right and south to pick up the canal.

I hope that helps.

happy days

léo

[Bippers]

Thanks Leo.
We have decided to come up the west coast from Saintes for this years tour. were coaching down with European Bike Express, (15/6 outbound) and travelling back over 4 weeks.
Can't wait.