The Haute-Loire, paradise for all cyclists.
As if we had wings, we put on the miles to see the country while remaining free and connected with what surrounds us. On the path or on the road, for addicts or the more amateur, there is something for everyone because there is no shortage of itineraries in Haute-Loire!
For mountain bike addicts
The Haute-Loire is 10 mountain bike spaces (recognized by the French Cycling Federation). A record that spurred the creation of the Great Crossing of the Haute-Loire. With its 620 km, it joins the club of the 14 great routes of France conducive to escape and the discovery of wild landscapes. It's 13 m of elevation gain that brings us between the Gorges de l'Allier and the Gorges de la Loire, between the volcanoes of Mézenc-Meygal and forest plateaus competing in beauty. 000 to 10 sporting stages to have fun, to taste local specialties and make great encounters at accommodation providers specializing in welcoming mountain bikers.
But be careful, just because you're getting started on an electrically assisted mountain bike doesn't mean it's going to be easy... And if you want more, you're off on the Great Crossing of the Massif Central (GTMC) nearby: 1 km linking Morvan to the Mediterranean via Margeride.
Roaming trip by bike
Traveling by bike is like following small roads. Explore, take your time, contemplate, understand what you are going through and take advantage of all that a route can offer you. A newcomer to the world of cycle touring: the Via Allier (V70). From Nevers (where the Allier flows into the Loire) to Langogne in Lozère, the 435 km of this shared track cycle route have been traced as close as possible to the Allier river as if we wanted to follow the salmon coming up from the Atlantic. .
In Haute-Loire, it follows the villages and castles perched above the river and goes deep into the wild gorges... organization "with small onions" of the agency l'Autre Chemin.
For the best climbers
The water bottle firmly fixed, the well-adjusted jersey to optimize aerodynamics: we are ready to swallow the kilometers to crisscross the 22 routes of Haute-Loire. Among them, 6 circuits of various levels were drawn by the champion Romain Bardet around Brioude, his birthplace and his favorite club.
And to vibrate in the atmosphere of the Tour de France, which moreover regularly passes through the Haute-Loire, we challenge ourselves on the famous Col de Peyra Taillade who dominates Gorges of the Allier with an average of 7,4% over 8,3 km. And why not also try the Wall of Aurec-sur-Loire ? Passes at 19%! Enough to give cold sweats even to the best climbers.
The downhill mountain bike for thrill seekers
The latest leisure activity in Estables: the downhill mountain biking initiation trail.
Equipped with a muscle bike, we go up the slope on the ski lift and descend by borrowing technical modules and a boardercross: we manage the balance in the banked turns, we dose the speed for the jumps and we go at full speed in the middle meadows... And to progress and secure yourself, what better than the advice of an instructor from theMTB school like Oliver!
Family spirit
Sometimes it's not the elevation that counts but the moments shared. And no stress can spoil the party since the greenways are completely secure. Like a cord of life, the panoramas give the impression of flying over volcanoes. We cross the viaducts and immerse ourselves in the tunnels. Life is sweet in those times, and so is the slope. And that's quite normal since these greenways follow old railway lines.
Towards Dunières, we can even climb with our bikes in the Velay Express before returning by Via Fluvia. This vintage train completely renovated by volunteers rocks us in an atmosphere of yesteryear where the reliefs of the Velay plateau and Lignon Gorge . Not sure that these landscapes have changed much since 1900!
More alternative versions
All terrain scooters electric or not, cyclerails : there are fun machines in Haute-Loire!
Some will say that they are not bicycles: it does not matter! They have wheels or pedals. The last born? the cyclostanding : halfway between the Segway and the scooter. This invention won the gold medal at the Lépine competition. And you know what ? Made in the Loire, the prototype was created in Haute-Loire in Queyrières: it can't be invented!
Specialized accommodation for bike/mountain bike reception
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