Just thought i’d share this with everyone.

If you fancy going to France and want a quick indication as to where the VTT sites are outside the Alps etc then check out the national VTT site here.

http://www.ffc.fr/a_VeloLoisir/a_SitesVTT/index.asp

I’ve used this site a few times and its a pretty good way of finding decent riding outside the main areas.

Hope people get some use out of it.

Chris

indeed.

another site Ive found useful:

http://www.utagawavtt.com/gmap/gm-carte-generale-topos-vtt

That’s a great site Stoner thanks for that. Fills out the gaps in the ‘official’ site really well.

Chris

Just be careful with both of those sites – just because they’re on line doesn’t mean the trails are any good. Granted most are, but there’s some crap in there as well!

As a cyclist from Suffolk, define “crap” please 🙂

Just be careful with both of those sites – just because they’re on line doesn’t mean the trails are any good. Granted most are, but there’s some crap in there as well!

‘Tis true, especially with regard to grading. We tend to grade a trail according to it’s technical difficulty, the FFC with it’s largely roadie mentality often puts greater emphasis on physical difficulty. I’ve done a black graded route in the south that ended up entirely of fire roads and tarmac 🙄

However, they are both useful resources in areas where you can’t get a guide to show you around and I’ve used them lots in the past.

trailmonkey,
Why the rolling eyes?
Do you think the French got it wrong?

No, not at all. We have nothing here that compares to what the FFC have done. But the difference in grading criteria means that it’s quite possible to end up doing a huge, gruelling ride, with little in the way of technical singletrack in return.

yep – that’s exactly it – a black route is likely to be physically demanding, but you might get back thinking what was all that effort for!? climbing up fire roads to descend on tarmac. not much fun.

check the IGN map before you head out!

I have done a couple and both were gradeed red (from memory) but one was longer and hard than the other but that one you could ride a lot faster as it was less technical from a surface point of view but it did have a large track of singletrack that was cut into the vegitation so didn’t leave a lot of rome for errors. You can also get an idea of what the terrain is like form google earth if you know the route but that isn’t alwas possible from what i have done as you had to go to a local information office to get the route guides which gave you a ruff route and the starting point.

I found exactly what trailmonkey did. Routes graded on length and amount of climbing not technical difficulty.

Its not a major issue – just something to be aware of

But the difference in grading criteria means that it’s quite possible to end up doing a huge, gruelling ride, with little in the way of technical singletrack in return.

Oh you mean like trail centres in UK then.
Can you guys please bear in mind the fact that France is a rather spread country with a lot of different topologies.

What will be graded blue in Nice will probably be graded Black somewhere else. And so and so.

Plus exept some local restriction, you can ride on in footpath in France provided they are located outside “Parc naturels nationaux”.
The FFC-VTT are just guidelines. You should check the local councils or conseils generaux for more informations…

Plus France isn’t the 3rd world you know, there is plenty of MTB forum where you could meet locals who I am sure will be more than happy to show you around.
Hope it helps.

True Juan – I have been MTBing in rural France a few times – local tourist info and local bike shops have been very helpful in giving me route maps. a nice attitude as well. I really enjoyed it.

Useful links, thanks for posting.

For anyone planning their first visit, I would agree with previous comments tho. Last visit to France we went to the Pyrenees – and the local grading was a bit odd. One the first full day we did a 12k ‘green’ route just to warm up – this turned out to have a 1.5k ‘black’ descent in the middle of it, which made our local Peak District descents look a bit mild! (here’s a ‘my brakes have stopped working’ photo on the green descent (photo doesn’t really do it justice))

A few weeks later we met a local guide who explained how French grading generally relates purely to effort & not technicality. Oh, she also mentioned that the French tend to get and carry their bikes on the more technical descents!

Oh, she also mentioned that the French tend to get and carry their bikes on the more technical descents!

I would disagree with that 😉 I usually cary mine on uphills ;))

I would disagree with that I usually cary mine on uphills ;))

I’m with you on that one 🙂

Bowglie there was a climb like that on the shorter of the 2 that i did there was no way you could ride it it was a real scramble up.
Looking up

Looking back down.

One caveat about ugawavtt, the routes (in the south at least) seem to have loads of climbing (1000m + vertical)

juan is right.
France is huge, and even in one area what’s waymarked varies greatly.

I’m a local 🙂

I’d be happy to show you the trails in my area.
But, I wear lycra, and have a bottle cage on my bike! 😉

SB

But, I wear lycra, and have a bottle cage on my bike! [;)]

You’ve spend too much time in France 😉

juan – I’m just trying to blend in 8)

bloody northener 😉

Definately agree with Juan and Stratobiker on the variability of grading and reasons for it. IMO, the variation is part of what makes it so interesting – although some ‘leaps into the unknown’ are almost too literal! Also agree with advice to chat to guys at the LBS, or hook up with local riders familiar with the area (had one of the best rides of my life doing this).
TBH, I think if you’ve done a broadish range of natural trail riding in the UK, and get ‘tuned in’ to the local grades, it’s fine (er…maybe just be realistic and expect to do a bit of walking/bike carrying in the ‘real mountains’)

p.s. Owenfackrells photos remind me of a treehugging/shrub lovin’ incident last time I tried to ride down stuff like that (a deliberate ‘controlled trail avoidance’ dismount at the time…cough) 😉

Oh you mean like trail centres in UK then.

No, nothing like that at all, hence the comparison made between grading here and grading there.

Keep up.

Can you guys please bear in mind the fact that France is a rather spread country with a lot of different topologies.

What will be graded blue in Nice will probably be graded Black somewhere else. And so and so.

True that.

A certain VTT-FFC “red” route that I know near Sospel (Alpes-Maritimes), would *definitely* be well beyond Health and Safety regulations in the UK.

Trailmonkey, I think Juan was having a (justified IME) dig at the fact the tech stuff in the UK is nothing like as hard as tech stuff in France.

Red on sospel pah that’s for the kids 😉 ash.
Are you around friday? It’s bank holiday do you fancy a ride but you’ll have to be gentle with me it will be my firrst ride in France since I am back (well save the usual mont chauve on the SS).

Making no apologies for being a ‘photo tart’ :-), I just wanted to whet peoples appetite with some of the awesome riding in France – another descent on a green route (my eyeballs have only just stopped jiggling from it!)

(if anyone’s interested, the village in the valley is Vernet les Bains er…I think)

Stratobiker: Where are you based?

We:Mrs Mugsy (of yesterdays Saddle Boil Fame), Mini Mugsy and myself live to the eat of Lyon in Nord Isere. Some good biking on our doorstep if anyone over that way ever: woodsy singletrack up on the plateau with steepish limestone descents off the front of the plateau.

Juan-

Do you know the red that I’m talking about? Go ride into the Vallon de Guiou from Col d’Ablé, this afternoon, then come back and tell me it was for kids 😉

Friday-Saturday I’ll be in the 04, but Sunday-Monday in the 06. Do you fancy joining us on Sunday on the Mont Agel/Mont Gros for moitié rando, moitié photo-shoot ? The weather *should* be OK. Would be good to see you.

Ash

Ash If i can escape from family duties yes
that would be good…
anyway YGM

To be fair the VTT where my place is (haute vienne)have loads of routes waymarked all over the place 😀
And there is a local VTT club with a notice board of whats going on outside a local bar

Just wish I could be there 😥 problem is i end up decorating 🙄

salad,
I thought you were in the Dordogne? 😆

mugsy,
I’m in the Haute Vienne. Perhaps we could organise a STW VTT TDF?

Na sorry SB but the pad is about 250m away from the Dordogne border

And 500 miles from Devon 😥

Hi Guys,
A bit of a sneaky one for people who might following this thread:
I am staying in Antibes 06 right now trying to do some riding, I just got back from a brilliant day in Molini di Triori just north of San Remo shuttling all day with some superb Singletrack;
I will go back on Monday but then to San Romolo and I am wondering if anyone is interested to tag along…. There is room in the car and on the shuttle as of now…

My e-mail is in the profile.

I am also looking to some more All mountain(ish) riding in the area if anyone is interested (mmmMSospel….)
Johan

And I’m in the Aveyron (12), just to add to the STW VTT TDF, and a little tired this evening after 6hrs in the Gorges du Tarn. I also have to agree that riding in France is very varied, though the FFC sites are only rarely to my tastes. I like big climbs and descents that challenge… I find most of my rides with the help of IGN.

I think that http://www.1001sentiers.fr/galerie/index.php should be mentioned to (yes it is in french -but the photos and videos are world-class)as it must be the reference for riding in the 06, unfortunately they dont have trail info on there anymore now you need to buy the guide..
Freeride spots and the DH-runs are listed though.

Has anyone ridden in the Sixt Fer A Cheval region just south Les Gets???