My Biking Blog

Saturday, 27 June 2015

100 Cols Day 16 Oust to Leran 128km 2400m climbing

The weather didn’t impress this morning with drizzle and clouds. The first climb of the day was the Col de Latrape 1100m elevation. It was just a steady gradient at the start which kicked up towards the end to 8-9%. Some cloudy views, however, not a lot happening at the top. After a nice descent to Aulus-les-bains and a welcome coffee plus a stamp for my 100 cols passport I set off for the next climb. This was quite beautiful and the weather had started to clear. This is the Col dÁgnes. I climbed a small walking track from the road at the top to a lookout and an orientation plaque, showing the name of the mountains surrounding the pass and their heights.
Terrific photo opportunities! That’s the trouble with these Bike-Dreams trips, when you are as slow as I am and take as many photos as I do you really don’t have many riding partners. Nearly everyone powers onward on the route following their GPS navigation device in order to get to camp as early as possible. So as a consequence I get left behind! But that’s ok as my trusty Garmin and maps will eventually get me there, and sometimes you have to go “off-course” in order to see something remarkable. And I probably won’t be back in these mountains ever again so why shouldn’t I just enjoy the experience and record the fantastic scenery and local culture.
Col d’Agnes was the highest point of the day at over 1300m. Lunch was available at the short descent to a lake near the Col d’Agnes and we watched as a Cyclo-Sportif event went through the pass. These riders were clearly of a high standard and the first to reach the col were climbing very strongly. Fortunately the route of their course did not continue in the same direction as ours so there were no problems with road closures.
At the bottom of the Col d’Agnes near the town of Massat I saw a cyclist on the side of the road with his back wheel out and looking pretty forlorn. After looking at his back wheel we both agreed it was “tres mauvais” and he wasn’t going anywhere on that bike without proper repairs. So he set off walking down the hill.
After Massat we began the third climb of the day. The first 9kms were quite easy but then as we left the route towards the Col de Port and turned left up the Col de Peguere the road suddenly became a lot steeper. Over 4 kms the gradient didn’t drop much below 12% and regularly peaked at 18%. So it was tough, and made worse by the cold conditions and the clouds which closed in on the mountain. Fortunately Ype had taken the lunch truck up the top of Peguere. So after a coke and a change of clothes I was ready to head off down towards the large town of Foix.
Freezing cold and gravel on the road made it impossible to descend quickly, so by the time I got the Foix I was chilled to the bone. A reggae festival was in progress in Foix and there seemed to be a big population of hippies on town. There is a magnificent castle ruin at Foix and I went out to have a look at it and take some pictures before heading on for the final 30 kms of the day. Couple of rolling hills and Aidan and I rolled into camp at about 5 o’clock.
Ype has taken apart my freewheel hub and cleaned it so now it’s working fine again, so that’s a relief. Garmin link here
Oust Cycling by peterjkemp at Garmin Connect - Details

"Montmorency the Mouse"?

Aulus-les-Bains

view on way to Col d'Agnes

Eddy cycling up Col d'Agnes

Col d'Agnes

summit road Col d'Agnes

Orientation plaque Col d'Agnes

Col d'Agnes

Etang de Lers

cafe Etang de Lers

Massat

a very steep climb (15%+ for 5kms)

Col de Peguere

bonfire near Foix

Foix (Pech de Foix)

Chateau at Foix

Lieurac

100 Cols Rest Day 3 Oust

We have cycled over 1700km and climbed 30,000m since leaving Strasbourg on 9/6. We are now approaching the half-way mark and everyone is pleased to be riding out of the tough climbs of the Pyrenees. The small town of Oust were we are camping has very few shops, restaurants etc. Fortunately the camping park has a pool and restaurant with a basic menu and bar.
A rest day is always pretty special on these trips. You get to not only rest after pretty solid days of biking but you also get the chance to catch up on all the tasks that time doesn’t allow on cycling days. These include washing, cleaning and repairing bikes/wheels/tyres, writing postcards and generally sorting all your luggage into manageable order. So today the first task was to go into Seix to find some breakfast. Mark, Carolyn, Tony and I all rode our bikes the 3kms to Seix for breakfast. We enjoyed croissants and coffee before heading up the stairs from the main street to the old chateau that dominates the town profile. Above this there was a walking track to a crucifix higher on then hill and I explored a forest trail which continued to go up the mountain. I am sure that if I had the time (and energy) this would have offered even more impressive views of the valley.
I checked out the local church which dates to 1790 and I think parts of the building dated back centuries earlier. Stamps and postcards were purchased and I cycled back to the campground.
Back at camp Mark and I washed our clothes and enjoyed a tomato cheese baguette which Mark had sourced from the local supermarket.
My rear tyre which was brand new when I left Strasbourg is now worn through to the steel webbing from all the hard braking on these hills. So a replacement is now fitted, thanks to Aidan who had a spare. My rear freewheel hub is still playing up and the chain is slapping the chainstay on freewheel which is annoying. I will need to replace in Malaucene.
After washing bikes and replacing worn tyres Mark, Aidan, Callum and I enjoyed a beer and the “menu du jour” at the campground restaurant.
Now we are leaving the area of the eastern Pyrenees and entering the beautiful gorges of the Cevennes. We will pass through the walled city of Carcassonne and on to Provence and Mont Ventoux.
I did not sleep well because of the cowbells in the adjoining paddocks. Cows never sleep or maybe if they do they are very restless!

the river at Oust

Jaap and Ype go cycling on their day off - to Col de la Core (I think)

Mark, Dave, Trina and Calum wash their bikes

bike washing day

the "French approach"

church in main square Seix

an old gentleman sweeps the church in Seix

breakfast in Seix

shredded tyre (thanks to Aidan for a replacement)

Seix from a hill above the Chateau

panorama above Seix

river at Seix

bridge at Seix

Seix

Friday, 26 June 2015

100 Cols Day 15 Garin to Oust 136kms 3200m climbing

This morning I was definitely of “two minds” whether to ride. Still nursing the last symptoms of a head cold I was reluctant to chance it again on a big day of climbing. However looking out at the blue sky I decided to “give it a go” as the weather looked promising. So with four tough cols ahead we set out again into the wonderfully scenic Pyrenees.
First climb was the Port de Bales at over 1700m elevation. Great views from the valleys either side and a very fast and cool descent at 1030am. The next of the cols was the Col de Mente. Only 9kms in length and just over 1300m high, it was very steep. No let up! I just had to keep pedalling and try and manage my heart rate at around 130bpm. At the top a welcome lunch stop in a shady spot well chosen by our lunch truck driver Ype. There was also a café to buy a “café au lait grande”. After racing down and equally steep descent I cycled through a very cool and picturesque valley. Each side of the valley was quite steep-walled so the road was quite narrow. Keeping an eye out on each corner for cars, trucks and buses was important.
At the start of the next climb, the Col de Portet d’Aspet was a memorial to an Italian 1992 Olympic Champion cyclist Fabion Casartelli. He died of head injuries after crashing into a concrete barrier on a corner on 18 July in 1995 descending this same mountain. He wasn’t wearing a helmet, however opinions differ on whether the injuries he sustained could have been prevented by a helmet. The climb of Portet d’Aspet was only 4kms, but steep enough to test the legs after the previous efforts.
Then a great descent of 20km through villages and towns towards the final Cole de la Core. This was a steady grade but not as steep as the previous three. The heat started to take effect for the first half as temps sneaked into the 30s. I was grateful for “les grande sapin verte” (the big green pine trees) half way along the 17km climb.
Running low on water I was able to refill my bidon from a mountain spring on the roadside. I know that the cows up here may have added some flavour to the water, however, at this point I couldn’t care less! Only 3km from our camp at the little town of Oust, I was pleased to see a few of my fellow riders downing a few “coldies” at a bar in Seix (pronounced “Sex”). It wasn’t difficult for me to accept their invitation to join!
The “day of tomorrow”, as our Dutch leader Rob describes it, is a rest day. Very welcome after 6 tough days. Garmin link here
Billière Cycling by peterjkemp at Garmin Connect - Details