Big bike trails, Pyrenees

[Deleted account 231002001]

Looks like a great trip Giles.
Thanks for posting.

 

[AndyT]

Well I really enjoyed that and it has really got me in the mood to head out on the bike - The fact I'm in the middle of the North Sea has put paid to that but really got me thinking.

Can you buy these road maps at all or is it all word and mouth etc

Great great report and looks lke you had a brill time.

AndyT

 

[Giles]

Are the road books top secret or can they be shared around/purchased?

Did you use one of the road books from these French guys ?

http://vibraction.pagesperso-orange.fr/espagne/espagne.htm

I need to take my XC up there - I took my now ex- Husaberg last year over near Sort and loved it bit I reckon the XC would be spot on up on those trails.

Re the road books, I'm not sure where Les got them, but I do know they were off the net and cost about 80 euros.

Whilst they could certainly be shared around, they are reasonably fragile (think christmas paper chains!) and could easily tear if they were constantly being manhandled.

Re the best bike for the spanish trails ... most (I'd say as much as 90%) of the trails that we did were smooth fast flowing stuff with quite a loose dusty surface. We didn't see much mud, and as we got higher the stony surface got bigger and lumpier in parts. There were only a couple of sections that I found really challenging for the GSA, and they were mostly pure rock beds that needed loose arms, eyes locked onto that keyhole of light ahead and a bit of speed and momentum to keep you driving over the rough stuff.

It's certainly an environment where a bigger bike can use it's grunt and you can have fun over all the water bars.

A small 250 wouldn't have the grunt and top end that makes the flowing trails such fun, and the big 1200's / 990's limit your flick flack and are also a bit of a handful on the loose surface in the corners.
If you think of your average trail ride in Blighty with ruts, divets, mud ... a 250 / 350 is often the perfect power / weight / flik flak bike.

Out there, a 650 / 690 is perfect - plenty of speed and grunt for those lovely sweeping fast flowing bits (the majority) but not too heavy to stop and turn on the loose mountain edge corners.


This sort of corner below is typical - easy up hill on the bigger bikes, bit of a squirt on the gas and squirrel the back end round a bit to square it off, but a bit of a handful on the way down with all that weight. Loose all yer speed in the straights and make sure you're tipping it in on a nicely balanced throttle and driving it rather than pushing the front and carrying too much speed.

650 / 690 .. perfect.

 

[Duchess]

I really enjoyed reading that, it took me ages, had to log myself back into the site to send this post

Thats the first time in a long while I've done that!

 

[Giles]

Yeah, there were some big words there Duchess .....

TENT .... BIKE ... TRAIL ...

 

[Duchess]

Yeah, there were some big words there Duchess .....

TENT .... BIKE ... TRAIL ...

I know, you bowled me over Giles, I'm impressed and you spelt it all so well ....






Cheeky bugger!

 

[Les]

just got to read the report properly

Cheers Gilesy boy, Thanks for doing the report mate, could not have done / said it better myself....


my only bonus wll be doing it all again in 4 weeks time ... less snow, more trails ? more miles , more wine, more beer, more food , more s.....leep




...... my spare chain bits will be in the rucksack all week.

 

[corsicandreamer]

A great read thank you

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Sooooo many places to go, sooooooo little time.................looks like you had a brilliant time!

I really enjoyed reading that Giles, thanks

Andres

 

[Timolgra]

You look a little confused

 

[shan]

Giles fantastic rr
I spend as much time as I can traversing the Pyrenees it has so much to offer if its wet on the French side just get to the Spanish side and the sun is out ,so under rated
Thanks

 

[earthmover]

Excellent!
Mark

 

[mr_magicfingers]

Great report, enjoyed that, yet another thing to add to the list.

 

[muppix]

Enjoyed that, thanks for posting!

Really looking forward to my own outing to the alps this summer, today's going to seem very long ...

M.

 

[royle100]

good write up. cheers

 

[Giles]

good write up. cheers

Ooooooo New Romney??


Good roads round there ..... regularly hit the marsh (Donkey street and all that) for a quick hoon ....

 

[mhsnowy]

I'm off there in a couple of weeks time with John and the gang.

Can't come round soon enough. Just need to get the Super Enduro serviced and checked over ready to go.

 

[michael2001]

I recognise that trailer, it's better travelled than my bike

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

Wow, looks like an amazing trip and a great report.

Tactical slippers and chickens - what an unlikely combination!

 

[mrsroynie]

Brilliant trip, Giles. Great photos.

Roynie now livid that we've had to leave our bikes in Ireland this summer ...