The Vosges in October....

[stubox]

So decided to go to the Wsbk in Magny Cours but en route cover the Black Forests B500, play in the Vosges and end up in the Morvan area.

The clunk into first served as my streets early morning call, but

allowed for an early tunnel ride and the WC despatched the 500miles to Baden Baden, guzzling fuel due to high winds and keeping a decent speed up chasing this sort of thing

Next morning I seem to have the B500 to myself and though damp in places and a ridiculous number of speed limits was a nice warm up.

Headed over to Sainte Marie aux Mines then to Le Bonhomme

past Lac Blanc, stopped at the military cemetary at Wettstein

then found the road used for the French tarmac rallye at Hohrod

onto Munster , then back up the Route de la Schlucht

more Routes des Cretes and finish on a portion of Route grand ballon ending in Uffholtz for the night.

To be honest I've gotten lucky with the weather as it hit 22 today, and though a few bikes were out I seemed to have road mostly to myself.

The Vosges are a fab ride (as its a WC I'm on then it's also 'awesome') , can highly recommend .....
As for my Auberge for the night, first indications are promising....

tomorrow the Morvan area.....

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Looking forward to the next instalment

Hope Humvee is watching too

 

[Renatus]

The Vosges and Black Forest are nice areas for biking and cycling. My in-laws live near Hageneau so I get at least one trip a year to the region. I think your third photo is the Hornisgrinde TV transmitter which is the far point of one of my favourite cycle routes - 84km round trip and 900m of uphill!

The pinot gris is nice too

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Looks excellent, thanx for posting.

I like the little tank bag thingy, ideal for putting a bit of cash for Peages.
Where did you get it from?

 

[Nutty]

Nice report, looking forward to the next instalment. I was there at the end of May, and the roads are cracking.

 

[2 wheel humvee]

Looking forward to the next instalment

Hope Humvee is watching too

I am

Nice pics and RR Stubox, looking forward to the next installment.

 

[Rasher]

Very nice, passed through Vosges in July and it was fairly busy (by French standards) would love to be there off-season.

 

[(RIP) andrewgsadv]

Thanks for posting, an area i have not ridden and certainly will be doing in the future. Thanks for posting . May the weather stay sunny and warm for the rest of your trip.

Andrew

 

[Fluffy]

Good work, keep it up!

Likewise an LC, in white to(o) ~ awesome.

 

[Blackal]

I must admit - I do like the Alsace/Vosges area.


Some absolutely tip-top roads (apart from the huge amount of overbanding on some roads up in the trees), and reasonably-priced and plentiful accommodation.

Only spent a day there this year, but had an absolute blast on the road from Senones, through Saales.

Al

 

[stubox]

The Morvan

Wet pants..... The second I opened my window at the Auberge that's what I thought, it had rained all night and looked as if it had just paused to draw breath as it readied to drop a bigger deluge.

The Auberge du relais in Uffholtz is a great little place, clean rooms (bit small but ideal for one) great restaurant , owner let me put the bike in the garage and the staff are pleasant, speak a little English and the waitress is tres tasty.

Looking out the window and despite rechecking the forecast I knew I was going to get wet.

Be interesting to see how my 6yr old Rukka gear will stand up...

So as I left the decision was easy if it rained heavily then autoroute to Auton. If not cross country.
On the autoroute near Dole.....

However as I neared the turn off at Beaune it brightened, a bit. Turning off I immediately became surrounded by vineyards...

Became obvious why

As I looked in the field I thought a load of pikeys were nicking vines.*
As I carried on it became obvious that it was some organised picking session, so I stopped for a chat with a local, after a few minutes I think he said 'old wine'
Never heard of it, but there were crates of grapes.

So off towards Autun and roads looked promising

*Autun in Autumn was a nice place

excellent steak frites consumed amongst the Pan European owners. Then off into the hills.

But first the heavens opened. Properly, not messing about like the morning, this is rain only the French or a tropical storm can deliver so hard it stung so like any true adventure rider i hid in a bus shelter.

I have no idea what they were advertising in the shelter but I have to find out

It abated a bit so headed off. I had read that the roads took the best bits of your favourite B roads and put them in one area. They're not , they're better than that.

*Fetchez la vache

And it just got better and better.*
There is one section near La Croix Milan that if I asked my 7yr old to draw a wiggly snake this is what they've made into a road. 9 or 10 proper left right bends all together....awesome

There were open parts with hedgerows, wooded parts where you had to be a little careful due to the leaves but in the main the roads are well cared for and even in the wet/damp offered good grip. And just more and more curves.

By now it had been rainy, sunny, rainy, torrential, sunny again so headed towards by overnight.
Avallon looks interesting

Then suddenly the rain stopped, sun came out and the Morvan hills became clearer

Church at St Pere, small town, big church, must be compensating for something

Finally my stop tonight

Nice room, little concerned about the ornamentation*

Tomorrow off to Magny Cours, or hospital if that walls not strong enough

 

[stubox]

Looks excellent, thanx for posting.

I like the little tank bag thingy, ideal for putting a bit of cash for Peages.
Where did you get it from?

It's a kriega tank bag pack and harness. As you say handy for the peages, phones etc... Most good bike shops

 

[swissrob]

Vosges are 30 mins from me and its been pissing down all day and expected to continue into tomorrow. . Hope ur dry so far.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ChrisJackson]

Black Forest has some awesome roads and scenery

 

[Mr K]

Do please continue...

 

[stubox]

To conclude....

Early start to the track.

Met with a few French WC owners, tried to get them all lined up but jobs worth didn't want his parking messed up.

We did compare notes on the bike and all concluded that the gearbox is 'merde'

Watched the racing, chap called Sykes won, looked quite handy

Never seen so much Furygan gear

Then headed back to the Auberge.

Next morning said goodbye to David and Katie, their place Au Cheval Bleu in Fontenay is lovely, good cooks and lots of Belgian beers.

4degrees and a v misty start, fortunately i'm sure the noise of me changing gear acted much like a ships foghorn

En route happened to find a rather nice cake shop that seem to be in every village, all we end up with is another Greggs

Onto to the train and home.

1606 miles, bike was faultless, no oil used, no idea on mpg but did noticed that 85-90 on the autoroute burnt more than my RT twincam.
The NN screen gave similar protection (possibly better) than the std GSA set up.
Cruise is actually useful, the little plastic frame in fills from BMW plus panniers meant no wet legs.
My Rukka gear has its 7th birthday in Jan, and I was dry and toasty.
The Metzler Next seemed pretty good in the wet.

And the gearbox....well it worked, but let's all be honest, its a bit shit really.

This was my first solo European venture, and I'd recommend everyone gives it a go as its great fun and I'll do again but ,for me, won't replace going with some mates.
In the past we've not wanted to 'waste' a day on the N and D roads preferring to blast a day on the autoroute, I'll be rethinking that now as the French minor roads are a hoot.

The Vosges continue to delight, however I can't recommend the Morvan region, very average, not worth the effort, best you all stay away

 

[Wapping]

This was my first solo European venture, and I'd recommend everyone gives it a go as its great fun and I'll do again....

In the past we've not wanted to 'waste' a day on the N and D roads preferring to blast a day on the autoroute, I'll be rethinking that now as the French minor roads are a hoot.

The Vosges continue to delight, however I can't recommend the Morvan region, very average, not worth the effort, best you all stay away

Great that you have discovered the fun of Continental jaunts and that you really do not have to go miles (or all the time down main roads) to discover some good riding.

As to the Morvan? The least said the better

 

[2 wheel humvee]

I enjoyed that, great report & pics thank you

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Thanks for that

Lovely report

 

[Prawnini]

Excellent buddy, making me suffer withdrawal symptoms......

Must get away when the sun starts again next year!