Cyclists Visiting the Dordogne

Cyclists heading to the Dordogne, looking for good routes to ride, could do a lot worse than hooking up with The Dordogne Cyclist via his Facebook page.

Over 9,000 sq km in size, Dordogne is a big Department, and very popular with British visitors.

It does, however, have at least one quiet corner which I've marked on the map alongside.  This is Perigord Vert, so called because of the trees and lush fields.

It's great for cycling.  There are no massive climbs, sweeping vistas, or huge tourist attractions.  Those might sound like negatives but the locals love it that way, because it means the roads are amazingly quiet.

I've ridden quite a lot in France and, by and large, drivers are courteous towards cyclists.  Here I found there were so few drivers that the riding was pure joy.

Mr and Mrs Dordogne Cyclist
Escorted by Mr Dordogne Cyclist, I joined two rides with the Piegut-Pluviers Cycling Club.  It's a friendly 'touring' club, which is code for not always cycling at a flat-out pace.  You might gather as much from the photo on their website - these lads do not possess racing-snake physiques.

On both occasions I rode and chatted with Bob who runs this lovely Gite and whose website also has quite a lot to say about the local cycling.  So if you're heading for the Dordogne this summer, try to make a little space for your road bike.