Routes around Grenoble, France?

[yotes65]

Greetings,

Can anyone tell me anything about the Roads/Routes around Grenoble, France? Would Grenoble make a good spot to stay for 2 or 3 days riding the area surrounding it? I've been researching Routes that are posted on http://www.bestbikingroads.com and this seems to be a good area.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Orson]

This is the D-518 south of Grenoble  



Pretty much any D road is gonna be nice. If you buy a Michelin map and follow the scenic routes highlighted in green, you can't go wrong.

Le Grand Canyon du Verdon is further south just off La Route Napoleon.

[Gaw]

Hello friend,

 “Gorges du Tarn”  in Cevennes Natural Park is not too faraway and it’s a nice area
Specially beautiful the road between Florac and Mende

Pretty much any D road is gonna be nice. If you buy a Michelin map and follow the scenic routes highlighted in green, you can't go wrong.

Good advise, I did it last year and all routes highlighted  in green were very nice

[notarian]

Here's route that goes north of Grenoble to Annecy, east past Albertville, south of Grenoble to La Mure and back into Grenoble. Its an all day ride with time for plenty of stops for food and pics. It will take one over 10 Cols (mountain passes), the highest being Col de la Madeleine at 1984m and lowest being 1134m and covers about 300km. Tight hairpins, fast valley sweepers and nothing really straight.


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[Guy]

The road up to Alp d'Huez, just watch out for bicyclists

[yotes65]

Thanks Everyone! I knew I could count on some Great Advice from STN...  

So David.... will you be riding over to join us? We are still working out the Dates/Details/Routes/ & everything else. Once we have a better idea, I will let you know.

[notarian]

One last route - South of Grenoble as Orson suggests is brilliant and takes in Guy's recommendation of l'Alp du Huez circuit. It's a long day but some searing stuff from lonely Cols (Col du Noyer), hairpins, fast sweepers, to a sense of exploring tiny roads, canyon tunnels and beautiful valleys. Very little traffic on these "D" roads.

Lunch in Le Bourg d'Oisans at Rive Gauche Restaurant (outside by the stream right downtown - just have the menu of the day as it is always very good) and dinner in Gresse-en-Vercors on the final valley stretch after the final Col de Menee is highly recommended at Hotel Chalet (flag H on the map).

Enjoy!


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[Orson]

One last route -

maybe you can help me remember a route I took back in 2002.

It was a road thru a tight canyon. Narrow road with slow speeds. The road seemed to be literally chiselled from the canyon wall. Some of the rocks were overhanging the roadway.

I want to say it was between Gap and Dignes les Baines, or it could be south of Briancon, but to be honest, it could be anywhere in southeastern France.

[notarian]

Orson,

Too right that it could be anywhere in SE France, but since you mention and have ridden the D518 your canyon road may very well be the D539 (Gorges des Gats). The D518 (absolute brilliant road) ends in the south at the village of Die. About 5km southeast of Die is the D539 and the road serpentines its way through the Gorges hugging the bottom of the canyon wall, vying for position with the stream and several narrow tunnels and cliff rock outcroppings the overhang a great deal of this road. It's on the route map above between Grimone and Mensac.









Haven't come across a canyon between Gap and Dignes les Baines, but that's not to say there isn't one.

However, there is a spectacular, narrow canyon road about 70km west of Dignes les Baines called Gorges de la Nesque that winds and climbs and winds between 100-600m above the river = the D942 (off the D1), between Sault and Villes, south of Mont Ventoux.


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Pinched those last 2 pics off the net as I rode this route before digital cameras.

As for south of Briancon, could be - who knows. That's a lot of territory and most of the main routess are over some very high Cols all the way to Annot. I've ridden just about all of them and can't think of particular canyon that meets the criteria.

That's the best I do for you Orson.

[Gaw]

Thanks Everyone! I knew I could count on some Great Advice from STN...  

So David.... will you be riding over to join us? We are still working out the Dates/Details/Routes/ & everything else. Once we have a better idea, I will let you know.

Yes,  if our jobs allow it, we hope we can take these days off!! Anycase I can help you with Routes, I bought John Hermann book and It seems very useful

[yotes65]

Yes,  if our jobs allow it, we hope we can take these days off!! Anycase I can help you with Routes, I bought John Hermann book and It seems very useful

I also have the John Hermann Book which will be a big help for planning the routes for the Dolomite's & the Swiss Alps. Do you have a GPS Unit? If so, which one? I could email you the file that I have created so far.

[Gaw]

I have a PDA with TomTom installed. It’s a bit old, I will have to buy a new one soon

[Orson]

www.bestbikingroads.com now has a route finder ap for iphones:

Motorcycle Route Finder iPhone App