Author Topic: Avenue Verte - good for road bikes?  (Read 3254 times)

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Avenue Verte - good for road bikes?
« on: 16 January, 2014, 08:44:26 pm »
I'm looking at riding London to Paris with some people I don't know, taking three days. The route is up for discussion.  What is the Avenue Verte like in France? More specifically is the surface good for wannabe racers on 23mm tyres?  (I'll be on 28mm, so have no worries).
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Re: Avenue Verte - good for road bikes?
« Reply #1 on: 17 January, 2014, 10:27:58 pm »
Not done it myself but a friend and his wife did it on Bromptons which was hard work as it's about 30% off road.
I am often asked, what does YOAV stand for? It stands for Yoav On A Velo

Re: Avenue Verte - good for road bikes?
« Reply #2 on: 20 January, 2014, 10:04:02 am »
Hi

if you are referring to the Avenue Verte which starts in Dieppe and then continues to Forges-les-Eaux then it is excellent. Period. I have rode this on numerous occasions

http://avenuevertelondonparis.co.uk/

In terms of route planning you might be advised to follow Donald Hirsch's route;


http://www.donaldhirsch.com/dieppeparis.html

if you follow Donald's route then you should plan your journey for one thing: staying at this B & B which is listed in Donald's accommodation notes

http://www.chambres-confiturier.com/ it is the best b & b I have ever stayed in. it caters specifically for cyclists, an amazing place

For staying in paris try 

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/ which allows you to rent rooms with French family etc

good luck






Chris S

Re: Avenue Verte - good for road bikes?
« Reply #3 on: 20 January, 2014, 10:30:35 am »
I rode it from Dieppe to Forges-les-Eaux, on my way to meet fboab and Fidgetbuzz after PBP '11.

No problem with a road-bike; I used my Pompino, loaded with camping gear, probably 28mm tyres.

It's a great route - although what with ferry timings (the 11:30pm Newhaven ferry dumped us in Dieppe at 3am!) the first 20km or so was in the dark. The whole section I rode on was tarmac, smooth, and wide - wide enough for two separated lanes at the road crossings, which are really well done, I thought.

Re: Avenue Verte - good for road bikes?
« Reply #4 on: 20 January, 2014, 12:53:24 pm »
is the surface good for wannabe racers on 23mm tyres? 

The short answer is: NO.

Bike routes in France are  always of a variable quality. Expect some sections of perfectly clean and flat tarmac, but expect some other sections being covered with grit, gravel, mud, water, or
a combination of all of these. The problem comes from the maintenance being taken in charge by local authorities, with variable points of view on what constitutes proper maintenance.


Re: Avenue Verte - good for road bikes?
« Reply #5 on: 20 January, 2014, 06:06:57 pm »
You could follow the original/preliminary, and in my opinion much better, route.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Paris-London

There's a brilliant B&B-type place near Gourney (bit of a detour, though)

http://www.domainedupatis.fr/

Nae problem on 23mm. Have done it a few times in the past. Most of the rough bits are in the UK.

EC

Re: Avenue Verte - good for road bikes?
« Reply #6 on: 18 June, 2017, 08:02:04 am »
Resurrecting an old thread but I can confirm that some of the bits near Paris are not much fun on a road bike.

As the Avenue Verte route passes a few km from where I am staying, I thought I would try the bit from Maisons-Laffitte northward yesterday to see if offered a good escape route to the country.

However, on my Ritchey Break-Away with 25mm Gatorskins this was only just viable in summer.  Many of the paths are pretty badly degraded and not maintained, lots of loose gravel.

Some of the few bits of road were nice to use, though.  The foot/cycle bridge at Conflans-St. Honorine is good to know about, the N184 would not be much fun on a bike and bikes are even banned on some stretches.

Cross or gravel bike would be the minimum (IMO).