If you’ve made the decision to embark on a cycle tour of France, or any foreign destination for that matter, one of your bigger decisions will be whether you want to bring along your own bike or not. There are pros and cons on each side.
Some things to weigh in your decision…
To Rent or Not to Rent?
What is the availability and quality of a rental bike from either your tour operator or from a shop you found while researching your planned cycling program.
Note that tour companies usually have better bikes that what you’ll find locally. This is especially true in France where it can be hard to find high quality rental bikes in a local shop. There are sources of rentals, but options may be limited and they will come at a price. More to the point, can you get there to get it and return it? Can it be reserved in advance? These are all considerations you need to take into account.
Bring It
One way to get around the rental question is to bring your own bike from home. Of course, there are a few things to think about if this is the option you want to go with.
If you decide to bring along your own bike, the following is a short list of important considerations:
• Do not bring a brand new bike! You should be comfortable, fitted and have more than 500 miles on any bike you travel with.
• Have a new chain that matches your cassette, i.e. if you haven’t changed your chain in less than 2000 miles don’t change your chain and forget the cassette. You need to change them both.
• Make sure your brake and gear cables are tightened.
• Make sure you have a stock of spare parts with you: tubes, special wrenches, chain links, flat tire materials, etc.
• Bring your sturdy wheels with clincher rims and consider leaving the ultralight carbon wheels at home. Many a crushed wheel has been found in bike boxes at Charles De Gaulle airport.
Airline Surcharges
The cost of bringing your bike over by air is something you should also look into. Different airlines will have different rates for oversized luggage. Best to find out how much the airline will charge you to bring along your bike before you get to the airport!
Bike Boxes and Setup
Do you already own a bike box or will you have to purchase one? A good quality hard-sided case may cost you upwards of $250, so if you need to buy that’s something you should figure into your cost calculations. Just as important as getting your bike there is knowing how to break it down for travel and put it back together (properly) in France when you arrive. Is this something you’re going to be able to do on your own or will you need professional assistance?
Transporting
Another consideration is whether or not you’ll be able to travel on the train with your bicycle. The French National Railway (SNCF) has vague rules on this. However, one thing that is for certain is that on the high-speed TGV train there is seldom extra space available to take along a bike box.
So if you won’t be able to travel on the train with your bike, are you prepared to rent a car? If that’s what you decide, be sure to get something big enough to carry a bike, box and luggage. Car companies do not rent bike racks to mount on your car.
Travel Maintenance
Whether you decide to rent or bring your own bike along, it goes without saying that you MUST know how to fix a flat tire! All cyclists worth their salt should know how to fix a flat tire. But don’t even think about leaving home for a cycle tour in a foreign country if you can’t do this simple and routine maintenance task.