Bikes – Bordeaux Expats

V3 Velo – Bike Hire in Bordeaux

Mike Foster — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:03:00 +0000

Most of you living in Bordeaux will have probably have noticed a new bike hire service which is available to the public.

The VCUB (V3) service was unveiled in February this year and provides the residence of Bordeaux a simple and effective way to get around town. There are 1545 bicycles and 139 stations throughout the city and surrounding areas.

The way it works is that you pick up a bike at the station of your choice and return it to which ever station is the closest to you. Each station is equipped with a information terminal (English available), where you enter in a code given to you when you register and pay for the bike. Not every terminal has credit card capabilities, so you’ll need to find one that does before you register your details.

You register your account by using your credit car, the network takes a deposit of €200 straight up which is charged if the bike is stolen or lost. Then your credit card is debited a €2 per hour until you return the bike to a station (first 30mins are free).

The service is a great way to get around town on short journeys and sure beats the peak hour on the trams.

www.vcub.fr

Les Vélib de Bordeaux : Les VCUB – archos
Après les vélib à paris, les vélov à Lyon, les vélo de la CUB entrerons en service le 22 février prochain

Keywords: bordeaux velib velov vcub v3

Video from mytv7bordeaux

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MUSETTE BICYCLES AND COFFEE, PUTTING THE SOUL INTO BORDEAUX CYCLING

Mike Foster — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:04:00 +0000

The combination of a coffee shop and bike shop, Musette is a place to get your bike repaired, buy a new bicycle, pick up a lock or some lights or just pop in for some top quality coffee or a tea and some cake.

In mid November 2017 two anglophone expats opened Bordeaux’s first ever bicycle café.

Bordeaux Expats recently caught up with the lads from Musette to find out what motivated them to launch this brand new concept in the Bordeaux cycling world !

Musette bike repair shop and cafe

72 Cours de la Somme, 33800 Bordeaux

www.musettebordeaux.com

https://www.facebook.com/musettebikecafe/

What brought you to Bordeaux?

My main reason for moving to France was the challenge of learning a language, I was 27 at the time and had given myself the deadline of age 30 for speaking a second language. I chose Bordeaux in particular for three reasons. First off, was the fact that it seemed like a very easy place to get around on a bike, with its advanced cycling infrastructure and general flatness, getting anywhere in the city takes no time at all.

My second reason was basically the large Anglophone community. I’d noticed there were a lot of English / Irish bars around town so I imagined it would be easy enough to find a job in one of them (and it was). Finally, I wanted to live somewhere with a decent summer that stays fairly warm all year round.

What’s the idea behind the concept?

One of the main ideas behind Musette is for it to become a central hub for cyclists in Bordeaux. Although the coffee shop is open to anyone, I wanted to create a place where people who get around on bike can come and hang out and meet and share ideas with other likeminded individuals – people who see cycling as the best way of getting around town… a sort of cultural center for alternative transport enthusiasts!

The concept is not something I came up with personally and has been around for almost a decade now. It was Bristol’s ‘Roll for the Soul’ cycle café that first introduced me to the concept and of all the cycle cafés I’ve visited since, it still remains one of my favourites. As well as really being a cycling-community hub they also have an equal divide between two main activities.

This is something I was very keen on doing at Musette too as I think to really get to the core of how I see the concept it is necessary. Some cycle cafés I’ve been to for example don’t even have a workshop, which I find makes them little more than an average café.. I’ve also seen classic bike shops that have put a small coffee machine on the counter but don’t offer anything other than that in terms of food or drink – so to call it a café would be a stretch.

My other overriding belief in the concept was how being equal-part bike shop and coffee shop makes the bike shop part a lot less intimidating for customers.

When I was first playing with the idea, I talked to people about the other bike shops in Bordeaux and many people told me that they didn’t find them very welcoming or that they were made to feel a bit stupid when asking questions or for advice – especially if their bike wasn’t the same brand as those sold by these shops. I think the coffee side of thing gives a friendlier, more inclusive feel, making the shop more accessible to everybody.

“I think the coffee side of thing gives a friendlier, more inclusive feel, making the shop more accessible to everybody.”

Tell us about cycling in Bordeaux?

As I mentioned, the cycling infrastructure in Bordeaux is really comprehensive and was one of the aspects that attracted me to the city in the first place. There is an index of worldwide cycle-friendly cities called Copenhagenize and I believe Bordeaux has been in the top ten for a good few years. 2017 lists Bordeaux in 6 th place !! There are a lot of cycle paths and with the Pont Pierre trial-closure to motor traffic seemingly going well we can hope that the amount of dedicated cycle lanes will continue to grow.

When restaurant food home-delivered by cyclists first came to Bordeaux I was one of the first to do this job, and I wrote a long article about it. Cycling all over the city made me get to know the city really well. When you know exactly where you are going and you are on a bike there is definitely no quicker way of getting around town. Plus you see so much more when you are cycling than when you are in a car. It also keeps you fit. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

And in the future?

Who knows what the future holds really? As for Bordeaux, we are seeing more and more traffic jams so I hope this leads to more and more people jumping out of their cars and onto their bikes. In the long term, I would like to imagine cities designed with cycling at the heart of the transport system. Cars make sense when going huge distance, in between towns and cities for example, but in my opinion, they should stay parked on the outskirts and pedal powered vehicles used in the inner city. However this doesn’t seem likely as we remain a very car-centric society for the time being anyway, and not even global warming nor the huge increase in obesity seem to be enough to make people change their ways.

“Cars make sense when going huge distance, in between towns and cities for example, but in my opinion, they should stay parked on the outskirts and pedal powered vehicles used in the inner city.”

Are you planning any expat-related events?

We are still at very early stages at the moment, but events are definitely something we want to start as soon as we are fully functional. With myself and my business partner Rob both being native English-speakers, I think that expat / Anglophone events would definitely make a lot of sense.

Is there anything you’d like to say to Bordeaux’s international community?

Sure. Come along to the Musette and say hello! I hope you will like what we have done with the place and that you will give us some support and feedback and help us to make it even better.

Cheers for that Chris and don’t hesitate to pay them a visit to show your support for the expat community in Bordeaux and SPREAD THE WORD !!!

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CYCLE TRACKS NEAR BORDEAUX

Chris Tighe — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 13:44:00 +0000

Bordeaux was voted the world’s 6th most cycle-friendly city in 2017 and has a colossal selection of routes for the budding cyclist.

The boucle vert covers the entire city and has an impressive 241km of pristine cycle tracks.

To get the full low down on cycling within Bordeaux, as well as a range of other bike-related services, head over to MAMMA (la maison métropolitaine des mobilités alternatives) on 69 cours Pasteur near place Victoire.

However if you’re looking to get out of the city for the remainder of the decent weather, there are several next-level cycle routes in the Bordeaux region.

Here are the main ones…

Written by Chris Tighe

The Canal des 2 Mers

The Canal des 2 Mers (850 kilometers – from Royan to Sète) is an insane cycle route linking the Atlantic ocean to the Mediterranean. It starts at Royan and goes along the Gironde estuary to Bordeaux. It then takes you south where you pick up the Canal de Garonne to Toulouse. It then transforms into the infamous Canal du Midi, which you follow to eventually reach the Mediterranean at Sète!

I cycled the Royan to Bordeaux section in 2004 and it’s simply amazing. The route takes you through the back-roads and past the sublime viewpoint at Talmont-sur-Gironde. You then head down to Blaye where you take the ferry across and cycle on to Bordeaux through the endless Medoc vineyards. It’s about a 7 hour cycle and can be done in a day if you’re on a mission…

The Bordeaux-Lacanau cycle path

This is a 60km flat trail on an old railway track that takes you in a direct line to the beach at Lacanau. You can set off from the quais or join it from Eysines and roll out of town into the vast expanse of pine forest that leads to the Atlantic – take a walkman!

For more information, check out this all-encompassing article from Tim Pike at Invisible Bordeaux.

The Vélodyssée

La Vélodyssée (1200km from Roscoff to Hendaye) is the French section of Euro Vélo 1 (European cycling path linking Norway to Portugal). This major bike route crosses Brittany from Roscoff and follows the Atlantic coast to Hendaye. The Vélodyssée is the longest way-marked cycle trail in France.

To reach it from Bordeaux, follow the Bordeaux-Lacanau cycle path to the beach and follow the signs.

The Scandibérique

La Scandibérique (1600km; from Namur, Belgium to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port) is the longest cycling route in France and is the French section of Euro Vélo 3 (the ‘Pilgrims route’ from Norway to Spain). It diagonally crosses the entire length of France from the Belgian border to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the merging point of the Santiago de Compostella pilgrimage walking paths. It slices through Paris, Tours and Bordeaux!

The route out of Bordeaux heads south through Gradignan and Leognan and eventually on to Mont-de-Marsan and Dax. If you plan to cycle a long distance, register as a pilgrim for €15 at the Bordeaux Compostelle pilgrimage office at 28 Rue des Argentiers and you are eligible for free accommodation along the route as an official pilgrim.

The Roger Lapébie cycle path

The 54-km route from Bordeaux to Sauveterre-de-Guyenne is another path along a former railway with a stopover at Créon. It is also on the Scandibérique.

It starts just after the end of the north side of the quais on the way to Latresne and ambles through villages and vineyards inland…

Tim Pike wrote a fantastic article on the history of the path, which you can read here. Chris Cooley also wrote a fun blog about his cycle up there in 2013. Chris obviously found cycling around Bordeaux appealing as he now runs the Musette cycle café!

Photo from Tim Pike at Invisible Bordeaux

Our day out

Lacking actual bicycles, I started by checking out decent local routes that have bike hire places nearby. One of my first search results took me to the Station Vélo in Créon and the Roger Lapébie cycle path.

Founded in 2000, the Créon bike station was labelled as France’s first cycle tourism ‘resort’. It’s actually a fairly underwhelming experience and consists of a few bikes inside the old railway station building…

We hired our well-kept bikes and were soon on our magical mystery tour up the railway! We set off to La Sauve and the old rail track wove through a forest before coming to a viewpoint of the stunning medieval abbey. There we turned off and headed into the village to have a look and grab some much needed refreshments.

Back to the rail track, just after La Sauve station (which includes a future train museum and restoration project), the route takes you through the highlight of the path – a 200m long rail tunnel! We turned back at this point, but the track carries on another 30km or so to Sauveterre.

When we got back to Créon, the cycle path was closed and the locals were setting up loads of food stalls and a stage for a night of concerts, eating and boozing – the local guinguette! They apparently do this every Saturday night throughout the summer.

The Créon bike station is run by cycle technician, Fabrice who recently moved to the Sud Ouest after years working like a dog for Disney in Paris. He was looking for a more laid back career and way of life – he certainly found it!

Getting there and away – the Transgironde 404 takes you directly to Créon from Place Stalingrad. Otherwise it’s a car ride.

Cost – here – it’s basically €10 for a half day and €8 for a kids trailer.

Boring stuff – the cycle path can get busy on weekends and people tend to bomb along at 90 miles an hour. There have also been reports of some of the intelligent local kids throwing drawing pins all over the track to try to puncture people’s tyres.

Fun stuff – Créon town is a gorgeous medieval bastion town that used to be English. The drive up there is pretty as well taking you past scores of undiscovered vineyards.

Beer – One of the Bordeaux region’s longest-standing brewers is based here at the Brasserie St Leon. They have regular concerts along with the village guinguette booze ups at the station every Saturday night during the summer. Oh, and there’s a massive local beer festival in Créon every June..

About the author:

Chris Tighe lives in Pessac, loves the Sud Ouest and helps to run the voluntary blog and FB site, Bordeaux Expats. In his spare time, he works a cosy 36 hour week as a translator for a local tech company. He lives 35 minutes from the beach, a two-hour drive from San Sebastian and has successfully escaped his preordained destiny working 60 hours a week in London, commuting four hours a day on rammed medieval public transport – cheers ears.

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HOW TO GET TO THE DUNE DU PILAT FROM BORDEAUX?

Mike Foster — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 14:02:10 +0000

If you are passing through the region of Gironde there is a great day trip out to the Bay of Arcachon (Bassin d’Arcachon). Namely, a visit to the highest dune in Europe, the Dune du Pilat!

The Dune of Pilat is a protected natural site, 2.9 km long, 616 m wide and 110 m high and offers some of the most fantastic views across the bay and forest.

HOW TO GET THERE?

There are 5 ways to get from Bordeaux to the Dune du Pilat: train, bus, taxi, bicycle or car

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Une publication partagée par Bordeaux Expats (@bordeauxexpats) le 2 Avril 2019 à 1 :32 PDT

TRAIN / BUS

Travelling from the Gare Saint Jean in Bordeaux, take the TER to the station of Arcachon. It roughly a 50 min local train trip. Then directly from Gare de Arcachon, take the Bus Baïa Line 1 and get off at the Dune du Pilat. The bus timetables change between seasons, so check them out via the website prior to your trip (25 min one direction)

CAR

This is probably the most direct and most flexible method if you have the luxury of having a car. On a good day, the 70 km will take only about 45 min. However, if you have the unfortunate pleasure of heading out there on a summer’s day with the rest of the hoards, it’s not unheard of to sit in the traffic jams for a couple of hours.

A63 –> Bayonne or A63 –> Bordeaux
A660 –> Arcachon
N250 –> La Teste de Buch
D259 –> Dune du Pilat

Parking

There are several car parks available to visitors. The main car park is just off the roundabout near the dune. It is holds around 950 cars / buses. It is from this parking that you can access the seasonal staircase that is installed from April to November. Access to the staircase is only around 400 m and is an easy walk.

The price of the car park changes year to year but you can expect that in season you’ll pay €4 and up for a couple of hours (less in winter).

TAXI

This is an untried method by myself and I should imagine it will become expensive but do-able.

Going on things I can find online, the cost could be around €120-€150 one way.

BICYCLE

If you are a keen cyclist, sure you can head out to the bay on your bike. However, this would be an approximately 4 hr bike ride on the national roads! If you are already in Arcachon, there are many coast cycling paths that lead around the bay (including the Dune du Pilat). You can count around 10 km from downtown Arcachon to the Dune to Pilat.

For more information check out this website.

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