What to pack for your French Cycling Holiday
Riders travelling to France for the start of their French Cycling Holiday tour often ask for advice from us on what to pack for their biking holiday.
Some of our tour riders are arriving in France from the UK or Europe, others are from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Asia, the USA...
Many will fit in a bike tour alongside a city break, spending a few nights in eg. Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Milan, Barcelona or Geneva at the beginning or end of their biking vacation for some shopping or sightseeing in famous French, Swiss, Italian or even Spanish cities.
Lots of our customers joining a tour from overseas are spending a week cycling with our guides, then maybe visiting friends or relations in Europe, perhaps ticking off another couple of bucket list destinations such as Rome, Copenhagen, Berlin. A number of our cyclists like to indulge in a few days in a luxury spa, whilst others are taking some time to pay respects to family members who served in WWI or WWII in France, or visiting historical sites such as Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam, or visiting Auschwitz…
... We digress! Whatever your background story, whatever else you’re doing on your trip to France, we can definitely help you with what to pack for the cycle tour part of the trip!
What do I wear for a cycling holiday?
Cycling shorts
The very first thing in your suitcase should be padded cycling shorts! Wear them under other baggy shorts if you prefer (some cycling shorts even come with over layers) but you’ll definitely enjoy your tour more if you have padded cycle shorts for riding.
Whether you prefer normal shorts or bib-style is up to you, it’s a case of personal preference here. We’d also recommend shorts with the detachable legs, in case we encounter chillier weather.
Cycling tops
Short-sleeved or long-sleeved tops? A mixture of long and short-sleeved lightweight sports tops will serve you well. The type with detachable arms are good, because they give you both options.
If the weather is looking changeable for your trip, or for any days when we don’t have wall-to-wall sunshine, a cycling gilet is also useful.
An essential part of your cycling gear will also be a wind and waterproof cycling jacket. Our guides do also carry rain capes just in case we really get caught out!
Helmet and sunglasses
We can provide a good quality helmet for you, but most of our riders tend to bring their own, as sizing and fit is quite personal.
Sports sunglasses with UV protection are ideal for a cycling tour.
Cycling shoes/pedals
You can choose the pedal type that suits you best: Flat pedals: you can use any trainers with this type. Those with a stiff sole will support your feet and make sure you don’t get uncomfortable pressure points.
SPD cleat/Flat: This is the standard Shimano SPD compatible system; two bolts and the small cleat on one side, flat on the other, so you can use cycling shoes that are suitable for this system. In fact, we find these are ideal for cycling tours as the cleat is usually recessed into the bottom of the shoe making walking easier at lunchtime, or on a quick trip to the bathroom!
Cage pedals: We have a few cage pedals if you like this type, although if you have never used these before, we don’t recommend starting a tour with them.
If you have your own pedals that you prefer to use then our guides can fit them for you. Do bear in mind that if it’s a week-long ‘holiday’ tour you are joining us for, then we recommend that the race style pedals with protruding cleats on the shoe sole are not so good for visiting chateaux or restaurants!
A chateau visit for our cyclists
Gloves and neck-warmer
Don’t forget to pack your cycling gloves: a couple of pairs of either long or short-fingered cycling gloves will mean you have a spare or a change if needed.
A cycling neck-warmer can make all the difference to your warmth on a windy day, we recommend packing a buff, or lightweight neck-warmer.
Bike equipment
The great thing about a guided cycle tour is having our guides on hand who are equipped with pumps, inner tubes and equipment to fix punctures etc.
The lightweight alloy framed Trek ‘hybrid’ touring bikes we provide on our cycling vacations have handlebar bags with a map pocket (these clip off so you can take them into the restaurant etc. for security).
What should I wear in the evenings?
Aside from your cycling gear, you’ll need:
- Swimwear and a beach towel
- A nice outfit and footwear for evening restaurant dining (no need to go formal here!)
- A warmish jacket/fleece/top for cooler nights
- Flipflops/thongs can be useful for swimming or to give your feet a breather
Any questions? Get in touch
We hope that this has answered your questions on what to pack for your French cycle tour, but if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask us, no matter how silly you think the question is! (Don't worry, we've heard it all before!)
Just a note to say also: we don't care about fashion! Being comfortable for the ride is what's important, and you'll see from our photos that some like to go extra sporty, others prefer casual. It's completely up to you.