Cycle Ride to Peyresq

One of the things I hope to be able to do in France is pursue a range of outdoor activities in addition to paragliding. Many years and quite a few pounds ago, I used to ride my bike a lot. I'm starting to ride it again but somehow it would appear that gravity has got stronger in the last few years.

A lot of the climbs here are long and steep, and I'm trying to get myself used to dealing with them. I had my first reasonably long climb for many years here today; around 2,000 feet, but not too steep. It went reasonably well, ending in a tiny village called Peyresq.

The village has been rebuilt by a belgian community and all the buildings are named after famous belgians (Brel, de Broglie - can't remember any other ones...). You can read more about it here http://www.pik-potsdam.de/infodesk/education/alter-net/2009/05.09.2009/peyresq/index_html

Long descents (when you aren't used to them) get a little scary - you want to avoid using the brakes too much incase the wheel overheats. I found myself wondering if I could fit a lightweight reserve for them.

On the way back I stopped and said hello to Ray - he had been on a similar bike ride an hour or so ahead of me.