Prepare your bike tour

L’Autre Chemin services

 

Our bikes

L’Autre Chemin provides modern electric bikes. These are comfortable hybrid/touring bikes from Giant that enable you to ride on roads, trails or tracks and, as such, are perfectly suited to the itineraries recommended by L’Autre Chemin.

For your cycling pleasure and safety, our bikes are regularly serviced by specialists.

E-bike equipment:

• Front and rear lights for your comfort and safety
• Luggage rack for carrying the things you need for the day (you will need to provide your own straps – or you can purchase some from our office)
• Mudguards to keep you clean whatever the riding conditions
• A comfortable saddle
• A battery charger 
• A bottle cage so that you can stay hydrated without having to dig around in your bag – L’Autre Chemin sells L’Autre-Chemin – Zéfal bottles priced at €3,50
• A kickstand so that you can stop without having to find somewhere to prop up your bike (useful for photo opportunities)
• A distance (km) and speed counter
• Mixed-tread tyres that allow you to ride on roads and on trails, and offer better resistance to punctures
• Powerful hydraulic brakes so that you can ride downhill in safety

• An antitheft device to secure your bike and for peace of mind during your stopovers

   

 

Our standard Mountain-bikes (non e-bike) 

You like going harder, L’Autre Chemin offers you the possibility of travelling with a standard mountain-bike (it’s up to your !) … With this option can choose his rhythm so that the pleasure is really shared by all! We have a fleet of 4 Specialized Rockhopper mountain-bikes: 2 sizes M and 2 sizes L

Mountain-bike equipment :

• Luggage rack for carrying the things you need for the day (you will need to provide your own straps – or you can purchase some from our office)
• A bottle cage so that you can stay hydrated without having to dig around in your bag – L’Autre Chemin sells L’Autre-Chemin – Zéfal bottles priced at €3,50
• 29′ Mixed-tread tyres that allow you to ride on roads and on trails, and offer better resistance to punctures
• Powerful hydraulic brakes so that you can ride downhill in safety

• An antitheft device to secure your bike and for peace of mind during your stopovers
  
  

Helmets

For your safety, children must wear a helmet and we strongly recommend that adults wear one too. L’Autre Chemin offers new-generation Specialized helmets that blend safety and comfort. If you have your own helmet, feel free to wear that instead.

Helmets hired out by L’Autre Chemin are disinfected for every new user.

 

Travel documents

Before you set out, L’Autre Chemin will give you a set of travel documents. These include your itinerary, the distances involved and the details of where you are staying, plus your chosen type of package (B&B or half-board, for example).

It contains information to help you find your way around, as well as ideas for places to visit and activities you can do during each stage or at your stopover destination.

They also include a Top 100 map, making it very easy for you to find your way around.

You can also download the route map onto your smartphone, once you have downloaded the GPX viewer app.

 

Itineraries

All of the itineraries suggested by L’Autre Chemin have been tried and tested to ensure that they are easy to follow and suitable for the cyclists concerned.

 

They follow quiet roads, widely-accessible trails and cycle paths.  

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Luggage transport

take it easy and enjoy you ride without wondering about your luggage !

Throughout your trip, your luggage follow you and are delivered to you guesthouse or hotel … 

The luggage transport (1 baggage -15kg / person ) is included in all trips over 2 days and optional if your trip lasts only 2 days.

 

Assistance

Our bikes are equipped with an antitheft device that give you peace of mind during your stopovers, as well as a basic repair kit so that you can repair things like small punctures.

In the event of more considerable damage, you can call for assistance on +33 (0)6 27 36 22 49. We will assess the problem and will either explain how to repair it or put you in touch with a nearby repair service. If the problem is serious, we will come out to meet you.

 

Multiple-risk/cancellation insurance

L’Autre Chemin offers different types of multiple-risk and cancellation insurance. This insurance will cover you for any problems, reduce any financial consequences and help you deal with the next steps. Ask about the Evasio cover recommended by L’Autre Chemin.

 

Transfers

If you are arriving into Puy train station and do not know how to get to Coubon, L’Autre Chemin will book a taxi on your behalf to pick you up from Puy-en-Velay train station. Please make your request when you book your holiday, so that we can suggest the best solution for the number of people concerned.

 

Advice from L’Autre Chemin

To help you make the most of your electric bike tour around the Haute-Loire, here are a few tips from L’Autre Chemin:

Riding an electric bike

An electric bike is a bicycle with a motor attached to its pedalling system, which boosts the cyclist’s pedalling power thanks to the energy supplied by an electric battery. On L’Autre Chemin’s bikes, this is a Yamaha motor accompanied by a 400-watt battery, which gives sufficient autonomy for every stage of your trip.  

Good to know:

• You cannot recharge the battery as you ride: it needs charging with an adapter
• Time it takes to charge fully: 4 hours
• The more you use the motor, the faster the battery will run out
• The more uphill sections there are in the itinerary, the more you will use your battery
• The motor has three speeds: Eco, Normal and Sport. Eco is the most energy-saving and Sport is the most energy-consuming.

 

 

You can turn off your bike’s motor on downhill parts of the itinerary and even on the flat. This will help you to complete each of the stages of your tour on one charge, and is an opportunity to enjoy the peace and quiet of travelling by bike! Taking into account the varied terrain of the Haute-Loire, your bike’s motor will help you to complete between 40 and 70km per day, depending on how you use the battery.

Please note: You can recharge your bike’s battery at any time – you do not have to wait until it is completely dead before charging it again.

 

When to travel

L’Autre Chemin organises bike touring holidays all year round. However, given the mountainous environment of the Haute-Loire, the best time to visit is from mid-March to the end of October.  

The rest of the year, L’Autre Chemin can suggest a wide range of other holiday ideas.

 

 

 

What to wear

It goes without saying that you should dress for the weather!

However, certain things are useful to have, regardless of the season:

• Cycling shorts for comfort. Nowadays you can buy special undergarments for cycling, which protect you from any jolts but are designed to be worn underneath shorts or trousers.
• Casual clothes for ease of movement. If you opt for trousers or a tracksuit, consider wearing trouser clips to stop the bottom of your trousers from getting tangled in your bike’s chain.
• A waterproof windcheater, perhaps with a waterproof poncho for extra rain protection
• Gloves or fingerless gloves for your comfort and safety
• A rucksack or bag that can be fixed to the luggage rack
• At least one warm layer of clothing, depending on the season
• A swimming costume (in summer, for swimming or using the facilities in certain accommodation)
• Sunglasses or protective glasses
• A small first aid kit

Travelling with children

Going bike touring with children is a unique experience. It is important to choose your trip according to your child’s age. L’Autre Chemin offers a wide variety of solutions so that you can travel as a family, including specially-designed electric bikes for young riders that offer the same power boost as adult bikes. Children’s bikes are usually recommended for children aged 9 to 12. For younger travellers, L’Autre Chemin can provide bike trailers, which are easily attached to an adult bike.

L’Autre Chemin is on hand to help you to choose the right type of tour for your family, whether for a whole week or a short break.

Pre-holiday training

Regardless of your fitness levels, you do not need to do any particular training to prepare for your trip: you just need to know how to ride a bike!