September 13, 2023
Day 1 of cycling: Eurovelo 6 across France
Mulhouse to Montbéliard
To minimise costs, we've decided to twin-share where possible. David and I were to share a room this first night. To set the scene, David and I are newly minted friends, meeting a few times on the EuroVelo 15 last year. We checked in and I headed off to the shower with around 30 hours of travel grime to wash off. As I re-entered the main room, I saw something that one can't unsee ... David was completing stretches after his journey from Paris. For a guy over 70 years of age, I have to admit that he is very flexible ... I just wish he weren’t doing the exercises in his underwear! It could have been worse ... thankfully he was facing away from me.
I'm not sure if the twin share arrangements were getting off to a great start in room number two either. Brett had a shower, dried himself off with a towel, and then proceeded to use the remaining towel to wrap around his waist and trundle back into the main room to get changed. Cue Col going for his turn in the shower only to find a wet towel hung up for his use. Choice ... does Col use the wet towel that Brett used to dry every nook and cranny of his body or call out for a dryish towel wrapped around Brett's nether regions! Go the dry face washer Col!
After a fitful start to sleep, it was a 3am wake-up as my body was struggling to shake off the time difference between home and Mulhouse. As David was still asleep, I tried to be a respectful roomie and keep quiet. Unfortunately, that lasted about 30 minutes before checking emails, going to the bathroom, and making huffing noises in the hope that he'd wake up and decide to pack alongside me. He didn't, so I went down to the garage of the hotel to begin preparing my bike for the trip, adding a few personal adornments such as my bike seat, my Karoo GPS holder, and my handlebar bag. By this stage, David was awake and joined Brett, Col and me in fitting and adjusting the bikes. After check-out, we rode to the old part of town, found a boulangerie and had breakfast ... chocolate croissants and coffee ... breakfast of champions. After getting a random person to take the obligatory group photo, we did a brief tour of Mulhouse looking for its renowned street art.
We then set off for our first stop, the Musée National de l'Automobile - a glorified car show with a history of motorised vehicles on display. The guys spent an hour touring the museum while I worked on my already cantankerous bike, which was having gear change issues. They came back raving, calling it the best museum they’d ever seen, a life-changing experience: “You’ll regret not going until your dying day,” and so on (blah, blah, blah!) Cars aren’t my thing - I can’t even tell you the make and model of my own car!
After the museum, we began our 60 km ride to Montbéliard. Most of the route was along a well-maintained bike path, with only a few busy streets to navigate as we left Mulhouse. Once again, I found French drivers to be very courteous, especially to cyclists. At one point, a lorry driver stopped to give way to us when he was the one who had right of way!
Today’s ride followed the Canal du Rhône au Rhin, which was completed in 1833 to connect the Rhône and Rhine rivers, opening a major trade route from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. These days, it’s mostly used by pleasure boats - and of course, as a scenic route for EuroVelo cyclists! The canal, like the bike path, runs gun-barrel straight for much of the journey, and it’s almost entirely flat, except for a gradual climb near the village of Valdieu-Lutran, around the 27 km mark. The climb took us up above the canal, offering stunning views of the valley below. The autumn colours of the deciduous trees - reds, yellows, browns, and greens - were absolutely breathtaking.
Now that I’ve recounted the best part of the ride, let’s rewind 10 km to our first puncture of the day. Yep, that was me. Last year, I rode 1,400 km without a single flat, but here I am with a flat tire just 20 km in! Thankfully, Brett, a masterful mechanic, was on hand, and I swear he could give some F1 pit crews a run for their money - he changed that tire in record time.
While Brett was trying out for the Red Bull team, Col and David had discovered a charming little café for a late lunch. When Brett and I caught up, we were handed a menu featuring one hundred different pasta dishes - talk about overload! The aptly named restaurant, Aux 100 Pâtes (100 Pastas) - Relais du Port, is right next to the bike path, serving both EuroVelo cyclists and the boaters who dock their holiday boats along the nearby canal (as one does!)
It’s always a bit daunting bringing together a group of people who don’t know each other well. That’s us. But as I watch the interactions unfold, so far, so good. David is quickly learning the quirks of us Australians. Since Col, Brett, and I are ex-RAAF, David’s figured out that we tend to ride in formation, pulling off aerial-style manoeuvres like the Roulettes (think Blue Angels or Red Arrows). Wisely, David stays just ahead or just behind us, avoiding any mid-path collisions!
My bike’s gear-changing issues resurfaced just as a light rain, which had been forecast all day, finally caught up with us about 10 km from our destination of Montbéliard. I didn’t bring my bike (Myrle) all the way from Australia this year. Brett and I were meeting our wives, Kathy, and Janine, at the end of our ride, and heading on a 15-day river cruise, so hiring bikes seemed a much-simpler planning exercise.
The ride today may not have been the most exciting or scenic, and some might even call it a bit boring. But as the first ride of a three-week tour, we enjoyed every single kilometre.
Tonight, we’re staying at Le Parc du Magnolia, run by a woman named France (go figure!). She recommended we dine at Le Marco Polo restaurant, and she wasn’t wrong - it was excellent. We loaded up on carbs in preparation for tomorrow’s 90 km ride to Besancon. Until then, au revoir!
Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 60 km (37 miles)
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