| Distance | 54.95 kms | 34.18 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 185 meters | 607 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 2.53 | - |
| Avg speed | 21.71 kph | - |
| Distance | 54.95 kms | 34.18 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 185 meters | 607 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 2.53 | - |
Monday, March 6th, 2017
Occitanie, a new region recently created by the French government that fuses the old regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées. It just so happens to neatly enclose the boundaries of where I tend to travel in France; I come to this area regularly, almost every year, to visit friends and family. When I'm here I invariably get on the bicycle to travel from Narbonne up the Canal du Midi to Cahors and back.
My "Europe" bicycle, a MIFA Trekkingrad (a hybrid with 700c wheels made by a German company, the same model of bike I did my Americas trip on), has been sitting in a friend's attic for a year. A bit dusty but otherwise unscathed; I just clean her up, lube the chain, pump up the tires, and she's ready to go.
Out for a warmup ride down "La Robine", the canal that connects the Canal du Midi with Port-la-Nouvelle. Leaving Narbonne to the south, the dirt and gravel tow path offers about 20 kilometers of scenic, traffic-free riding through vineyards, marsh, and salt-water ponds.
The "Tramontane", or northwest wind, just howls across these ponds. This entire section of the coast is very windy, but especially so on the eastern side of the ponds where the wind coming over the Corbières hills to the west has a chance to pick up speed crossing the water. It regularly reaches speeds of over 100 km/h. Lovely when it's at your back but cycling into it is like climbing a mountain. Today is tough but not the worst it can be; I'm guessing the wind is hitting 70 kph on the section of canal that goes between the two ponds.
