Bretons & Bidons: NRC Conquers Brittany by Bike

Seven Newbury Road Club riders take on soaring temperatures, lush landscapes, and Breton charm in a relaxed summer tour.

For the second time this year, a party from Newbury Road Club ventured abroad. This time, a group of seven took the ferry from Portsmouth on 29 June to St Malo to explore the Brittany coastline and routes to the interior of the region, before returning to the UK on 5 July.

With impeccable timing, we arrived on the hottest day of the year: 39 °c! The first night was spent in the small holiday resort of Erquy, drinking large quantities of water, beer, and anything else we could find, as long as it was chilled!

Day 2 followed the north Brittany coastline for the first leg, enjoying spectacular countryside and coastal views, albeit overcast in the morning. The terrain for much of the trip was quite similar to our North Wessex Downs, with rolling hills and occasional 'cheeky” and challenging climbs, finishing at the town of Loudeac. Not as hot today, but still toasty with high humidity.

After a restless night and some torrential squalls, Day 3, our shortest at 40 miles, dawned cool and overcast. We encountered more rolling hills, a spell of cold, wet showers, along with some scenic river crossings and lakes, as well as a few longer climbs! The historic town of Pontivy, our stop for the evening, is quite substantial, and the charming family-owned hotel where we stayed was full of character—and had some seriously antique furniture!

Day 4 was probably the prettiest of the routes, offering 360-degree views of lush farmlands, the spectacular Castle Josselin, and a tranquil river path.

We also saw several stretches of “Tadej’s Tarmac”, recently resurfaced road to keep Le Tour riders happy as they sweep through the area on 11 July. The complete absence of potholes was a feature of the week - Newbury local councils, please take note!

Day 5 brought us back to St Malo for an overnight stay in the historic walled port before heading home on Saturday morning.

This was a relaxed cycle tour, with reasonable yet modest speeds and distances (Gideon would not approve), and a wonderful way to enjoy our near(ish) neighbours' rich cycling culture and beautiful countryside. Our Centenary shirts sparked curiosity and interest from both locals and other cyclists. Most importantly, it revealed another dimension to cycling—one we can all enjoy in a pleasant and different environment.