La Vélodyssée – St Malo, Atlantic coast to the Spanish border – June 2026

Foreword

Not much cycling in the last twelve months except four days in Brittany. I was struggling with an arthritic knee that needed injections but I got into a gym through the winter working with the excellent Roy at FitBox on the Island and the knee pain has gone. I believe the exercise and muscle development have done the trick – fingers crossed.

Given the excitement of that development I entered the Bikingman Alpes Maritimes 500km Race for June. That would be 10,000m of climbing with a time limit of 60 hours.

Training started in earnest late March 2026 which in truth was probably too late and so it proved to be – or perhaps I’m just too old! When I took a hard look at my training numbers compared to a couple of years ago I realised 500km & 10,000m in 60 hours was beyond me so what was needed was another adventure more within my ability.

La Vélodyssée popped up and looked a great option. It runs from Roscoff down the Atlantic coast and finishes at Hendaye on the border bridge with Spain. I decided on a St Malo start. Much easier from the Isle of Wight to jump on the Portsmouth – St Malo ferry. And a bonus considering my fitness – there were very few climbs.

La Vélodyssée – St Malo start – 1167 kilometres

The Bike/Kit

I was riding my Mason Bokeh, a gravel bike with 40mm Hutchinson Caracal Race tyres, tubeless. Comfort is the main objective with a Cane Creek seat post giving a little suspension and Redshift flexing stem. As important was the profile design aero bars, stacked high, that give rest to the hands, a different saddle position and of course a little aero help. I reckon to ride on the aero bars for over 50% of the ride. Main kit carrying was my Tailfin cargo rack and bag with tent and matt in Apidura bags on the front forks. My tent setup weighed 2.1kg and I took it as a backup in case I couldn’t find accommodation. My intention was to find campsite cabins/tents or small hotels along the way. I took two sets of bike riding kit and one set of lightweight casual clothes.

Getting to the start

Living on an Island there is something a bit special about being able to ride the bike from one’s front door and embark on a long distance adventure. I set off on Saturday 20th June and rode to the Fishbourne / Portsmouth ferry mingling with the Isle of Wight festival crowds along the way where my wife, Kate and her daughters and friends were having fun. A short ride to Brittany ferries where I joined a small group of cyclists waiting to board. We had a good chat about our planned adventures. The overnight ferry was calm and docked in St Malo at 0915. Our group of cyclists got a fast lane to the passport control and were through quickly – the French have delayed the new fingerprint process.

St Malo – La Vélodyssée Day One

Turn left out of the dock and across the lock bridge and down the slip alongside the city walls and you arrive at the small ferry – the Bateau to Dinard from St Malo. The ferry was waiting and I arrived in Dinard across the Rance before 1030 and keen to get going south towards the Nantes Breast canal and link up with La Vélodyssée route. I reckon this route is safer than heading out of St Malo on the roads.

A short distance out of Dinard the route picks up the old railway, the Voie Verde, headed south towards Dinan that sits majestically above La Rance and was the first stop for food and drink as the temperature soared close to 40deg.

The route joins the Nantes Brest canal just south of Ploermel and my goal was to get to Redon for the night. Riding the canal path was nice with lots of shade from the trees but with little breeze became tough going.

Arriving at the pretty town of Malestroit it was great to find a campsite alongside the canal with a tent to rent for the night. I decided to stop and having sorted the tent found a super restaurant and some good food and a cool zero beer. A good first day.

Day 1 – 126km with 6 hours in the saddle.

St Malo – La Vélodyssée Day 2

A hot Canal day. Got away by 0630 enjoying the relative coolness of the early morning. Had a chicken burger I saved from the night before for breakfast. Early starts always create a breakfast challenge.

After a couple or hours the town of Redon was a welcome sight where I found a Tabac for coffee and croissant. Got ‘chatting’ to a lovely frenchman, as best one can when neither of us speaks the other’s language. He was riding a classic old Peugeot bike and headed to Rennes. After coffee there followed plenty of stops with the temperature heading to 40deg again.

Eventually I called it a day about 35km short of Nantes having stopped at a lock keepers cottage for food and drink and then found they had a room to rent. It was really tough in the heat and I always find the second day of a ride hard going. The owners were leaving at 8pm and kindly left supper and breakfast in the fridge. I washed my kit which was dry before I went to bed. A hot night.

Day 2 – 107km with 5 hours in the saddle.

St Malo – La Vélodyssée – Day 3

Got going at first light – 0530 – and got some good kilometres along the route before the heat arrived late morning – 40deg on the Wahoo.

The run through Nantes was a bit hectic at morning rush hour.

After Nantes the route headed west along the Loire towards the Atlantic coast and then turned south. The Loire was wide, busy with industry but also beautiful with traditional net fishing along the banks.

I needed plenty of stops in the heat including an hour on a bench with my sleeping matt. I am lucky to be able to take a 20 minute power nap and come back well recovered. Ice water and ice cream were much in demand!

A small waterfront hotel in Pornic was a good place for the night after another long hot day. A busy restaurant had good food and I picked up a cheese and ham panini for breakfast.

Day 3 – 133 kilometers with 7 hours riding.

St Malo – La Vélodyssée Day 4

Start at dawn again to beat the hot day ahead.

Nice riding the coastal back lanes and trails through the Vendee flatlands followed by pine forests.

Needed loads of stops and drank litres (wahoo was up to 44deg ).

Towards the end of the day I got food and hydration a bit wrong and struggled over the last 20km into Sable d’Olonne. I had booked a small hotel just back from the seafront and was lucky that the owner, Paul, was so helpful. He helped me with my kit and put my bike safely in the storage. After a bit of a lie down I found a good place for food and arranged to stay a couple of nights at the hotel and take a rest day.

Big thunderstorm in the evening dropped the temperature a little. Cooler days were forecast for the rest of the week following the rest day.

Day 4 – 133 kms with 7 hours riding.

St Malo – La Vélodyssée – Day 6

Day 5 was a welcome rest day in Sable d’Olonne.

Day six started in much cooler conditions after rain overnight. No climbs today and a following breeze made for quick kilometres. Sunflowers and cornfields between the waterways and ponds were full of birdlife.

Coffee opposite La Rochelle train station and lunch at Rochefort and running into a MacDonalds late afternoon meant I got fuelling right for once. Pine forest cycleway riding took over after Rochefort and I aimed for Royan for the night arriving just as the hotel reception was closing. Bit of a lie in tomorrow because the next move is the 30 min ferry across La Gironde at 0750.

Day 6 – 242km with 10hrs 44m in the saddle.

St Malo – La Vélodyssée – Day 7

Caught the first ferry across the Gironde with a diverse group of cyclists and a bunch of hairy bikers who were headed to a rally. A day of superb riding through the pine forest along the coast.

The beauty of riding this coast is that it can only by accessed on a bike. No roads track the coast and where roads do arrive from inland there are some big carparks, a few campsites and great beaches. My target for the day was somewhere near Cap-Ferret. I tried a couple of small hotels but storing the bike was parking it on the bike racks at the front door! Finally found a super place and the bonus was air conditioning. Showered and sorted I walked into town for food and opted for a supermarket (French supermarkets are so good!).

Day 7 – 136km with 7 hrs riding.

St Malo – La Vélodyssée – Day 8

Another early start with the remnants of last night’s sushi for breakfast. On the road for 0600hrs I had an another day of pine forests ahead but the overnight thunderstorm had left the surface damp and conditions nice and cool in the early morning. Note the two people on top of the dune!

I came across a local Sunday market in Biscarrosse and had a walk through enjoying the unique atmosphere of a French market.

Sunday lunch was a plate of fish and chips – just what was needed! Ice lolly advice – always buy two Callipos! Easy when riding and gives 30 minutes of ice time!

A super day riding with a following breeze passing through holiday seafront towns and villages with a few little climbs – 400m in 8 hours of riding not too taxing!! There were plenty of campsites and I looked to rent a tent but after trying a couple they only allowed a two night stay minimum. The receptionists were incredibly helpful and searched and suggested a small hotel on the shore of Lac Leon. That left just 100km to the finish on the Spanish border.

Day 8 – 171km with 8hrs 30m riding.

St Malo – La Vélodyssée – Day 9

A lazy start from Lac Leon after the hotel breakfast at 0730. Surfaced paths nearly all the way today. The French do cycleways so well.

Bayonne, Biarritz and St Jean de Luz were all busy in the sunshine and good for stops and refreshing. A few more climbs along the way but essentially pretty flat as has been the whole ride. Just as well given the heat.

The final kilometres into Hendaye and the Spanish border was time for enjoyment and little reflection. That mixture of feeling great at completing the big adventure but sad it was coming to the end.

And what a special end of ride it was! Just as I rode over the bridge into Irun, Spain I pulled into a small square to the right of the bridge to find hundreds of Basques in white clothing and red caps about the march and celebrate their victory over the French in the Battle of San Marcial on 30th June 1522. This was the feast day of Saint Martial and the Spanish vowed to honour the saint if they were victorious. That vow has been fulfilled for over 500 years! The parade I saw on the 29th June was the Revisit de Armas – the inspection of arms – held on San Pedro’s day ready for the main event the following day. The women are the company’s Cantinera, traditionally bringing food and drink but now a ceremonial figure of honour.

What a way to finish!

After the fun of the Basque celebrations I searched for a hotel and treated myself to a couple of nights in a nice one overlooking the marinas and the Spanish mountains in the distance. I had arrived a day early before my booked train back to St Malo.

Day 9 – 124km with 7 hours riding.

Afterword

Nine days, eight riding, and a total of 1176 kilometres were the final numbers of my La Vélodyssée – St Malo start

It felt a very safe ride with the majority on dedicated cycleways and virtually flat the whole way which was easy on the body given the heat in the first four days. I met many friendly people along the way, many riding on e-bikes and taking several weeks for the journey.

My Mason Bokeh which has looked after me for over 32,000kms was a solid as ever. We often have a conversation along the way. I ‘friend’ indeed! Thanks Dom for a great machine and my friend Adrian at Adrian’s bike shop for getting the bike ready.

Thanks also to Roy at Fit Box gym in Newport on the Island. You got me into shape and sorted my knee. I have previously neglected cross training and upper body strength resulting in more pain in my shoulders and neck than my legs. Roy has changed that and I felt good throughout.

Thanks to Kate, my lovely wife for all the encouragement along the way and to Jonny, my cycling son for his advice.

After a day resting in Hendaye I caught an early TGV train to Paris and then on to St Malo. I had a hotel booked within the walls and enjoyed that splendid city for the evening. A Brittany ferry the next morning and then to the Isle of Wight from Portsmouth left 30 odd kilometres to ride home as the sun dropped below the horizon.

Sunset over the Solent

Brittany’s Green Ways -June 2025

Forword

Following a tough but enjoyable London Edinburgh London in 2022 I took a while to recover and then got hit by a heart rhythm problem that bashed my confidence a bit.

Investigating that problem I was surprised to find that there is growing evidence showing ultra endurance athletic exercise – pushing the limits – can be a cause of heart rhythm problems. So maybe the 115,000km on the bike over 12 years since I started riding at 63, with many hard ultra endurance non-stop rides, had done me a mischief? Who knows? Worth checking out ‘The Haywire Heart’.¹

Anyway, I took advice from a sports cardiologist and had the simple shock treatment to put the heart back in rhythm and to date all is good with a bit of medication to help 🤞!

So after a couple of years of occasional riding I felt it was time to try and get back on the bike for a bit of a trip. This is not a blog of hard ultra distance riding but rather a travelogue of four days riding the Green Ways and Nantes Brest canal of Brittany. I intended to ride easy after limited training but the heatwave that set in had different ideas. It became tougher than expected.

Kate, my wife, has an uncle who lives in a lock keepers cottage on the Nantes Brest Canal in the west of Brittany. So I hatched a plan to ride from my home on the Isle of Wight to visit uncle Tony and his husband George. Something very appealing about riding out of your front door, going abroad, and riding home again. Ferries to Portsmouth, Portsmouth to Saint Malo (overnight) and across the river Rance to Dinard would pick up the Green Ways south. This wasn’t planned to be a tough ride against the clock but with 260 kms to uncle Tony for about 130km a day along the old railway tracks and canal towpaths – the voie vertes.

I was taking my Mason Bokeh with a mixture of Apidura and Tailfin bags. My son Jonny had recommended 40mm Hutchinson Caracal tyres (at 40psi) which I fitted so I was well set up for the tracks and towpaths and good rolling on any sealed roads. Extra comfort came from the Cane Creek EE silk seat post and the aero bars with a RedShift suspension stem. Aero bars set high I find are good for giving me another position on the bike and the hands a rest. The SON dynamo with power converter kept my Wahoo Roam and phone charged up.

I had booked the overnight ferry to Saint Malo and set out from home mid afternoon managing to miss the crazy traffic around the beginnings of the Isle of Wight festival where Kate and her daughters would be enjoying themselves for three days! I caught the ferry to Portsmouth followed by a short ride to the Brittany ferry terminal where I joined a waiting group of cyclists. We swapped plans and discussed bikes as you do and got on board nice and early.

Day One

The Brittany ferry docked under the walls of Saint Malo city at 1000hrs and along with a couple of dozen cyclists we got our kit together and headed for the passport check.

St Malo – impressive walled city – needed massive reconstruction after the war to return it to its former glory.

The sky was blue and the heat was rising with 30 degrees forecast. I was lucky to get into a quick lane for passports (Brexit-ugh!) and once through rode the few hundred meters round to the slipway and caught the little Corsaire passenger ferry for the short crossing to Dinard – a beautiful seaside town overlooking the bay with that regal French elegance of years past.

Corsaire ferry at Dinard St Malo in the distance

After a few turns meandering through the streets I picked up the V2/V3 Green Ways which share the same path until they part ways just south of Dinan.

The Green Ways are an impressive network of cycle routes created from old railway track beds and canal towpaths that crisscross Brittany. The surface can be a mix of sealed track but mostly fine gravel on a compacted sandy base. They are built and maintained to a high standard with regular verge cutting and impressive signage with barriers and Stop/Give Ways at every road or danger zone.

By their origin there are no serious climbs however I was surprised to find some impressive gradients on the rail routes. I love the way they have preserved some of the history with numerous stations retaining their character and name.

Railway stations – some public buildings some private but all cared for.

Impossible to ride without thinking about the engineering and hard labour that created them all those years ago. You could almost feel ghosts in the embankments and cuttings and very real ones in the La Grande Trancée section of the Nantes Brest canal built by Napoleonic prisoners in the early 1800’s, many of whom died during the hard labour and blasting the rock.

I made good progress and by midday arrived in the medieval walled town of Dinan with its beautiful half timbered houses in time for a break and a coffee. The temperature was rising and everyone was seeking the shade.

Along the way I had passed two groups of primary school aged children with their teachers all enjoying a ‘bike class’ with lots of laughter. Is that on the UK curriculum?

Ten kilometres south of Dinan, riding the Rance canal path, I left the V2 for the V3 at Etange de Bétineuc, a former sand quarry, and at that point of the day with the temperature over 30 degrees I came across a welcome lakeshore cafe/restaurant. Drinks with a burger and chips went down well!

I had booked an Ibis hotel in Loudeac, and continued south along V3 to Médréac where the Green Way reverts to back roads while the rail track becomes a Velorail. The Gare de Medreac has three pre war ‘Breton ladies’ sitting in its waiting room, a little museum, and groups of students were having fun peddling side by side driving the small velorail carts along the track which ran for 10km.

Medreac Station with school class peddling the velorail

I picked up a cold drink, two Calippos, and topped up the bottles. (Always two Calippos in hot weather because you can suck one right away and put the second into the food pouch where it stays iced for a good half hour or more to be enjoyed at leisure – and they are easy to use on the move without any mess.)

Another hour of riding saw the temperature on my Wahoo Roam climb to 39 degrees and was very happy to come across a McDonalds at St-Onen-la-Chapelle just outside St-Meen-le-Grand for more cool drinks.

St-Meen-le-Grand is where I turned off the V3 and joined the V6 route heading towards the Nantes Brest canal. I now had 50kms to the night stop at Loudéac.

It was railway track all the way and I was glad the climbing was gentle given the heat.

Hot and bothered!

I arrived at the Ibis hotel just after 7pm and was delighted to find a new hotel with air conditioning which felt like a freezer on entering the room but was actually 20 degrees!

Shower, rinse the kit, chicken salad at the nearby McDonalds and early bed saw the end of a good first day.

Day Two

A good breakfast at 0630 and away continuing along the V6 rail track towards Mur-de-Bretagne and now close to the Nantes Brest canal. I skirted to the north of the canal as it wended its way through the Lac de Guerledan and was very thankful for the relative coolness of early morning 25 degrees.

I joined the Nantes Brest canal at Bon Repos after 35km of rail track. There was now about 100km of canal path before reaching Pont Coblant where I had booked a canalside room at a restaurant/sports centre Bistro near uncle Tony.

It became another boiling hot and humid day but the canal was just spectacularly beautiful and peaceful. The occasional cyclist, walker or fisherman were all that I encountered along the way. Equally there were limited refreshment stops, especially on a weekday, so at mid morning I was delighted to come across a friendly lady with her little caravan alongside her lock keepers cottage. She was making crepes. More cold drinks and some fun with my appalling French and I was on my way.

At this point the locks come thick and fast as the canal climbs steeply to the Grande Tranchée that connects two valleys at the highest point of the canal at 183m. This deep cutting through rock was cut and blasted to a depth of 23m for a length of 3.5km with the help of prisoners as labour in the early 1800s.

The beauty of reaching the highest point means the remaining ride towards supper at Tony’s was all ‘downhill’ – a relative term on a canal but none the less helpful psychologically given the mid 30’s humid temperature.

I arrived at Pont Coblant, my room for the night, late afternoon having run out of water towards the end. Special moments when you sit down at the end of such a ride with a couple of long cold drinks in front of you – that ‘Ice Cold In Alex‘ moment if you have ever seen that famous British war film.

After a shower and rinsing out the kit I set off further along the canal for 3kms for supper with Tony and George at Coat Pont – Lock 228 just south of Pleyben. Great to see them again and George had cooked a super leg of lamb! Generous – it was perfect! Thanks guys.

Tony and George’s lock keepers cottage – most locks have a cottage – all the same design.

Day Three

It was a tough night with the room so hot plus a few battles with mosquitoes! They got my blood! I got less than 4 hours sleep. The owner had kindly put a fridge in the room with breakfast and I was up at 0600 and away in the cooler morning conditions. There was even a few spots a rain from the humid overcast sky as I retraced my steps back along the canal.

Tony had given me a few slices of his special fruit cake which made for a great second breakfast after three hours along the path.

By midday I had reached the friendly lady at her lock cottage caravan selling crepes. The ‘Complète Special Crêpe’ was perfect – egg, ham and cheese.

The Grande Tranchée – cost many prisoners lives – 100’s some accounts say 1000’s.

With the boiling hot weather I decided to change my plan and make the final day back to Saint Malo a little easier. So rather than heading north to the coast at St-Brieuc I booked a small hotel in the little town of Trévé and planned to ride the back lanes across country to Dinard – 95kms.

The last few kilometres to the hotel became a bit of a battle. I think my fluid and food intake had been less than needed and the heat was still in the mid 30’s.

Still, I arrived in the little town of Trévé and got sorted with shower and kit wash before crossing the square to the local bar – Shelby’s -and ordered a couple of pizzas (some for Sunday breakfast) and welcome zero beers and large bottle of water. France/England rugby was on the television so there was some banter and laughter!

Day Four

Up at 0615 and I was away after a couple of pizza slices with the church bells ringing at 0700 heralding an overcast day with the temperature much easier than previous days.

I was flagging a bit after an hour and an half and started wondering where I might find some breakfast on a Sunday morning in deep rural France. Dropping into the pretty little town of Moncontour there was a beautiful sight! A patisserie – one of those wonders of France. Stocked up with all I needed I stopped a while in the square with a pain au chocolat and almond and apple tart! Perfect.

The riding was good on the clear open roads in rolling countryside and strangely a joy to have some climbs and descents after constant peddling off road for most of the three days. Just something different for a change.

There were loads of French cyclists out in small groups or on their own. I was stopped at one point whilst trying to call Kate and a lovely old guy pulled up asking if I needed help. Reckon he was well in his 80’s. ‘Ma femme’ I explained and thanked him. Ah ‘la femme’ he smiled like that was the problem and rode away laughing!

Another spectacular town arrived a couple of hours later – Jugon-les-lacs. A beautiful square with a cafe full of Sunday morning conversation. They had decaf and a nice 20 minutes was spent listening to the quiet murmur of French Sunday morning life.

Languenan Town Square – so impressed by the community care that goes into nearly every French town and village one visits.

I headed on to join the Green Way V2/V3 and made my way north to Dinard to catch the Corsaire ferry across to St Malo booking into a local hotel before heading into the city for a good fish supper.

Afterword

I caught the day ferry back to Portsmouth the following morning and onwards to the Island for the ride back home.

When planning the trip I had thought about taking my camping kit but in the hot conditions was very glad I went for budget hotels along the way.

It was so warm that all my kit easily dried out after rinsing each evening. I didn’t wear a jacket or gilet once!

My Mason Bokeh was comfortable and reliable as ever having now looked after me for over 29,000km.

Thanks to my lovely Kate for encouraging me and Uncle Tony and George for providing the target for my ride and a super supper.

Useful Guides

The Green Ways book is a little dated but great for planning the trip. If I had been riding slower and longer the local interest points in both books would have been really useful.

I rode The Tour de Manche in Sept 2018 over seven days. Isle of Wight, Plymouth, Roscoff, Cherbourg, Portsmouth and home. Another beautiful Brittany/Normandie option for an adventure.

Arriving home at dusk – view across the Solent 9.20pm

The Haywire Heart
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