References

Cycling

Being a cycling novice I found it useful to swot up on bikes, equipment, riding bikes and the gentle art of cycle touring.

Cycling in France 

There are many packaged cycling holidays on offer and many will include general advice. Also, if a package tour is offered in a given location then its probably a good cycling location. Google "Cycling in France" and all the commercial sites will pop up so it takes time to find the advice you are looking for.

Freewheeling France; this site has many articles and route information including some camping specific information. A great site.

France Vélo Tourisme; this site provides official routes.

Breton Bikes; as the name suggests this commercial site is specific to Brittany and has good advice.

Euro Velo; the European cycles routes are detailed here and each route has a number so they are often referred to as EV1, EV2 and so on.

Cicerone; their site may offer some inspiration.

It's worth spending time with a Michelin or IGN map to understand the French cycle routes such as the Euro Vélos and regional routes so you can use segments to form a tour.

Other Equipment

There are lots of sources of information and my main advice would be to find a site/shop that you trust. 

Ultra Light Outdoor Gear; this site provides a good reference to quality gear.

Books

Part of the pleasure of travel is the anticipation and the softer side of planning. Yes, I hate the detailed administrative part of planning. So some background reading for me is a must and I tend to favour an eclectic mix. 

Mark Beaumont's inspirational books on his round the world adventures and record breaking are a must.

The Gentle Art of Tramping by Steven Graham 

The Discovery of France, Graham Robb


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