So where this year?

Pyrenees!

After a fun but very wet and rather manic Scotland bike trip last year with Konrad, we looked at where we can go next. With my younger son, Leon, now having a full bike licence - we decided to all travel somewhere together. Having now done most of the 'easy' routes in Europe and not really having the collective time to do a long trip, I looked at what we could easily do in the 12 days that Konrad was able to spare. 

Considering the best riding routes (not a single road, but a route) then my memory of riding along the Pyrenees is right up there with the best. For Christmas, one of my friends gave me a book covering Europe's best biking routes. Going through this book I found a route through the Pyrenees that mirrored what I had done before, but with some twists and suggested a return route back along the Pyrenees, but on the French side. This was all the encouragement that I needed to book the boats!

So, it's some great familiar riding for me plus the chance to experience some of the famous Tour de France passes on the French side of the mountain range. It will be the first time that my two boys have travelled abroad on motorbikes, so I'm hoping that it will be a great introduction for them and not too strenuous. If it is half as good as what we did 8 years ago, then it will be something special.

We're sailing from Plymouth to Santander on a Brittany Ferries ship and then cutting through the corner of the Picos mountains before ending the first day camping somewhere near Pamplona. From there we head toward Jaca and the famous N260 route. We'll mostly follow the old N260 (N260a, etc) road before traversing Andorra, dipping into France and picking-up the N260 again back in Spain. We'll end the first leg at the Med at the most Easterly point of mainland Spain before heading North along the coast into France. 

After riding through Perpignan, we'll head West back into the Pyrenees and hopefully take-in all of the twisty passes favoured by cyclists and motorcyclists alike. We'll eventually end-up in Lourdes from were we'll head North, through France and up to Cherbourg for the ferry to Portsmouth and  home. The exact route back through France has yet to be decided, but we have options and can hopefully ride some nice roads in the short time that we will have left.

Konrad is taking his (so far) trusty Yamaha XT660X again despite it's age and the usual neglect that it endures. Leon is taking his Honda CB500X which is unlikely to have any mechanical issues. I will be riding the Honda Africa Twin again which has proved itself to be pretty good as a travel bike. All the bikes are serviced and running well, so fingers crossed we don't have any major issues. 

We've dug-out our camping gear, done some shopping, packed some clothes and I think we're ready. Whilst we will have no doubt forgotten some stuff, I can't help feeling that we're a little better prepared than usual. The weather forecast is looking very positive if not a little hot. Can't wait, roll-on Wednesday!