France by Bike: 14 Tours Geared for Discovery (By Bike)

Rating:
Summary: A must-have for touring cyclists.
Review: For a first-time touring cyclist like myself, this book was a life-saver. On a bike tour in 1996, I used seven of the fourteen routes detailed in this book. The advice was absolutely invaluable. Fabulous recommendations for low-traffic, scenic routes and great advice for places to stay and see. Many recommendations are particularly helpful for budget-minded bike tourers who want to take advantage of low-cost camping options.

ONE DRAWBACK: With an original publication date of 1993, some of the advice in this book is bound to be a bit out-of-date. The bike-friendly French road system, for example, undergoes periodic changes (due to construction, route changes, etc.), so you'll want to check recommended cycling routes against a good Michelin map of the region. I also found that one or two of the recommended campgrounds had gone out of business since the book's original publication, but you can find a current listing of campgrounds through the local tourist office.

Despite these minor drawbacks, this book is still perfect for those considering a bicycle tour of France (which, by the way, is a fabulous country for both experienced and inexperienced bicycle tourers). I hope to return in the near future and explore some of the book's routes I didn't complete on my first trip!

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money: this book is useless
Review: It became fairly clear to me after reading this book that the authors were more interested in having a good time riding than they were in doing the research necessary to produce a guide book that would actually be useful to others. Their attitude can be best summed up by the fashion in which they deal with the issue of getting to and from the tours: they don't. Instead they mention that they heard second hand that you can ride the RER from Charles de Gaulle airport (Paris), but they really don't have any information because they always go in through Brussels! In addition, they mention that you should take the trains everywhere to get to the tours, but they don't bother to fill you in on SNCF's fairly unfriendly bike policy. What else is lacking? The only distance information given is the total for complete day, so unless you follow their route exactly this book is useless for planning. Route choice is poor--they don't put you on the best, least trafficked roads. In the case of the Loire Valley, they completely missed the signed bike routes that are the preferred roads for cyclist to be on (or perhaps the book is just too out of date). Elevation profiles? Forget it. They also don't provide a great deal of information about what kinds of food and lodging are available in the towns--particularly if it isn't where they choose to have you stop for the day. Their attitude is generally "check with the local tourist office to find a hotel." This advice is only helpful if the office happens to be open when you roll into town. If you are looking for a real guidebook (and it would be extremely charitable to put this book in that category) I would suggest that you buy the Lonely Planet Book "Cycling France" by Sally Dillon instead. It has similar good tour suggestions, but provides all of the information that this book completely lacks--information which you must have to sucessfuly tour France by bike.

Rating:
Summary: Great Resource!!
Review: Just biked the trip from Dijon to Orleans in May 1999; the biking and camping was outstanding and the book gave great detailed directions; we flew our bikes over, which was an adventure, but I highly recommend the book and the trip to anyone who feels up to it!!

Rating:
Summary: On the surface this one doesn't look great...
Review: Sure, the maps are next to useless and the writers are far too fixated on campgrounds and not enough on hotels, but the routing they choose is very nice. I also feel they have selected is an excellent melange of cities, towns, villages and spectacular sights. My wife and I did the Languedoc and Rhone Loop tours for a trip two years ago and loved it and are so are using it again for Burgundy/Franche Comte/Alsace trip we are going on in two months.
Ultimately, I see this book as intended as a companion piece to the Michelin maps which are availiable for every region. What the book actually offers is a turn by turn narrative by which one would physically chart out your intended path on the maps using a highlighter pen. From there one would just follow the markered line and the book itself is stowed away in your panniers unless one finds oneself needing specific directions out of a town onto the intended road.
Addnittedly, there are a few books out there that do give you more information, elevations, point to point milages, etc...though all give precious little on accomodations--(Though, I suppose that is what the internet and the Michelin Red Guide is for), however I find this book to be the most personable and well thought out in terms of what a semi-serious tourer would be after, (and besides, the Michelin maps *do* help out here.) For one not-so-small example, the tours in this book actually seem to logically connect to each other so that if you perhaps wanted to ride for 12 days instead of 7 days, no problem. The other books, to me at first glance seem to seriously fall down here. Some of the other books also seek to work *too* hard to take you off the beaten track. Sometimes you want to see the sights. Unlike another reviewers opinion I actually think it OK to have a great time when touring around France!
Ultimately to do a decent tour I don't think that there is any one single book to buy (unfortuantely). I think it is best to buy at least two or three and pick then your desired route from anyone of them. I feel that "France by Bike" should be one of your choices and In my estimation it is one you will come back to despite its lack of slickness.
It would be really great to see the authors come up with an updated second edition. More train info and some weblinks would be one area where they could improve.