nbjtours

Who needs Tarmac anyway.

Posted by nbjtours on June 11, 2026

Posted in: Cycling. Leave a comment

Day Seven

Avieze

86 miles 4662 ft climbed

Unusually I am writing this blog first thing in the morning as our hosts for the evening Remy & Audrey ( and their two daughters) looked after us too well last night so we were rather late to bed!

As soon as we started today the scenery changed as did the cycling. Although we rejoined the voie verte along the old railway line we had a short sharp climb to get there.

Whilst we nominally were on the rail route we often had to deviate from it and had a couple of steep climbs where they had not been able to reuse the old route.

We did have the great fun of going through this long tunnel where to save energy it only lights up for about 200 metres in front of you as you cycle along. Until 2023 it was the longest cycle tunnel in Europe at 1.6 km long.

In the tunnel

Whilst going through the tunnel was great fun and could’ve avoided us having to climb a hill we then had a short detour up that same steep hill over the tunnel to see the impressive castle at Berzé le Chatel. This castle was featured in the Jodie Comer film “The Last Duel” which I am sure is still available on a streaming service.

Descending back down to the cycle path we then dropped slowly towards the large town of Macon. The cycle path here was mixed and varied running round fields,alongside roads, under the autoroute and as is often the case into town via the industrial estates.

Macon centre itself was quite pretty and we quickly found the main square in front of the cathedral- perhaps not as impressive as Chalon though.

The tourist office was adjacent and our passports stamped we managed to avoid getting run over by the petit train touristique which was just leaving with half a dozen miserable Brits on board.

Leaving Macon we then had a forty mile section on the Velo route bleu alongside the Saône I had been concerned that as it was not tarmac we would have trouble but the reality was the surface on compacted gravel ( mostly) and mud was smoother and easier to ride on than most of our pot holed UK roads!

We arranged to meet Nigel and Monica along the route but he had had to park up on the other bank of the river so came out to meet us and led us for four miles to the van.

They even had three bike stands just for us.

We had had minor concerns that we would meet the Auvergne Tour cycle race which was going in the opposite direction to us but as our time differences were large enough where our routes coincided there wasn’t a problem.

Leaving the river we then started a series of small climbs occasionally running next to a small river.

We then came across a road closed sign but as at home ignored it. However as we started to descend we came across a lorry spreading hot tar and quickly got off the road. The lorry was followed by a grader and roller. They were then finished with a rather shoddy job. I spoke with one of the guys who said no problem off you go so we gingerly set off on the slightly less soft tar on the opposite side to that just laid.

A lunch stop at the edge of a small town was then followed by two big climbs up into the Monts Lyonnais which although long were not overly steep so we were all able to climb to enjoy the magnificent views at the top where we had agreed a tea stop with views both sided even seeing the snowy Alps which must be over 60 miles away

There only remained just over ten miles to go before getting to our hosts magnificent house near Avieze.

This last section was quickly covered and as we dropped into their road we saw a house flying the tricolor and Union Jack to mark our arrival

As said earlier we had a great evening and there now only remains one day of cycling to go to reach our goal. I’d better get ready!

Burning Rubber !

Posted by nbjtours on June 10, 2026

Posted in: Cycling. Tagged: Chalon, Cluny, cycle touring, line, meursault, NBJTours, nuits St George’s, railway. Leave a comment

Day Six

Cluny

86 miles 1857 ft climbed

So for a while today it didn’t look as though we would do much cycling as the storms and torrential rain brought things to a halt twice but in fact we missed out on less than 15 miles of our planned route.

Speeding along the voie verte former railway track I saw this large Charolais bull and hit the brakes skidding to a rapid halt leaving a burning rubber odour in the air. Dom suggested that the bull shouldn’t burn any rubber with the lady cows to service. Nigel later compounded this by comparing ladies to the difference between old Goodyears and newer Michelins! What a fine set of no doubt award winning kahunas.

So moving swiftly on – how did we get on with the cycling?

Leaving our campsite we headed directly through a boatyard where a lorry was delivering a new vessel so we had to squeeze past the crane hired to lift it into the water.

As has been the case for many days we then started the ride by running along a canal towpath. The difference this time being that we only stayed on this path for 5 miles or so before turning off and heading across the valley to the Côte-d’Or and the Burgundian vineyards.

Unusually most of this section was on road rather than cycle path so we had to get used to cars and lorries for a bit. We had a brief detour through the grounds of Citeaux Abbey but were too early as it had yet to open.

The first wine town we hit was Nuits St George and we were able to get our passports stamped up and had a good chat with the lady, obviously discussing the weather. Today was cool although initially just over cast with a chance of rain later so we hoped to get through the day unscathed.

However we could see rain approaching and donned our rain jackets before it started in earnest. With the rain coming down heavily and still over 75 miles to go we took shelter under a churchyard entry and saw it was due to rain for two hours. So we called up Nigel who was happy to come and find us. Interestingly we saw a commercial bike holiday company van ( labelled Bike, Eat, Drink, Sleep) that had obviously been asked to do the same as it past empty and returned full with two bikes on its rack. Apparently they charge approximately USD1000 a day for their trips. Our trips work out rather less than that !

We had stopped in the small town of Comblanchien which was the site of a German revenge killing attack after D-Day in 1944 when men and women were separated, 8 townspeople murdered, many imprisoned and over 50 houses torched. Something similar also happened in Cluny, our destination town, when the Germans took vengeance. An evil part of war not necessarily covered in our text books and yet another sad reminder of cruelty which we have often seen during our tours through Europe.

Once Nigel arrived we had our coffee and croissants and decided that we would drive to Volnay as the weather was still poor. We had hoped to visit a Boulay vineyard but the fellow was less than keen to see us, so we left immediately and decided to give it a go back on our bikes.

Arranging to meet Broomey in about 30 miles on the other side of Chalon-sur-Saône we then set off going through the famous Meursault and Pommery vineyards before dropping across the plain and back down to the Saône.

The route was a mix of voie verte and road but we could see and hear a storm coming in, as one moment it looked as if it would miss us.

This snail joined me for a ride for several miles!

We had to don our jackets again and as the rain was so hard, take cover in a copse of trees as the thunder crackled above us.

This time we told Nigel to stay put. We’d wait for the rain to pass run through Chalon and join him later. The heaviest rain only lasted 15-20 minutes and we were then able to get going again on very damp roads, before dropping down onto a cycle track by the Saône which was initially very unhelpfully covered with a thick layer of gravel.

Although it remained cold ( only 12 C) the sun did make an appearance but the roads stayed wet. We enjoyed a brief tour of Chalon which is an attractive place with a proper medieval square in front of the cathedral. We also were able to top up our passport with another stamp.

Leaving Chalon we knew we had not got a long distance to get to Broomey and again a very late lunch As the meeting point was on a cycle path Nigel came out around three miles to meet us on his bike. Unfortunately it started to rain once again so he got wet.

Luckily as we finished lunch it had now stopped raining and the sky became increasingly blue. The route was then almost exclusively on the voie verte 1 as this was the first one created in France. as usual to try to mix up the riding I had included a couple of detours. One was in the pretty town of Buxy after getting another passport stamp in the tourist office located in the old station.

Whilst admiring their church’s separate tower a local man approached and asked if we had got wet in the storms. After a bit he explained and switching to English that he had worked for the Met Office living in Bracknell for many years.

With the sky increasingly blue we enjoyed the final few miles of the cycle getting to the campsite at 6.45. We all carried out a quick chain lube and degreasing of our very dirty bikes. Then a salmon supper followed by Strawberries and a walk round the very famous abbey town of Cluny to conclude a successful and long day. .

We had two long interruptions for the weather but in the end only lost around 12 miles of the route. Thankfully the weather for the final two days looks dry and warming up.

More Biscuits and More Flies

Posted by nbjtours on June 9, 2026

Posted in: Cycling. Tagged: cycle touring, Cycling, dole, Doubs, flies, NBJTours, peloton, tunnel. 4 Comments

Day Five

St Jean de Losne

61 miles 1145 ft climbed

Two years ago on our St Jacques du Compostelle ride we stopped off at a biscuit factory near Cahors. Little did we realise Dom was such an avid biscuit fan, but he practically bought up the shop. So this year as the route was passing another biscuit factory outlet shop we had to stop. He almost filled his basket, shown empty above and is now happy to have made the trip.

Well there may have been plenty of jokes about squashed fly biscuits but today whilst we cycled along a converted railway track into Dole there were thick clouds of flies in some sunny spots. As we hit these clouds we could hear them bash into our helmets. The photo above shows our legs were completely covered in thousands of the tiny critters. We wondered if we could catch them and make patties like they do in Africa.

It didn’t rain overnight and setting up at breakfast we were hopeful we’d get straight out on time. Sadly however the rain gods had different ideas and the rain set in just as we had our bikes ready to go. After a brief conflab we decided that leg one today to the biscuiterie would be in the camper. With the rain increasing and not letting up it was the correct decision even if it meant not going through the tunnel above. As Dom took a while to empty the shop of biscuits pleasingly the rain stopped in time for us to get back on our bikes.

We initially ran along the Doubs valley and the navigable canal adjacent ( still part of the Rhône & Rhine canal we have run alongside occasionally over the last two days).

It was then suddenly we came across this unusual water feature installed at the end of a canal tunnel which of course we had to go and investigate, parking up our bikes and climbing over the tunnel to be able to wander through. The noise of the cascading water was deafening.

Richard appearing out of the gloom.

As we were not allowed to cycle through the tunnel we had to go up and around to the other side where we rejoined the canal. Barges are still able to use the tunnel, as there are sensors that turn the water cascades off when one approaches.

Just after this point we left the canal tow path and climbed a small hill to get into the adjacent Loue valley and on to see the magnificent Royal Salt works at Arc et Senans.

We thought to try and get a stamp for our passports and the two ladies in the gift shop were very helpful. One initially got out their administrative stamp when the other said why don’t we get the manager’s stamp out of his office as that much nicer. As you can see below it is.

Leaving Arc et Senans we hit a police road check by a level crossing. Manned by the gendarmerie and SNCF they were stopping everyone and reminding everyone to obey the red lights and barriers. In particular telling us not to be like the riders in the Tour de France and zig zag through. We even got given a reflective snap band to wear!

With 10k to go before our lunch stop we took it in turns to power the peloton and found Broomey with Nigel & Monica in a lay-by on the edge of a village having set out ready, including drying the tents.

As we had covered about half distance with only just over 30 miles to go we decided to press on with a stop in the town of Dole about halfway before catching back up with Broomey at the campsite.

Railway path of flies ( you can see them if you zoom the photo).

We then took a railway cycle path into Dole for just over ten miles and it was along here that we ran into clouds of flies.

We found the Tourist office to stamp our passports before sitting and watching the world go by for a moment and then moving off seeing this dog observe the world from his first floor window.

The last 12 mile section of the ride was once again by the canal/river which had now become the Saône. once again Dom took the lead and we made it back within an hour.

Having just got off their bikes Dom & Richard felt the need to get a last training run in before the trail races at the weekend so went out to run a parkrun to the town and back. Speaking of training we heard a regular beat of a drum approaching and there was a dragon boat team on the river getting ready for their next event.

The sun set on another successful and eventful day which although shortened by the rain we remained happy that we had made the correct decision not to get soaking first thing.

Ballon D’Alsace

Posted by nbjtours on June 8, 2026

Posted in: Cycling. Tagged: ballon d’Alsace, Belfort, cycle touring, Cycling, Doubs, NBJTours. 1 Comment

Day Four

Baume les Dames

89 miles 3287ft climbed

The big test today was the climb of the Ballon D’Alsace which we started almost from the campsite.

Rather than take the main road up we took the secondary Route du Grande Langenbourg which whilst longer and not in such a good condition had the advantage of zero traffic. As soon as the climb started mountain goat Dominic disappeared and neither Richard or I saw him again until we got to the top. This secondary route led up through a farm over halfway up the mountain where we heard cow bells ringing making us really feel we were in the mountains.

Of course we had arranged to meet Nigel & Monica at the top where our coffee and croissants were waiting in the ski resort car park, as was Dom who made it to the top well before Richard and then me bringing up the rear.

It was noticeable that the vegetation had become alpine and we saw many butterflies. One aspect that is annoying when climbing slowly up ( I took over 50 minutes) is that you are surrounded by a squadron of flies attracted by your sweat – not pleasant.

We were unable to get our passports stamped as the tourist information was closed and the lady in the local bar refused.

Leaving the summit we then had a fantastic descent swooping down taking the racing line for over 8 miles – what a thrill!

At the bottom. Wipe that grin off my face.

To cap this great descent we were then able to get our passports stamped at the Mairie in Giromagny. Once again running mostly on cycle paths we then headed into Belfort without having to ride on the road.

We saw this fab sculpture we think was being made for the impending tour

Luckily the Tourist Office didn’t close until 12.30 and with passports stamped we took a brief tour round this attractive town including all managing to negotiate the water feature – though none did it as well as Dom!

Dom slaloming through the fountain

We did manage to see the Belfort Lion ( the town’s symbol and that of Peugeot too) although sadly the nearby Peugeot museum at Sochaux was closed as it’s Monday.

Leaving Belfort on more cycle paths and passing the TGV station nearby ( which had new dedicated cycle paths) we then headed down back to the canal Rhône à Rhine and to our lunch stop.

Whilst it has mostly been sunny so far on this trip this afternoon was forecasted to be wet so we arranged for a tea stop in case the predicted rain arrived.

The next section was tough as once again the wind got up and as usual was right on our noses. Dom volunteered to head the peloton and Richard and I were happy to follow.

What was noticeable about today was the change in scenery as we had left the Alsatian plain, climbed the Vosges mountains and then headed into the territoire de Belfort and the Doubs valley.

Nature

In the mountains we saw many butterflies and insects as mentioned earlier. Our bird of the day today was the Heron. One field had 5 in and another Heron just stood his ground next to the cycle path as we went past. We also saw a Pine Marten with some smaller creature in its mouth dart across in front of us. Later whilst chatting with Richard I let out a shriek as I almost ran over a large Snake ( honestly at least a metre long) warming itself on the path.

As we left tea it started to spot with rain and we still had 20 miles to cover so Nigel said he would wait half way in case the heavens truly opened. Luckily it didn’t so we pressed on. However with seven miles left the rain started to pick up so we all took turns and accelerated the peloton so we were not too wet when we got to the campsite.

Dinner was luxury Duck and salad which our resident chef Nigel ( Driver, mechanic and camp commandant too ) rustled up whilst we showered and drank our beer.

The rain has started again and the forecast for tomorrow morning is not good but we are keen to get back on our bikes so are keeping our fingers crossed.

Lines

Posted by nbjtours on June 7, 2026

Posted in: Cycling. Tagged: Colmar, cycle touring, Cycling, line, NBJTours, railway. 5 Comments

Day Three Masevaux

93 miles 1762 ft climbing

Today was all about Lines. Starting with a straight line, moving on to the Maginot Line and finally finishing with a railway line. Here’s how it panned out.

Richard leading the way along the canal path.

Following our late finish yesterday we decided an even earlier start was in order in the hope we could finish at a reasonable time. So we did leave bang on time at 8 am.

It took less than two miles for us to join the ancient canal du Rhône au Rhine and for the next thirty miles it was more or less a straight line except for the occasional chicane under a road bridge or switch from one side of the canal to the other.

Apart from a few sections where the pavement was roughened by some roots pushing up the tarmac the surface was super smooth and really well used by walkers, runners and cyclists. As ever we were surrounded by constant birdsong.

The flat and straightish start meant we got to our coffee stop at the Maginot Line on time by 10.30

Having had coffee we took advantage of our stop to pay a quick visit to the museum which was manned by two enthusiastic volunteers.

It was fascinating to see the ingenuity inside even if sadly all 15 men who manned this particular casemate perished in the early days of the German advance into France.

As a bonus we even got our passports stamped with “they shall not pass” the sadly misplaced motto of the Maginot Line.

Leaving the museum we returned to the canal but shortly had a detour as the canal path was blocked by fallen trees. In fact this cut a corner of our trip and saved a bit of time as we then joined the canal link to Colmar.

We deliberately rode into Colmar a long way round in order to see a copy of the Statue of Liberty strategically placed in the middle of a roundabout on the edge of town as the architect Auguste Bertholdi came from Colmar.

Before an explore we had to find the Tourist office before it closed at 1 o’clock. Whilst the lady was initially reluctant she eventually was happy to stamp up our passports.

The downside of Colmar was the number of tourists making it difficult to cycle.

Leaving Colmar we started to get into the Alsace vineyards and then met up with Nigel and Monica for lunch just before Eguisheim.

Again this beautiful little town was busy with tourists but there was enough space to cycle around. We even managed a quick purchase of some wine which was deposited back at the camper on our way out.

Having had a flat ride till now the terrain now became the gently rolling foothills of the Vosges which in the main were covered in vines.

As the last leg was around 40 miles and as it had got warmer we arranged for an extra tea stop halfway for which we were all grateful. As ever Nigel had found a secluded spot just off the road. Well it was secluded until a car and van both tried to get down it, and as the man in the van was going down to feed his animals Nigel moved out of the way. The man happily waited till he could proceed, explaining to me that he couldn’t understand the Englishman’s love of a cuppa.

The third line of the day was this railway line which ran alongside the cycle path. Initially we thought they had stopped for the day but a toot toot was not very quickly followed by this steam train pulling a few carriages.

The line gradually climbed the river valley up towards our campsite and the big climb tomorrow.

The cycle path ended with only three or so miles to go but we then had a bit of a fright as Richard’s bike let out a screech and the back wheel skidded to a halt. Luckily it freed up and we got to the campsite where Nigel was able to remove something from the brake pads which hopefully has cured the problem.

Nigel with his very own wine Ging-linger!!!

Spag Bol with Nigel’s local wine Ging-linger proved a tonic for some very tired legs. So much so, that for the first time this trip the cards were brought out.

Fingers crossed all is good for tomorrow when we are due to climb the Ballon d’Alsace and rain is forecast in the afternoon. An early start awaits.

Four Weddings and then Four more Weddings

Posted by nbjtours on June 6, 2026

Posted in: Cycling. Tagged: cycle touring, Cycling, favorite, NBJTours, Rhein, Rhine, Strasbourg. 2 Comments

Day two

Strasbourg 92 miles 1598 ft climbed.

We are not sure if we’ve ever seen so many weddings in one day. The first four were at Schloss Favorite where we saw one in progress, one just finishing another having their wedding breakfast and a fourth leaving for their reception.

Not long after this we then cycled into the very upmarket spa town of Baden – Baden , which is a bit like Bath or Harrogate on steroids. Here again in every green space there were wedding parties readying for the ceremonies or having just decamped from one.

The funniest thing we saw was in the photo above where several male guests were examining the engine of the Mercedes wedding car. Obviously more important than the ceremony itself!

Leaving as close to 8.30 as we could we only cycled 500 metres before stopping to see this fabulous flower meadow. Today we did enjoy a bit more nature from the start as we cycled mostly out of town.

The most unusual creature we saw was this Coypu which seemed quite happy in our company. I suspect he was looking for our South American colleague Nick. I certainly stayed away from his large red teeth.

Whilst running along the Rhine the team had to carefully negotiate this large family of geese who were fine and not as aggressive as the swans we have had in the past

We saw several storks, herons, buzzards and kites. Our coffee stop was interrupted by the cuckoo and as ever Chiffchaffs continued to Chiffchaff the whole day.

It only took a little time this morning to get to the Rhine where we immediately came across the site of a Biking ( Viking) cruise ship that was disembarking the dishevelled contents. As ever we decreed never to join that special band of folk.

It was a tidy 35 miles to coffee, mostly along flat terrain although we did leave German soil and entered France at its most easterly point near Lautenbourg even if there’s no signs to indicate this.

Shortly after coffee we then took a ferry back to Germany across the Rhine. A rookie error meant a long wait but what a strange boat it is, as it traversed the rapid current going sideways with its three pronged hull in line with the current.

Not only that but the boat is a roundabout taking three cars each side and up to 28 bikes. It was free though.

Once back in Germany we cycled to the previously mentioned Schloss Favorite and then onto Baden-Baden as ever mainly on well maintained cycle paths. We found the Tourist Office to get our passports stamped and chatted to a very enthusiastic lady who tried to get us to stay.

Leaving Baden- Baden we had our only climb of the day which started on tarmac then ended as a track through the woods which we felt was a better option than the main road out of town.

Because of the ferry delay, and time wandering through Baden-Baden we were now running late and only made it to our lunch stop at 3.30 where Monica was wondering what we had been up to. The only good point was that by this time we had already covered the majority of the days miles and had but 26 to go.

Leaving the lunch stop we then faced mostly a head wind on to the campsite so we each took a turn at the head of the peloton.

Back in France, having left Germany for the last time this trip we crossed the Rhine again ( but on a bridge this time) we now aimed for the city of Strasbourg and as ever found an excellent cycle way. As has been usual most of the route has been on dedicated tarmac cycle paths making our trip much safer. We did have a 5 km gravel section which whilst noisy and we had to take care not to make sudden direction changes we felt was still smoother and better than our pot-holed riddled roads at home!

These pathways took us to within reach of the city centre via a brief stop in front of the European Parliament. Wasn’t life better when the U.K. was part of Europe?

We then fought our way through the hoards of tourists into the magnificent city centre with all its impressive buildings.

Cathedral – we managed to cycle through that throng.

By now it was approaching 7 o’clock but Richard spotted the tourist office was still open and I managed to go in and get our passports stamped up – success.

Leaving the city centre via the network of cycle paths by the rivers and canals of the city we only had two miles before getting to our campsite where as usual Nigel and Monica had our beers ready after another long but very satisfying day.

We have promised an earlier start and finish tomorrow. Let’s see if that’s possible.

I 🧡Heusenstamm

Posted by nbjtours on June 5, 2026

Posted in: Cycling. Tagged: cycle touring, Cycling, Frankenstein, Heidelburg, Heusenstamm, Hockenheim. Leave a comment

Day one Lingenfeld

92 miles 2310 ft climbed

Perhaps it’s a little bit corny but we have been looked after royally by our twin town. Getting up in our hotel this morning we got o no our bikes and made our way to the town hall which is in the magnificent Heusenstamm castle.

Here we were met by the Burgermeister of Heusenstamm, Steffen Ball, and some of the friends of Tonbridge we had met the previous evening. We then enjoyed breakfast with them before exchanging a few presents and thanking our hosts for such a fantastic reception.

Handing over the TMBC plaque and a letter from our mayor.

Steffen was keen to stress that Heusenstamm is the best town in Germany and the I 🧡 Heusenstamm pennants adorned our bikes all day. Thank you to them all for such a fantastic send off and start to our adventure.

Leaving our hosts behind we then headed out through the forests that surround the town enjoying a quiet start. This was a relief as much of the day we would be cycling along a busy and built up river valley so this quiet start was just what we sought.

On leaving the forests we then traversed several small and not so small attractive towns. Whilst on occasion busy, cycle paths and respectful drivers made the journey safe if a bit stop and starting with traffic lights and the swapping of lanes.

Our first stop was at Frankenstein castle, rumoured to be the inspiration for Mary Shelley’s monster. The only issue was this was at the top of our only real hill of the day. Over two miles and plenty of gradient.

Dom wanted these giants for lunch but we hadn’t got any garlic butter !

As expected Dom has taken over from Nick to be the tours mountain goat and fairly sped up leaving Richard and me for dust. As arranged we then met Nigel and Monica for our coffee stop in the castle car park before having a quick wander round the castle. No monster was seen.

Leaving the castle we had a terrific downhill initially winding through beech trees before the road opened up and we were able to speed on before heading back to the river valley and the built up surroundings.

The weather was mostly kind and we only had a couple of spots of rain until just short of our lunch stop when a brief but heavy downpour meant rain jackets were deployed for five or six miles.

As is common in Germany the dedicated cycle paths cut between towns straight through fields and we enjoyed the smells of strawberries and celery, seeing carrots and much to the annoyance of Richard, lettuce in amongst usual cereal crops and quite a few vines.

Our route then took us into the pretty university town of Heidelburg Whilst it was lovely it was also full of tourists which meant some very slow and careful cycling.

We did managed to get our trip passports stamped at the tourist office in Heidelburg which was a plus though.

Leaving the town we then headed out on some busy roads before once again entering a big forest. Here we had arranged to meet Nigel and to humour me all agreed we would venture into the forest to see the original Jim Clark memorial which is now deep in a reforested area as the Hockenheim circuit has been dug up and drastically shortened.

This involved a bit of bike packing and walking through thick undergrowth. Nigel came with us having previously checked it out. This is compulsory cycling entertainment on an NBJ Tour.

Emerging from the depths of the reclaimed forest we suddenly found ourselves on the only bit of the original long Hockenheim Grand Prix track

An almost completed virtual lap of Hockenheim was completed with a stop at the new Jim Clark memorial stone placed close to the new circuit rather than in the middle of the forest near where he had his accident in 1968.

Leaving the circuit behind and heading through more forest we then had a link section to get the the bridge over the Rhine to Speyer and its impressive cathedral which is an official Santiago de Compostela waypoint.

Unfortunately as we didn’t get there until 5.30 everything was closed so we were unable to go in anything and the same applied to the massive transport museum on the outskirts of town which had many planes including a Jumbo jet, trains and all types of other transport too.

Leaving Speyer we only had 5 miles to go to our first campsite of the tour and Richard led us at speed along cycle paths skirting the Rhine. Our site is small and although its facilities are good they are about a five minute walk away as it appears it has contracted somewhat in the past couple of years.

Nigel managed to enjoy a quick swim in the lake but we cyclists were happy with a shower, a beer and the first appearance of Monica’s famous apple and beetroot salad.

After a successful and as ever long first day in the saddle everyone was too tired for cards, but even so it was 10 pm before anyone got into their sleeping bags

A fantastic start.

Oh, Nick. I almost forgot to mention this evening we heard the NBJ Tours cuckoo calling for the first time. It was missing you!

Ready for Action

Posted by nbjtours on June 4, 2026

Posted in: Cycling. Tagged: cycle touring, Cycling, Heusenstamm. 10 Comments

Heusenstamm

Well we have yet to start cycling but have already been met with a crash, bang, wallop of a beginning to our adventure. The crash and bang may just have been the thunder and lightning accompanying the torrential rain as we were being shown round the town, but what a fabulous welcome we had from 15 members of the Tonbridge twinning group with whom we have just spent an evening agreeing how similar we really all are.

The journey in Broomey started from Hadlow yesterday as we loaded the bikes and kit up ready for the trip. Picking Monica up en route to Dover we managed to get an earlier and almost deserted ferry to Calais

Nigel had a pretty grim drive across a very rainy Belgium before we stopped up for the evening at the above services still within Belgium.

With Richard and Dom flying out from Gatwick to Frankfurt we had to make sure we got to the airport for 1ish and with a brief foray into the Netherlands made it to the airport in time. Here we ended up parking illegally waiting for a slightly delayed flight. Luckily the parking attendant took pity on the over height camper and gave us an extra 5 minutes so I was able to find Dom & Richard wandering in the airport – we then managed to leave just as the attendant returned!

Now we had to find a Lidl’s to get lunch. Disaster. Today was a regional holiday so all Lidl’s and other supermarkets were closed. It was Corpus Christi not to celebrate D-Day! Monica was bereft. Luckily the bakers was open in Heusenstamm so we bought some rolls which Nigel then filled with bacon & fried egg which went down very nicely.

After we checked into our hotel, Neville from the Heusenstamm twinning circle then gave us a guided tour of the town. At this point the heavens opened and Dom tried to take cover in a UK phone box gifted from Tonbridge.

After a bit more hiding in the castle sheltering from the rain, Neville then took us on to meet the rest of the twinning circle and a fun meal in the old railway station pub.

Tomorrow the tour begins in earnest as we get on our bikes, but only after breakfast with the Burgermeister. The weather luckily is looking kinder and Monica is hoping that Lidl’s reopens or else we will not be eating tomorrow!!

The 2026 Challenge is approaching

Posted by nbjtours on April 27, 2026

Posted in: Cycling. 2 Comments

Cycle tour – 5-12 June

Trail races 13-14 June

With only just over five weeks before this year’s ride training is in full swing for both cyclists and runners.

As well as riding from Tonbridge’s German twin town of Heusenstamm to our French twin of Le Puy, we are once again linking our ride to the UTMB trail races Le Grand Trail du St Jacques. This year we again have a dozen runners compete over four distances from 12 km up to 78 km.

World events allowing our start is just south of Frankfurt and we will cross the Rhine into France running through the Alsace vineyards before climbing the Vosges and onto the Burgundy vineyards! We may have to visit a winery or two.

After following the river Saône we will climb up into the Massif Central and onto our final destination at Le Puy.

As always our trip is wonderously supported by Broomey the camper crewed by Nigel & Monica who ensure that we are fully provided for along the route.

This year will see a slight change in cycling personnel as Richard is joining Dom ( making this his third NBJ Tour) and myself. Sadly Nick is unable to make this years adventure but has promised to be on hand next year for a Spanish odyssey ( more of that another time). Richard like Dom will also be running one of the trail races the day after we arrive.

There is a possibility that we may be joined en route by guest cyclists but we won’t know that until nearer the event.

We are expecting some honest German hospitality in Heusenstamm and have been promised our usual generous welcome in France. Both the Burgermeister in Heusenstamm and Maire of Le Puy have asked to meet us. It may well be the last official visit to our twins as Tonbridge & Malling BC looks as though it will cease to exist after 2027 so the official twinning may die.

Our runners ( other than Dom & Richard) are driving and flying down to arrive in Le Puy on the Friday before the races so we are all hoping for no flight cancellations and plenty of fuel to make the trip.

Let’s hope the weather stays fine and encourages us to get out a be fit to run and cycle in June.

Across France : Final Thoughts

Posted by nbjtours on July 4, 2025

Posted in: Cycling. 4 Comments

Total mileage 828 miles

This was a slightly different tour, not only did we miss our forever compadre Chris but rather than cycling out in the wilds , we were crossing Northern France. A part of the country that is more populated and also perhaps familiar to more of us even if we only ever drive straight through it.

In spite of this lack of true wilderness, in the main the roads were very quiet and although we always checked before crossing or turning left across the road, outside of a town we only had to stop once otherwise the expression for the lead rider was ‘usual’ carry on pedalling. Of course the other benefit of cycling in France is that their roads are so much better than ours and faster to cycle on – easily worth 2-3 mph. I reckon we called out for potholes less than a handful of times the whole trip whereas at home it’s every two minutes. The only exception to these superb roads were the gravelled sections caused by the heat melting the original surfaces.

As well as the super quiet roads we also had long stretches on cycle greenways, most of which were tarmac and others hard surfaced so still quick to ride on. Again better than we find on U.K. greenways and long distance cycle routes. Nbjtours did find a couple of really rough tracks to prove a point but it wouldn’t be a true ride without these.

In the absence of Chris it was good to see Nigel join us on a few occasions for the last couple of miles. As ever Nigel, Monica and Broomey were always there in support and our succour when needed. Daily trips to Lidl were supplemented by a patisserie visit to try to local specialties. Luckily the energy we used ensured that two pastries a day had no effect on our waistline. A Fiat Green Van is such a welcome sight. Gill joining us for the first few days demonstrated what a smooth operation we have set up with the rolling support in Broomey essential for how we have travelled all around Europe.

Part of these trips has always been exploring the places we pass through and this year we have done even more of that having learned from the successes of last years Camino route.

As well as seeing car rallies, cycle races, car museums and white water kayaking competitions we have deliberately headed for the centre of bigger towns and explored their fabulous winding cobbled streets, churches and cathédrales. Troyes, Metz, Toul, Châteaudun, Sens, Quimper and Luxembourg City are all worth a visit.

The other reason for going into the centre of town was to get our tour passports stamped. All part of engaging with the locals who apart from one exception were only too happy to accommodate these mad Englishmen.

A few historical sites en route were surprising such as the Roman amphitheatre in Grand, the Aérotrain track north of Orleans and we enjoyed recreating a lap of Le Mans

The other thing that I usually rabbit on about are the flowers and wildlife. Whilst we did see some wild flowers because we were a bit later this year and it has been so warm many of the spring flowers had gone and of course we didn’t cycle in quite as wild an environment as usual.

The one creature we did see more of were butterflies. Mammals were sparse but we saw a couple of Pine Martens ( one alive) two deer, some hares, a black red squirrel and those bats of course. The most surprising sighting being an Octopus in Brittany.

The weather of course was perhaps the overriding factor as we have never experienced such temperatures before especially with no shelter from the sun. We were lucky as on a couple of mornings we were surrounded by storms but remained virtually dry throughout and didn’t ever have to put on a rain jacket.

Plans are already underway for two more adventures in 2026 & 2027 if our bodies and legs can cope . Next year I can announce will be an eight day tour from Heusenstamm in Germany to Le Puy again to coincide with the St Jacques de Compostelle UTMB trail races. This will likely to be in early June and will explore parts of France we’ve yet to cycle through in Alsace and Burgundy as well as a bit of the Rhine valley in Germany. A bit of wine tourism can be expected !

We are hoping to have a fuller cycling team and a good number of runners from Tonbridge to support when we get to Le Puy again

In the meantime thank you to all our readers, families and of course Nigel, Monica and Broomey without whom all this would still be a dream in my head.

Completed tour passport ( after trip in the shower!)