Published by Lyn on 15 January 2015
Paul wrote to ask about cycling around Abbeville in Picardy. Here's what we came up with.
The beautiful Bay of Somme, 28km north-west of Abbeville. Photo: Jeanne Menj
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Hi Lyn.
A friend and I are visiting Behen the end of July for 2-3 days and are interested in seeing some of the area from the seat of a bike if possible.
We are retired and although we are more mountain bikers, we are happy just riding while there. Do you have any suggestions on good rides (preferably off-road) in the region?
Also, as we won't have our bikes with us, is there anywhere we could hire good bikes from around Abbeville?
I would appreciate your assistance.
Regards,
Paul.
I wrote back:
Hi Paul,
Picardy is super for cycling.
For bike hire, try Relais Vélo. It's a bike hire outfit with a network of pick-up/drop-off points throughout the area. They have mountain bikes (called VTTs in France) as well as hybrids. Their website also has downloadable PDFs of bike paths ('pistes-cyclable').
The tourist board also recommends Nomade Velo in Abbeville, though their website wasn't working when I checked today. It may be worth phoning them on +33 (0)6 07 50 66 71, or sending a query via the local tourist board website.
The Abbeville tourist website also has some downloadable maps of cycle routes (they may be able to advise via email of further VTT/MTB routes if you need more specific info).
If you have the time I would certainly recommend a ride out to the Bay of Somme, north-west of Abbeville – it really is quite special and a wonderful treat for nature-lovers. And, of course, the battlefields of the Somme are also within reach – I've cycled the area around Amiens, Albert and Arras and it's an exceptional experience. There may be some further inspiraton for you on my Picardy bike tours page.
I'm not sure if you have accommodation sorted, but the Abbeville Ibis is bike-friendly and allows bikes to be stored in rooms. See my Picardy accommodation page for the link.
I hope that helps – please drop me a line back if I can help further. It would be great to hear how you get on.
Lyn.
Send your reader Q&As to me at lyn@freewheelingfrance.com and I'll try and help if I can. I post Q&As on the blog so they can help other people too, though all contact info, full names etc are kept confidential. You can also post questions on our Facebook page to benefit from the collective wisdom of the Freewheeling France community.
