Northern France.
 

Hi I'm new to touring bought an xt660z
Tenere (white) and my brother bought (red)
We are looking at doing at short trip to northern
France including some light trails for about five days
Any help or advice would be much appreciated
Or routes b&b or whatever you can help with
Thanks bob

:hello: and :welcome: to :660:

Your brother's one is faster. You should have got a red one too :023:

Ha ha ha
Maybe but mine has been kev'd.
His ain't. Ha

Just do it and post lots of photos

"just do it "
Easy for you to say
I've never been further than brummingham on a bike

Ok Keithblade
Will try thanks
Do you now of any trails in northern France that we could try
On way.
Thanks

Although be aware that, perfidious Frenchies that they are, they might spell it 'Moules Frites' on the signs, just to confuse visiting Brits ;)


I've heard that Normandy has some fairly good trail riding, but I've no personal experience. You could try a search on the Regional > Europe sub-forum of ADVrider, as I'm pretty sure it's come up there in the past.

All the trail riding I've done in France has been a lot further south.

Done a bit of off-roading in the Pas-de-Calais area.

I was a bit cautious about what we would find as it is not easy to identify public rights of way on the French regional maps.

We need not have worred as there were tracks everywhere. We passed plenty of farmers and even a local hunting party who just offered a friendly wave as we went past. No irate ramblers in France!

The general rule is to avoid any track with a no-entry sign or "Interdit au 4x4, Moto et Quads", but everything else seems to be fair game.

http://www.freewebs.com/my2wheels/pa...ais/trail1.jpg

http://www.freewebs.com/my2wheels/pa...ais/trail2.jpg

http://www.freewebs.com/my2wheels/pasdecalais/ruts.jpg

http://www.freewebs.com/my2wheels/pasdecalais/mud.jpg

http://www.freewebs.com/my2wheels/pasdecalais/rob1.jpg

http://www.freewebs.com/my2wheels/pasdecalais/uturn.jpg

http://www.freewebs.com/my2wheels/pasdecalais/nick.jpg

ISTR there's been a recent judgement in France along the lines of "if it looks like a road/track, and there's no signs to say otherwise, then it is a road". Might want to check that though.

Be nice if we could have something similar here. Can think of plenty of tracks in the Peak District which have quarry trucks trundling up and down them every five minutes, but you can't ride a trail bike down there because it's classified as a bridleway/restricted byway. Fantasy though.

that's correct. There has been a press release by Code Vert recently to announce this.
Unless there is a barrier, or a sign that says "interdit" or "prori�t� priv�e" or something similar it is allowed to ride the track/road.

Ok thanks nick
Pics look good mate.
Will just have to suck it an see then.
Cheers

Thanks to all who has reply'd to my post
Any little helps.
Cheers. 🍺

Welcome to the forum.

When are you heading down? I will be there with friends in September for a week to explore the tracks. France is brilliant. Morning coffee, green lanes, then hot chocolate and pastry mid morning, then more green lanes, then lunch with a small beer before more green lanes and a bbq supper back at the campsite. Repeat for several days. Thats our normal plan. IGN 1:25,000 serie blue maps give good detail and info for planning your days. Good luck matey.

Hi dicky
Thanks for info I'm buzzing to go. We're going June 14 to Calais and
Then just take it from there mate.
Any good campsites you can recommend ?
I have zumo 660 but don't think that will give me trails ? Not sure how to use it
Properly yet for route planning off road.
Cheers

Have you got an iphone?

I am not being funny but an iPhone will allow you to "google" anywhere in Europe for locations of campsites, or "camping" as it is known over there all you need is an app called Around Me or the AA app is good too.

I think you will find the app called Campsites EU right up your street check out this link http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/camps...357485082?mt=8

Hi cap
Thanks that is an awesome app just downloaded it
And yeh your right it is right up my street
Thanks mate
Cheers

You don't need to book campsites in France in June as the schools have not broken up. When we go we just head for a town at the end of a day and find a 'Camping Municipal'. Most have them. They are open during the summer months and generally run well with acceptable toilets. You even struggle to find the old squat toilets these days! I really like the Suisse Normande area as there are some hills and plenty of sites. There is a good municipal campsite we have based ourselves from in Thury-Harcourt before. Easy walk into civilised town for supper and campsite signposted well when you arrive. Snorted a Creme Brulee up my nostril there once but not something I want to repeat and not recomended, long story! All that said, I am sure there are other great areas to base yourself. We never pay for more than one night at a time so as to facilitate packing up and moving on to a new area but do like to make base camp if possible.

Happy camping. Oh, don't forget youth hostels as well. good value and not as much kit to carry. Just another option.

Thanks dickyc
I will take all info with me (and look up before I go) every bit of
Info helps, any idea on rules and regs in France? I read somewhere
That you have to wear hi-viz armband and also not allowed speed cam
Detectors. I have zumo 660 with speed cams on it do they put that
Down as being a detector of sorts. Any info welcome.
Thanks all
Cheers🍻

You need a hi-viz patch of at least 10 cm�, but if I'm not mistaken that's only from 2013 onwards.

You are not allowed to have speed cam detectors nor speed cam GPS locations. However, Garmin have released an update for the Zumo to work around the problem. Update your Zumo and you should be good to go. Speed cam information in France is now included as "security zones". When you enter a security zone (i.e. a piece of road with a speed cam) the Zumo will still warn you, the information will just be a little less precise.

Thanks duIbhcek
That's good news then seems like garmin are on the case.
Thanks for info mate.
This forum is a wealth of info.
Cheers🍺

Ditto the above. Yes 2013 for hi viz but initially they have said that you will recieve a warning rather than a fine. Speeding in France is genrally a bad idea especially on the main drag to and from ferry ports. Once off the main roads and hunting green lanes, I would be suprised if you see a policeman at all. The scariest people are the farmers as they look like axe murderers but actually they are great. I have found many times they are very helpful if you stop and chat. If you look at the AA/RAC websites for France driving regs, you will start to believe that you need a warning triangle. This is not the case on a bike so ignore that bit. You do need spare bulbs, a high viz vest (stashed at pressent) and small first aid kit. You will need your lights on, but with the XT you have no choice anyway.

Thanks dicky
I will check out aa/rac mate
Should give me a good insight as to what to look forward to
Cheers 🍻thanks for info.

Real tenere
 

Nothing to do with France but
Found this while nosing about<a href="http://s1072.photobucket.com/albums/w367/dirtbike01/?action=view&current=10fb19e8.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w367/dirtbike01/10fb19e8.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

Don't know how to post pics either.
Sorry