‘Hire’ bikes
On our way home from a wonderful Easter break in our Bailey motorhome, touring the Baie de Somme and Seine-Maritime areas of France, we stopped for a lunch break.
The location was in a village called Lignières-Châtelain, complete with hôtel de ville (town hall), and large sweeping parking area. There was plenty of room for us and other motorhome users, who had stopped for the same reason.
Three motorhomes, all French, had arrived before us. Among them was an A-class, with ‘bikes for hire’! Well, they were the highest bikes I had ever seen on the rear of any motorhome.
For me ‘hire bikes or higher bikes’ are a stretch too far! We had our own bikes fitted perfectly in reach on the Fiamma carrier.
Whilst in France, my wife and I had some spectacular rides along the towpath of the Canal de la Somme and also on a recycled old steam railway line (it had to be recycled – repurposed just would not be appropriate).
The latter was a velo vert (green cycle) route, that is about three metres wide and smoothly coated with asphalt. Great scenery and friendly locals en route from Neufchâtel-En-Bray towards Dieppe.
Perhaps this is the intention of these ‘hire bikes’, to never be removed from the motorhome for actual cycling. Essentially, only tall folks need apply or those with a ‘higher opinion of themselves’! Watch out for the terms and conditions.
Mind you, I didn’t see any French folk doing their exercises, stretching up to reach the bikes and doing extreme suspended pull-ups during the lunch break or after they had had their fill!
Oh, and a picture is better than a thousand words! Excuse the preamble.
The other advantage, if you call it one, with this bike carrier set-up, is that it affords total privacy whilst travelling through the countryside, particularly when being followed by vehicles hankering to pass you.
The bike carrier completely blocks any view into the rear window of the motorhome. Thus, privacy is assured when eating your lunch in the rear lounge. Nobody will know what goodies you may have in your delicious oversized baguette!
Ian and Babs