‘You may well have ridden straight past on your way to somewhere else’ Kevin Raymond

Varied roads, glorious cake and classic Normandy scenery — oh, and do-able in a weekend

LES ALPES WHATS? Never heard of 'em... No, but you may well have ridden straight past on your way to somewhere else – probably Le Mans. That's how I first came across the area, on a leisurely bimble back towards the ferry from the 24-hour race, some time in the mid 1990s.

Since then, I've been back a good few times, camping and cycling as well as on bikes, and I'm always struck by just how little-known the area is. Locals aside, even most French people would struggle to point to it on a map but for holidaying

Brits, it's practically on our doorstep, and easily fitted into a weekend trip with a bit of planning. Perfect for a first taste of continental touring.

Mountains then... Really?

Erm, no. Despite the name, you won't find anything remotely Alpine round here — the highest Col tops out at a less-than-lofty 239 metres above sea level. The scenery's rolling rather than magnificent but the real stars are the pretty villages on the way, especially St Léonard and St Céneri, which will repay an extended wander around.

Our route gives you a bit of everything, from twisty back roads around St Céneri, to forest lanes further south and wide-open sweepers near Sillé, but it's really just a taster of the area. This is the kind of terrain where rather than be a slave to the sat nav, you're better off just following your nose — pretty much every little side turning is worth exploring. Last time I was here, I did more or less this route and although it was only 50-odd miles, it took me all day, with constant excursions off to one side or the other for coffee and cake stops.

So the cake is good. Anything else to watch out for?

Cars (legally) pulling out in front of you — Google 'Priorité à Droite' if you're not already familiar with French traffic rules. There's a lot of woodland, so you need to be aware of forestry trucks and debris. It's fair to say that the road surface is a bit challenging in places too but that's okay — don't come here to thrash around looking for thrills; come here to chill out and enjoy the scenery.

and The route to from Le Mans passes this area

Plenty of picture-postcard villages

STOP AND ENJOY Saint Céneri is a beautiful little village and a great place for a posh lunch — worth a wander round rather than just riding through LOTS TO EXPLORE From Pezé-le-robert, our route runs through thick forest — there’s a whole network of accessible semi-gravel roads and tracks to explore if you’re that way inclined

LIFE'S A BEACH The lake and beach at Sillé-le-guillaume are packed in high summer so beware tourist traffic. Sillé itself was once ruled from Norfolk, of all places...