28.09.20 Briare to Nevers.
I was down for breakfast early which I ate alone, other than the waitress watching me intently from behind. Maybe it was the weather and the crash the day before, but I can’t say I found the welcome at L’Auberge du Pont Canal “de bon accord”. The rain was coming down steadily as I reviewed the bike before packing up. There was now quite a wobble from the back wheel, which was catching the mudguards. I wanted to get to the bike shop near Nevers a good few hours before they closed, so had to crack on regardless.
I was using Google Maps to amend my planned route to take in the bike place where I hoped they might be able to force my front forks into alignment and replace my back wheel. As it was raining steadily, I had to stop a few times to adjust, and eventually change, the cable attaching the phone to my battery pack, as I could not afford to let the phone die along the way. I also had to fiddle a few times with the rear mudguard to try to limit the drag from what was now quite a badly buckled rear wheel. There were other issues with the navigation tool diverting me inexplicably onto atrocious surfaces and up and down some busy undulating roads. With a wobbly back wheel, misaligned front forks, constant rain and drizzle, and a deadline, it was not a comfortable journey.
Eventually, I arrived at “Cycles Up”. just outside Nevers. I rode past it at first, as it was not a shop, but a house. I turned back and saw some blokes in the garage at the side. I went in and explained my predicament. The chap was sympathetic, but explained that he did not do repairs, but made e-bike conversions, and advised me to try Decathlon and a couple of other places in Nevers. Both of the independent places I had already picked out, but they were both closed on. Mondays. I was not aware that Decathlon did repairs.
I pitched up to Decathlon on the edge of Nevers around 5pm. The chap on the service desk was ever so helpful. He explained he could do nothing with the forks, but agreed to have a look at the back wheel. Basically, the hub was loose, which accounted for the clicking I had been hearing, as were a number of spokes, which explained the buckling. Partly due, I assume, to all the rattling around on dodgy surfaces with a a full load. He removed the hub, inspected it and put it back in. He then spent some time tightening the spokes to straighten the wheel as much as possible. He also fitted a new tire – they only had a 35 in stock, but the 32 I had on was pretty bald, so I went with it, feeling I ought to buy something from them as they had been so helpful. Unfortunately, he was then too enthusiastic with the torque wrench tightening the cassette and so when he put the wheel back on the bike, the clicking noise was noticeably worse, as was a marked braking effect on the wheel. Basically, the problem now was that the hub had been over-tightened and the wheel wouldn’t roll properly. He was then unable to remove the cassette, and so told me I would need a new wheel, or a new hub, neither of which they could supply. Slightly embarrassed and apologetic, he informed me that his labour and time was “on me”. With a straighter back wheel, I was able to overcome the drag and made my way down the hill into the town to my hotel.
Nevers looked old and tired, to me, so I guess we were well suited. It was Monday and wet, so there were few options for food and drink. A quick check of Tripadvisor revealed a beer and burger place nearby, so that seemed to fit the bill. Walking past, However, it did not seem too promising. There was one customer sitting at the bar and no sign of anybody eating. I decided to go in to have a beer while considering what to do, but since the only tap that was working was dispensing Carlsberg, I walked back out, figuring that any food available would be equally unappetising. I settled for a pleasant enough place attached to the Best Western, where I was one of five male customers dining alone, all appropriately socially distanced. The food was good, mind. I had a veal fillet washed down with half a bottle of a red Sancerre.
Tuesday 29.09.20: Nevers to Paray-le-Monial
The nearest bike shop to the hotel was just around the corner in the town centre, so I got ready sharpish and was there just after 9. I had a long ride that day to my next stop over and the information on Booking.com was that their check-in closed at 7pm. I had been told by the guy in Decathlon that the folks at Velo-Passion were “cool”, so I was hopeful of getting sorted, but the reception I got was beyond cool, it was decidedly frosty. There was nothing for it but to double back a couple of miles to the other place out of town, Cycl’Espace Fondant, which I had seen the previous day on the way down from Decathlon. There, they were also unable to help with the forks, but managed to remove the cassette from the back wheel, clean and grease the hub, and I was on my way. Between them, Decathlon and Cycl’Espace had got me moving. But it was now 10:30 and I had 80 miles to cover by 19:00. I had reviewed the route I had planned the night before and found a shorter and flatter path. The front wheel was tugging slightly to the left, but now the back wheel was moving nicely. The going was mostly good, with the first third of the journey being along pretty good paths beside the Canal Lateral a la Loire, the final third along similar surfaces alongside the Canal du Centre, and the rest being pretty flat and unproblematic. The weather was dry all day, which also helped.
I crossed the Loire for the last time as I traversed the canal aqueduct a Digoin. Its path was heading South, while I was now heading North-East towards the Saone.
I made it the hotel (well, Motel, really) on the outskirts of Paray-le-Monial with five minutes to spare, where I soon afterwards tucked into a decent Charolais Steak and then slept.
Wednesday 30.09.20: Paray-le-Monial to Chalons-sur-Saone
The weather was misty as I set off, brightening up around midday. I had selected a route that went north east, before curving south east down to Chalons-sur Saône, bypassing the higher ground in between. It mostly followed the Canal du Centre, and it was only when I deviated from the canal, that I found myself in bother, including one “path”that ended at two metre chicken wire fence and a thick border shrubbery hedge between me and the nice road that I had left a few miles back, which, If I’d just stuck to, I’d have been riding along past where I was a good half hour earlier. I managed to force myself and my bike through at a corner, then heave the bike over a crash barrier at a bridge over the canal to regain the road beyond.
After the push yesterday to check in on time, my legs were heavy and the going was slow, but the weather was pleasant and there was a nice long and steepish descent after the canal peaked about 20 miles out. I was not pushed for time, so adopted a “recovery ride” approach, aiming to minimise the strain on the legs.
In Chalons-sur-Soane, I opted for a curry, which was tasty, but designed for the French palate, salty and mild. The waiter warned me that one of the dips he provided me with was “really hot”; it was really not.
Thursday 01.10.20: Chalons-sur-Saône to Dole
The rain was back as I set off towards Dole. I had been checking the pandemic quarantine rules in Switzerland and Germany, and it was now apparent that crossing the border from France and continuing to Lake Constance, before doubling back to Donaueschingen and Mulhouse would not be possible. I had decided therefore to turn around at some point and, instead of getting a train back to Caen from Mulhouse at the end of my planned trip, to ride back. Dole was to be it, therefore, for me this year for Eurovelo 6. The Rhine and the Danube would have to wait for another year.
The Soane flows South from Chalons into the Rhône at Lyons. I followed it up river to its confluence with The Doubs, then rode between both rivers, before picking it up again, turning east at the start of the Rhône-Rhine canal, which took me back to The Doubs at Dole. It rained steadily all day.
I stayed in a lovely houseboat “Chambres d’Hote”, where the host provided a sumptuous dinner for an extra 20 euros. I only left the boat to collect some cash, so, again, saw little of the town. I figured I would come back to continue my vel’odyssee towards the Black Sea some day, so would get another chance to look around.
Friday 02.10.20: Dole to Beaune.
I am now attempting to head in a more or less straight line back towards Caen. I had intended in my original plans a two night stopover at Besançon, so cancelled that and booked the same in Beaune.
It rained heavily all day as I doubled back about 15 miles along the route from the previous day to St Jean-de-Losne, following the waterways, apart from a short deviation through Damparis – mine certainly was, along with everything else. At St Jean-de-Losne, I crosse the Saone from South to North, then headed WSW to Beaune. There were some further routing issues (thank you Google Maps), but mostly the main problem was the rain, which battered down relentlessly all day and all night and, occasionally the wind. I shall rest here today and try to wash and dry my clothes using the towel rail that is the single source of direct heat in preparation for the journey back to the coast.
The Trick Cyclist 