Mountain biking : In touch with nature
A mountain bike lets you travel faster than on foot and deeper into the countryside than a standard cycle. It is a leisure activity, turning difficulties into games of skill whether they are roots across a narrow path, granite boulders on moorland, or a steep, downward incline.
Mountain biking is becoming increasingly popular and Côtes-d’Armor has everything it takes to combine sport and nature, in surroundings that have not been spoilt by man. For some mountain bikers, the most important thing is not the difficulty of the ride but the sudden, breathtaking sight of the sea or a heron taking to the wing; others prefer a decidedly energetic ride across moors and along woodland tracks that let them compete against Nature and overcome natural obstacles and steep slopes.
Whatever your kind of mountain biking, it lets you get in touch with Nature and Côtes-d’Armor has itineraries that meet all demands, with varying levels of difficulty and distances to suit all tastes.
More than 40 routes for all styles of mountain biking
The itineraries vary in length from 6 to 50 km (3½ to 31 miles). They have all been tested and waymarked by the local Confédération de VTT. Some of them are fairly easy; other require a degree of technical skill. In fact, they can be used by families but will also satisfy the more accomplished sportsman in search of thrills and excitement.
The routes run through different landscapes and scenery and vary the levels of difficulty in order to please all types of mountain biker. But whatever the route, you are sure to come across natural beauty spots and examples of local culture and heritage.
Once you reach the clifftop, catch your breath while you gaze out to sea and watch the birds in flight. Then pedal inland where you will find high-banked paths, wooded riverbanks, chapels and manor houses that are not mentioned in any guide books. This is rolling countryside. From the top of the hills, there are views that take your breath away...
The Mountain Biker's Charter
In order to reconcile mountain biking, user-friendliness and safety while enabling us to offer all our visitors the same chance to enjoy an unspoilt environment, the Mountain Biker's Charter, which has been printed in the special guidebook entitled Topoguide VTT en Côtes d'Armor, recalls a few simple, but useful rules of courtesy and shows how to avoid damage to property or the environment.
The Nantes-Brest Canal
20 km (12 miles ) - 1½ hours
Depart from the square in front of the church in Glomel (B7).
The Nantes-Brest Canal is one of the few places where you can travel as you please - on foot, on horseback, in a canoe or on a mountain bike.
This is an outstanding area with wonderful opportunities for observing Nature. It also has an amazing history. It was built as a strategic feature, on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte, and was dug out by chain gangs. It had an eventful history.
From the church at Glomel, ride down to the lake known as Le Corong which once supplied the water for the canal. Stop at the standing stone in "Le Menhir" then, at a bend in a high-banked lane, you will see the canal and the many locks along its smooth-flowing course.
A ride along the upper and lower towpaths gives ample opportunity to enjoy the countryside, the silence and the coolness of the "Great Trench".
The lake at Jugon
12 or 19 km (7 or 12 miles) - 2 hours
Depart from the car park at the water sports centre in Jugon-les-Lacs (I6).
The lakeside in Jugon is a wildly rustic place revealing all the joys of the water's edge while being surrounded by woodland. The valley is narrow and winding, and is surrounded by hills glistening with colour.
The paths and trails are full of hairpin bends, steep climbs and equally steep downhill portions, while providing superb views of the lake. A pinewood, a log bridge, a small wooden bridge across a stream and the "Road to Hell" all add a bit more excitement to a route that is resolutely environmental.
In the land of Margot the Fairy
40 km (25 miles) - 3½ hours
Depart from the square in front of the Town Hall in Le Gouray (H6).
This itinerary crosses fields and valleys, moors and forests deep in the heart of the rolling Mené area. Monotony is not one of its features !
Riders appreciate the impression of being at one with Nature, and the local people are famous for their friendliness.
Among the most outstanding sights along the way are the Forest and Abbey of Boquen. The abbey seems to demand that you stop and ponder for a while before riding on to Croquelien. This was the birthplace of Margot the Fairy and if you look at the granite boulders carefully, you may see the "bath tub", the "armchair" or the "sliding stone". Let yourself be filled with the magic and mystery of this spot.
But if you're not attracted by mystery and imagination, you can enjoy the view that stretches, in clear weather, as far as the Baie de Saint-Brieuc.
The two valleys at Etables-sur-Mer
30 km (19 miles) - 2 hours
Depart from the leisure centre in Etables-sur-Mer (F3).
This route is suitable for even the most inexperienced rider. It runs through gentle countryside on the coast.
It takes in a large number of high-banked lanes and is sheltered from the prevailing onshore winds most of the time.
There is woodland. There are lakes like Lantic where you can rest for a while. There are also seaviews from the cliffs at Etables. This route is more rustic than maritime.
From February onwards, mimosas are living, thriving proof of the mildness of the climate in a region where life is sweet at any season of the year.
Paimpol : A trip through the land of the Icelandic schooners
26 km (16 miles) - 2 hours
Depart from the car park between the Town Hall and the community centre in Ploubazlanec (E1).
This itinerary covers one of the most attractive maritime areas in Côtes-d’Armor including the tiny fishermen's hamlet of Pors Even, the Widows' Cross where the wives of Icelandic fishermen used to watch the horizon when waiting for their husbands' boats to return, chapels full of fervent votive offerings, a superb view of the Bréhat Archipelago from the Pointe de la Trinité or the Pointe de l'Arcouest and much, much more.
All these sights bring feeling and emotion to a trip that focuses very definitely on the sea.
