"Les petits ruisseaux" - Mayenne-Angers by bike

September 2021: It's been four months now since I set off down the roads of the UK and Ireland to reach France by ferry, with a friend. From Normandy, we plan to arrive in Andalusia two months later. I choose to go via on the Vélo Francette, a route linking Caen to La Rochelle. My track is that of the section along La Mayenne, which mostly follows a towpath.

🛣 On the road

DAY 1 🚲 from Mayenne to Contest 🚲

7 km

Today is a rest day. We take the opportunity to spend the morning at Mayenne, visiting the** Basilique Notre-Dame-des-Miracles **and the *Musée du Château de Mayenne.*

We then begin our adventure by joining the towpath. It's September, a weekday, and we're completely alone, which I love: it's simple, I feel like the Mayenne is mine. After half an hour's cycling, on the opposite bank to the village of Contest, we find a charming little undergrowth... but not devoid of nettles. It'll do just fine for pitching the tent😂. We put the bikes down and head for the riverside to enjoy dinner.

DAY 2 🚲 from Contest to Montreuil-sur-Maine 🚲

90 km

This morning, torrential rain 🌧. I search my memory to recall the many days when it was sunny, when everything was easy. I often use this little memory bank to help me put a difficult journey into perspective. We feel like we're rolling in butter with the clay getting softer... As much as to say that we're moving forward slowly.

Fortunately, bike stops give us a little comfort. We pass through Laval and admire its château, without visiting it. Coming from England, where gastronomy is not the main attraction, we need to satisfy our stomachs and our sweet tooth! We buy good cheese almost every day for our picnics 🧀.

Lock after lock, we make our way down the Mayenne (literally, by the way, since the difference in altitude on this route is negative). At around 6pm, we've had enough and stop.

Two couples are chatting. We chat with them and they inform us that five minutes from here, in the village of Montreuil-sur-Maine, there is a free camping area. For us, it's the jackpot 🎰 !

The area turns out to be empty and very well fitted out for cyclists: covered tables, taps, toilets, and a nice green space to pitch your tent. Incredible!

Well, there's no store or restaurant in the village, but a proud passer-by informs us that there's a baguette dispenser 🥖. We rush there. On the way back, the same passer-by asks us if we like the village. Decidedly, people are very nice here 🤗.

Baguette, cheese and canned ratatouille for dinner. It's simple, but it delights us.

DAY 3 🚲 from Montreuil-sur-Maine to Angers 🚲

32 km

After another visit to the baguette dispenser, we set off on the now almost dry road.

It's a short day today, as we plan to spend the afternoon at Angers. As we approach the town, we enjoy the last of the Mayenne scenery, as tomorrow we'll be joining** the Loire à vélo**.

Finally quite tired, we improvise a tour of Angers by bike by losing ourselves wholeheartedly, it's certainly the best way to discover a city. One historic building follows another: Logis Princier, Tour Saint Aubin, the château, Tour des Anglais... it's superb!

Final lap

The Mayenne towpath is a itinerary for everyone, but not boring either. Ideal for a three-day weekend, you can admire the peaceful landscapes as well as stop off for a number of visits to France's historic heritage. It's a very well laid-out route for cyclists 🚴🏻‍♀️.

🎒 The right set-up to replicate Emma's journey

🚴🏻‍♀️ Our mounts

➡️ Bikes hybrids with **38 mm tires. ** ➡️ camping gear for sleeping and cooking, including of course biodegradable soap (And we don't put soap directly into the waterways!.⚠️)

Practical tips

🍔 Remember to stock up in the towns! There are many villages on the route, but not all of them have a store or restaurant available. And outside the summer season, some cafés and guinguettes may be closed.

☀️ If it's dry, the route can be done with any bike.

☔️ If it's raining, it's best to use tire sections of 28 mm and above.