"Au bout du monde" or Quimper-Plouguerneau by bike

It's July 2023. I finally have some time and frankly need to breathe. On a whim, I join a long-time friend on a cycling trip to Brittany, following one of my tracks. On July 19, I leave Paris for Quimper by TGV. It's off for a 3-day cycling adventure. I'll tell you all about it?

🛣 On the road

JOUR 1 🚲 from Quimper to Douarnenez 🚲

100 kms

On the way to Audierne (40kms)

I trace (oops) straight from Quimper to join Matthieu as quickly as possible. We meet up in Penhors, on the coast. And then it's magic. We follow the Route du vent solaire towards Audierne. The scenery is incredible, as the road runs along the coast. For me, it's one of the most beautiful in Brittany. It's narrow and winding, leading the eye to admire the Pays Bigouden and the Pays Cap Sizun, sometimes from east to west, sometimes from north to south.

La pointe du Raz. The end of the world (20kms)

We arrive at La pointe du Raz, Finistère's most famous natural site, with its jagged cliffs covered in moorland. I feel like I'm at the end of the world. It's truly magical .

From Baie des Trépassés to Douarnenez (40kms)

We reach the secluded beaches of Baie des Trépassés. It looks like a living postcard. I feel soothed and exhilarated, despite a few windy stretches that test my endurance.

In Douarnenez, we treat ourselves to an incredible restaurant: L'insolite. A departure from the flexitarian diet, the chef's specialty is a lobster curry, which still makes my mouth water today.

We spend the night in a magnificent B&B, Le Manoir de Kervent, where we are welcomed like princes by our hosts.

DAY 2 🚲 Direction Crozon and tour of the peninsula 🚲

100 kms

The next day, we head west! After a few steep climbs, we arrive at the magnificent Crozon peninsula. The sky is cloudy, but we don't care ☁️ , because the light is sublime. The local moors are a living, wild picture of broom, gorse and heather, with their golden and purple hues.

We're having super crepes (4 each, sisi) at Le Korrigan. We then go on to Cap de la Chèvre (southern tip, and by the way, Bretons have a way with words), with its magnificent gravel paths 😍 Then we go on to Pen-Hir (western tip), and its Tas de Pois: three huge rocks lined up towards the horizon. Total fun.

Comfortable enough last night, we'll sleep at the Le Fret campsite (and spend a great evening in the lively port).

DAY 3 🚲 From Brest to Les Abers 🚲

45 kms

Third and final day, heading for Brest! We take the shuttle, to avoid the dangerous connection between Crozon and the "cité du Ponant". I recommend you do the same. Not perfect carbon-wise, but it's a scary road, and I speak from experience 😉.

Little surprise if you take the shuttle, you might spot Randy, a very cute dolphin having fun with the groove created by the shuttle.

We meet up with friends in Plougerneau, and to arrive in time for lunch, we decide to take the Abers cycle route, which I hadn't heard of. It's an easy way out of Brest via the Stang-Alar valley. If you have time, I'd advise you to take the coastal route (more on that later). But this cycle route is very quiet and charming!

Final lap

Quimper-Plouguerneau by bike, it's a wonderful moment . Our route passes through some incredible natural sites. It's not a particularly direct route, as our main aim was to explore Crozon.

I'm getting to know Breton roads pretty well, but what the heck... You're always surprised by Brittany! (Ok, I'm Breton). Weather-wise, we only had 2 minutes of rain. So we must be just a tiny bit of idiots, if you know the saying 😂.

The roads are calm, you can ride two abreast most of the time (yes, it's allowed by the highway code 😂). Above all, it allows you to chat and think about something other than the effort. The scenery is majestic. You absolutely must take breaks to enjoy them and take photos.

The most testing moments are the **steep climbs **and the sometimes unfavorable wind. But solidarity and mutual encouragement, and learning to drafting, more commonly known as "wheel sucking", can save you around 30% of your energy if you're hidden from the wind!

But the effort is well worth it... if only to discover the culinary heritage exceptional Breton country. We didn't shy away from it, gorging ourselves on all-you-can-eat crêpes and galettes 😋. Our record? 8 in one day 🤪!

🎒 The right set-up to reproduce Corentin's journey

Equipment:

🚴🏻‍♀️ Our mounts

➡️ Matthieu had a Pelago bike, a clever mix between a VTC and a city bike. He mounted a luggage rack and 2 panniers on the rear. It has a rack in front where he attaches a small backpack. Not mega aero, but very comfortable 🙂 !

➡️ I had my Victoire bike, my all-purpose machine, with bikepacking panniers (frame panniers, saddlebag). I had taken my tent (hanging from the handlebars) to be prepared for any eventuality.

🧦 Our clothes

I'm super minimalist. I ride a lot, I don't have saddle problems ⇒ So I love riding without shorts 🤗

➡️ 1 pair of light pants ➡️ 1 pair of shorts ➡️ 2 shirts ➡️ 1 very light wool undershirt (world's best all-season stuff) ➡️ 1 pair of shoes ➡️ 1 pair of TEVA sandals (2ᵉ world's best stuff) ➡️ 1 evening outfit ➡️ 1 light down jacket.

#### 🛠 Our tools: the bare minimum!

Opinel, Multitool, Lubricant, 2 inner tubes, Pump, Quick link, tire iron, Patches, Flex clamp, Derailleur hanger (yes, it's useful).