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What does an HC (hors categorie, or “out of category”) or even a Category 1 or
Category 2 climb feel like? Can I do it, or would I need to get off and walk? How much of the Tour de France will I get to see if I go there on an organized tour? These are just several of the many questions cyclists ask while they are contemplating a trip to France to see the Tour.

Experiencing the Tour de France in person can be the fulfillment of a lifetime dream for many cyclists. Seeing the colorful peleton swoosh by, riding the famous mountains like the Alp d’Huez or Col du Galibier in the Alps, for example, are dreams for many cyclists, both avid riders and weekenders. Watching the Tour on OLN is not like being there, however, and those who have the right expectations will get the most for their time and their money.

How Much Will I See?
One must first realize that being at the side of the road for the Tour is not the same as watching stages on TV. Television has great advantages, of course, due to the cameras mounted on motorcycles and helicopters which follow the riders. In that way one can follow the progress of specific riders for several hours. When one is at the Tour in person, however, the peleton goes by quickly, and many novices seem almost perplexed by the obvious. Some say things like “Gee, that was fast. I didn’t get to see much at all.” And this is true if the location one watches from is on a flat area early in the day’s race. Even if there is a breakaway by then, one would see only the small group of escapees and then the peleton zoom by probably just a few minutes later.

View the Action At Climbs
The best way to combat this problem is to view stages at climbs. Getting to the route hours before the riders arrive, one can ride a favorite climb, like the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees or the Alp d’Huez, for example. Expert cyclists can ride the whole climb, but novices need only ride a portion so that they can get a taste of what it is like for the pros. They can also pick out a good viewing spot, although organized tours may stake out a spot for their group. Some of the best spots are found after climbing several switchbacks and locating yourself where you can look down the hill and see the riders approaching from below. They will take a while to reach you, and since the peleton is often spread out on the climbs, your viewing time will be much longer, perhaps even 20-30 minutes on some stages. You will get a better look at the individual riders as well, as they obviously move slower on the upslopes. The frenzied mountain top finishes one sees on TV can also be misleading for first time Tour viewers. Many of these locations are not accessible on race days, and most of the people who are on the side of the road at the top have been camping there for several days or have hiked miles to see the finish. They are only in a position to see one stage, so for organized tours that wish to view several stages in succession, this situation is not an option. If one is fortunate enough to see a time trial stage, the whole problem is alleviated. Riders pass by one at a time throughout the day, so the “vanishing peleton” problem is not an issue in that case.

The French Police
The French police, called gendarmes, provide security along the race routes, and they can be very arbitrary. The roads upon which the Tour is held will be closed by the police sometime before the Sponsor’s Caravan arrives. This colorful parade of vehicles precedes the riders typically by an hour, and samples of various products are tossed from the vehicles to the spectators. Most of the gendarmes are tolerant of the tourists who ride bikes along the Tour race route before the peleton arrives. Sometimes, however, if one is riding a bike on the Tour route for the day, a gendarme might be strict and will tell that person he cannot ride on the road any longer because it is closed. The best course of action is to get off the bike, walk along until the gendarme is no longer in view, and then take off riding again to get to where you want to go. This technique isn’t always foolproof, however.

On one stage of the 2005 Tour de France our guests were riding on the Tour route, and they returned rather quickly saying that a gendarme would not let them continue on the road. I later rode my bike in the same direction they did in order to investigate. I passed quite a number of gendarmes along the way, and all they did was to tell me to stay well to the side and be careful. At about 10 kilometers from the finish line a gendarme stopped me and asked where I came from. I told him “the United States”. Somewhat exasperated, he sputtered, “no, how far have you been riding on the road, it’s closed!” I said I came from kilometer 3 and passed many gendarmes, none of them stopped me and all just told me to be careful. He said “well, they are not doing their jobs, but I’m doing mine!”

This was the archetypical Frenchman, king of his little plot of turf. He made me go off on a side road for awhile before finding the Tour road again closer to our viewing position. Fortunately the vast majority of gendarmes are more reasonable than this person, but they are responsible for public safety and are doing a balancing act between that and letting the tourists enjoy themselves. Of course when the Sponsor’s Caravan arrives, one has no choice but to stop, as the vehicles zip by quickly and are somewhat reckless at times.

Walt Ballenberger is founder of Beaux Voyages, which provides active tours in France including Tour de France bike tours. He has lived and worked in France and speaks the language fluently.

Got a young kid at home? Well then maybe you should consider starting with a trike. Tri scooters are wonderful for the general development of kids helping them to get to grips with balance and get them ready for their future experiences with a cycle when they are older.

Tri scooter manufacturers take greatest care to make the rides appealable to the children while still ensuring safety. And what appeals better to kids than their favourite cartoon characters?

Barbie My Special Things tri scooter - A girls favourite pink colour and a huge image of Barbie on the handlebars make this tricycle any little girl’s best companion. Watch your kid develop balance and road sense under the able direction of Barbie.

Disney Princess tri scooter - They’re all here- Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan. These 8 princesses from varied Disney stories make this scooter terribly special. Built as a vehicle fit for a queen, the scooter comes in visually attractive blue and pink colour scheme. A must have for any princess.

Upsy Daisy tri scooter - Iggle Piggle’s pal from the night garden, Upsy Daisy, is here now. The rag doll with bright outfits and the orange loudhailer appears as the logo on the handle of this very well designed scooter.

iScoot tri scooter - Also known as a Bobby board, this one is for the really young ones, the 3 year olds. A radical design that features two wheels on the front and the 3rd at the rear. Made of intensely light material, the tri scooter is just what your kid would desire to get his first lessons in balance and coordination.

Though themed differently, all of the tri scooters score high on safety and comfort. The frame has been kept lightweight and the design is extraordinarily cartable. The feedback for the scooters have been very positive with users liking their abilities to engross the children imaginations while still teaching them some awfully important lessons.

It?s been an amazing summer up to now. We went on an grand mountain bike ride through the Sequoia National Park. It was an magnificent trip, but began with the strenuous drive. My gear was packed with my bike ready the night before. I started the mountain bike ride up alone as I left early from the office. My meet up time was set for eight pm where I was to meet with my friends on the mountain since I didnt know where exactly the campsite would be. I knew my window of opportunity was about thirty minutes. If I didnt make it in time, they would come back the next day to find me. This means if I was too late, I would end up sleeping in my car alone that night.

Turns out I made it through traffic and up the hill in time to unhook my bike, crack open a beer and mtn bike ride up and down a couple of little hills before dark and before my buddies would arrive. The air was crisp and I was excited to be away from the city. My Santa Cruz Heckler was in tip top shape and ready to tear up some rails and free riding, fresh out of the shop. Friends arrived beers in hand and ready to show me where the campsite was.

We began our bike ride the next morning, each if us carrying 40lb packs ensuring enough food and water to last at least 12hrs of long hard riding. The first crank up the big hill was ridiculously long. We pedaled over 10 miles uphill, that took over 2hrs. Making it to the summit was glorious. We took a break and sipped some water from our stainless steel water bottles.

The next 8hrs was spent jamming up and down hills, over fallen logs, off huge hits and hucking over big rocks. A couple of breaks were in order throughout the day where we drank a bit of booze and shared treats we had packed away. The terrain was sensational and just right for some summertime riding. It was nice to see just a bit of snow left on the ground in certain spots.