What is Self-Supported Bike Touring? It’s just you and your bike and all the stuff you foolishly decided to bring with you. You are the navigator, the guide, and everything in between.

Who are we? We are a retired couple who love to ride bikes. We thank God every day for these opportunities. Not only do we enjoy getting behind the postcard and seeing real people living real life – we enjoy the annual escape from reality.

Before we proceed with 2024’s ride, let’s review our 2022 and 2023 tours. We have now completed three of our four planned trips. Keep reading until the end to discover where we will ride next!

In 2022 we rode 2,000 miles over 52 days. Starting in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and ending in Athens, Greece.

There’s something utterly enchanting about cycling across Europe. The thought of pedaling through picturesque landscapes and charming villages is simply irresistible.

The details of this remarkable journey are shared on The Cycling Europe podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-069-susan-and-ron-crump-cycling-amsterdam-to-athens/id1275182585?i=1000608192111

In 2023, we returned to Amsterdam and rode to the West Coast of France, just south of La Rochelle landing in Rochefort sur mer. We covered just over 1,000 miles in 21 days.

This adventure is featured on the Join Us in France podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-us-in-france-travel-podcast/id827972274

Click on graphic below or navigate to episode 474 on above link.

With 2022 and 2023 behind us as well as many lessons learned, we set off on our third cycle tour in Europe. We have now ridden our bikes self-supported in 10 european countries.

Cycling the Canal des Deux-Mers and the ViaRhôna.

In 2024, we picked up where we left off last year and continued our French tour, cycling from Rochefort on the Atlantic coast to Lyon via the Canal des Deux-Mers and the ViaRhôna. We journeyed approximately 866 miles in 21 days. We had one flat tire and one broken brake.

We set off from Rochefort-sur-Mer, excitedly following the stunning Atlantic Cycling Route, La Vélodyssée!

As we approached Royan, we seamlessly merged onto the Canal des Deux-Mers, which features two incredible bike paths: the Canal de Garonne and the Canal du Midi.

Finally, we joyfully connected with the ViaRhôna near Sète, wrapping up our adventure in beautiful Lyon.

What an experience we had visiting Le Pont Du Gard!

Glancing at the statistics of elevation and mileage, you might think this third trip would have been the easiest of the three – starting by the sea, days of charming canals, and delightful, dedicated bike routes.

However, riding along the canals proved to be quite an adventure, and we encountered some unique challenges! The flat terrain required us to engage our muscles differently, and we discovered that the paths on the Canal du Midi section were sometimes too rough for riding and thus pushed us onto the road. While we usually love hitting the roads—their smooth surfaces are a cyclist’s delight—it’s good to be prepared. If you’re considering this route, just know that navigating some of the surface types with a loaded touring bike can be tricky. Komoot offers a very detailed illustration of surface types (unpaved, paved, asphalt) as well as way types (street, road, state road, path, ferry).

My advice is to pay particular attention to the Komoot-defined difficulty level, the way and surface types, and the lengths of said types.

Embrace the journey, and you’ll surely create memorable experiences along the way!

Each trip brought us challenges, insights, and growth. Each was different yet complimentary.

The lessons learned list has grown and the packing list has shrunk. Riding under the radar from point A to point B teaches you a lot about yourself, your partner, and life behind the postcard.

Please let me know if you have specific questions regarding the Canal des Deux-Mers and the ViaRhôna.

For 2025, we reconned Turkey and loved it.

Our next great adventure will come in 2026 when we plan to ride a large portion of Eurovelo 6.