Riding in the Alps from Bourg d’Oisans

I had bought a road bike the summer before moving to the alps with thoughts of skiing, hiking and possibly getting out on the bike a bit. Little did I know it would spark such a passion and eventually a new career. After checking out the three valleys and other sections of further north, we discovered the lovely town of Bourg d’Oisans and the surrounding villages. Bourg has a much more relaxed and friendly atmosphere compared to many of the spa towns around the other major resorts. A great mix of locals and ex pats from the UK and the Netherlands in particular, give this valley town an interesting and eclectic vibe.

There are a couple of starter routes including a lovely loop above the reservoir at Allemond, which includes only a few hundreds metres of climbing, but after that, it’s time to take on the cols. Talk about diving in at the deep end. The first time I took on a full climb to the top of Col d’Ornon, my legs were burning and I thought I might collapse by the summit. A couple of years later, it’s what I do as a warm up to the season or an afternoon ride up for a great pizza at the top. How times change!

If you’re more of a seasoned rider, there are few better places to access some of the most challenging and beautiful climbs the alps have to offer. The classic ride up Alpe d’Huez, Galibier, Croix de Fer or my personal favourite, the lesser known La Berarde. For those with a good head for heights, the balcony roads connecting towns by the back or locals routes, give you some fantastic views with potentially terrifying drops. At least they’ve got high barriers along most of them but I definitely prefer to climb up while enjoying the view and loop round to bigger roads for my descents.

With most of the local bike shops now renting ebikes as well as people powered ones, the more interesting routes are being opened up to more and more people. I’ve got to admit, I’m slightly tempted. The look of glee on someone’s face as they cruise past my increasingly red and sweaty one is more than slightly irritating. I definitely can’t beat them, might be time to join them. Only on a climb I’ve already done under my own steam of course.

Fancy staying in the alps this summer? Check out our holiday apartments on www.oldschoolalps.com