Hey All,
I’ve the good fortune of going to France to see part of the TdF (tour comes through my neck of the woods on the weekend of July 9th/10th).
I’d like to get some riding in, and the friend I am staying does not have a car big enough to accomodate a bike/box. Besides that, travelling with shoes and pedals is easier than dragging my bike all over. Anyone know of shops in that area that rent bikes (i.e. a nice road bike)? I’m trying to not get stuck on a POS tourist mountain bike if I can help it.
Thanks,
Philbert
Hi Philbert,
You sure chose a nice place to ride a bike, and I trust you’ll love climbing the Vosges passes.
Decent LBS are scarce in this area but there are a few and I could provide you with a few phone numbers. The problem is, I do not think that the guys speak English. If you or your friend speak French, obviously, no problem, and if you speak German, the odds are that you could make yourself understood.
Cyclingfrenchie,
(I love the handle, BTW)
The friends I am staying with are French, so it should not be a problem. My italian and spanish are pretty good, but the one time I really tried to speak French to a Parisian waiter, he switched to english immediately and said, “Don’t ever speak my language again.” So there you go.
Any shops you could suggest would be much appreciated! Especially if you have phone numbers!
thanks a lot,
Philbert
Hi Philibert,
Forget about Parisian waiters, they are known to be rude, even to non-Parisian French people. There is something so sadly true about the “treat them like kings, they treat you like s—, treat them like s— and they treat you like kings”. The good thing about Paris is that the beauty of Parisian girls kind of makes up for the rudeness of the people there…
A few LBS’s details:
Vélo Plus
169 rue du Général Leclerc 67540 OSTWALD
Phone +33 (0) 3 88 29 73 15
Fax +33 (0) 3 88 29 81 93
Vélo Land
1 rue Fort 67 118 Geispolsheim
Phone +33 (0) 3 88 55 44 33
Fax +33 (0) 3 88 55 44 34
Culture Vélo
22 rue principale 67120 Dorlisheim
Phone +33 (0) 3 88 38 16 65
Fax +33 (0) 3 88 49 83 51
I reckon these three ones are the biggest LBS in Alsace. They are not usually used to rent bikes, but they do sometimes, and it might work for you. You should find mainly Looks, Specialized and C’dale.
Hope it helps.
Enjoy your stay in France, and stay away from “Choucroute” and “Baekeoffe” (traditional Alsacian dishes) prior to a ride … these are recovery meals only. And do not forget Alsace white vines and Alsace Beer… full of Vitamins and minerals to help you fight Hyponatremia ;-)…
Hey…thanks for the info. I’ll forward them to my buddy and maybe he can figure something out. I appreciate it!
Philbert