Val de Suzon near Dijon

Bicycle Your France - Secret Burgundy

Walter Judson Moore’s 16 cycle loops with guidelines at every turn.

If you love cycling, you will fully appreciate the work that has gone into Walter Judson Moore’s new book ‘Bicycle Your France – Secret Burgundy’. This comprehensive guide has maps, elevation profiles, point-to-point and turn directions, restaurants and orientation features to help you enjoy the trip to the full. Walter quotes writer Graham Robb: ‘A bicycle unrolls a 360 degree panorama of the land, allows the rider to register its gradual changes in gear ratios and muscle tension, and makes it hard to miss a single inch of it …’

For one section of the book, Walter bases himself in a gîte at Cobigny by the Canal du Nivernais in the Morvan Natural Park. He guides you around the fantastic Lac-les-Settons and Pannecière-Chaumard, to Mont Beuvray and Château Bazoches. For the other, he is based in Santenay near Beaune and each day rides around the famous wine growing areas of Meursault and Pernand-Vergelesses, to Autun and includes one special route in the Val de Suzon north west of Dijon, little known and truly beautiful. As the book title suggests it is ‘Secret Burgundy,’ unhurried and full of charm.

Walter has travelled from his home in Florida on four separate occasions to suss out the Burgundy countryside from his saddle. He has costed it too and, excluding his fares from the States, with gîte rental, a couple of nights in hotels, bike and car hire it works out that on a two person basis, the daily expense is less than $150, around 100 euros or say £85 per day per person all meals included. So, a fairly affordable holiday.

Apart from the actual routes, Walter is clearly a sociable chap and likes to get to know the locals whether it is the Madame cooking a wild boar in prune and mushroom sauce, or fellow American Jim Tanner in his little shop in Nantoux. It makes for an easy readable style. You may find some of the introduction very American oriented, but the route information could not be more complete and each loop shows the level of fitness required. Colour photographs are included and interesting nuggets of information about the sights en route are included.

So, for assured success on your cycling holiday, get a copy of this essential guide.
Bicycle Your France – Secret Burgundy is available from www.lulu.com/content/3709947 and costs $39.95 plus postage $3.95 in the States and $13.25 in Europe. (Full details in your own currency are shown on the site).

In conjunction with the book, there are also Queue sheets, 9 x 6 in. in a plastic coil binding to take on your bike. Available from www.lulu.com/content/3719233 for $28.95 plus $3.95 postage in the States and $13.25 in Europe. If you order both publications, the postage is $4.48 in the States and $13.25 in Europe.

Digital format in pdf form, also now available. If you would like to contact Walter direct: bicyclemoore@tampabay.rr.com

See Also

• Cycling
• Chambres d'hôte, Villa Anna, Vignol