Inspired by the Tour? Get yourself on a cycle camp

The one with your mates: Chez Ray
Ray Keighley’s informal and enthusiastic take on bike hosting is a breath of fresh air for anyone who likes a good deal of craic with their cycling. Located in northern Provence, Ray’s is an ideal base for testing yourself on some of the lesser known Tour de France cols such as the Allos and Champ as well as the spectacular Verdon Gorge. You can hire out the entire property – which is best described as charismatic rather than boutique – for the week with Ray providing a breakfast fit for champions, vehicle support, cycle guiding and five nights’ of top-notch dinners. Guests aren’t expected to work for their holiday but the atmosphere is definitely one of mucking in – so save some energy for helping to clear the table.
B&B at Chez Ray costs 20euros pppn. You can rent the entire property for a week from 700euros
www.chez-ray.com

The one for all round fitness: Velo Pyrenees
Have a partner who prefers running to cycling? Or just fancy mixing it up a bit while racing around the Pyrenees? Julie Moore and Lee Parish have combined years of experience as bike racers, triathletes and coaches with a rustic farm setting and hearty meals to create a sporty base from which to explore the region and your strength. There are trails for running straight from the door while cyclists have a wealth of thigh-busting climbs to choose from, even popping over into Spain should you feel like it – with maps, itineraries and advice close to hand.
Bed and breakfast from £25 pppn. Additional evening meals at 22euros pp including wine and coffee
www.velopyrenees.com

The one in the ‘secret Alps:’ Velo Vercors
We all know the Alps are a mecca for road cycling but if you only focus on Alpe d’Huez and the rest of the Haute Alps you’re missing out. The Vercors national park which slides down the western flank of the Rhone Alps, is home to quiet roads, punishing cols and sweeping rides down into the Isere valley – great for the lesser-toned of thigh. At the helm of Velo Vercors is Roger Hart who after years of competitive road racing has turned his attention to encouraging others to the top of the Col du Rousset. Accommodation is in gites, complete with bike storage, BBQs, laundry rooms and WiFi. You can book self-catered but that would mean missing out on Theresa’s home-cooked three-course meals and robust breakfasts.
Seven nights fully catered from £440 pp based on two sharing
www.velovercors.com

The one for aspiring Lance’s: Alpine Cadence
During a torrential downpour on the top of the Col de Forclaz in Switzerland, most people would retreat under a rock and whimper to be rescued. Not the Alpine Cadence crew. Based in Courchevel, the company run multi-day road tours – think stage racing – as well as day training rides from Chalet Nicola. These are not rides for the faint hearted and if you’re looking to test yourself on legendary Tour de France terrain, Alpine Cadence will happily throw down the gauntlet. Never fear – there is always a support car on hand with snacks, water, spare parts and comfy seats if you need a lift.
There is one space left on Alpine Cadence’s Tour de France week 17-24 July which is £825 for seven nights half board accommodation and fully supported guided riding.
www.alpinecadence.com

The one for people who like a bit of luxury: BreatheBike
Launched this year and based in Chamonix, BreatheBike takes its riding seriously – but also provides those little touches which make a difference after 100km in the saddle. Two words: hot tub. Chalet Annabelle exudes modern luxury complete with a laundry service for your sweaty bike gear, satellite TV, iPods, bike storage, massages, support car, bike mechanic and stunning views of the Aiguille du Midi to keep you inspired. With Italy and Switzerland both a short ride away, enthusiastic racer Mike Booth and his team of guides have the pick of legendary routes which you can ride safe in the knowledge that there’s a posh place to put your feet up on your return.
A six night ‘classic cols’ holiday including half-board accommodation and guided riding is 799euros
www.breathebike.com

Also available on Guardian website

Run Rabbit, run

Me in Chamonix. Photo: Tom Humpage


I went out with my sister last night and we weren't on the bikes. God no. The last time she got on a bike was when I hauled her sorry ass over the Golden Gate Bridge on a tandem. So we went out and we got to talking and we both agreed that it's taken a while but we can no longer avoid the crushing realisation that: This. Is. It. This is it. You can hum the Strokes here, I find it helps. And this realisation reminded me of a sentence from Updike's Rabbit which has literally been on my mind for years. I paraphrase of course, but it's something like: 'somehow overnight I had morphed from being someone who had so much potential, into someone who could have been so good.' We decided, over our second bottle of Pinot Grigio (natch) that the morphing had indeed taken place. No matter, we both still had our health and wrinkled youth, besides what's the future when you have chilled white wine?

But as I ploughed into work this morning, a sole cool-clad cyclist in a sea of day-glo and bad, bad footwear, I got cataclysmically panicked. Agreed the hangover wasn't helping but let's just focus here people, yeah? Jesus I thought, I've missed the boat. I didn't even know where it was going, but it's gone. Look at all these people pedalling so fast on squeaking chains, flashing lights clinging to every orrifice, they're still racing to catch the boat – they can still see it. Me – I'm sat on the harbour wall with a big bag of chips, tenderly groping my extra fat wondering if it's worth trying to swim. Nah.

Back in the day before I morphed, cycling for me was amazing. It was challenging, every route a personal triumph. My road riding took me across America and through the Alps, opened up the landscape and a side of me that relished in the present and enjoyed overcoming obstacles. Mountain biking used to be about beers and berms, rock music and the closest thing I could find to mad, off-piste skiing. Even commuting was a great way to start and end a day, a chilled ride through one of the greatest cities on earth.

And I'm sorry to be depressed about it, because all the blogs I read are really upbeat all the time about bikes. And I'm still stoked on bikes and I think the chicks are amazing – 2010 is a wicked year for MTB for sure. But it's getting really boring have some over weight bloke get pissed off when I pass him on the way to work, and then try and sandbag me the rest of the way to Farringdon. It's quite sad the way the industry is so cliquey. It's frustrating the way mainstream journalism can't get its head around using experts to write their bike information; and it's so demoralising when it seems like everyone is so caught up outdoing each other with all the bollocks that they forget everyone is free to ride a bike however they like.

My mate Mark who runs GPM10 and re-inspires me every summer when I ride with him in Chamonix, says it's all just a load of bollocks and if you hang out in Cham with proper cyclists you rise above all that stuff. So maybe it's time to make the move. Plus he's like 46 or whatever, so has done a lot more morphing than me.

In the meantime I watched this montage of the TransAmerica trail from a blog on Adventure Cycling's website. I did this route in 2006, on my own. Wicked. I hope it's not the best thing I've ever done on a bike, but it feels like that today.