Burgundy on a Bike: Canals, Chateaus, Vineyards and Wine

September 2024

The best way to see Europe is from a bicycle. I say this as someone who detests cardiovascular exercise, yet I concede that you would miss so much in a car. Walking, you don’t cover as much ground. But on a bicycle: 237 miles in 5 days on the backroads of rural France – the experience is incredible.

Burgundy, in the northeast-central part of France, is a land of limestone hills and quiet forested roads, chateau-dotted valleys, vineyards planted by 12th century Benedictine monks, and medieval towns with names that read like a wine list from a high end restaurant: Nuits St Georges, Beaune, Meursault, Vezelay, Vougeot.

Pedaling a bike on these roads during late summer grape harvest, I could smell the sweet scent of fermenting fruit, the pine of the forests, the fresh cut grass of the rolling pastures, the pungent manure of the white Charolais cows. I could hear the voices of the vineyard workers calling to each other in French, as they hand-pick the clusters of pinot noir grapes. I felt every hill climb, every patch of gravel, the rush of wind with the sweeping descents, the chilled numbness in my fingers when a cloud covered the sun, as well as the warmth on my face when the sun shone again. I saw the landscape change mile by mile, the chateaus around each bend, the fortresses looming on the hill, the half-timbered medieval villages, the colorful Burgundian tile roofs amid the grape vines planted in orderly rows that march up the slopes of the Côte d’Or. You really notice these things when you’re going 15mph on a bike. I will remember the taste of the grape from a Premier Cru plot of vines that a worker gave to us, surprisingly sweet.

Modern life can be isolating. Working full-time, it feels sometimes like Won and I are 2 ships passing in the night. Even on vacation, everyone has different ideas of fun, and it’s easy to vacation together, but apart. Bicycle touring has been a wonderful way for us to spend time really together. Electric bikes are a game-changer: Won can happily huff and puff his way up the hills on his analog bike, while I chat happily behind him, logging every mile that he does. We smell the same scents, see the same sights, hear the same sounds, feel the same ground. There is no past and no future, on a bike. We live in the moment, together.

There are many bike touring companies: Backroads, Duvine, Butterfield and Robinson, Trek Travel, and more. Some focus more on the cycling, with upgraded bikes and gear. Some focus on the wine and gastronomy, with alcohol included in the price. Some focus on smaller groups, 10 max. This is our 3rd trip with Backroads, and it won’t be the last. It’s our Goldilocks, a balance that suits us. We tend to be the youngest in the group by at least a decade (the number of septuagenarians that can crush it on an analog bicycle is truly impressive). Yet this is our tribe: retired or semi-retired people who understand that moments are precious, and nobody is promised a future.

Bike touring is not all 20 people on bikes following a leader, like lemmings off a cruise ship. You are set up on a bike (road performance bike for Won, electric pedal-assist for me) and given a Wahoo (GPS bike computer) with the route programmed in. Everyone starts at the same time, and you can choose various route/elevation options to get to a pre-arranged destination, usually in time for a group meal. For the majority of the trip, you’re alone or with your travel companion, biking at your own speed. Two support vans meet you with water and snacks, or pick you up if you want to bail.

It’s actually great for introverts: no need to interact with strangers in a foreign language, lots of alone time while still being part of a community of like-minded people. Food and drink are meant to be communal. We get to try more variety of local fare than we otherwise would if journeying alone. Everyone gathers to share bottles of wine, platters of beef bourguignon and coq au vin, baskets of baguette and cheese. With a larger group (about 20), it’s easy to avoid any egos and sourpusses that are a statistical inevitability; though, to be fair, we have gotten lucky with our groups, and have fond memories of our fellow travelers.

Best of all, the planners amongst us can totally drop our mental load. Luggage magically appears in hotel rooms. Water stations and snack stops magically appear along the route. There are no decisions to be made, except for how long you feel like riding. No need to think about reservations or directions or itineraries. 

I’m already plotting our next bike tour to Europe. Munich to Salzburg? Mallorca? Swiss Alps? The Baltics?

September 23, 2024