August 29, 2011
From Dole to Bescancon: An easy ride along the canal and river
Well there wasn't an orage, the wind was neutral and the temperature mild when we farewelled Rosemary and John for Bescancon on what was a golden day. Almost the whole way was on dedicated cycle paths either along the canal or the river. A really beautiful area with something I handn't seen before, what looked like small holiday homes beside the river. For moch of the way we rode with Mal. Mal is a Scot now living in Gutamala who spends his summers cycling around Europe, he told me that now he is older, 59 ( a spring chicken in my eyes) he likes to keep to the river valleys and avoids the mountains. We left Mal at Bescancon as he ducked into the Tourist Info to find an internet site then off to a camp ground. I ashamed to say we ducked into a hotel which by coincidence was the one we stayed at two years ago when cycling to Rome. Bescancon is a lovely city enclosed as it is in a loop of the Doube. I have been able to catch up on computer things and we have had a lovely poke around this Vaubaun town.
Old cars fascinate Ken and he has been enjoying observing them here .
'There are some unusual features of cars in France. Most of course are French built and fairly new. But there are a minority that are old or strange.
There are still quite a lot of Citron 2CV (Deux Chevaux) cars, vans and jeep-like varients on the road. Car historians will know that the design with a flat twin aircooled, front wheel drive was done just before World War 2. By various means the prototypes were hidden from the Germans and right after world War 2 production started. There are 4 seats, soft springs, all independent suspension and it was in production for longer than the Model T Ford. It revolutionized transport in France and most of Africa. Only a very few later models with larger engines came to NZ. We see them everyday, some restored, mostly not.
Another French design is the Renault 4, from the 60s, lots in everyday use. We also see Simcas now extinct.
The most unusual are the varity of tiny 2 seat cars with single cylinder engines which because if their tiny engine size escape tax. Most are diesel - some quite old. They hop around villages and small country towns and compared to a bicycle seem fast and comfortable. I suspect the max. speed is around 60kph. Axiam is the commonest make but there are several.'
Today's ride: 64 km (40 miles)
Total: 1,181 km (733 miles)
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