This month’s friendly evening among GBMCC mates at the bike club’s London pub meet. A good number of bikes outside despite the November drizzle, and great to meet again more friends I’ve not seen for quite a while. Lots of chat about ideas and planning for 2022. Good that we’re spreading to occupy more tables every month since the restart. Real candles on the tables is a nice touch by the pub.

Plage de St. Clair, le Lavandou

Pointe de la Chappe

That was a really pleasant ride. Not too long, balanced between Riviera coast and hills plus the weather was mild and the traffic moderate. Great to see again palm trees and lush semi-tropical flowers and trees. Fantastic light also.

More photos: Riviera beach run and Col du Canadel (269 m.)

Sunday cruise to the pretty little Mediterranean port of Les Goudes, which is at the end of a long peninsular between Marseille and the Parc national des Calanques. Wearing an old and favourite leather suit with twin front zips, which is unfortunately no longer suitable for riding out of town.

Lac de Serre-Ponçon from Saint-Vincent-les-Forts (1314 m.)

Valley of the Ubaye

After a clear night, the temperature on the balcony in the hotel in Barcelonnette at 1135 m. was 0.0°C at about 0730, ie just before dawn. I hadn’t been expecting an early start but this was frosty with the frost even harder up on the mountain roads. It seemed sensible to seek the pretty autumn colours rather than head up to one of the high cols which surround Barcelonnette. I loaded my RR and set off towards more moderate cols and the sweeping road down the valley of the River Ubaye

More photos & text: Barcelonnette - Col Saint-Jean (1332 m.) - Col Labouret (1240 m.)