FAQ’S

General
Are you always on hand?
Yes, we personally accompany all trips both on and off road. We’re always available if you need help and won’t hide if there’s a problem. We treat guests how we would like to be treated.

How big are the groups?
On our short breaks we can accommodate a maximum of 10 guests in our property; on our longer European Tours we set a maximum of 14 bikes.

Do you get much repeat business?
Loads! 83% in 2011. Take a look at the leader board and our testimonial pages – they say it all.

Do you provide maps or GPS routes and will we ride motorways?
We believe that we are the only company who always use a ‘second man drop off system’ so that nobody gets lost. There is never any pressure to keep up with the person in front and you ride at your own pace. We avoid motorways wherever possible as we believe that you’d rather ride scenic routes. We never ride them on our short breaks unless in unforeseen circumstances.

What experience do I need to ride on the continent?
In your interest you should be a competent rider. We always give a pre-tour briefing which includes advice and particular road signs etc. We grade the general pace of each trip which is either leisurely, moderate or brisk. Don’t worry, you will enjoy yourself.

Do you hire motorcycles?
Sorry but no we don’t, however we can put you in touch with companies in the UK and France that do.

What items should I bring? …
Please see our advice page

Do you get many ladies on your trips?
Our longer European Tours attract a much higher ratio of ladies and we’re always pleased to welcome lady riders.

Why don’t you include the ferry crossing in your prices?
We are a French registered company and all our trips start and finish on the continent. We know that even on the same trips guests sometimes like to use different ports before meeting up, perhaps they’ll even arrive a day earlier. Not including the ferry makes the crossing more flexible for you.

How do you provide for my financial protection?
We are a French registered company and under European directives your money is held in a separate account until the trip is completed. We have been established since 2003 and have a trustworthy reputation. Your money is safe.

Anything else I should know?
Only the obvious (to us anyway)… Get your bike serviced and check that the tyres will last the trip – worrying about your steed will not make for a good holiday.

Make sure that you have full personal travel and breakdown insurance, you only appreciate having insurance when you need it. You will receive a 10% discount if you take out a policy through Gold Cover Insurance Services

Short Breaks
What’s the accommodation like?
Our property is registered with Gites de France and has 3*. We have 5 en-suite rooms and all have stunning views. There’s also a games room, a drying room and a 200sq metre barn for bike parking. We supply soap & towels and hairdryers are available.

Can you cater for dietary requirements?
Our food (John does the spuds) is legendary; we cook every meal and so with prior notification can cater for all needs except vegan which proves too difficult after we’ve both been riding all day.

How much spending money will I need?
You’ll only need money for fuel, coffee, lunch and a Bike Normandy T Shirt! Breakfasts, dinners and all evening drinks are included.

Can I stay longer than 2 nights?
Yes, we can provide accommodation with dinner and drinks etc but not more guided riding.

Is it just riding or can we see the sights?
We not only ask for your pace of riding but also if you’d like to visit the WW2 landing beaches or other interesting places. Coffee and lunch are always taken at scenic places.

European Tours
What standard of hotels do you stay in and will they have secure bike parking?
In the winters we personally research all of the routes and stay in the hotels. Most are 3* and we choose the hotels for their character and location. Some have swimming pools, saunas etc, but these aren’t a requirement especially if we’re only there for one night.

Our motorbikes are also on the Tour so motorcycle security is always taken into account. If the hotel is in the countryside a garage is not as important as when we stay in a large town. We have never had a problem.

Can you cater for dietary requirements and will there be a choice of food?
Dinner is always included on the first and last night of each Tour (and usually a few nights in between). We ask on our booking forms if anyone has any dietary requirements and notify the restaurant accordingly. We try very hard to provide a choice of food at each venue, however this is not always possible. On nights when meals are not included hotels will be situated within walking distance of restaurants.

Is there a support vehicle?
Yes, on all Tours lasting longer than 5 days we take our faithful Transit van so that you ride luggage free. It carries oil, puncture repair kits, basic tools etc. It follows the same route as the Tour so it’s also available for helmets / jackets etc when you stop to visit any sights. We do not charge extra for you to put luggage in the van. Travelling as a passenger in the van is not an option unless in an emergency.

What speeds do you ride at and what sort of roads will we take?
As previously stated we grade the general pace of each Tour. You ride at your own speed as the marker system takes care of this. You’ll ride a variety of great roads, motorways are avoided wherever possible and we’ve previously driven all of the roads. We even look at mountain roads to check whether they’re suitable for large touring bikes and sports-bikes with a greater turning circle.

How long will I be expected to ride each day?
We run motorcycle holidays, generally we set off at around 09.30 and aim to finish before 18.30. We always use the ‘Barbara test’ and make sure that we stop at least every 1.5 hours for either fuel, coffee or lunch. The distance of each Tour is detailed on the relevant Tour page.

Off Road
Do you run the trips all rear round?
No, we run them in March, April, October and November when the ground is normally muddier and ramblers / horse riders aren’t around as much.

Are you legally entitled to ride the lanes you use.
Yes, we live here and know which ones are open to motorcycles. We sometimes ride on private land with permission.

What sort of riders do you attract?
A broad range of ability however we don’t normally have novices as they tend to learn in the UK. Most riders are experienced and 2 ISDE guys regularly visit us.

Does my bike have to be road legal?
Yes as you ride on public roads / lanes, it also needs to be insured. All bikes have to have front and rear lights as there isn’t the equivalent of a daytime MOT in France. Please put the baffles in your exhausts so as not to upset the locals or the animals.

Who are the guides?
John always accompanies the group and is usually the ‘sweeper’. The lead guide will be French and probably won’t speak English (except to say “cheers” when you buy him a drink). The lead guides are all very experienced and know the lanes in their particular area which means that they can change the route to suit the group – a major advantage over using road books. Our guides’ riding standards have been respected by all our guests.

How many miles will we ride and is there much roadwork or gates?
The miles covered depend on the going. If it’s dry then we’ll ride up to 100 miles in a day. If wet and muddy then this can reduce to around 70. One area that we use is much steeper and sometimes we ride in a private 19 hectare enduro park, on this day you could ride as little as 40 miles but this is for the experienced rider only. Our guides have an in depth knowledge of the area and can add on or remove lanes from the planned route depending on the going. As a rule of thumb it’s 90% lanes 10% roadwork, gates are virtually non-existent.

How do I know where I’m going?
We do not use road-books as experience has proved that you can get lost and end up taking short cuts across farm land. We use a second man drop off system that allows you to ride at your pace and makes it obvious where you’re going. This means that the ride flows as you’re not continually stopping to check roadbooks & maps.

Will we get any ‘hassle’?
Trail riding is widely accepted in Normandy. We’ve had ramblers cheer us while attempting a climb and even hold up traffic for us! Like everywhere there’s always an exception to the rule but it’s very rare. Respect others and they respect you.

If you’ve any other questions then just ask.