Not what I thought the first repair would be

After a short (31 mile) ride, and our 1st non camping night since the 15th May, we were about to have a little afternoon ride into Arcachon.

That was until I spotted Jean's destroyed tyre.

The spare inner tubes were not going to fix this.

A quick Google and I was off on a 4 mile ride in search of some new rubber.

So many numbers these days for tyres! And I had to bear in mind the one currently on Jean's bike was maximum width, as the helpful assistant tried to upsell a more off road wider one.

After riding back with the tyre over my shoulder and feeling like the Michelin Man, out came the tools.

And voilà, we had our ride into Arcachon after all 

Definitely a boaty place.

Ferry, cross the ......Girond

A major milestone reached. Bordeaux country.

A short ferry ride, slightly longer than the Mersey, saved about 2 days to the next crossing point.

Otherwise it's been an uneventful week, cycle, set up camp, get up, ride bikes, fall off. (Ok, maybe not that uneventful).

I had  comedy fall a few days ago. The cycle path was about to change to the other side of the road and a couple were coming the other way. I thought best to give them room and swung out early.

Next thing I knew I was rolling in the road and a front pannier was behind me. 

I'd ridden straight into a sign post.

The other couple gave me a wide berth as I lay in the road laughing.

As we were picking me and my bike up two guys from Warrington rode down the road. Small world.

Thinking it through later I remembered there were two sign posts, one either side of the crossing, so when I adjusted my line they lined up as one and in my head it was the further one.

One of my front pannier frames took the full force, the bag fortunately designed to come away easily. It is slightly bent and I suspect the lower screw has snapped, but it will tighten (and loosen during the day). So after tie straps applied, seems to be holding.

Heat is now definitely our enemy, the afternoons have got really hot and energy sapping, so our current strategy is to get to a campsite by 1400. As we are starting off about 0900 each day and rattling off 25 miles by midday this has become workable.

We passed through La Rochelle before lunch and we're on the beach again by tea time.

And we got to play on a working transporter bridge in Rochefort.

625 miles, in France, so far.