The Lin cycle route with his dog
Eloise has shared Roxy's life for a little over a year now, but together they have already traveled many miles. Very athletic, Eloïse naturally wanted to introduce her dog to the many sports she practices. It is in tow, attached to her human's bike, that this pretty golden retriever begins her initiation. Nothing could be more dog-friendly than cycling with your dog: sport and fun combined.
Today, Eloïse tells us about her experience of the Véloroute du Lin. This Norman route offers more than 70 kilometers of cycle paths in Normandy and connects the town ofHautot sur Mer to the one of Fécamp. Whether you have a road, city or mountain bike, all you need is a trailer for your pet; good legs unless you drive electric!
Thanks to the detailed experience of Eloïse and Roxy, you too can pedal through the flax fields with your dog in the wind.
I now let you read the testimony of Eloïse who went on an expedition on the Véloroute du Lin with her dog!
Eloise and Roxy: two born sportswomen
Hello Wouafer's! My name is Eloïse, I am 27 years old, and I am passionate about sports and travel. This is the reason why I carried out my studies in this field at ESTHUA, at the university center of Saumur, the city of the horse. For nearly 3 years, I have been working at Normandie Tourisme and am project manager within the “active” universe which includes all the sporting leisure activities that a tourist can do in Normandy. I love my job, and I have the opportunity through this to discover the Normandy on foot, by kayak, on horseback, but also by bike!
I always wanted to have one Golden Retriever, he is an extremely kind and very versatile dog, who knows how to be as calm as he is dynamic.
Roxy celebrated her first birthday in January. We have not yet been able to do many "sporty" trips due to his young age. I mostly opted for cycling holidays with her in the trailer, and since she was 1 year old, we start the canicross gently.
The Lin cycle route: a route through fields
La Lin cycle route is a cycle route of about 70 kilometers that is located in Seine-Maritime in Normandy. It begins in Hautot-sur-Mer and ends in Fécamp. This cycle route is dedicated to this little blue flower of which Normandy is the world's leading producing region and allows you to cross many flax fields. The route is considered a gentle alternative to the cycle route of The Vélomaritime, which notably runs along the alabaster coast.
The ideal time to cycle the route is June because the flax is in bloom there.
Preparing the Lin cycle route with your dog
My job allows me to follow the news of great cycling routes in Normandy, even in France. Being from Seine-Maritime, I wanted to discover this recent cycle route and set off to discover this little blue flower.
Previously, I had made a few outings on theGreen Avenue London Paris. You can find my other testimonial on this dog-friendly bike trip, which allowed me to discover the beautiful greenway going from Forges-les-Eaux to Dieppe. This is the perfect route to start because it is a greenway, a route dedicated to cycling, and which is completely flat. This allowed me to see if the dog bike trailer was well suited to my bike, if Roxy tolerated staying in it, and seeing what I was missing if I wanted to go longer.
Here is the gear I brought for Roxy:
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His papers (health record)
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His croquettes for 3 days
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2 foldable bowls (one for the water, the other for the croquettes)
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A travel bottle for Roxy
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Her toy (so she doesn't get bored in the trailer)
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Personalized droppings bags (very important to respect the places we cross).
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A microfiber towel to wipe it when wet
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A sheet for her to sleep on
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Conclusion necklace with a medal with my first name and my telephone number and its lanyard
I first looked for a bike trailer for dogs. Roxy didn't run at all, she stayed in the trailer the whole way. Running all along the course seems difficult and complicated for the dog. The route being dedicated to cycling, the tracks are mainly concrete.
Musher and Sophie: “To find out how to choose the right bicycle trailer, you can look at the article on the Flow Cycling with his dog in which you will find a comparison of several bicycle trailers for dogs”.
I prepared my itinerary by first dividing up my days, with a base of around 20/30 km per day. Knowing that the route was about 70 km, I had set myself to do it in 3 days. 2 days seemed a little too ambitious, and for a first trip, I preferred to take my time.
The France Vélo Tourisme website helped me prepare for my stay, as did the Seine-Maritime Attractif website.
It is also very important to find accommodations that welcome dogs, but which can also keep your bike in a secure place. For this, there is the "bike welcome" label which helps you find suitable accommodation. For transport, it was my parents who took me to my starting point, and picked me up at my arrival point.
Eloise and Roxy's cycling itinerary
The trip lasted 3 days, from Friday to Sunday. Here are the details of my journey:
Friday : Hautot sur Mer – Saint Pierre le Viger
Departure to Hautot-sur-Mer. Start by following the main road on a cycle path before joining the greenway which goes up to Offanville. Lunch in Offranville at the Terrasse Gourmande du Parc restaurant. Then from Offranville to Saint-Pierre-le-Viger on a greenway across the field, passing by Ouville La Riviere : linen field as far as the eye can see, poppies, daisies, etc.
Overnight stay at the Linerie gite to stay within the theme of linen.
On Saturday: Saint-Pierre le Viger – Vittefleur (near Cany-Barville)
Departure from St Pierre le Viger on a shared lane (green lane in progress) then small country roads with low traffic through fields of flax, wheat...
Passage in the middle of the wind turbines. Crossing several very nice little villages but without many shops.
A word of advice: take a picnic in St Pierre-Le-Viger or Ste Colombe, otherwise you have to wait Cany Barville.
Picnic break at the edge of the mill in Cany-Barville, a pleasant place recommended by a local.
We spent the night at the Vittefleur campsite in the safari lodge (warning: 4 km detour off the itinerary with a shared lane with cars to get there!)
I advise you to find accommodation in Cany-Barville for more security.
Sunday: Vittefleur – Fecamp
Back from Vittefleur towards Cany-Barville (off route) then take the beautiful greenway at the old Cany-Barville station through the fields. Prepare well because it goes up for about 5 km, then it goes down.
Then arrive at the charming village of Valmont.
There are very good cycling infrastructures in Valmont and all along this section.
There is a fish farm in Colleville which can be seen very well from the greenway.
Then arrival towards the city center of Fécamp. The route ends at the Tourist Office. Mussels and chips lunch in a restaurant.
Musher and Sophie: “For more dog-friendly addresses in Normandy, do not hesitate to consult our article on holidays in Normandy with a dog. "
The latest advice from Eloise and Roxy
I advise you to prepare the stay via the dedicated media in particular TakeTonDog.com and do not hesitate to contact the referents of the routes if you have any questions.
It is also best to prepare the duration of the stages in advance (and not be too "ambitious" because not everything is flat). For example, set 20/30 or 40 km per day.
And finally, book your accommodation well because you have to find accommodation ready to accommodate our animal but also our bike.
Thank you very much Eloise for this great testimony! Thanks to you two, many Wouafer's will be able to embark on the Lin cycle route with their dog. And I admit that you made me want to come and discover this little piece of France with Musher! It will perhaps be the occasion of a next expedition with my dog.