The best road(s) in the world, ever?

The A136 heading south from the France/Spain border near El Formigal,
then left onto the N260 through Gavín - utterly fantastic. A better
combination of bends, road surface & lack of traffic I have never found.

Just don't venture onto the HU-361 at Sarvisé unless you like
off-roading, although the view from the hotel in Nerin is worth it
(http://www.ordesa.net/hotel-palazio/inicio.htm).

 

D999 from Villedieu les Poeles to St. Hilaire du Harcouet is also very
good, as is the D911 from Avranches to Tinchebray (it's a bit straight
at the Avranches end, but gets *lots* better).

 

I think sir likes his roads a little straighter than me...

 

I can assume sir hasn't ridden the 999, then.

 

Col de Iseran. South out of Val d'Isere. No traffic, perfect surface
twistier than a twisty thing.

 

I haven't, but if you compare it on a map to the N260 I think you'll
spot the difference.

 

URL?

 

I have, in company with Bonwick and, err, Bonwick-to-be (as she was
then). It is indeed a very nice road with quite a few decent twisty
bits.

But it's not in the same league as some of the roads further south in
France. Almost anywhere that there are mountains will throw up dozens
of roads better than that one. Some outstanding ones that spring to
mind from our recent trip are:

D940 from Tulle to Guéret (in dept Vienne). Includes massive long
sweepers on recently surfaced road with little traffic ( a new
autoroute takes the strain now) and further north some genuine twisty
stuff, all of it running through a variety of stunning scenery.

N102 from le Puy en Velay (via N88) to Aubenas. Great open mountain
roads up and down through the Ardèche valley.

D518 Col de Rousset North from Die (dept Drôme).

N5 from Gex (Jura) to Pontarlier and on northwards.

Too many to mention in the Vosges, including Col de la Schlucht, col
du Bonhomme and the entire 'Route des Crêtes'.

I could go on...

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http://mappoint.msn.com/(dwjyru55yoqkwc55v2rqrq3f)/map.aspx?C=42.61971%2
c-0.24036727400000002&L=EUR&A=6&PN=1533822787&S=800%2c740&P=|92bb06|&TI=
Gav%c3%adn%2c+Huesca%2c+Arag%c3%b3n%2c+Spain

Start there & zoom out/scroll around a bit.

 

Bastard. Took me ages to find that - not helped by the fact that it's
marked on my map as the A138, not the 136.

Looks pretty nice from the map, to be sure. Twistines-wise, it's
probably on a par with a lot of what we did recently.

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..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
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Please don't, I've run out of Kleenex.

 

I've just got back from the French Alps. All the roads round there are
wonderful at this time of year. I can particularly recommend the D902 from
Thonon-les-Bains to Morzine. From Lake Geneva winding up to the mountains
in 25-ish miles, on a fine surface through stunning gorges with almost no
other traffic.

 

Next time you do the tour thang I'll happily plan a day in the Vosges
if you like.

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..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
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Oooh yes, it is rather nice - proper mountain twisties and no mistake.
Lots of little bridges, overhangs, drop-offs etc to keep your
concentration at 100%

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..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
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Don't try it before the end of June, tho.

 

Next year's is going to be based in Spain, staying in a few hotels for
several nights each rather than one big loop with a different hotel
each night. But I'm sure we'll return to France in future years, so I
may well take you up on that.

Get yourself an MV & you can come & play too ;-)

 

TBH most people biking in the Alps will go in July, August or early
Sept. I've tried early and late and it's bloody cold, wet and half the
passes are blocked.

 

The 902 stops and starts. It's still good *way* south of Morzine.

 

But surely I could do that anyway, if I just sprayed enough gold and
red paint on the gixxer and slowed down a bit?

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..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
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`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
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OI! Getcher attributions right, will ya?

But yes, it's pretty good all the way to Cluses, really, as are most
of the roads around there.

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..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
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