N116 : Mont Louis - Villefranche de Conflent

June 19, 2011 - 3.0

I used this road on my epic European megatour last year, and the scenery is jaw dropping, the road spectacular, punctuated by little villages clinging to the mountainsides. I venture to suggest that on a day as hot and sunny as the one I rode it on, it would be possibly up there with the best biking roads in the world, for sustained length, variety, challenge, jaw dropping setting etc. Lots of precipitous drops, steep climbs and drops, etc etc. But I say 'would be' because unlike some other epic roads, this is a main arterial route and when I rode it, it was jammed with French holiday makers dragging sheds. That and the commercial vehicles meant that traffic was moving at a crawl, and really I spent almost the entire trip looking for leapfrog overtakes, slipping the clutch through the blind bits trying not to overheat my head or the bike and very occasionally greedily gulping the short stretches of empty tarmac between the queues... pity. If I'd caught it closer to being empty I'd no doubt be raving, but until they build a motorway next to it, I doubt I ever would. Still worth it for the views, and because it's a great appetiser for the delights of the roads in the Pyrenees beyond...

August 15, 2007 - 4.0

A great stretch of road, lots & lots of corners. Quite a busy stretch of road but the view ahead gives you plenty of time to plan swift overtakes. Thanks to Nigel & Maz for pointing me to this piece of tarmac!

July 3, 2007 - 5.0

This road has all types of corners and is a fantiastic mountain run. Mostly easy to pass other traffic thanks to good visibility and some dual lane sections.

April 6, 2007 - 4.0

A classic ride with a variety of corners from very slow to very fast. see the video