E-Bike tour of Sainte Victoire Mountain, Aix-en-Provence

Ger_H, Aug 2024

Having not rode a bicycle in a few years Vincent made the experience very enjoyable from the start. The e bikes he had were perfect for this trip as they take all the trouble out of cycling. Vincent is very knowledgeable on the area and you don't free the few hours passing by. Would highly recommend this cycling experience to anyone with a basic level of fitness. I thought the heat would be a problem as temp was 34 degrees on the day we did it but there is a lovely breeze as you are cycling along. Would definitely do again if I get back to Aix-en-Provence in the future.

Francesca_H, Aug 2024

The biking was great, the 3 other people on the tour were also really nice (one solo, 1 mom and adult son). Our guide (company owner) was technically fine as a cyclist, but not so much at guiding people. Before we had even started the trip he had chastised one woman for trying out the bike, after he had shown us how the gears worked and after he had asked her if the height was comfortable. It was a little confusing to all of us (how would you know if the seat height was right without trying it?) but we continued on. He sent us to a local park to "practice" and said he would catch up with us in a few minutes. We found the park on our own, navigating busy city streets, and waited for him. There was beautiful scenery as we headed through town and out to the bike trails, and then back onto roads heading up the mountain. At one point, as we were climbing a hill and I was behind him, he told me I could go ahead, that we would stop at a small town over the hill for lunch. I went ahead a short way until there was a sign for the upcoming town and a small parking area to the left. I pulled in there to wait for everyone else, who were only 2 or 3 minutes back. He arrived, and yelled at me that "you are not very nice." I was rather shocked, and at first thought he was joking. He then told me I was supposed to ride only to the top of the hill and wait, not to the bottom of the hill as I had done. I told him I thought he said to stop before the town, and he was very insistent that he did not, that I did not listen, that I just went and did my own thing, that I could have been hurt and he would lose his license forever. I apologized for any misunderstanding, but he stayed visibly angry and silently steaming. It was especially odd since he'd told me to ride ahead, and he'd earlier told us all to ride to the park without him. We go into the town, and the cafe was closed on Wednesdays, which apparently he knew but forgot about, so we got a chance for drinks from a convenience store. I thought we were back on good terms because he gave me a hug, said he was sorry, he just got so worried. As we left the stop, he said we were doing good on time and had enough time to take a trail on the way back. As we headed out, he set a very fast pace, and one guest was not able to keep that pace, and I hung back so nobody was riding alone, because biking 101, you don't leave anybody behind, it's not safe or kind. The two of us at the back were not riding slowly, but still never caught up to them. We had no idea how they'd gotten so far ahead, and at various intersections, just kept following signs pointing back toward the city and using whatever map info we could grab with spotty cell service on our phones. We arrived back at the bike shop and he was furious at us for "you just decide to go your own way." We told him we were behind and never caught up to them, so just kept following the signs back towards town where we had started. He told us that was impossible, said I was lying, and that we should have just stopped and waited when we were lost, like every child knows. We said we weren't lost, still believed we were behind them and trying to catch up, but didn't know how they'd gotten so far ahead of us. We then learned from the other two guests that they had turned off the main road onto the trail detour, but did not stop or wait for us to catch up. Bike rule number 2, you don't take turn from the road you're on without either waiting for the rest of the group, or being sure they know where they are supposed to turn. He then got mad at one of the other guests who stayed with him at the front for not staying at the turn-off to tell us where to turn, and got mad at the guest I was riding with for wearing bad shoes. It was almost comical but also pretty ridiculous. We heard all about his work life, and how an injury derailed his professional musical clarinet career. I don't think he is a bad person, but not sure that his personality fits his career change into leading bike tours to tourists. Great ride though, met new friends, c'est la vie!

Dawn_B, Aug 2024

This was an amazing bike ride with amazing views and Vincent our guide was awesome!

Highly recommend this tour!

Suespinky, Jul 2024

We all (teens included!) really enjoyed the bike ride. The bikes were excellent. The views were amazing and Vincent’s commentary at the stopping points were very interesting, especially about Cezanne and Picasso.

We couldn’t recommend the ride more!

Anna_L, Jul 2024

This experience was the highlight of our 2-week vacation in France! I cannot recommend it highly enough. Vincent is very knowledgable with biking and the Sainte Victoire region, and he was very attuned and adaptable to our preferences and abilities (ex: what history/region information we were interested in hearing more about, the frequency of stops, the difficulty level of trails). His bike shop and equipment is top of the line, and the electric bikes made the trip very smooth for everybody (there were many settings so each could find the perfect amount of electric-powered assistance desired). However, while the trip was perfect for us, I would caution someone who is not comfortable riding bike on terrain other than pavement to consider a different type of experience. Vincent led us out to the Sainte Victoire mountains where we took several gravel and mountain bike trails, came across lavender fields, and many scenic overlooks (including landscapes true to Cézanne's paintings!). What a beautiful and enjoyable way to explore the Provence region and the famous Sainte Victoire mountains! Many thanks to Vincent and his kindness for leading us on this experience.