The Normandy Tourism website has plenty of cycling suggestions. Looking ahead at the weather it looks dry with temperatures getting up to the high teens.
Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne is another inviting place to setup a base for cycling especially if you go in September for the Fête de la Mayenne. As you can see I am already looking to the next trip.
Some photos of Alençon with the morning sun before I set off.
After 10 miles I pause at a forest picnic area. It has information boards and secure bike parking if you wanted to stow bike and panniers while you take a walk.
Rolling into Mortagne-au-Perche there is a gradient on the road up into town and I find it harder than I think it should be but then the gradient is steeper than it looks, I have already covered 25 miles with no real stops, and as I discover as I ponder the difficulty of the climb my rear tyre has punctured. I inflate as a very temporary fix, ride 500 meters to the nearest Brasserie and enjoy Le Menu where I try a rabbit version of gala pie and the boudin noir, a soft version of the UK's black pudding.
As to puncture repair, when I am touring I usually apply a patch and refit the punctured - and newly repaired - tube so I know the fix has worked and it saves me an evening job. So that is what I do.
Today was 50 miles and as it was flat I had categorised it as an easier day, a day to recover a little; I wish that was true. Anyway, looking at the numbers I am up to 560 miles and - more importantly - had a great day on the Véloscénie.
