Cycling in the Pyrenees is truly sensational and offers some of the best cycling in France.
In particular, the area around the Col du Tourmalet, in the western end of the French Pyrenees, is home to many of the biggest names in cycling folklore. Within a relatively small radius of the Col du Tourmalet, you’ll find famous roads like the Hautacam, Luz Ardiden, Col d’Aspin and Col d’Aubisque.
Riding this region of the Pyrenees is massively rewarding; unlike other busier, better-publicised parts of this world, cycling around Argelès Gazost and the western Pyrenees feels like an adventure. You’ll also undoubtedly find yourself following many of the same roads the Tour de France takes in the Pyrenees; pretty awesome in itself!
But it comes at a price: it’s tough. This area doesn’t really do flat, so you need to be fit. The gradients are more unpredictable than the Alps, the roads are generally narrower, steeper and less engineered. You’re also more likely to encounter some spiky weather.
It’s worth it; the Pyrenees stole our hearts.
If you love riding in the mountains but haven’t yet tackled the Col du Tourmalet region by bike, now is the time to rectify that.
Looking for a Col du Tourmalet cycling challenge?
Up for some consistently spectacular scenery, serious Tour de France pedigree, reliable bike hire in Argelès Gazost and quiet roads?
Great!
Whether you want a Pyrenees cycling tour or a DIY Pyrenees cycling holiday, this guide will help you plan an unforgettable Pyrenees cycling holiday. Here you’ll find detailed information on the best road rides plus where to stay, when to visit and Pyrenees bike hire.
Read on and plan your Pyrenees road bike holiday.
Looking for a Pyrenees cycling holiday? Don’t miss the Trans Pyrenees route. Or if you are looking for Pyrenees gravel cycling? Read this.
Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels - and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they're there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.
Pyrenees cycle routes: Argelès-Gazost and Tourmalet region of the Pyrenees
When planning our trip to this area of the western Pyrenees, it took us ages to decide on the best base: should we stay in Argelès-Gazost, Bagnères de Luchon or Foix to access the best Pyrenees roads?
After much thought, we decided on Argelès-Gazost for our first trip to the Pyrenees. This allows you to be close to the most famous Pyrenees cols, mountain passes and Tour de France climbs (particularly if you want to attempt the Col du Tourmalet bike climb and the other climbs in this guide). We think it was the right choice (but have since been back to cover the cycling routes of Bagnerès de Luchon including Col du Peyresourde and friends)!
Read this for more information on how we decided which town to stay in for cycling the Pyrenees and this for an overview of the different cycling regions within the Pyrenees.
All of the Pyrenees cycling routes in this guide use Argelès Gazost as a base town. If you use them, you’ll find yourself on loops that take in some of the greatest road climbs of the Pyrenees. We’ve put these routes together ourselves and we hope you love them as much as we did. Do let us know once you’ve experienced cycling in the Col du Tourmalet region, especially if you tried our routes!
Rides
A big thank you to local resident, Simon Smart, for his insights that helped us plan many of these routes.
For a local’s thoughts on Argelès-Gazost cycling, check out our Q&A with Paddy Sweeney of Vélo Peloton.
Also make sure you read our tips for cycling in the Pyrenees, before you go.
Easy cycling in the Pyrenees
You don’t come cycling in the Col de Tourmalet and Pyrenees area for flat roads and easy riding. In general, roads like that are in the valleys and you’ll be sharing the road with a lot of cars, especially in summer. But – happily – there are a few exceptions:
Lourdes – Argelès-Gazost – Pierrefitte-Netsalas Voie Verte/greenway
An 18 km Voie Vertes (or greenway) stretches between Lourdes and Pierrefitte-Netsalas. It’s got a good, asphalt road surface that’s suitable for road bikes. It’s practically flat and is totally separate to the main road. So it’s a great option if you’re with kids or are just trying to get north or south from Argelès-Gazost and want to avoid the main roads.
After Pierrefitte-Netsalas, the Voie Verte becomes steep and gravelled for the last 10 km to Cauterets. This is a good choice if you’re tackling the Pyrenees by mountain bike rather than road bike.
North and east of Lourdes
If you’re seeking flattish terrain, Lourdes cycling could be your best bet: go in the opposite direction to the high mountains. Head towards Lourdes, then Tarbes and villages such as Vic-en-Boigorre, Mauborguet and Tostat in the plains of Gascony.
Alternatively, a middle ground exists in the foothills of the Pyrenees: the Col de Lingous, Col de la Croix Blanche and Bois de Mouret, all of which lie east of Lourdes.
Cycle events in the Pyrenees
Unsurprisingly, there are lots of cycling events and challenges focused on the Pyrenees. For example:
Raid Pyrenees
The Raid Pyrenean route is a 720km traverse from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean across the Pyrenees in 100 hours. Includes 11,000m of climbing. More information in this article on the Raid Pyrenees.
Look Marmotte Granfondo Pyrenees
The Marmotte Pyrenees course takes you 160km, from Argelès-Gazost over the Col du Tourmalet (twice), Hourquette d’Ancizan and Col d’Aspin, finishing at the summit of Luz Ardiden.
Haute Route Pyrenees
A 7 day challenge that starts and finishes in Pau, stopping off en route in Argelès-Gazost. Takes in many of the regions highlights including the Aubisque, Soulor, Spendelles, Hautacam, Tourmalet, Couraduque and Hourquette-Ancizan.
Pyrenees cycling accommodation
This part of the Pyrenees is characterised by small towns and villages with cycling accommodation that is family-run and relatively basic. So staying at the likes of a bed and breakfast with your bike in the Pyrenees is realistic.
We based ourselves in Argelès-Gazost as we wanted easy access to the most famous Tour de France climbs (within 15 km there are over thirty categorised climbs including Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aubisque and Hautacam).
For our view on other great places to stay in the Pyrenees, take a look at our guide to the best towns for cyclists. It describes each of the main towns you could stay in, talks about the cycling options from each and gives our opinion on them.
Our choice: Le Miramont, Argelès-Gazost
The Miramont hotel is a family-run, Art Deco hotel is located in the heart of Argelès-Gazost, between the park and spa and the centre of the village. We received a warm welcome and service was extremely hospitable throughout. Well-presented, delicious food was another big highlight.
What we loved
Delicious food. We ate breakfast and dinner here; both were excellent. The continental breakfast comprised a well-presented selection of artisanal yoghurts, fresh fruit salad, cold meat and cheese, different breads and pastries. Boiled eggs were also available. Coffee was from a self-service machine, but it was surprisingly good. Dinner was tasty and also superb value for money.
Great service. Dominique spoke excellent English and gave us an exceptionally friendly welcome to the hotel and our room.
Good bike storage facilities. A separate building with permanently shuttered windows is tucked away behind the hotel and is home to a spacious bike storage facility. It comprises three small rooms including a workbench with a few tools and track pumps, sink and bike racks. There are also lockable bike storage cupboards you can lock your bike into. The walls are adorned with cycling memorabilia from guests that have stayed in the past, including Chris Boardman, Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong. Whether you bring your own or opt for bike rental in the Pyrenees, there’s somewhere safe and convenient to store your cycle.
Pretty garden. There are various seating areas that looked like the ideal place for a relaxing post-ride beer.
Things to know
The hotel is on the main road through Argelès-Gazost. There was no air-con in our room, so we needed the window open. As a result, traffic noise was mildly disturbing, but if that’s an issue it could probably be resolved with earplugs.
A lot of effort has clearly gone into turning this Art Deco hotel into a contemporary, chic space. This has been done very successfully in the dining room; the moody greys and reds plus over-size downlighters wouldn’t be amiss in a four-star hotel. While not unexpected in a three-star hotel, we felt the bathroom, with its pink-lino floor, was due an upgrade. The same goes for the small bedroom: while the bed was very comfortable, some of the other fixtures looked a little tired.
There is no clothes washing service, but the hotel has a drying room and the owners are happy to dry your clothes there.
Conclusion
Mountain villages are not known for their over-supply of luxury accommodation and Argelès-Gazost is no exception. For a three star hotel, we think Hotel Le Miramont does very well indeed.
Other accommodation options for cyclists
If Hotel Miramont is full, we’d consider the Argelès Gazost accommodation options listed in our article on where to stay in the Pyrenees (for cyclists).
Bike hire Pyrenees (Argelès-Gazost region)
If you’re looking for bike hire in Argelès Gazost, you’re in luck. The town is a cycling mecca, and as such there are a number of good options.
As a side note, it’s worth knowing that in small towns, a shop that seems to be mainly selling lawn mowers and scooters could be able to help you if you have a mechanical issue. They often have on-site mechanics that are very handy with a range of machines, including bikes! So you can look beyond Argelès Gazost bike hire shops should you need technical support.
Prices, services and bike brands often change. Please let us know if anything is incorrect.
Bike rental Argelès-Gazost, Pyrenees
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Cycl’in Pyrenees 1 Avenue Charles de Gaulle 65400 Argelès-Gazost |
Cannondale synapse carbon road bikes are available for hire. They come with a compact 11:32 cassette, pump, saddle bag with inner tube and pedals. Road bike hire prices: If you take a bike for three days, you get half a day free. If you take a bike for a week, you get one day free. ID and deposit is required on hire. Sebastian, the owner, confirmed that bikes are new each year and he is happy for people to collect their bike the evening before their hire commences, to allow for a full day in the saddle. |
Bike rental Luz Saint Saveur, Pyrenees
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Ardiden Bikes 3 Place du 8 Mai, 65120 Luz Saint Sauveur
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Matthew and Nicolette Collins are an English couple who have lived in France for 15 years and hire out Scott and Bianchi carbon and aluminium road bikes with a compact 50/34 chainring and 11×32 rear cassette. Prices start from (depending on model): Prices include pedals and helmets. Garmin Edge bike computers are available to rent, pre-loaded with one-day bike rides. The shop also has cycling clothes, accessories, bars and gels available for sale. Offer 3, 5 or 7-day self-guided road bike tours. Mountain bikes, electric bikes and kids bikes are also available. Delivery is available within 50 km of Luz St Saveur (there is a charge made for this). Free parking available next to the shop. Open mid-May to end of October.  |
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Tourmalet Bikes 18 Place du 8 Mai 65120 Luz Saint Sauveur |
Offer a range of road bikes, from the entry level Giant aluminium bikes with Shimano group Tiagra 10 speeds to Pinarello Dogma F10s. Prices (dependent on model): Prices include a repair kit with CO2 canister. There’s also a bike shop, workshop and the ability to rent mountain bikes and electric bikes too. Open from mid-April. |
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Gran Tourmalet Bike Tours 1, Place du Cotillon Luz St Saveur |
Aluminium and carbon BMC road bikes. Prices (dependent on model): Delivery available (max. 30 km from Luz Saint Sauveur). |
Other Pyrenees bike rental options
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Bike and Py 16, Esplanade du Paradis 65100 Lourdes |
Commencal road bike and mountain bike hire in Lourdes: Prices include helmet, saddlebag and pedals. Also on site is a small shop, workshop coffee shop. Tours are also available. |
| Pyrénées Vélo
2 Avenue du 8 mai 65200 Gerde |
Top end Moustache road bikes. Prices: Prices include helmet and repair kit. There’s a workshop too. |
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Wandeo Delivery only |
This company delivers bikes over much of the Pyrenees. They also offer van and rack rental and tours too. |
Tips:
- Book your bike in advance, particularly in peak season.
- Remember to bring your own pedals, shoes and helmet. This packing list may help!
- Check which way around your brakes are set before you ride away (i.e. whether the front brakes are on the right hand (as is usual in the UK) or on the left (as is usual elsewhere in Europe)). Also take a look at our list of things to check before hiring a bike.
Undecided on whether to hire a bike or bring your own? Read this now.
Best time to go to the Pyrenees
One of our first comments on heading into the Pyrenees was, wow, isn’t it green. Yes. There’s a reason for that – the Col du Tourmalet weather.
The lush green meadows of the French side of the Pyrenees are testament to the fact that this area gets a lot of rain. The weather can be unpredictable, even in summer; afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon.
The area is busiest when the Tour de France comes through in July, but in weather terms, Paddy Sweeney at Velo Peloton advised us that the months either side of the Tour are better times to visit as the weather is more settled and it’s less busy.
So when does Col du Tourmalet open to riders? The cycling season is short-lived in this mountainous area. The Col du Tourmalet weather often means that it and Col du Aubisque often don’t open until early June. Paddy also advised that sometimes cols open in late May and then immediately shut for a few weeks while repairs are carried out to weather-worn asphalt.
So, the message is, if you want to ride the biggest cols, don’t come too early – and don’t leave it too late!
| January | Not suitable for road cycling. This is ski season! | ||
| February | |||
| March | |||
| April | |||
| May | Late in April, resorts start switching their focus to cycling. The weather can be changeable, many of the highest cols will be shut and you need to be prepared for cold weather conditions. The Tourmalet and Aubisque are not normally open before the end of May or early June.
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| June |
It’s mid-June before you can be sure the Tourmalet climb and Aubisque will be open. Mid-June onwards is prime season for cyclists. July is busiest, with the Tour de France bringing a lot of visitors to the region and the month coinciding with school holidays across Europe. Roads get busy (especially in tight spots like the Gorge de Luz, between Pierrefitte-Nestalas and Luz-Saint-Sauveur), though traffic can still be avoided by riding on the out and back climbs, such as Luz Ardiden or Hautacam. Don’t rule out rain/mist in the summer months; there’s always the chance of catching some adverse weather in these high mountains. September is a great month to visit. The roads are quieter but the weather is usually pretty warm, but a touch cooler than July/August, so great for climbing. |
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| July | |||
| August | |||
| September | |||
| October | The cycling season tends to last until around mid or late October, depending on when the snowfall starts. Earlier in the month can be great however.
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| November | Not suitable for road cycling. This is ski season! | ||
| December | |||
Tips
Books
If you like hard copy route cards, there’s a booklet called Topoguide – Velo de route, with 20 individual sheets, one for each road bike route. It show the routes in detail and the topography of the ride. We understand these can be bought from the Offices de Tourisme within the department. Chris Sidwell’s Tour Climbs, the complete guide to every mountain stage on the Tour de France features the Pyrenees climbing greats: Tourmalet, Aspin, Aubisque, Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden and other Tour de France mountains in the Hautes-Pyrénées.
Ride a Stage of the Tour De France: The Legendary Climbs and How to Ride Them by Kristian Bauer has a slightly more detailed look at the Col d’Aubisque, Luz-Ardiden, Hautacam, Tourmalet and Aspin.
Mapping Le Tour by Ellis Bacon has a page for each edition of the Tour de France and a section at the back that focuses on many of the climbs of the Hautes-Pyrenees.
Friebe and Goding’s Mountain High takes a less practical, more historical and personal look at the Tourmalet, Cirque du Gavernie, Aubisque and Hautacam.
Cycle maps
This free Pyrenees cycling map is quite useful for basic orientation.
Other options for a French Pyrenees map for cyclists also exist. IGN has a Hautes-Pyrenees map at 1:200,000. Michelin offers a Midi-Pyrénées map.
Good to know
While the closest airport to the region is Tarbes, it’s most likely you’ll fly into Toulouse. There are daily flights from the UK all year around and lots of car hire options too.
Bear in mind that nearly all bike shops in the region close on Sundays and Mondays (though if you speak to them in advance, they’ll probably be able to arrange for bike collection/delivery on these days). The exception to this is in July and August when many shops have extended opening; but check before you assume they’ll be open!
Enjoyed our guide?
Are you planning on cycling the Tourmalet? Have you already bagged the Tourmalet climb? We’d love to hear from you – comment below or drop us a line.
Want more? Don’t miss our guides to the best Tourmalet cycling route – plus Aubisque, Aspin, Hautacam, Luz Ardiden and more below. Once you’ve done these climbs, we’d also suggest basing yourself in Bagnéres de Luchon for a few days to discover the amazing riding from there – including Col de Peyresourde, Col du Portillon and many more famous climbs (check out our guide to that area here)!
Love cycling in France? Discover more best bike rides in France here.
Considering riding the Tourmalet to train at altitude? Don’t miss this useful, in-depth guide on altitude training for cyclists.
Want to check out some other destinations? Search by the month you want to travel or cycling destination you want to visit, here.
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Looking for an organised cycling trip?
If you want someone to help you plan and book your cycling holiday, fill out this form. We aren’t a tour operator/agent but we work with lots of people who are and will do our best to put you in touch with someone that can help (within 24 hours where possible)!Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels - and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they're there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.
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