Cycling France: Monnerville to Samoreau
European bicycle tour update: France cycling Monnerville to Samoreau. 55 miles. Haha, another sleepless night, but at least I could blame it on something. There was a huge thunderstorm in the early hours of the morning. I want to say that it kept me awake, but I was already awake when it started. It started around three and finished at about five, just in time for getting up.
The day didn’t get much better after that. First, the click-stand that I used to prop the bike up broke. Then, as I was loading the bike, one of the straps that I use to secure my tent with broke. Both are very minor things and nothing to worry about. But I may have jinxed things by thinking about what would be the third thing to break. Because, as we all know, things go in threes. I kept not trying to think about it, but my mind kept returning to it, and I just knew it would be my saddle that broke. And sure enough, as day follows night, it broke!
I was just coming into a town called Nemours when the tensioning bolt snapped. Which I thought was lucky in one way, as there must be cycle repair shops, which there were. But they were all closed. I then had to cycle the ten miles to Fontainebleau with a broken saddle that was painful to ride on. The shop I went to tried to fix my saddle but couldn’t, so I bought a new one. It’s not a Brooks, but hopefully, it’ll be okay. Well, see tomorrow. Do you ever get the feeling that something is trying to tell you not to continue?
Tour Information
It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:
- Photos: See my photos on Flickr
- The route: View my route
- Videos: Check out my YouTube videos
- Tour page: Ride overview
Follow & Support
If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. Or subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.