Bordeaux by bike: do it your way
When spring returns, it’s time to leave the car in the garage and get your nicest bike out so you can feel that wind in your hair again. With 1400 km of bike-friendly routes, including more than 330 km in Bordeaux proper, the Bordeaux metropolitan area has made every effort to make cyclists feel welcome!
The Bordeaux Tourist Office (L’Office de Tourisme et des Congrès Bordeaux Métropole) has even received official recognition for its cyclist support initiatives; it is an official ‘Accueil Vélo’ site due to its proximity to cycling routes and the quality of information provided to prospective cyclists.
Let’s take a look at the different types of guided tours provided by our partners in and around Bordeaux.
An electric bike tour with Bordeaux Trip
Are you a cycling enthusiast and want to tour Bordeaux without too much strain on your calf muscles? The good news for you and your calves is that Bordeaux Trip proposes guided tours of the Gironde capital on electric bikes. Turn your bike on to ‘turbo’ mode and follow your guide, learning all the secrets about the historic city centre as you go. It’s a way to get to all of Bordeaux’s strategic points and must-see monuments without tiring yourself out. Follow an itinerary of between 7 and 14 km, enjoying a surprising experience and discovering the Gironde capital.
Bordeaux Trip
- 59 cours Victor Hugo, Bordeaux - Shop entrance on Rue des Boucheries.
From 25 euros
A themed tour with Bordeaux Bike Expérience
It’s nice to go out on a little bike ride, but doing so while adding a bit of culture or some nice food is even better! Bordeaux Bike Expérience was created by three voyagers and they have evolved the concept of what a bike tour should be like. They have come up with several different tours, such as ‘Essential Bordeaux’, the ‘Grand Tour’ and the ‘Tour where you’re the hero’: a tour which allows you to make your own itinerary - with the help of a guide -, choosing a story or an image for each stage of the tour. The founders of this company aim to show Bordeaux in a different way, choosing to include local actors through wine tastings and food stops, in the city centre or among the vineyards of Saint-Emilion! Enjoy tours that take you off the beaten track, from 15 to 25 km, accompanied by engaging guides who can show you the whole region in French, English or Spanish.
Bordeaux Bike Experience
- 4 Rue Turenne, Bordeaux
From 25 euros
A slow tourism experience with Ataho
Take your time: that is Ataho’s motto. As specialists with many years of experience in slow tourism in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, this company organises tours of Bordeaux and overnight stays in the countryside which combine bike rides and fun activities: boat rides, an initiation into permaculture, an introductory yoga session, canoeing, local products tasting sessions… the list goes on. They’re the ideal choice for those who are always on the go, looking to explore the region in a sporty way. A native English speaker, John, can take you out onto the region’s tracks in either English or French. It’s a fun, quirky way to explore the pearl of Aquitaine and famous Arcachon Bay.
Ataho
From 16 euros
A clever bike tour of Bordeaux
Bordeaux by bike: the expression has a nice ring to it that makes you want to gaily pedal through the Gironde capital.
The company name, Guidon Futé, is a play on words that uses the French word for ‘handlebars’ to say “clever guide”. Their goal is to take you on a “smart tour” through the historic centre of Bordeaux, through its beautiful districts, the right bank, the southern suburbs, Saint-Emilion or the Médoc. They propose six journeys which all offer the opportunity to fully take in your environment. In the countryside, take your time on your bike as you pass through different landscapes! In the city, the bike brings you closer to the frantic urban activity, which you can experience from behind your handlebars!
Bordeaux à vélo
From 35 euros
Bordeaux Bike Tour: by day or night
Not content with getting you up and on the cycling tracks early in the morning, Bordeaux Bike Tours offers you tours in French or English… by night! It means that you can visit places where it’s normally tricky to go on your bike in the daytime, like the famous Rue Sainte-Catherine: the longest pedestrian street in Europe, flooded with pedestrians during business hours. Your guide is passionate about Bordeaux and his job; let him take you on one of three different cycling itineraries, for children and adults, lovers of local vintages, architecture and nature.
Bordeaux Bike Tour
- 47 rue de la Rousselle, Bordeaux
From 32 euros
Bike Board Compagnie: it’s time for the tricycle
Halfway between a bicycle and an electric scooter, the electric tricycle spins you along the Gironde cycling paths with no effort at all, and with plenty of style! This intriguing machine provided by Bike Board Compagnie allows you to explore the region in a fun and ecological way. Anybody between the ages of 14 and 77 (or even older!) can try it out, with family or friends. You can choose from three different routes: Saint-Emilion, Blaye or Bourg-sur-Gironde. This quirky activity will get you out and about in nature while (re)discovering the surrounds of old Burdigala.
Bike Board Compagnie
- 33 le bourg 33920 Civrac-de-Blaye
From 20 euros
For exploring the whole city: ‘Super balades à vélo’
Bordeaux has been officially recognised by the French federation of cyclotourism for the many measures it has taken to ensure safety and accessibility for cyclists. Indeed, the Bordeaux Tourist Office has come up with a dozen itineraries all over the conurbation that are accessible for everyone. In fact, six of them feature on the ‘Super balades à vélo’ paper map that you can find at the Bordeaux Tourist Office welcome desk. It’s excellent news for cyclists who want to traverse the 6th most bike-friendly city in the world, visiting wherever they want to at their own pace!
Practical information: where to fix your bike
Because we all might need to put a little air in our tires from time to time, Bordeaux has been equipped with air stations and repair spaces for bikes. The initiative was launched in February 2021 thanks to local funding and three residents who fused their individual projects together to make a shared programme.
11 bike pumps and 4 repair workshops have been placed in strategic points across the city. Each one is accessible and close to places where cycling traffic is significant. Don’t worry everyone, Bordeaux’s got you covered...
BICYCLE TIRE PUMPS
