the Canal du Midi which begins in Toulouse is lined with towpaths now used for cycling and…read moretrekking, while narrow canal boats navigate it's waters. the scenery is quite literally a knockout. the waterway framed by shady trees and greenery, winding through the southwest of France past medieval towns, hamlets, locks and marinas as it empties to the Mediterranean. small wonder barging(houseboat) and bike holidays are so popular. the friendly chaps at Maison du Vélo(bicycle), conveniently right by the canal, provided maps, instructions, bikes and equipment for this adventure(15€ per). must say, how incredibly fun and educational this trip's turned out to be. Canal du Midi à vélo: done.

Owner is good guy and speaks English well, I started in with my awful French but he quickly took…read moremercy on me. I rented an e-bike which was just ok, marginal Chinese e-bike. However I put a good 150km on the bike over the French country side and it was fun. Bike was not tuned super well and I had to stop and do a bit of road side adjustment. That said I'm super anal about my own bikes so many people might not have noticed. It would have been nice to have some better bike options but for a small shop this was good enough and I was able to do what I wanted to. Bike shop is a short walk from the train station. I would recommend the shop but skip the Chinese e-bike.

From the owner: Monsieur pignon madame guidon Magasin de vélo. Pignon fixe / fixie, vélos de ville, et atelier…read morerestauration et réparation tous vélos.