The most beautiful bike rides in the Gers

The Gers is a renowned nature destination. Its green hills, crisscrossed by the paths of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, lend themselves well to cycle tourism. Many cycling circuits are accessible : the Armagnac greenway, Auch and its cycle path on the Berges du Gers, the Baïse valley bike-route, the French Divide cyclo-cross… Whether you are an amateur family bike rides, road bikes or mountain bikes, and whatever your level, you will find your happiness there. Come on, let's get on our bike and let's go for a great tour of the Gers!

The green way of Armagnac

Between Condom and Lagraulet-du-Gers, this old railway line has been completely fitted out to offer maximum comfort to its visitors: parking, reliable directions, picnic tables, well-maintained route, toilets... suitable for family bike rides.

Departing from the episcopal city of Condom, this greenway allows you to walk through the vines and the valleys of Armagnac. Between countryside and forest, the setting is very pleasant. It also offers you beautiful panoramas on the fortified village of Larressingle, the Cluniac site of Mouchan, the castle of Cassaigne...

At the end of the track, in Lagraulet-du-Gers, the Au Galauzoue farm welcomes you for a moment of family relaxation. Toddlers can learn about baby's ponies (from 2 years old) and meet the animals of the backyard. But there are many other surprises to discover, to please young and old alike. For a different way of cycling, you can also try the Vélorail de l'Armagnac (fr), which is located nearby, in Nogaro.

The Baïse valley bike-route

It enters the Gers, near Condom and takes part of the Armagnac greenway there. It enters the heart of the Gers, in Vic-Fezensac, the city of bullfighting and Landes racing. Then, it crosses the Gers countryside, before continuing its journey in the Hautes-Pyrénées...

Nicknamed the “Mill Bike Route”, it runs along the river, called the Baïse, and the mills that line it. You will also see some beautiful locks, the most remarkable of which is the Graziac double lock. On this route, you can admire the typical bastides of the Gers, such as Valence-sur-Baïse (fr), Barran, Mirande... A well-signposted detour is also offered to Auch.

The greenway from the Berges du Gers to Auch

The greenway crosses the town of Auch, from north to south, along the banks of the Gers, from the Endoumingue bridge, to the stadium and the municipal swimming pool. It is very well appointed, with toilets and water points. If you want to take a break, you can stop at the Couloumé park or the Ortholan garden.

It crosses the old town and offers many viewpoints on its monuments. Moreover, Auch is a city that is easily explored by bicycle, with well-signposted recommended routes, traffic arrangements with two-way cycling and pedestrian areas.

The French Divide and the roads of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle in the Gers

The French Divide is an ultra long distance mountain bike race, in total autonomy, thanks to bike packing. It is inspired by the American Great Divide, which departs from Canada, passes through the United States and ends in New Mexico. These extreme road trips are growing all over the world. In France, it will cross France from the Belgian border to the Spanish border, for a first edition from August 7 to 21, 2021. To carry out this adventure independently, you need good equipment. Bike packing is therefore a way of "arranging" your bike to transport its adapted equipment during a bike trip.

In the Gers, the French Divide will follow the paths of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, which will lead the participants to Spain. These routes offer many advantages : signage, accommodation and catering on the way, notable tourist interests, and the hospitality of the Gers of course... For more information, see our report on the roads to Saint Jacques de Compostela and the website of the French Divide.

On this long route, at the gates of Gascony, you can visit Lectoure and spend a beautiful evening at the Ferme des Etoiles, La Romieu and its famous collegiate church, the episcopal city of Condom, Montréal-du-Gers, Eauze and its ancient capital.

Cycling around Isle-Jourdain

A little further south, around Isle-Jourdain, tracks have been built for the transport of the A380. Inaccessible to cars, they were subsequently rehabilitated as greenways. You will find many in the region. Nearby, there is also the Via Tolosana, part of the Santiago de Compostela routes, departing from Arles and passing through Toulouse, which offers great hiking possibilities.

The Isle-Jourdain greenway joins Sainte-Livrade, at the edge of the Haute-Garonne. To extend the walk, you can take the road to Ségoufielle, in the direction of Toulouse. In L'Isle-Jourdain, you can visit the embazac asinerie, which manufactures donkey milk products and welcomes you to its farm.

Our tips

It is not always easy to visualize a route well. Fortunately the tourist offices are there to make your life easier :

• The Gers tourist office provides you with an interactive map.
• The tourist office of Gascony Toulousaine (fr) makes you discover Isle-Jourdain and its surroundings.
• The tourist office of the bastides of Lomagne (fr) also offers mountain biking trails.
• The tourist office of Auch lists different circuits: GR, by electric bike or even by car.
• To amuse the children on the journey, you can use the Randoland cards from the tourist office of d'Artagnan en Fezensac. (fr)

Other sites are also very useful:

• Routeyou is a multi-criteria search engine to find the route that suits you.
• If you want even more, 16 circuits have been referenced by the site ladepeche.fr. (fr)

Out of order? Or simply don't want to carry bikes for the whole family when you've only planned on a day's ride? The easiest way is to rent it on site. Between Condom and Lectoure, La Collegiale de La Romieu rents you bikes, with all safety equipment, but also circuits and advice! In Auch, you will also find a rental agency : Cyclomouv.

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Article written by Stéphanie Tempier for the Guide du Gers.