Just back from 4 days on the little island of Porquerolles off the French coast near Toulon. This place is eBike heaven (out of Peak season !). There are only a handful of residents' cars on the island (none for hire) and the rest is bikes, boats and on foot. Got a flight to Toulon from Bournemouth, followed by 15 minute cab to the port of La Tour Fondue from which you can get a 15-minute ferry to the island. Lots of day-trippers at the weekend but in the week was absolute heaven.

 

Almost all the trails are shaded by trees, and vary from a few hundred metres of tar to (mostly) good condition dirt along with a few very technical sections for the more intrepid. I hired a Scott e-MTB from the port for the whole trip and after a bit of persuading the guy fitted my own clip pedals on it, so felt right at home. Suspension was a bit 'shot' but was more than capable for even the toughest climbs there.

 

The place is incredibly beautiful and didn't have any trouble finding new places to go and new things to do even for 4 days on a small island (7km x 3km). Timed my (last-minute) trip out to avoid rain and the worst of the late Summer wind (couple of windy days on one side of the island, the next two were beautiful gentle breezes). A good backpack and some lights essential (hire bikes don't come with lights !).

 

Honestly can't rate the place enough for those of us who like our eBikes and a gentler pace of life. Took more drop-dead gorgeous photos on this trip than in my last 3 put together.... but without the bike it just wouldn't have been the same :

 

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag89/103Alex1/P9210349_zpsxelkiewg.jpg

Just back from 4 days on the little island of Porquerolles off the French coast near Toulon. This place is eBike heaven (out of Peak season !). There are only a handful of residents' cars on the island (none for hire) and the rest is bikes, boats and on foot. Got a flight to Toulon from Bournemouth, followed by 15 minute cab to the port of La Tour Fondue from which you can get a 15-minute ferry to the island. Lots of day-trippers at the weekend but in the week was absolute heaven.

 

Almost all the trails are shaded by trees, and vary from a few hundred metres of tar to (mostly) good condition dirt along with a few very technical sections for the more intrepid. I hired a Scott e-MTB from the port for the whole trip and after a bit of persuading the guy fitted my own clip pedals on it, so felt right at home. Suspension was a bit 'shot' but was more than capable for even the toughest climbs there.

 

The place is incredibly beautiful and didn't have any trouble finding new places to go and new things to do even for 4 days on a small island (7km x 3km). Timed my (last-minute) trip out to avoid rain and the worst of the late Summer wind (couple of windy days on one side of the island, the next two were beautiful gentle breezes). A good backpack and some lights essential (hire bikes don't come with lights !).

 

Honestly can't rate the place enough for those of us who like our eBikes and a gentler pace of life. Took more drop-dead gorgeous photos on this trip than in my last 3 put together.... but without the bike it just wouldn't have been the same :

 

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag89/103Alex1/P9210349_zpsxelkiewg.jpg

Sounds brilliant. Any chance of a link for the ebike hire.

Sounds brilliant. Any chance of a link for the ebike hire.

 

There are a few places in the port/village who hire them out (but few have them set up properly as MTBs - the bike I got had Nobby Nics fitted which made light work of the rougher trails, but I had to ask around a bit). Hired mine from this lot :

 

http://www.porquerolles-a-velo.fr/

 

Don't think their English is up to much - fortunately I had enough French kicking around the recesses of my brain to be able to communicate !