The Lot is without doubt one of France’s most scenic river valleys. The river begins high in the Cévennes and carves out a dramatic, looping course through steep-sided gorges in its slow descent to the Garonne.
The V86 bike route offers you the chance to tour the valley from its mountainous source down to Aiguillon, in the heart of wine – and prune! – country. Tiny lanes cling to the hillside as the river tumbles down from the mountains.
As you proceed downstream, the valley widens from the narrow mountain cleft, but the sharp sides are no less pronounced. You’ll circuit meanders full of vines and cross the river countless times on the long, languid route. All this way, the scenic villages and towns never stop coming. Pilgrims have crossed this river for centuries and many of the villages are named after saints: Saint Geniez, Saint Parthem, Saint Pierre Toirac, Saint Cirq Lapopie.
At several points, particularly in the upper reaches, you can choose between following a hilly back-roads route to minimise traffic, or following a busier road along the Lot valley. But as the valley broadens, there’s space for quiet roads and cycleways, opening out into new, breathtaking views at each corner.
The route is not yet the finished article. The disused railway along the valley from Capdenac to Cahors has been proposed for conversion to a greenway, and local campaigners have organised “militant rides” to press the case; we wish them luck. But even in its unfinished state, this is a truly spectacular ride.
We think the full route is a week’s tour (5–7 days) for a typical cyclist. If you don’t mind putting in long hours in the saddle, you could do it in significantly less time by sticking to the busier valley roads instead of taking the winding route up the valley sides.
It’s not the easy glide by the riverside that, say, the River Loire route is. In the upper Lot valley, the main road hogs the valley floor, sending the touring cyclist on a steep diversion via quiet hillside lanes. This guarantees dramatic views, but at the cost of your climbing legs.
Most of these hills, however, are in the opening 100km. After Entraygues the route gets much easier, with just two climbs to speak of – one of which is to the unmissable village of Saint Cirq Lapopie.
Any bike will do. There are a few short gravel sections, but these can be easily avoided on a road bike.
From the summit, the first 90km (55 miles), high in the hills, are not yet signposted and are a little more provisional in nature. Once you reach Saint Laurent d’Olt then the route is fully signposted.
Not yet. From the summit to Saint Laurent d’Olt, it’s a line on a map following existing roads rather than a low-traffic véloroute. In particular, there are one or two short sections of route nationale which are not particularly enjoyable to cycle. Downstream of Saint Laurent it’s quiet(ish) roads and traffic-free paths all the way.
But more is planned. Local hopes of returning trains to the old railway from Capdenac to Cahors have finally evaporated, and it looks likely to become a cycle route instead – indeed, tarmac has recently (2025) been laid on the final stretch into Cahors to create a delightful cycleway.
You might not expect a railway station in the sparsely populated Cévennes, but in fact, the tiny halt of Bagnols-Chadenet isn’t too far from the start of the route. It’s on the remarkable single-track branch line through Mende, served by bike-friendly TER Occitanie trains – just a handful a day, so plan your route carefully.
If you’re joining further downstream to skip the toughest hills, there are also stations just off the route at Decazeville and Capdenac.
Aiguillon, the end of the route where the Lot meets the Garonne, has a station. This one’s on the more generously served coast-to-coast line from Bordeaux to Sète.
Made in the Cotswolds. Published by Éditions Système D Ltd.
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