Brides-les-Bains, the perfect base camp for cyclists
Nestled in the heart of the most stunning mountain scenery, Brides-les-Bains is the perfect base to explore the Alpine passes on a road bike.
With quality accommodation and facilities, this village in the Savoie region is the gateway to some truly legendary cycling routes.
Brides-les-Bains could just be the perfect place to stay if you’re looking to get (back) in the saddle
Iconic Alpine Routes to Discover by Road Bike
Highly prized by professional cyclists, the Alpine circuits boast countless attractions to captivate road bike enthusiasts.
From Brides-les-Bains, the ascents to Col de la Loze and Col de la Madeleine rank among the must-do routes.
Starting from the village or nearby, several climbs let you pedal through stunning mountain landscapes: Méribel climb, Pradier climb, Prioux climb...
Extending the exploration around Brides-les-Bains, many other road bike routes cater to the most demanding cyclists, such as Cormet de Roselend or Col de l’Iseran.
To discover all the routes, check out the dedicated page: Cycling the Alpine passes on a road bike
How do I choose my road-cycling route?
Although it’s accessible for beginners, road cycling still requires a certain level of fitness, especially in the mountain environment.
This is a physical activity that will develop your cardio fitness, test your speed and challenge your endurance, power and strength.
To take full advantage of the benefits and the pleasures of cycling, it's essential to choose the right route to suit your level of ability (and all the necessary protective kit!).
Short or long distances; riding time; difficulty; elevation; solo, with friends or in a team; leisure cycling or racing, etc.
There are so many things to consider when choosing an appropriate road cycling route.
Other activities at Brides-les-Bains
As well as being a rewarding activity in itself, road cycling has the huge advantage of also being a mode of transport!
From Brides-les-Bains, you can explore some wonderful natural scenery on two wheels, opening up a whole range of other activities.
You can take a hike through valleys and peaks, wander in the mountains within the Parc de la Vanoise, discover local wildlife and cultural sites, play golf, try via ferrata or water-based activities.
Suitable for various types of roads and paths, mountain bikes can offer a pleasant alternative to a standard road bike.
There are many ways to combine cycling with other activities so you can enjoy changing things up.
Bikes in Brides-les-Bains: events and partnerships
Col de la Loze Challenge
In the heart of the 3-Valleys area, the Col de la Loze links the resorts of Méribel and Courchevel.
At an altitude of 2,304 m, it's only accessible by bike or on foot.
Well known for its difficulty level, the ascent can be made via the slopes of Méribel or Courchevel (the more accessible option).
The Col de la Loze was the playground of cycling pros at the Tour de l’Avenir in 2019, a legendary stage at the 2020 Tour de France and seems to be on the bucket list of an ever-increasing number of cycling enthusiasts.
Departing from Brides-les-Bains, the route takes you just over 22 kilometres towards the Col de la Loze (featuring 1,715 metres of elevation with some sections having a 20% gradient!).
The local authority has held the “Col de la Loze Challenge” cycling sportive every summer since 2020.
Featuring various race formats, access to e-bikes and staggered start options for women, this extraordinary challenge combines a love of cycling with the most stunning scenery.
How can I prepare for my Alpine mountain pass cycling trip?
Brides-les-Bains famously boasts a wide variety of winter and summer activities, while also being the perfect base camp from which to tackle the Alpine mountain passes on a bike.
Whether you're enjoying a weekend away, a short break or a longer holiday, this pleasant village has a range of amenities and specific services, such as group activities, bike storage and hire and places to eat.
All for your pedalling pleasure!
More info: : for bike hire and maintenance services in Brides-les-Bains, contact : Obiclou (06 79 45 74 17) in Brides-les-Bains, Veloland Mout'n bike in Moûtiers (04 79 40 16 35) and Espace VTT in Courchevel (06 18 08 18 41).
Cycling around Brides
Bozel
Descriptive
Bozel is located in the heart of the Savoie, in Tarentaise. Just after Moutiers, the Bozel’s valley is famous with its proximity of the Vanoise National Park.
Bozel it’s at 860 m of altitude, and it goes to 2594 m height with the Roc du Becoin and with the Mont Jovet (2589 m height) and the Dent du Villard (2284 m height).
The centre of the village is located in the border of the stream of the Bonrieu which gave before the energy of the mill and other sawmill.
The village has got different services, schools, shops, leisure area and handcraft area really active.
The way of how the different hamlets are located show the ancestral way of life, which was based on the cultivation and on the farm.
The most part of the people are leaving in the south mountainside. Then, we can find the hamlet of Villemartin, les Mollinets, le Ratelard, Lachenal and Tincave, they are lively all the year long. Upper 1300 m height, the hamlet of les Champs, les Monts, le Pré, le Cour and Mirabozon are lively only during the summer.
The north mountainside has got less people. Only les Moulins is lively all the year long. Upper we can find l’Epine, le Reposoir and Montcharvet, relic of old farms that are now recover by the forest.
In summer, Bozel is close to the Vanoise massif which is really attractive for hiking. In the winter, the village is really close to big ski areas, 3 Vallées and Paradiski, which is really attractive for snow sports.
History...
Bozel has got different name before: Bosellis (1170), Bossel (1691), Boselles (1759) and Bozeil (1764). Its name comes from the latin word “Buxellus” which mean the “wood”.
The people of Bozel are named “Bozelains” and “Bozelaines”.
Bozel has still got a proof of a human being in Savoie, and particularly in Bozel, 2500 years ago BC.
Bozel had an important vineyard and its most important economy was the production of cheese (Beaufort) which was exported in Italy (Piemont) through the “Col de la Vanoise”.
It’s the reason why the architecture of our villages and hamlets are like this: Houses (or chalets) was used for living and for the cultivation.
The first floors was often half-buried and build with rocks, it was used for human living and for stable for cattle, which was used to reheat the room. The upper floors were built with wood and were used as hayloft.
At the end of the 19th century, Bozel has seen a new era with the ore-mining from 1880, a new factory in le Villard du Planay in 1898 and a power station in les Moulins in 1910.
200 employees were working in this factory in 1920 which closed in 1984.
The valley has been then developed with the tourism, with the hydrotherapy industry first and the mountaineering and with the winter sports. The ski resorts have been developed in 45-60’s with Courchevel.
Practical Information
Services :
Pets welcome
Equipements :
Car park