Bike packing has its small, conspiratorial following. Unlike other forms of cycling, such as trail biking, it has not yet become a mass phenomenon. One reason, among others, could be that single trails are not as much fun with a bag and pack. Cédric Tassan shows that bike packing and challenging descents can definitely be combined. In spring 2021, the man from the south of France took the travel restrictions as an opportunity to realize an idea that he had been carrying around with him for a long time: To ride in his home country from the Sources Encanaux in the southernmost foothills of the Alps following various watercourses to the sea.

The descents will largely be single trails, "only that is mountain biking for me," Tassan announces the fare. To be able to enjoy the technical descents, he ties his mat to the down tube and his sleeping bag to the handlebars. Nothing else goes on the bike. "It's not just about keeping the bike light, but also about protecting the luggage from rocks, branches and falls that they are exposed to on the frame."

His rucksack weighs 2.5 kg and contains some clothing, repair materials, a water purification filter, a headlamp, energy bars and a few other essentials. "If you don't have much with you, you have to choose the route so that you can always reach a village within a reasonable time where you can stock up on supplies or repair something," he explains. He sees the choice of route as crucial in order to be able to travel really easily. He is also helped by the climate in the south of France, where you can confidently leave your tent at home in March.

Cédric Tassan and photographer Tito Tomasi, also traveling with a packed bike, are dropped off by a friend on the Sainte-Baume and start their tour on an extremely rough trail that gets even steeper with steps carved into the rock. One thing is clear afterwards: the luggage holds up.

Even hiking is possible

After that, pedaling is the order of the day, over a high plateau, through a forest that the locals call the "relict forest" because, unlike most others, it has never burned. The route continues through the Sainte Baume region, which attracts many pilgrims. Then it's time to gain even more altitude. Finally, they climb out of a gorge on foot: "We had the bikes on our shoulders and had to hold on to the rock on one side, with the bikes getting in the way of course," describes Cédric.

The relief of having completed this tricky passage is rewarded with the first view of the Mediterranean Sea, which is still around 20 kilometers away. But there are still a few more tricky kilometers of descent ahead. Once again, there are many steps and extremely technical passages to master before the terrain becomes a little friendlier. Further down, the mountain slopes more steeply again until a section follows over which the two descend on foot. Then, in the spirit of the tour, they ride along a dry stream bed, where the challenge is to ride fast enough to roll over the boulders but still be able to brake in time if necessary.

Canals, shafts and aqueducts have been part of the landscape in the water-poor Provence in the south of France for thousands of years. Shortly after the dry stream bed, Cédric and Tito come across the end of an underground canal from which ice-cold water flows out - an opportunity to fill their almost empty bottles and wash the sweat and dust mixture from their faces. A little later, they unroll their sleeping bags next to a ruin where Cédric recognizes a farm.

The second day begins with the ascent, followed by a descent towards a village called Signes, the only one in a vast area that, according to Cédric, is mainly inhabited by deer, chamois, wild boar and a few wolves. The two bike packers want to go to Signes because it is the only place to buy something to eat for miles around. Apart from the start and finish points, there are only two villages on the entire route. This makes the bakery shopping all the more extensive.

A final climb takes them up Siou Blanc, from where they can not only see the sea, but also the destination of their route: Toulon. The descent takes them to the Lac du Revest-les-eaux, a reservoir fed by the streams and canals of the Siou Blanc. It marks the abrupt end of a huge nature reserve, practically on the outskirts of Toulon. The beach is just a few kilometers away. Where the water from the nearby mountains flows into the sea, Cédric and Tito dive into the salt water. Cédric sums up: "As this area is my home, I knew most of the paths. But to practically follow them all in two days, sleeping in the open air and washing myself in streams was a unique experience." But it is not to remain a one-off. Cédric has already announced that he will be spending the night in his sleeping bag at the side of a trail more often this summer.
 
GPX track of the route

Cédric Tassan's packing list

In the rucksack:
- Polartec vest from Gore
- Merino underwear: leggings, long-sleeved T-shirt, hat from Northern Playground. Spare socks, Gore shirt
- Zipka headlamp
- Repair material: tube, pump, tools, spare screws, cable ties etc.
- Bottle with Katadyn filter BeFree 1 l from Hydrapak
- Thin foam mat to protect the sleeping pad from Gossamer
- Goretex backpack cover
- 3 MuleBars
Weight: 2.5 kg

On the bike:
- Seat to Summit Spark II sleeping bag, attached to the handlebars
- Sea to Summit Ether Light XT sleeping pad, attached to the down tube