Adventure start here. That’s the opening line of the basecamp philosophy, and they are right. Last year I went to visit Adam Horler, one of the founders of basecamp at their location in France, at the Lake of Annecy. Adam is a driven entrepreneur and bike addict, and he and his partners are working very hard to bring adventure and the fun of cycling to people that are looking for a different ride experience.
Basecamp is a stylish, small, cozy coffee bar in the middle of a small French town called Talloires-Montmin in the Haute Savoie. Next to the coffee place, you can find the bike rental location. The rental is very well equipped: great bikes, such as the Exploro, solid tools and passionate mechanics. Bikes are kept in top condition, so you have no worries about that! Adam and his team are very happy to provide you advice and guidance on which routes to take. From a flat 35km ride around the lake to serious 100km gravel roads in the surrounding mountains.
Before we left for our ride, I spoke to some guests in the ‘cafe’ as Adam calls it, and discovered this place is packed with cycling enthusiasts from the US and UK. Why you come here I asked? Because at basecamp you find passionate people, quality of bikes, good service, delicious food all packed in a great location. It’s the ‘brand’ promise of basecamp.
Adam Horler at Basecamp: bike rides start and finish in this stylish ‘cafe’. And they serve good food too!
The scenery around Basecamp is absolutely stunning. Whether you go flat around the lake or conquer the mountains around.
Basecamp is the organizer of the La Resistance. This is a unique road and gravel challenge during one day around the basecamp location. La Resistance was conceived to honor the memory of the fighting man and woman of La Resistance in the second world war. The course, which is partly on the tarmac and largely on gravel roads, so ideal territory for the Exploro, takes your through some tremendous scenic territory in France.
