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The circular route starts and ends at the Médoquine roundabout, accessible by bus 4 (and perhaps one day by train?). Coming from the centre of Bordeaux, allow an extra 20 minutes each way.
(S/E) Head towards Pessac (west).
At the second Médoquine roundabout (with a cycle path all the way round), turn left towards the university campus. A proper cycle path opens up on the right-hand side of the road. You’ll pass the Clarence Dillon house (the company that owns the Haut-Brion vineyards), then follow the old road for about 250 metres, running alongside the remarkable (disused) Lavardens drinking water reservoir.
(1) You will then pass just past the gates of Château Mission Haut-Brion, before crossing the railway line via a bridge reserved for cyclists and pedestrians. At the roundabout, turn right onto the path which then descends gently through the vineyards of Château Mission Haut-Brion.
(2) At the roundabout, you’ll join Avenue Albert Schweitzer, which runs around the university campus. You’ll be right opposite ENSEIRB. Follow the cycle path on the right for 400m, then, at the next roundabout, take the avenue leading left towards various schools (ENSCPB, INCB etc.), which takes you to the tram line, line B (Doyen Brus station).
(3) Take the cycle path to the right, follow the tram line and then veer away from it up a hill. You will reach an avenue and then the buildings of the Faculty of Arts. At the next roundabout, turn left towards the CREPS and Village 6. At the very end of this straight avenue, you will come out onto a street overlooking the ring road; turn left.
(4) At the roundabout, turn right, crossing the ring road via a bridge with a cycle path. Then turn right onto Route de Canéjan. At the traffic lights, turn left (taking care to follow the lights reserved for cyclists on the path) onto Rue du Professeur Villemin. Continue for 50m to discover the old Chappe telegraph tower (Gradignan).
(5) Leave Rue du Professeur Villemin immediately and turn straight right into the small Rue des Mésanges. Turn left into Rue de Lange and follow it all the way to the junction with Rue de Lahouneau. Turn left (cycle path) until you reach the junction with Avenue du Général de Gaulle (traffic lights with a cycle crossing). Opposite, take Rue des Fontaines de Monjous (cycle path marked on the pavement on the right).
(6) Turn right onto the access road to the Collège des Fontaines de Monjous; at the end of this road, a tarmac and then gravel path allows you to continue straight on into the forest. You will soon reach a roundabout at the end of Allée Gaston Rodrigues, which you follow (cycle lane on the right-hand side, Laurenzane district) to the next roundabout. Then turn off to join the cycle path running to the left of the road heading towards Léognan (due south), which takes you across the Eau Bourde (reserved bridge) and on to the Gradignan media library.
(7) The roundabout below the media library is a bit misleading: a sign there suggests a cycle route to the right; do not enter the roundabout but continue straight ahead, riding across the stadium car park, then join the Route de Léognan, which you follow for about 700m (due south). At the three-way junction, turn right (no entry to the left). At the next junction, leave Route de Léognan and take Rue de Peycamin, opposite (still heading south), to reach a junction with several small streets or roads. Alternative route: at the hamlet of Poumey, turn left onto the (very narrow) Rue de Branlac, then onto Rue de Bragues.
(8) At the hamlet of Le Barbut, continue straight ahead along Rue du Barbut, which becomes a dirt track (signposted ‘dead end’ and ‘goat herd’), soon entering the woodland. After 250m, you’ll reach a junction of various forest tracks.
(9) Take the path on the far left (heading east), a dirt track through the woodland that will soon take you alongside the Château Olivier vineyard. You can admire the distinctive Léognan water tower on your right. The path eventually joins a small road (Chemin de l’Oustau Neuf), which you take to the right. This road separates the Brown (on the left) and Olivier (on the right) vineyards.
(10) At the first opportunity (stop sign), turn left (due north) onto Avenue de la Liberté, also known as Allée John Lewis Brown (named after the founder of Château Brown). The entrance to the estate is on your left 50 metres ahead. Continue due north, now on a dirt track, keeping Rue Henri IV on your right (an alternative route in case the tracks are muddy). This track continues fairly well through the woodland until you come to houses and a road on the left.
(11) Take the path towards this street without turning into Rue de Verdun opposite; you are now in the Cité des Grands Bois. Follow the narrow lane to the right until you reach a crossroads.
(12) Take the cycle path which leads you off to the right (north-east). Follow this path, which soon runs alongside Rue de Verdun (due east now) for about 550m.
(13) Turn left onto Avenue Jean Rostand until it joins Avenue Jean Monnet. Turn left and head for a roundabout well-suited for cyclists. Continue on the other side along Chemin Gaston, which becomes Rue Saint-François Xavier.
(14) Just before the bridge over the Eau Bourde, a stony path on the right allows you to follow a branch of this river. Continue along this path, cross a lock and you’ll come to a bridge allowing you to cross the Eau Bourde and rejoin the tarmac (you’re at the Gradignan Billiards Club). As you come out onto the main street (Rue de la Croix de Monjous), take the cycle lane on the right.
(15) At this roundabout, you’ll need to look out for the cycle path… it’s in the middle of the avenue. Go ahead without hesitation; it’s protected. This path allows you to cross the ring road in complete safety.
(16) When you see a street branching off to your right (Rue Victor Jara) and heading steeply uphill, take the junction of cycle paths to turn right as well. This path takes you close to the lovely Parc Sourreil (Villenave-d'Ornon). Continue along Rue Victor Jara, turn left into Rue Eugène Delacroix and, at the bottom of this street, turn right into Avenue Jean Racine.
(17) At the next junction, turn left onto Rue Paul Verlaine and, 200m further on, turn right onto Rue Lafitte. You will now follow Rue Lafitte, Rue Peydavant and Rue Lamartine straight ahead.
(18) At the junction with Avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, turn left onto this avenue, which leads straight to the centre of Talence. At the roundabout crossed by the tram, head in the opposite direction towards Médoquine (Rue Camille-Pelletan, then Avenue Sainte-Marie). Carry straight on and you will reach the Saint-Marie footbridge, over the railway tracks.
(19) At the bottom of the footbridge, turn left onto Rue Armand Leroi, then Rue Paul Bert and finally Rue de la Médoquine to return to your starting point (S/E).
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