‘Tours de France’

My husband and I were thrilled to find articles on bicycle riding in France (“Tours de France,” Aug. 13). A vacation by bicycle is tough work, but the advantages far outweigh the effort. People who spend their vacations on a bicycle are positive, interesting and fun. And France is a natural country for biking: Every few miles there is a small village with a bakery or a chateau and the roads are non-congested and the drivers, bicyclist-friendly.

PAMELA NEVILLS

Upland

I traveled with Chateaux Bike Tours three years ago. Readers considering a bike tour should note that Chateaux Bike Tours sends out information on how to prepare for a trip, including advice to spend time on your bike saddle, increasing your mileage before you go. The fatigue will set in on about the third day, but you can avoid the writer’s complaints by getting in shape, drinking plenty of water and packing some “carbo” bars. The tour company takes care of everything else. Your only “job” is to ride your bike and enjoy life.

PAMELA PIERSON

Pasadena

After reading “Tours de France,” I had to smile. Avignon, with a population of about 73,482; Arles, 37,337; Aix en Provence, 91,665, and Nimes, 123,914, hardly qualify as villages! And as my husband says, “If there is a McDonald’s, it isn’t a village!”

JEANNE BARTKOWSKI

Long Beach