September 2025
KmM = Kilometer Marker. Where the markers are specifically for cyclists, they count down towards the top.
Limoux is not actually in the French Pyrenees but I wasn’t sure where else to put this page, and it’s in the general area of the Pyrenees. Read this page for a lot of background information about cycling in the French Pyrenees.
Limoux has an active cycling club (Cyclo Club Limoux) with organized rides every Wednesday and Saturday. Each day has both a short ride and a long ride. Here is the Cyclo Club Limoux web page. Here is their weekly schedule of rides. And here is a document they put together about cycling in the Limouxin region with some suggested rides.
Big Climbs near Limoux
To get to any big climbs you pretty much have to drive to the start. Two of the big climbs are the Port de Pailhères and the Col de Jau.
Port de Pailhères
I’ve written about this on the page about Ax-les-Thermes. If you start in Usson-les-Bains, it’s just over an hour’s drive from Limoux.
Col de Jau
I rode this as an over-and-back from Axat to Prades and back. Both sides have some kilometers of flat riding before the actual climb. The over-and-back was 93 km with 7,400 feet of climbing. The climb from Axat is in the trees pretty much the whole way. The climb from Prades is much more enjoyable, being open, interesting, and beautiful. If you only do one side, do the Prades side.
I drove to Axat, which is just over 40 minutes from Limoux and parked in a public parking lot at location: 42.804334172521074, 2.234658064746852
From Axat ride down the D118 for just under 4 km. You’ll pass through the Gorges de Saint-Georges, along a narrow balcony road, which currently is one-way based on a traffic light. After about 4 km, where the main road crosses the river, turn left on the D17, signed to the Col de Jau. Follow this road for about 18 km to the Col de Jau. This side has some steeper sections than the Prades side, but there are pretty much no views until you reach the top.
Riding down the other side to Prade is much more interesting, with great views for much of the way. At the base, follow the road right until you reach the bridge that crosses the river into the center of town. I turned around here.
Climbing back from Prades, parallel the river for a bit under 2 km then follow the D619 then D14 for about 23 km up to the Col de Jau. On the way you’ll ride through Les Thermes, riding across several sections of cobblestones, then you’ll go through the village of Mosset. This side of the Col de Jau is vastly more enjoyable than the Axat side. The riding is rarely above the 7% gradient range.
Here’s the route on Ride with GPS.
Rolling Rides around Limoux
There are a multitude of wonderful rolling loops around Limoux. If I had to describe the area I’d say it feels a bit Hobbity, as I image the Shire to be.
You can pretty much create your own routes by taking different turns at the various intersections. Rather than provide a list of names of villages that rides go through, I’m just naming the routes based on their length and elevation gain. Some I learned about through friends, some I found on the Cyclo Club Limoux web site – sometimes with variations, and some Tanya and I found by ourselves. So my suggestion is to find a route that seems reasonable for distance and elevation then look at the route on Ride with GPS.
Limoux Loop 53km 2175′. This route does a loop to the Southwest of Limoux followed by a loop to the East.
Limoux Loop 55km 1800‘. Our friends call this The Magic Ride. Here’s the same ride in reverse, with a slight modification: a brutal little hill between Pomas and St. Hilaire.
Limoux Loop 61km 2900′. Goes over Col de Dieudé, Col du Bac, Col de Festes. The start is very steep, and shortly after this there’s a crappy section of road for maybe 1.5 km. This part is easily avoid by taking the D30 just to the north.
Limoux Loops 102km 5360′. An amazing route, very varied, very pretty. So many rollers, both big and small.
Links and Other Clicks
Cycle Fiesta’s pages about riding the Col de Jau from Axat and from Prades. Note that the road surface on the Prades side is now much better than described by Cycle Fiesta.
Cycle Uphill 