Advice on watching the Tour De France at the roadside?

Hi,

My friends and I plan to watch the Tour De France at the roadside next year. We're targeting the weekend of the 6/7 July and would like to be near the top of the climbs near the end for both stages.

I know that a lot of people actually camp on the roadside overnight to get a good spot. Is this the only way? Have any of you done this before? Would it be worthwhile taking our bikes?

Any advice you can offer would be much appreciated.

Thanks!