CROATIA Road cycling Help!

sylwia

Has anyone out there been road cycling in Croatia?

I'm going there this summer and would like to find out.

Looking at doing some 50 mile training rides.

I'm staying at Podstrana 8KM form Split.


Cheers
Sylvia

I know the roads are busy but i'm not sure if it's worth the hassle.
There is little help on the WEB.

Splottboy

I took the "Magic Bus" from London to Athens and back years ago, via Belgium, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia as it was then, then Greece.
I recall the Yugo area as being beautiful but very mountainous, roads not good and a police being a bit menacing. But you're more towards to coast I believe.
Funny enuff, my Aunt married a Yugo guy from Split, but they - no jokes! - split up.
Apparently he works as a Croupier in Bristol, don't know what casino...
Zoran Tokic is his name.

One thing I recall being told by Greek bus driver about Yugoslavi: No lorries were allowed at that time on the road during the day, only at night.
But...was also told, as they drive HUGE distances, they put a house brick on the accelerator, and read the newspaper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't know how true this is, poss Urban Myth!

millimole

I've had three summer holidays in Croatian costal areas over the last few years - non-cycling, but we did travel about a bit.
The roads seem generally poorly maintained; most cars were new models. Driving seemed to be aggressive and fast. Very few cyclists about, even in the towns. Lots of German and Austrian (as well as Serbian and Hungarian) drivers on the road in touristy areas - giving a potent mix of aggression and speed!
I saw very few lorries about, except on the motorways. There seems to be a well develloped network of local bus services, and longer distance coach services.
Distances can be vast, but there are/were still some 'tito-era' type truck stops about which might be good for cafe stops on the older main roads even where these have been by-passed by the developing motorway network.
In the larger towns you will find plenty of younger people who speak English - which is just as well, because the local lingo is inpentrable!
Don't get the idea this is a cheap country - particularly in the tourist areas they are pricing themselves for the German (and to some extent Russian) tourist markets - ie those with the money.
It's a beautiful, freindly country, which is moving on fast from its Yugoslavian heritage.

lae

^ Agreed on pricing. It is certainly expensive enough!

I have been to Split, Zadar and Zagreb... and... I didn't really like it. Can't comment on cycle-related things (other than that cycling on the pavement as fast as you can is acceptable, and that some of the roads are pretty bad), but as a place to visit... it's average at best. There didn't seem to be anything to do in any of the places I've been - the shops are average, there's nothing to see (Zadar has some nice old buildings and the Sea Organ which is pretty good, but not a lot else). Kinda reminds me of Italy, except the food is a bit naff and it's quite a bit more dull. There are a lot of other places you can go in eastern/south-eastern europe that are much nicer and much cheaper. Hungary is amazing (great people, very nice food, has an established bike culture and Budapest is my favourite city in the world), Bosnia is cool if you're willing to work at it, at Bulgaria is so hilariously cheap that me and some friends ordered literally everything on the menu at a restaurant.

The Croatian language isn't that bad tbh... I can remember 'hvalah' and 'molim' are please and thank you!

Apologies for a long/irrelevant post. My money gets spent on travelling, any anything left over goes on bikes.

Mithras

Going South toward Dugi Rat the coastal road is fantastic....Loads of secluded beaches to stop off at. North of Split pick up the coast road through the 7 Kastels towards Trogir. Trogir it's self is lovely Go south onto the island of CIOVO.
To go inland you will be faced by some hellish climbs.

The beach at OMIS a few ks south is nice too.

mididoctors

cycled there in 1991 when the war kicked off

roads were low quality but manageable and the traffic poorly behaved...

but was nearly twenty years ago...

turned into a surreal cycling paradise when all traffic disappeared due to warfare and roadblocks..

ended up cycling down a motorway with the only vehicle on it being me... all the slip roads were blocked with artics and massive concrete blocks looted from harbour breakwaters... it was like being in one of those zombie apocalypse movies

plenty of broken terrain with stiff climbs.. nice riding in fact... I wonder what the traffic is like these days?


not much help I'm afraid

lae

^ traffic is awful in cities, but there's much less traffic in the countryside.

jimcameron

Croatia is a beautiful place to cycle but the drivers do not care a jot that you are there, keep going south to Montenegro and Albania. Much better.