Cycling Holiday - Mountains

Cornish-J
Cornish-J Posts: 978
edited July 2010 in Training, fitness and health
Just after some advice or experience from people that have done this before.

I'm looking to go on a cycling holiday somewhere with mountains, ideally famous tour mountains and i will be driving from the UK.

I've been looking mainly at the alpe d'huez because of its famous history but it's sooo far away.

Had a look today at the col du tourmalet - i found a little hotel in a nearby village for 50euros a night half board. It's also a reasonable drive from santander so i could get the plymouth to santander ferry which would be ideal...

any opinions/ideas welcome!

Comments

  • swaman
    swaman Posts: 110
    i'd definately go to the pyranees before the alps, nicer area for cycling and better climbs, also loads more of them in an area easily got at...only my opinion
  • ut_och_cykla
    ut_och_cykla Posts: 1,594
    stay in or near Argeles gazost - you have Luz Ardiden, tourmalet, aubisque, solour, MArie blanque all relatively close, Lovely area, fantastic riding and if it rains - go see Lourdes - even if your not religious - worth a look
  • bigpikle
    bigpikle Posts: 1,690
    Gran Canaria - cheap as chips for a package tour, great weather and some mountains that will rival or be tougher than most of the famous ones despite you not knowing their names. Look at a couple of old threads on here for links to some reviews and logs of cycling in GC.
    Your Past is Not Your Potential...
  • Cornish-J
    Cornish-J Posts: 978
    I need somewhere i can drive to easily as i'm not taking my bike apart to put on a plane as i'll never be able to put it back together lol!
  • bigpikle
    bigpikle Posts: 1,690
    hire a nice one in Gran Canaria for <£20/day...much easier and exactly what I'm doing for 4 days in Jan for some warm winter mountain riding fun!
    Your Past is Not Your Potential...
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    Maybe out of your price but Vamos Cycling or Pyractif will get you going. The latter is near the climbs you mention. Upside is they look after you and feed you.
    M.Rushton
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    You don't have to drive far at all!!! :)
    Went to the Alps for a 2 week holiday about 5 yrs ago. Drove from Glasgow to Calais and then down to Allemont where we had a nice little gite via Gites de France.
    We were only about 5 or 6 miles along from Bourg d'Oisans and really close to the foot of the Col du Glandon in the other direction.

    Loved it.

    Hoping to go to the Pyrenees next year.
  • Butterd2
    Butterd2 Posts: 937
    swaman wrote:
    i'd definitely go to the pyranees before the alps, nicer area for cycling and better climbs, also loads more of them in an area easily got at...only my opinion

    Having done Alps and Pyrenees in the last 2 years I would second this, the climbs feel closer together with fewer long drags to get from one to the next. I can't really put my finger on why but I did prefer them, in fact I'm going back in Sept to ride them coast to coast (see route in the Touring section if you are interested) this bags many of the famous TDF climbs.
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  • Gavin Cook
    Gavin Cook Posts: 307
    I agree with big pikle on the Canary Islands but disagree which island ! :wink: I would go to Tenerife. I will take you on some incredible rides arround the island. You can ride where Armastrong and many other pros train during the winter when the rest of Europe is covered in snow etc.
    It costs you only 30 quid each flight to check a bike bag in.
    Have a look at these areas on the net, Teide, Masca, La orotava, anaga .... to see where you can ride.

    Gavin
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    The Pyrenees are a much, much further drive than the Alps. If you think Alpe d'Huez is too far a drive, think twice about the Pyrenees. The only famous Tour de France climbs really much closer are in the Alsace, Grand Ballon, Ballon d'Alsace, etc.
    But, why not take a train? No need to take the bike apart, and no long drive either.
  • Cornish-J
    Cornish-J Posts: 978
    some good ideas - may think about getting flights and learning how to take the bike apart!
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    I went over to France on a 4 day trip to do Mont Ventoux.
    Flew and borrowed a bike box. If I remember, all I had to do was take the wheels and pedals off and lower the saddle. Easy enough.
    Used most of my 'luggage' as extra padding round the bike etc.
  • Cornish-J
    Cornish-J Posts: 978
    who did you fly with?
  • bobtbuilder
    bobtbuilder Posts: 1,537
    Cornish-J wrote:
    some good ideas - may think about getting flights and learning how to take the bike apart!

    You really only need to remove the saddle, pedals and loosen & rotate the handlebars to fit it in most bike bags / boxes.
  • drewfromrisca
    drewfromrisca Posts: 1,165
    I'm off to the Alps in 3 weeks and can't wait. We are driving down and stopping off in Fontainbleau overnight. What's traffic like down there?
    There is never redemption, any fool can regret yesterday...

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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,464
    I'm going to the Italian alps next summer (Bormio area). It isn't an out and out cycling holiday but I'm going to do a 1 day ride taking in the Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirollo. They are so close together it would be easy to base a ride around 1 each day. Plenty of other less well known climbs nearby too.
  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    if you don't know how to take the bike apart to put in in a bike bag or box then just ask the LBS if you buy one through them if they will show you what to do. It is quite simple, even I managed it and I can't change a tyre yet !

    Doesn't the ferry to Santander take 3 days so that would be longer than driving.

    To be honest the Alps and Pyrenees are very similar, all have climbs of 15k or longer just depends what you are looking for. One bit of advice if you book somewhere up a mountain then you need to ride it each day at the end of very ride.

    All the canary islands are very good for cycling and great weather all year round but can be a bit windy.

    In all places you can hire bikes locally as well
  • sampras38
    sampras38 Posts: 1,917
    RC856 wrote:
    You don't have to drive far at all!!! :)
    Went to the Alps for a 2 week holiday about 5 yrs ago. Drove from Glasgow to Calais and then down to Allemont where we had a nice little gite via Gites de France.
    We were only about 5 or 6 miles along from Bourg d'Oisans and really close to the foot of the Col du Glandon in the other direction.

    Loved it.

    Hoping to go to the Pyrenees next year.

    I stayed in a B&B in Bourg last month and had a great time. Spent a week riding and did Alp Duez 3 times, plus the Glandon, Croix De Fer and a few other smaller ones. Didn't have time to do the Galibier though. Next year I'm off to do the Tourmalet and Hautacam for the first time.
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    Cornish-J wrote:
    who did you fly with?

    Think it might have been Easyjet from Glasgow. Nice and cheap.
    Don't know what it would be like these days with weight/size restrictions etc.

    Think you let them know it's a bike you're taking and that helps.
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    drewfromrisca wrote:
    I'm off to the Alps in 3 weeks and can't wait. We are driving down and stopping off in Fontainbleau overnight. What's traffic like down there?

    I don't remember the traffic being bad in France...not on our route anyway.
    Using the toll roads heading south was great.
    I was impressed with the French drivers. They'd pull in after an overtake on the motorway.
    If someone was sitting in the middle lane, it was usually a Brit!!!

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