Ideas for next years cycling trip

kzente

A mate and myself go on an annual week long bike holiday, group size usually 4-5 strong riders.

Last two years we have been to the Dolomites, based in Cortina and the French Pyrenees, based in Bagneres de Bigorre. We like big mountain passes, hot weather, variety and scenery. Usually 5 big days (80-100 miles) with a rest day potter. We try not to do the same route or mountain pass more than once if we can avoid it.

I have never been to the French Alps (in the summer anyway), but my mate has been loads of times, so this is a last option if we can't think of anywhere better. We do have some ideas, but while I was on here anyway I thought I'd canvas some suggestions from the masses.

So if anyone has any suggestions for where to go, where to be based, and maybe also recommend a hotel/chalet, that would be great! We would prefer to avoid package tours, and instead sort our own flights/transfers.

Austria/Switzerland were brought up...

Cheers!

whoof

Stay hear in a cabin and ride the Ventoux (3 different ways) and a whole lot more in the surrounding area.
http://www.camping-ventoux.fr/
For more detail take a look at Ventoux in October a few posts down.

durhamwasp

Bedoin, Le Grand Bornand or Gerardmer.

Bedoin gets the win from me, if you do the Cingles....

(Switzerland - fantastic climbing, but an absolute rip off. Plus, the climbs are somewhat jointed, so its hard to do them individually)

tommybat

Good post

I'm thinking Vercors or French Alps so far. Done Ventoux, horrible climb, beautiful surrounding area though. Central Spain, Asturias and Portugal also interesting.

tangled_metal

Not sure what it is like for cycling but perhaps an out of the way option is Slovenian Alps. Never been there but I know people who have been there in Winter snowshoeing and other times walking. They all say it is really nice area and I think it is still cheap compared to other places mentioned.

Just a curve ball for you to look up.

d70ar9

Interlaken in Switzerland

I got an airbnb place just outside there last year for peanuts. Stunning scenery, good drivers, immense mountains but very expensive food and drinks etc.

The Grimsel, Furka and Susten pass loop has to be on everyone's ride wish list - simply stunning.

tommybat

Watching the Vuelta today, the Asturias looks like a great area!

deswahriff

tommybat wrote:

Watching the Vuelta today, the Asturias looks like a great area!

..second that...my group did Galicia and Asturias a couple of years ago...stunning countryside, so unspoilt, very friendly and hospitable as not a huge amount of tourists, and great value for food, drink and hotels...roads generally very good (all that EU money!) with sensible cycle lanes alongside the bigger roads...
...one particular day, we were looking for a lunchstop after a bit of a climb when our "DS" called out..."who fancies a 3 course lunch?"...groans all round, as most of us just fancied a sandwich 'till he said "€7...including wine!!"...so we spent way to long in this cavern type restaurant enjoying an amazing Asturian stew...

marcusjb

deswahriff wrote:

..so we spent way to long in this cavern type restaurant enjoying an amazing Asturian stew...

Fabada - fine cycling food!

Asturias is an amazing place to ride a bike. Fabulous scenery, quiet roads, really friendly people, great food (relaxed 3 course lunches for not many Euros are brilliant!).

Most ascents on the bigger roads are typically long, but with fairly tame gradients (5%) - but there are plenty of smaller roads with some insane gradients (thankfully we only did those on the bike unloaded as day trips from our camping base).

One of the best tours we've ever done.

Would go back any time.

garyspain

We're based in the Sierra Nevada, plenty of great climbing, quiet smooth rides and not touristy so great value.
www.vamoscycling.com

Sarah