Is there anywhere else in the world….?

fullyabsorbent
fullyabsorbent Posts: 2
edited March 2016 in Holidays
Once a year, during the school holidays, on a Friday Morning around Easter time, a group of friends and I get on the red-eye from a London airport and fly to Mallorca. From Palma airport we get a couple of buses and by 11am we are in our rented apartment in Port de Soller on the NW corner of the island. We then hire mountain bikes from Andy at Tramuntana Tours and cycle the Balitx d'Avall. On Saturday we swap over to road bikes and tackle the hills to Sa Calobra (having lunch in Cala Tuent) and back or take the return Ferry from there if we are feeling lazy. On Sunday we cycle the Valldemossa loop stopping to eat a picnic lunch from the market there. Monday we will either choose another ride in the area or take the tram and train back to Palma where we will hire city bikes and ride along the coast before getting the flight back to London in the late afternoon.
I love this trip very dearly but we have been taking it for 6 years now and fancy a change. My question is this: Is there anywhere in the word which is a shortish flight away, where we can hire good quality bikes, and we can cram in so much variety - MTB and Road - and make it back within 4 days so as not to incur the wrath of our respective partners?

Comments

  • UH DH
    UH DH Posts: 4,160
    Any of the alpine biking resorts would meet specifications. Maybe avoid the popular ones like Morzine/Les Gets and go for some of the quieter ones. Possibly look at Chamonix. Decent trails to ride, and there's a big road loop that goes up through Argentiere, down into Switzerland, Martigny, Monthey, Troistorrents, up through Morgins and Chatel, over the Col du Corbiere, up to Morzine, Les Gets, down to Cluses then back up the valley to Chamonix. It's about 195km in total, but loads of climbs and descents in the sun and mountains.
    Check out my site - http://www.trail-dog.co.uk
    It's good for you.
  • frankspencer1979
    frankspencer1979 Posts: 525
    Lake Garda... any of the resorts are fine but Torbole seemed to me to be a bit of a bike haven. I stayed in Riva and loved it. Plenty of bike hire available, guided rides, uplifts and a cable car. Food and drink is spot on too. Just over 2hr flight to Verona, about an hour transfer depending on where you stay.
  • deepairdiver
    deepairdiver Posts: 2
    mijas, spain. fly to malaga
    loads of flights, very warm and loads of routes everywhere.
    The vuelta passed thru here this year so can do the same routes.
    probe the best place in europe for all cycling disciplines is here.
    and I do not own a cycling shop ...
  • matudavey
    matudavey Posts: 108
    Red Rock Trails is a newly renovated 'Casa Rural' near Tremp in the Spanish Pyrenees, that offers great mountain biking and road cycling routes to suit all levels (and loads of other attractions and activities - you could take the other halves! :wink:).

    They provide full catering and guided rides to suit you. Transfers from Barcelona (linked to most UK airports) are included. They also have mountain bikes and road bikes available for guests

    http://www.RedRockTrails.co.uk

    I do have family ties to the proprietors - so I'm biased - but I think their set-up is great and the local terrain is perfect, with stunning scenery!
  • jamesdwilliams76
    jamesdwilliams76 Posts: 3
    What about flying to Alicante and ride with www.MTBSpain.com. They operate from October to April each year and flights are usually quite cheap.
  • Dinkypen
    Dinkypen Posts: 1
    "Is there anywhere in the word which is a shortish flight away, where we can hire good quality bikes, and we can cram in so much variety - MTB and Road - and make it back within 4 days"
    Yes, the Pyrenees! You can fly from Gatwick into Toulouse with Easyjet, 1 hour transfer down to Luchon and you've got all the XC mountain and road biking you could possibly want. I know the cycling holidays that Undiscovered Pyrenees run are very flexible (drop them a line if you only want a short break rather than a full week - I'm sure they'll do that) and you can certainly combine guided mountain biking and also road biking. I think bike hire is around 40 euros a day. If you need the website it's http://www.undiscoveredpyrenees.com/ They are very helpful!
  • paptuk
    paptuk Posts: 6
    Hi, I was wondering if you could help me. In my master's thesis I am trying to find out which criteria are most important for bikers when choosing an MTB holidays. What is your opinion on that? http://goo.gl/forms/Zzdav0l8Yi Thanks

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