Your next cycling adventure
How do you choose where your next cycling adventure should be? For me, that is the start of it, I get excited at the thought of getting on my bike, and I can picture it all in my mind. The planning, the research, the packing, the driving, and then getting there!!!
I visualise my trip in my head as that is my favourite part.
So how do I choose my next adventure?
My checklist looks like this:
- Somewhere I haven’t been before.
- I want to see new things and tasty food that I haven’t had before.
- Lots of colourful flowers or spectacular scenery, or both!
- Depending on the time of year, what kind of riding do I want to do – hills or flat?
- How long should the tour be?
- My destination must be within 8 hours on the train from where I live.
Then what?
I write all this information down and see if there is a common theme, and then I do some research. In my cycling adventure list, I have a long list of places that I want to visit and cycling tours that I want to do. I go to that list and see if there is anything that matches where I saw myself. In March this year, when I was thinking about where I wanted to go in April after the winter season was over for me, all I wanted was somewhere nice and flat. If I was thinking about September, then it would be somewhere with more hills as I am fitter then and like to be up high.
What should you do for your cycling adventure?
Go through your checklist and see what you come up with. Be open-minded and consider things like:
- Next to the water or in the mountains?
- Is it hot or mild?
- In the city or the countryside?
- Is it a bike tour, or are you staying somewhere and exploring from a central point?
- Have you got a specific country in mind?
- What food do you want to eat?
- Do you want to visit a specific event on your holiday?
- Mountains, cities, rivers, lakes, flat, hilly, easier terrain, a mix of boats and bikes?
- How are you getting there? By car, by train, by ebike or flying?
- How fit are you at the moment?
- How many kilometres or miles you could do in a day? (be honest)
- How saddle ready are you? A sore bottom can ruin a cycling trip.
- How much time do you have to prepare for your cycling adventure? Are you really going to be ready to cycle 50 miles each day when your trip is in 2 weeks?
Choices of cycling adventure
Think about whether you want to go on a cycling adventure with a tour operator or to organise it yourself. I would strongly suggest booking with a cycling holiday specialist, I worked in the tourism industry for over 30 years, and my first cycling tour was with a holiday company. The reason is someone else is responsible for all the organisational detail, which leaves you to concentrate on turning the pedals and having the time of your life. You don’t want to be worried about the travel details, hiring your bike or even moving your luggage. You just want to get on your bike, get your map and start exploring. I would highly recommend Freewheel Holidays if you are in the UK. They are experts in their field.
Distance
For a first tour, you probably wouldn’t want to cover large mileage. Keep your daily distances between 30-60 kilometres, depending on your cycling experience. I would suggest choosing a tour that is on fairly flat terrain, as more energy is needed as soon as you have to cycle up hills.
Routes
Consider a route that is well known as they tend to be very well signposted, and the track surfaces are better. A route that is ideal for newer cyclists is the Danube cycle route. https://www.donau.com/en/the-danube-in-lower-austria/outings-activities/exercise/danube-cycle-path/. You can travel in the direction of the flow of the river, which means it is descending all the time (so no long steep climbs) very slightly. Also, because of its popularity, it is well-signposted, so you don’t waste energy and time staying on track.
Length of a tour
Consider how often you currently cycle, how fit you are, and whether you have sat on a bike for more than 2 days in a row. You might want to consider a shorter tour for your first one; however, you will also find that you can ride yourself fitter and feel much stronger at the end of your tour.
Type of bike
When you are deciding where to go on a cycling tour, remember to consider the type of bike. If you are used to riding a city or a mountain bike, then go for what you are used to. You can go on a more challenging tour with an e-bike; this will take away any concerns about being able to achieve your daily mileage. There are loads of articles on riding e-bikes and their benefits; just pop over to my website at ebike-europe.com for more information. More challenging tours to consider would be St Moritz to Innsbruck if you enjoy being in the high mountains or Innsbruck to Bolzano if cities are your thing.
My guarantee
Wherever you decide to go, you will have a fabulous time. You will feel tired and exhilarated at the end of the day with a huge feeling of achievement.
I am happy to help if you need it. Just drop me a line with some details.