What Makes the Perfect Cycling Holiday?
You look forward to it all winter…
It gives you a reason to climb on the turbo for another tedious hour on Zwift while watching the rain lash against the window.
It’ll take forever for the time to come to board that plane, but it will also be here before you know it, so you better get training…
Cycling holidays are the best
A cycling holiday is something to really, truly savour.
Often they are the perfect combination of all of the elements that brought about the love for it in the first place.
Endless sunny days, no commitments to get back for, just a group of mates and feeling like a kid again.
And so to ask what makes the perfect cycling holiday is a tricky thing.
You’re starting from a pretty high baseline, as pretty much all cycling holidays are great, so what is it that tips it over into ‘best-ever’?
I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but an early season trip to Calpe with my group got me thinking.
I can say with some degree of confidence that it was my best cycling holiday yet.
The planning stage
A great trip is built from great planning.
The research into where to fly to, where to stay, and where to ride each day is the start.
But detailed planning - keeping things invisible - is more than just that. It is the little things that keeps it all running super smoothly, that’s what makes it great.
I have been planning and booking cycling holidays for my clients for a number of years now, and I can say that the more work done at this stage, the better the trip overall tends to be.
Understanding the group, listening to whether they are there to train or relax, really getting under the lid of the trip is the starting point.
Destinations can be chosen to suit the style of riding, or because you want something new or to return somewhere familiar.
Meals in the hotel or meals out? Riding big at the start or saving the legs. We lock down a plan in as much detail as possible beforehand so it can all run smoothly, without it feeling forced.
The Group
Are they friends you ride with week in, week out? Are they a group of relative strangers in a club you’ve just joined?
Either way, there’s a very good chance you’ll return from the trip with a stronger bond than before, but tailor the room list to match people up in twin rooms that know each other well, or shoot for single occupancy rooms if you’re not sure.
Riding in a mixed ability group can get a bit messy if not tightly controlled. We’ll chat about group size when building the itinerary so that fitness levels across the board are accounted for.
Everyone has to enjoy the trip…
If one person is running around like a headless chicken trying to solve problems all week, there’s a good chance they aren’t having as much fun as the rest.
Which is where a travel partner like us comes in.
Any issues, leave it to us while you ride. Pre-travel, while you’re away, even after you return, we outsource all of the admin for the organiser to not have to pick up themselves.
Logistics
Of course, travel plans can go awry occasionally.
But this is the perfect cycling holiday, so if anything your plane is landing five minutes early, your transfer is seamless and you arrive at the hotel to a red-carpet and a delicious welcome drink.
Bikes get built or collected from the rental shop at lightning speed, they’re all working perfectly, you change into fresh kit and are clipped in a ready to roll out mid-afternoon. Lighthouse spin anyone?
The Hotel
I spoke to a very reputable cycling hotel recently who informed me that for cycling groups they offer ‘unlimited carbohydrates’ at breakfast and dinner.
This is what we are talking about…
Hotels that understand what cyclists need make a huge difference to the group’s enjoyment.
For a larger group I would always recommend having dinner as well as breakfast at the hotel.
For smaller groups, or those in the more ‘holiday’ part of the cycling holiday then meals out can be arranged prior to you travelling so like the rest of the trip it runs like clockwork.
The roads and the riding
Quiet roads, smooth tarmac, steady climbs averaging 5%. It’s the stuff of dreams.
But there is more to it than just that.
Having a hotel or villa that you can roll out of in the morning and not have to battle inner-city traffic is a massive plus point.
Knowing where to base groups in places like Nice and Girona is important.
Calpe, Mallorca and more have such good infrastructure that they feel like such a treat to ride out of each day.
Tenerife you start climbing and don’t really stop ever.
Getting the balance of climbing and flat is dependent on the group, but with all of the big cycling destinations the roads are a big part of why you go in the first place so enjoy them all.
Bucket List Stuff
The Tourmalet | Sa Calobra | Coll de Rates
You’ll sit on Zwift watching POV footage of these headline climbs, and Rouvy even lets you ride them for ‘almost’ real now.
So conquering your longest climb ever, or going for a PB on a climb you’ve done a few times is another major part of that perfect holiday feeling.
You’ll buzz off that one for a while once it’s done.
And those added luxuries like a support vehicle, or riding in custom kit as a squad, can really elevate the experience.
Off the Bike
A cycling holiday can feel like you’ve been riding for hours all week, with very little relaxation time and yet by the time you’re home a sense of low-level calm and content radiates out of you.
Try explaining that to ‘regular’ people and they look at you funny.
But the moments off the bike make it.
It is the top-tier flat white and almond croissant from a thoroughly researched cafe stop.
It’s the lager (0% of course) mixed with Fanta Lemon after a super long day in the mountains - try it, it’s insane.
These are the moments that you’ll remember, and they’re very well-earned.
Perfect Trip
Perfect doesn’t come easily, and doesn’t happen by accident.
Months of planning and research has gone into delivering the perfect cycling holiday.
They can’t all be perfect, but we always look to see how we can make the next one better.
