The problem of recognition: why cyclists play it safe

Words: Chris McKnight | Photos: Chris McKnight

Ask any serious cyclist where their bucket list of places to ride is and you'll get the same destinations back on repeat.

Mallorca, Calpe, Girona.

The Dolomites, the Alps, the Pyrenees.

You might get specific climbs thrown in — Mont Ventoux is a must-do for a lot of people — or a sportive like the Maratona dles Dolomites.

What you won't hear very often, if at all, is Cyprus. Or the Costa Daurada. Or even places like Sicily, Andalucia, the Algarve.

Not because the riding there is any worse than the ‘big three’ — but because nobody has shown them why and how they should ride there.

It’s getting busier

The list hasn't really changed in a decade or more.

As cyclo-tourism puts pressure on the mainstream destinations and they become more and more overcrowded with cyclists, tourist boards are looking for ways to increase cycling traffic in the regions that could benefit from it, which at the same time eases pressure on those that are struggling under the weight of their popularity.

Case study: Girona's shadow

Girona didn't earn its reputation by being the best riding in Catalonia. It earned it by being where the pros live.

Don’t get us wrong, we loved our trip there. The riding once you’re out of the city is a dream. But you can find the same amazing riding further down the coast, where cyclists are few and far between much like cars and other motorised vehicles once you’re in the hills.

The Costa Daurada is built to attract holidaymakers and groups. Hotels like the H10 Cambrils Playa are actively investing in their cycling infrastructure.

We wrote this article here about why we feel it should be visited by more cyclists.

Like the other emerging destinations, it’s not complete. You can’t walk out of the front door of your hotel to your pick of 17 different bike rental shops like you can in Puerto Pollensa (yes, we counted them…)

But with the right planning and guidance, which Altus Collective specialises in, you can enjoy new climbs, amazing roads and fantastic weather all while discovering somewhere new.

Case study: the other winter sun

Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote (more in the Triathlon world) have owned the winter-sun escape market for years.

And for good reason — reliable weather, established infrastructure, but most importantly, you’ve seen people riding there. Whether it’s Pogacar, Remco or a few guys from your club, you’re not going in blind when you book the Canary Islands.

Cyprus has much of the same about it as the Canaries. Mount Olympus, in the Troodos Mountains, climbs to nearly 2,000 metres through mountain villages and switchbacks from sea level.

The sun shines a ridiculous 330 days a year.

But on returning to the UK after our trip kindly organised by the Tourist Board to show us the cycling on the island, a friend and experienced cyclist said to me “I didn’t realise you could actually ride on the roads over there”.

Sleepy, slightly backwater Greek islands that haven’t changed in decades with minimal infrastructure is certainly not how Cyprus wants to be viewed by the cycling world.

But it needs cyclists to visit to see just how good it can be up close.

Why recognition,not quality, is the bottleneck

Neither of thesedestinations is missing anything on the ground.

What they're missing is recognisability. It needs Instagram reels showing you the riding.

Articles from cyclists you actually listen to, talking about it in detail.

What we're doing about it

The practical work behind this piece is that Altus Collective is working together with E2.718 Studio and local tourist offices to bring destinations like Cyprus, Costa Daurada and many more to a wider audience of cyclists looking for something beyond the usual.

The approach isn't just pointing a camera at good roads and calling it content.

It's curation — the climbs worth structuring a week around, the coffee stops worth planning a route to hit, the logistics that turn a good destination into an unforgettable trip.

The quality of riding isn’t the issue. The attention these places are getting is. That’s what we’re working on.

If you’re wanting to ride somewhere new but not sure where to start then reach out and we can chat about your next trip.