cycling hoilday

[Keith1954]

I have looked on-line at cycling holidays and training, they do not seem to offer much a bed, decent roads to ride on and better weather. I have looked abroad and in the UK at various times of the year. The one thing they all have in common is a high cost and in would seem low value for money.....
Any thought's.

[tatanab]

There are several types. Supported ones you pay for staff and vehicles of course. Some supply bikes. Unsupported (self lead) you pay for luggage transfers (if that is included) and obviously for the organisers time in booking hotels etc. CTC holidays are likely to be cheaper but you still pay organisers expenses. Many of the long haul companies, and some of the European ones too, are aimed squarely at the American market where it seems people will spend what to us is an enormous amount of money.

[TrevA]

For a fixed centre holiday, you can do it yourself. just book flight for you and bike or arrange to hire a bike when you are there. Or you can book a package deal and hire a bike.

I've been to Majorca, Fuerteventura and the Alps (Bourg D'Oisans) using self-booked holidays. Took my own bike to Majorca and the Alps, but hired a road bike in Fuerteventura, which was a comparable price and less hassle. You have to do your own route finding and arrange your own rides, but that is half the fun. The advantage of using a tour company is that they'll know the area and the best roads to ride on and may be able to offer roadside support, but yuo are paying a lot of money for this knowledge and support.

I've also done moving on tours - JOGLE, Western isles of Scotland and Cuba. Jogle was self organised and unsupported. Western Isles was a CTC tour and Cuba was with a tour company. Advantage of the tour co was that they supplied the bikes, a guide and a support coach to carry your bags, but it was very expensive. With CTC, it was cheaper but we had to carry our own bags.

If you want/need everything orgainsed for you, then go with a tour company, but otherwise do it yourself. You'll get plenty of advice on here about bike hire, places to stay and routes.

[horizon]

I have looked on-line at cycling holidays and training, they do not seem to offer much a bed, decent roads to ride on and better weather. I have looked abroad and in the UK at various times of the year. The one thing they all have in common is a high cost and in would seem low value for money.....
Any thought's.

You have to compare like with like. If you travel independently you can choose between say buses, a car, a bike or going on foot with all the advantages and disadvantages that that confers.

If you go on an organised trip, you get it all arranged for you, whatever the mode of travel. That's great for some people - indeed most holidays are organised packages. They don't seem like good value because you're not interested in what they offer. I would certainly recommend an organised cycling tour to a friend - far better than a cruise - but it doesn't mean I would go on one myself.

[chris_suffolk]

The one thing they all have in common is a high cost and in would seem low value for money.....

Guess it depends on your perspective. I've opted to do Dover - Cape Wrath with a company for a number of reasons

- They move all my gear
- They arrange all the accomodation
- All lunches are provided in local pub / cafe. Buffet style, turn up, eat and leave - no ordering and waiting
- They run a 'tea van' which stops morning and afternoon for food and drinks (included in price)
- They carry a range of spare parts and even complete bikes
- If I have a problem, they help fix it or give me a lift in the van
- Recommendations from people using the same company rate them very highly, especially the food and helpful staff
- Nobody else I know wanted to do the same route (or anything close) so they provide a group to cycle with

Yes, I could do it cheaper, and yes it might be fun to arrange it all, but working out the figures, and what's included (including 3 staff (1 cycling + 2 vans)), I think it's quite good value for money

[TimP]

I have looked on-line at cycling holidays and training, they do not seem to offer much a bed, decent roads to ride on and better weather. I have looked abroad and in the UK at various times of the year. The one thing they all have in common is a high cost and in would seem low value for money.....
Any thought's.

To me the whole point of cycling is the ability to go where I want when I want and economically too. For this I do not need to go in some organised pre-packaged gig that is getting worn round the edges.
I'll do my own thing. Hardly James Dean roaring off on a motorbike but it is me enjoying country lanes.

[pwa]

Do It Yourself is the best approach. Select a region that interests you, and do a bit of armchair research. This year I selected Provence, and I've come up with a route that meets my requirements. 40 miles per day (to suit my wife and daughter) with some easy bits and some modest cols to provide manageable challenges. You then need some idea of accommodation type (camping or hotels) and a way of getting there. I'm camping, so I had to contact about ten camp sites. That's a pain, but at least I know where I'm staying each night. In other parts of France you can usually get in camp sites by just turning up. I'm using the European Bike Express coach service to get to Orange, at less than £200 per person return. The bikes go in a trailer. I don't fly, so others will advise you about that.

The planning / organising is part of the experience. Learn to like it. I was touring like this before I ever heard of organised cycling package holidays.

[horizon]

The planning / organising is part of the experience. Learn to like it. I was touring like this before I ever heard of organised cycling package holidays.

Maybe because there weren't so many. I think we're looking at this from the wrong end of the telescope: it's not that cycle holidays are becoming more organised, it's that a lot of holiday organisers are looking at cycling as an option. Of course there will be a spill over from people who might otherwise have organised their own holiday but the cycle packages open up cycling to people who might otherwise have chosen an organised walking tour or a cruise (or two weeks sitting around a pool). In that sense, they might well be very good value for money.

[whoof]

When I've toured I've always organised everything myself. I've also been on fixed location cycling holidays and again bought flights, accommodation etc myself. I would however at some time like to ride from one end of the Pyrenees to the other on a light road bike and not carry luggage. Not because it's a challenge or so that I can do it in a superfast time just because I think it would be a nice bike ride (before anyone suggests it's still nice carrying your own luggage I know I've done it). If I do this I understand it will cost a lot more but that will be my choice.

[neilob]

. The one thing they all have in common is a high cost and in would seem low value for money.....

To make that kind of judgement from a cursory online study is a bit of a leap. Thousands of people go on cycle holidays every year ranging from training camps, supported tours, and one day sportives. Most participants appreciate the facilities and make an informed judgement whether to spend their money. You may choose not to, and that is your right, but it is a little unfair to assume that noone else should! While undoubtedly some are expensive, nobody forces anyone to book. If you want to ride alone (and many do), carry your own luggage, and you don't want or need experienced advice or help, then don't go on one. But if you do, choose a holiday that you can verify its claims and read the comments of others.

[Dave W]

I did a couple of holidays years ago with a company called Exodus. Cycled in Mexico and Morocco. The advantages are: travelling light, meals provided, hotel bed at the end of the day and vehicle back up. Plus they know the best places to visit in a short space of time. Also very handy when things go wrong in a strange country (as they did in Morocco when one guy came off and broke his shoulder amongst other things).

[RJS]

I've done 3 CTC tours in the past, I didn't think they were expensive for the planning and arranging the did for me, (especially Kerala) but one thing I really enjoyed on all of them was the company of the other participants.
Cheers, Rob.

[PJ520]

There was a time in my life when I thought B & Bs a ridiculous sissy waste of money. Not any more. And I can see there may come a time when gambling on finding accomodation will get tedious but I'm only 70 so it'll be a while yet. If an organized bike tour suits you and won't leave you with buyer's remorse as the salesmen put it, do it. As for cost, as other responders have noted there's quite a bit of time hence money goes into making bookings, organizing SAG wagons etc. so be prepared to pay for that. Psych yourself up to bearing the cost, don't spoil your tour and possibly spoil the tour for other people by constantly fretting about how much it is costing you. I once toured with a bloke who kept pointing out how much cheaper it was to buy a quart of chocolate milk and split it instead of buying individual pints. That got old right quick.

[Keith1954]

Ok! Thank you all for taking the time to respond to my post. I take on board from the responses that cost should not be the sole basis of my search, so coming at it from a different angle and say I am looking for a fixed point cycling holiday.
1/ choice of rides, from that fixed point. 2/ good weather. 3/ good accommodation, are there other things I need to look for to enhance that experience?

[TrevA]

Mallorca is worth a look, especially if you are not going in the height of summer. There's a company called Max Huerzeler that does guided rides and will supply the bike, the hotel, guide and back up services.

http://www.huerzeler.com/en/

I've not been with them myself but you come across the groups a lot if you go to Mallorca on a bike.

If you are based at the eastern end of the island, there are a good choice of roads to ride on and terrain varies from flat to mountainous.

Look at what services the companies offer and whether you are likely to need those services e.g. tour guide, mechanic, massage, rescue, coaching talks, etc. If not, then opt for a package without these or look for something cheaper.