Cycling UK Forum

Hello, First posting on this site for me.
I'm looking for some advice from those more experienced in cyling abroad. I'm a pretty fit 55 year old and have in recent years been on 3/4 day trips with my extremely fit 27 year old son and most recently did the C2C classic and this year the Hadrians Wall route. We both ride road bikes and because i do not enjoy being loaded down with panniers etc have used a support company to move our gear daily, my son Matt spent a few days in Provence this summer carrying kit on a seatpost mount but he is less attached to creature comforts than me!
We are looking for a 4/5/6 day trip somewhere in Europe which we are considering either as a fixed base trip or with a support company to move kit etc, we will be taking our own bikes with us. We both enjoy hills and interesting terrain so wouldn't want anywhere too flat. So these are the questions:
Can anyone recommend somewhere for a fixed base with enough routes to give us interesting rides up to 70ish miles daily?
Does anyone know of any companies that provide logistical support regarding daily kit moves etc
Where to go - best countries for a trip this sort of length?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Where do you want to go?

While you wait for other better informed members than I, if you Google 'fixed base cycling holiday' then you'll find enough information to keep you busy for a few hours

Pretty open to where to go, perhaps canaries and also considering France but would be interested in the experiences of others.

Lightning wrote:Hello, First posting on this site for me.
I'm looking for some advice from those more experienced in cyling abroad. I'm a pretty fit 55 year old and have in recent years been on 3/4 day trips with my extremely fit 27 year old son and most recently did the C2C classic and this year the Hadrians Wall route. We both ride road bikes and because i do not enjoy being loaded down with panniers etc have used a support company to move our gear daily, my son Matt spent a few days in Provence this summer carrying kit on a seatpost mount but he is less attached to creature comforts than me!
We are looking for a 4/5/6 day trip somewhere in Europe which we are considering either as a fixed base trip or with a support company to move kit etc, we will be taking our own bikes with us. We both enjoy hills and interesting terrain so wouldn't want anywhere too flat. So these are the questions:
Can anyone recommend somewhere for a fixed base with enough routes to give us interesting rides up to 70ish miles daily?
Does anyone know of any companies that provide logistical support regarding daily kit moves etc
Where to go - best countries for a trip this sort of length?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

I'd recommend the Alps. My wife and I had a fixed-based holiday, being based near Bourg d'Oisans and we did some of the famous Tour climbs including the Galibier, Alpe d'Huez, Col de la Croix de Fer as well as some less famous (and less arduous) climbs such as the Col d'Ornon. Thoroughly enjoyable, especially if you like hills. There's a booklet that you can get from Tourist information that shows 30 different rides in the Oisans valley.

TrevA wrote:I'd recommend the Alps. My wife and I had a fixed-based holiday, being based near Bourg d'Oisans and we did some of the famous Tour climbs...

Mmmm, I like the sound of that. You're giving me ideas...

Thanks Treva, that sounds pretty good, we'll start researching that area. Thanks for the advice

We stayed at a campsite near Allemond, at the foot of the Croix de Fer, about 4 miles down the valley from Bourg d'Oisans. They had some small on-site chalets, as we didn't want to camp, but plenty were. Friends have stayed further up the valley. There's a B&B called "Chalet Michelle", owned by a British couple, or there are a few places to stay in Bourg itself.

Take a bike with low gears - the Alpe in particular is very steep, as is the very top part of the Galibier.

Thanks again Treva, we do both have low geared bikes but it sounds like we will need them