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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    3,673

    International Bike Trip Ideas- April/May 2020

    Pretty much says it above. Have a major life switch happening next spring and will have the opportunity to take about 3-4 weeks off from work. Looking for ideas/beta on a destination. Prepared to spend some dollars but not go too crazy, ease of travel, availability of lodging, access to trails all important. Enough terrain for 3 weeks. Maybe some cool stuff to see on days off. Terrain is semi-important but more the epicness of rides/visuals I guess is what I’m looking for. It has to be that time of year so weather/précis on ground will probably be a key factor
    Thoughts thus far
    NZ
    Scotland/LakeDistric/No Ireland
    Andorra
    Anything rideable in the Alps?
    South America?

    Given the magnitude of the trip want to start planning, saving pretty soon so....
    Do I detect a lot of anger flowing around this place? Kind of like a pubescent volatility, some angst, a lot of I'm-sixteen-and-angry-at-my-father syndrome?

    fuck that noise.

    gmen.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Vancouver/Whistler
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    13,983
    It's rainy season in Peru otherwise I would recommend that. 3 weeks perhaps spending 3k USD including 10days guided riding with holytrails.pe. Less if you want to take on logistics self planning of course

    I would pick the Spanish Pyrenees. Cost is approx 1200 EUR for 1 week. After that either do a Basque Coast for another part week (800 EUR) or rent a car and do day trips along many of the trails that will be opening. So lets call it 3k Eur for 3 weeks?

    You can pick places to ride depending on where weather is best and get places to stay and ride within 200kms of San Sebastian you have Huesca, Picos de Europa, the locals trails themselves etc. all Just off the top of my head

    https://www.singletracks.com/blog/mt...aran-benasque/ (4parts)


    NZ or riding in the Alps there's tons of information but you'd spend 1.5x more at least. Also even subalpine riding in the Alps will be marginal at that time of the year

  3. #3
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    Jul 2008
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    Thanks man!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Gaperville, CO
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    You looking for road riding or trail riding? Camping or hotels/bnbs etc?

    Personally, I'd fly to Europe and do a couple different week-ish trips in various regions. Take train between them to give yourself a few days off to soak in the goodness. Pyrenees is awesome. Then hop over to Italy for a week and catch a stage of the Giro.

    I did a week tour through the Loire Valley in may a few years back. Learned then bike touring in wine producing regions is stupid pleasant. Tuscany is awesome biking country, Bordeaux or Burgundy would be awesome too.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    That looks awesome! Probably MTB-ing tho then do a road trip sometime in the future, love my road bike but heart is on the trail right now.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Three-O-Three
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    15,417
    If you're going to be riding for three weeks, I'd split up the time between 2-3 different locations. Like Lee said above, it's tough to go wrong with the guys at Basque MTB. I'd also look at Madeira (with Freeride Madeira), it should be prime-time in April. A few friends and I are looking to go in early March, it looks ridiculous.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    3,673
    Great point^, Portugal and Spain appeal because from east coast it’s not ALL that far. What’s the riding like in the areas around Madiera, is there a lot going on there besides the EWS area?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
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    Three-O-Three
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    I haven’t ridden there, but it looks like there are tons of sick options.

    https://www.pinkbike.com/news/trans-...ideo-epic.html


    Sent from my iPad using TGR Forums

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    Paper St. Soap Co.
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    3,303
    Madeira looks cool. With 4 weeks seems like you could check out at least three areas. I would do the Highland 550 and then someplace sunny in Europe. But have no first hand knowledge.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    United States of Aburdistan
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    7,281
    If you choose NZ, spend a week in Australia. 2-3 days in /around Sydney sight-seeing, then rent a bike in Tasmania. Derby is the main place to go.

    When are you going to have 3 weeks off again? That says to me: travel a long ways to bike. You have the time. Pyrenees will always be a quicker flight away for shorter (7-10day) vacations.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    northern BC
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    30,879
    april may is still early so you want some where warm like spain/portugal probably the further south the better

    last bike trip i did was the Camino de santiago, starting in southern France its 800km, on foot its penance but on a bike its an easy 70kms a day which makes a 3 week pilgramage doable.

    !30,000 pilgrams per year have been walking it for hundreds of years so Its set up for pilgrims and there is lots of cheaper food and accommodations
    Last edited by XXX-er; 06-13-2019 at 09:54 AM.
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    Looking down
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    50,491
    I was in Granada last November, and that looks like it has very cool MTB and road biking nearby in the Sierra.

  13. #13
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    Jan 2005
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    cb, co
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  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    These are all good suggestions. And the short answer is : Never will I have this period off again, certainly not for next 4-6 years after that one, and probably not ever! I agree the difficult thing is the timing vis a vie snow melt and or beginning of winter on the other side of the world... good food for thought.

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