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06-09-2019, 09:51 AM #1
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.
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06-09-2019, 10:45 AM #2
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
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06-09-2019, 11:51 AM #3
Thanks man!
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06-09-2019, 01:08 PM #4Registered User
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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.
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06-09-2019, 04:08 PM #5
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.
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06-09-2019, 05:29 PM #6
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.
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06-09-2019, 06:15 PM #7
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?
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06-09-2019, 06:24 PM #8
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
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06-12-2019, 12:55 PM #9
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06-12-2019, 01:01 PM #10Registered User
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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.
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06-12-2019, 01:21 PM #11Registered User
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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 accommodationsLast edited by XXX-er; 06-13-2019 at 09:54 AM.
Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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06-12-2019, 02:37 PM #12
I was in Granada last November, and that looks like it has very cool MTB and road biking nearby in the Sierra.
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06-12-2019, 04:27 PM #13
Cappadocia Turkey looks pretty cool
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06-12-2019, 09:59 PM #14
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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