Bike Adventures

There are gentle starts and finishes along the banks of the Dordogne and Rhone, and some hills in the middle as we clip the northern Massif Central.

There are many lovely countries in which to cycle but it is difficult to beat France and this trip takes us through the very best that France has to offer. This is a beautiful, gentle-paced tour starting on the Atlantic coast a little west of Bordeaux and finishing on the shores of Lake Geneva. Along the way we will experience an ever-changing landscape, with almost every day offering something new.

Whether you like the natural beauty of the countryside or picturesque villages and chateaux every day will be a treat!

We start riding on the Atlantic coast in Arcachon and after an incredibly flat 2 days across the coastal plain we meet the Dordogne just west of Bergerac and follow its meanderings into central France. Eventually we must turn a little north and the middle portion of the ride is hillier as we skirt the Massif Central before descending to the banks of the Rhone for the final few days.

Our route makes extensive use of extremely minor roads and is largely traffic free, though we try and visit towns of some substance for refreshment and overnight stops. Where available we utilise cycle routes/paths and along the Rhone we exploit the Via Rhona cycle path wherever possible.

Although the route does include some significant climbs it is suitable for all moderately fit cyclists and the hilliest days are also the shortest. Daily riding distances are between 40 and 60 with an average of 52.

A 25 day mountain biking adventure: the world’s highest mountain bike journey.

This is an epic ride – one of most adventurous a biker can do. 80-90% of this ride is over 4000m above sea level. In 1100km you cross 5 passes over 5000m, a handful of ‘small’ passes over 4000m and you will ride the longest downhill in the world, dropping from 5050m in Tibet to 540m in Nepal over a little more than 150km! It is a real classic and to make your trip even more adventurous, even longer and even more challenging, we have decided to incorporate a four day round trip away from the main Lhasa to Kathmandu road, to visit Rongbuk Monastery and the North Base Camp of Mt Everest.

Throughout the ride, your state of the art bicycles will be a source of great interest. As they will not have seen anything more sophisticated than their basic Chinese-made boneshakers, there are great opportunities to share laughs with local people!

We follow the main Lhasa to Kathmandu route as it runs westwards, parallel to the great Himalaya chain, which forms the border with the territories of Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal. Throughout, the road traverses a high and dry plateau-land, which is punctuated by the spectacular monastery towns of Gyantse, Shigatse and Shegar, as well as several smaller settlements and nomadic Drogpa encampments.

On the detour away from the main route towards the Rongbuk Monastery, the road climbs through almost fifty hairpin bends to reach the Pang La, which affords splendid views of the Himalaya, and of Mt. Everest itself. Everest Base Camp is a ‘not to be missed’ inclusion to this ride. Standing before the exposed and shear North Face of Chomolungma [Mt. Everest] at Everest Base Camp (5500m/18044ft) is a memorable experience that few will ever forget. We will spend a night at Everest Base Camp before riding 70 km back out to the main Kathmandu route.

Back on the main road we reach the edge of the Tibetan Plateau as we cross the 5200 metre high Thang La, and begin a mind-blowing descent of 4500 metres, via the border town of Zhangmu, to the valley of the Sun Kosi River in Nepal. A final, easy day’s cycling brings us back to civilisation in the form of Kathmandu.

Another wonderful UK Coast to Coast! This is Bike Adventures’ relaxed version of the idyllic Sustrans ‘Way of the Roses’ route. A 170 mile (270km), fully supported 5-day trip across the UK, starting in Morecambe and finishing in Bridlington, Yorkshire. (Please note we can organise shorter versions of this trip for private groups; please contact us for details).

This cycling holiday has some great riding, the route taking you through an amazing variety of landscapes as it follows the River Lune and River Wenning into the Pennines, before entering the stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There is a significant climb across the edge of Rye Loaf Hill and hence on to the highest point of the route (Greenhow) before dropping down to Pateley Bridge. Things ease off after Pateley Bridge as we continue through perfect cycling country to the lovely City of York, and finally into Bridlington.

Tuscany is known for its landscapes, traditions, history, artistic legacy and its influence on high culture. What better way to experience this than from the saddle of a bike; and of course the Italians love cycling so you will be assured a warm welcome wherever you stop.

We start our ride from the iconic city of Pisa and for those who have never seen the city there is the opportunity to fly in early on arrival day and leave your luggage with us while you explore. We ride a very approximate circle taking in the very best that Tuscany has to offer. The route passes through Florence, using cycle paths wherever possible, and this has been engineered to be a short day to allow some time to soak up the culture.

We eventually return to Pisa from the north east, following a traffic-free cycle path along the river.

Tuscany can be very hilly, and there are certainly hills on the route – indeed there are a couple of quite challenging days on this tour – but the route offers a real mix of riding with several quite flat days. The longest day is 62 miles and the daily average is 55.

This is a hotel-based trip using mostly 3* hotels.

We have wanted to put together a ride in Spain for some time but where to go? Spain is a big country and much of the interior is inhospitable for cycling!

The Mediterranean Sea spreads its calm waters over 1000 miles of Spanish coast, from Tarifa, the southernmost European point in the province of Cádiz, to the rocky cliffs of Cabo de Creus, on the border between France and Spain in northern Catalunya. This vast distance allows for a wide variety of landscapes, towns and cultures that are a far cry from the general perception of the Mediterranean as a Costa del Sol-style tourist trap.

Our ride takes in virtually the whole length, starting in magnificent Barcelona (a MUST SEE city!) and ending back on ‘British’ soil on the Rock of Gibraltar.

We will spend our first night at a hotel close to Barcelona airport before heading to the sea where we will spend much of the coming two weeks. Naturally we will pass through many holiday resorts but also areas of wild natural beauty. This is not an ultra-quiet ‘back roads’ tour, but in resort towns there is often a beach-front esplanade or cycle path to ease the miles!

For our last two days we turn inland and there is some hilly riding as we skirt Malaga, Marbella and the other southern ‘Costas’ before arriving on the iconic Rock of Gibraltar where we spend our last night before flying home.

Average daily mileages are 60-65 and this trip is suitable for all regular cyclists.

Highlights

• A sensational ride down the Spanish Mediterranean coast
• Some mountains thrown in for good measure
• Iconic finish on the ‘Rock’

If your experience of getting round London has been forged on the M25 then this long weekend will make you think again. Although London is busy and densely populated, it is protected from further expansion by the controversial ‘Green Belt’. Head just a few miles outside the M25 and it is possible to cycle virtually all day on quiet country roads. This long weekend ride will show you a very different side of the Home Counties.

Starting and finishing in either Redhill or Amersham, both with excellent road and rail connections, we track (but remain firmly removed from!) the dreaded M25 anti-clockwise from a distance of 2-7 miles. The weekend even includes an ‘ocean’ voyage, on the little known Gravesend to Tilbury ferry across the Thames.

This journey is an unrivalled way to explore the heart of the Himalayan Kingdom on trails rarely travelled by tourists. You will have to test your mountain biking skills on wild and challenging trails through some of the most stunning scenic and cultural landscapes in the world.

From the stunning backdrop of the Himalayan ranges, deep valleys and ancient forests, to the charming terraced fields and bright smiles of locals in the timeless villages, you will remember this journey for its unique beauty as well as its challenging mountain biking terrain!

Why only cycle in the summer? For those looking for some sun and a chance to ride through the worst of the British winter we offer our favourite regular trip ‘down under’. New Zealand is a long way to go so this is a 4 week trip, enough time to really see something of this incredible country. We will cover plenty of ground on both islands but a number of rest days have been built in to spend time at some of the key locations.

Our trip starts in Auckland. We head south via the coast to the famous volcanic springs of Rotorua and then on to Lake Taupo for a day of rest and sightseeing. We continue south through the rugged lower half of North Island, arriving in Wellington for a leisurely day taking the ferry across the infamous Cook Strait to Picton and South Island.

From Picton we take the picturesque coastal route round to the spectacular west coast, passing through Nelson, Westport and Greymouth before arriving in Fox Glacier where we have a day to explore.

The last leg takes us inland via Haast Pass through the southern alps and then down to Te Annau, jumping off point for Fjordland. For our last day we abandon the bikes to enjoy an excursion by coach and boat to Milford Sound, finishing in Queenstown (adventure capital of the world) where we will catch connecting flights back to Auckland.

In all we will cover 1200 miles, averaging 58 per riding day. New Zealand offers challenging riding with little flat ground but our timetable has been adjusted to make the trip manageable for all regular cyclists.

Whether you have always wanted to see NZ, or already have and are hankering to return, what better way to chase away the winter blues?

Journey to the incomparable Angkor Wat, sleep overnight in floating villages and camp near ancient temples. This wonderful tour is for people who want much more from a trip to Angkor than ruins.

With this great bike adventure we want to show you much more of Cambodia than just Angkor Wat. For most visitors, Angkor Wat, an awesome temple of soaring towers and intricate carvings just a short ride from Siem Reap, is the chief reason to visit Cambodia. The first glimpse of its breathtaking sanctuaries will linger in your memory forever. However there is so much more to Cambodia!

We will take you camping near some more remote temples that few visitors get a chance to see. Riding there we will go through the Kulen Mountains – sacred to the Khmer people. Where ever we encounter the Khmer people you will be greeted by smiles and their mischievous good humour. You will also get to spend a night on the unique Tonle Sap, the massive freshwater lake that dominates central Cambodia and glimpse the distinctive way of life led by floating communities.

Other nights will be spent in Siem Reap, which boasts restful cafés, elegant restaurants and buzzing bars. This adventure biking holiday is an amazing opportunity to get to places and meet people that the normal tourist to Cambodia simply doesn’t get.

While Ankor Wat is incredible, we explore many more temples, in normally inaccessible areas and head out into the stunning countryside to explore this amazing place and its people.

On this 9 day trip you will cross the majestic Tian-Shan mountain range and see the astounding beauty and variety of its landscapes. You will ascend vertiginous mountain passes over 3,000 meters and enjoy the beauty of lush mountain valleys with alpine lakes, coniferous forests and rushing rivers. As you cycle at lower altitudes you will be rewarded with amazing views of deserts, moon-like landscapes and beautiful canyons. But this trip is more than just purely cycling through this remote part of the world – a once flourishing area on the ancient Silk Road – you will also discover the rural lifestyle of Kyrgyz people and experience their hospitality. You will meet Kyrgyz nomads living in yurts and their  herds of sheep, horses and yaks roaming free on vast summer pastures. This trip will present you hundreds of incredible photo opportunities and leave you with many new experiences, stories and lifelong memories.