I often find myself flicking through pictures on my phone to remind myself of all the wonderful places my bike has taken me to. What great experiences I’ve had there and one thing I’m sure of: discovering new regions by bike is unique and probably the most intense way to travel.

However, there are big differences in how people go on holiday with their bikes – as different as the riders are. Some call it a training camp and try to scrub as many kilometres as possible, others prefer to explore the area on their own. For some, it’s a great weight off their shoulders to be able to book a trip organised by professionals, while others prefer to pack their seven things in a frame bag and an “ass rocket” and just go for it. No matter whether you’ve only been riding a road bike since last spring or for years: I’ve collected ideas for every type of rider for the time when the Corona situation has eased a bit. And no, Mallorca is not included 😉

MyCyclingCamp
Road Bike Camp by women for women

For me, there is hardly a better feeling than the mixture of airstream and salty sea breeze around the nose. If you feel the same way, if you want to discover Andalusia on two wheels with other cycling enthusiasts, MyCyclingCamp is the right place for you. This organized road cycling trip will take place for the first time in May 2022, without any bunkhouses or masses of tourists, but under the sun of southern Spain and with an “all-round carefree package” for female cyclists. Not only will there be group rides for different performance levels, but also a lot of valuable input for beginners as well as for advanced cyclists. Whether it’s nutrition during training and afterwards, riding technique, mental coaching and workshop courses, there is input here in one week that will make life easier and more enjoyable long after the holiday is over.

What does a day at MyCyclingCamp look like? For example like this:

07:30 – 09:00 Breakfast

09:30 – 13:30 Ride with technique training – e.g. riding in a group.
(For advanced riders there will be another, possibly longer ride at the same time. Lunch break on the way).

14:00 – 16:00 Return buffet, time for beach, pool, physio, wellness etc.

16:30 – 17:30 Stretch & Relax

18:00 – 19:00 Lecture – E.g. Which training is right for me? Simply get faster.

from 19:00 Dinner

MyCyclingCamp is postponed until next year

Bike hotel in Emilia Romagna or Marche

Piadina, Prosecco and Pinarellos: cycling is a big thing in Italy 😉 My first road bike trip was to Riccione and since then I’ve been there at least once a year. If you like to organise things yourself, research routes and restaurants and above all: prefer to travel by car or train, you’ll feel right at home here. In our case, my partner usually takes care of that, including playing Tetris in the car. Meanwhile, I already have a lot of favourite routes in the region, especially the Via Panoramica through the Parco Naturale San Bartolo.

We usually stay in Riccione as our home base, and research hotels via Booking.com. You want to stay where the Italian pros sleep in their training camps? A pool is not so important to you, but excellent food is? Then you’re in good hands at the Hotel Gambrinus. Hotel Boemia and Hotel Dory are also well located and even have their own pool. If you prefer to stay inland, among the beautiful but sometimes relentlessly steep hills of the Marche, then I recommend the Ca Virginia Country House.

Guided tours and other experiences, such as wine tasting, in the region, as well as gravel bike rentals, can be booked at the Via Panoramica shop. The female founder is, unsurprisingly, a passionate cyclist herself, so check the opening hours before visiting.

This year, which will probably not be quite as “normal” as we would have liked, you should pay attention to whether the local restaurants etc. are allowed to be open normally and what the cancellation conditions are at your hotel!

Bikepacking: Just heading out!

Certainly not the most noble way to travel, but the most independent. Weather suitable? Free time? An idea of where to go? Then it’s time to pack the most important things in the saddlebag and off we go. So far, I have only done some “mini bikepacking”, but in the course of the upcoming summer, I plan to do a part of the Iron Curtain Trail on a gravel bike. However, I have a few “pros” in my circle of friends, you can read more about their adventures at Martin, Anna or Anja & Sandro, for example. (Texts are in german!) My legs are really itching while scrolling through their blogs and I hope to be able to publish my own experience here soon!

Disclaimer: Contains unpaid advertisements (Links)