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Cycling Sun Spots |
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 Alicante:
If
you have a week to spare, try here, flights are
cheap, package deals are affordable and plentiful,
you can eat and get drunk for about £10, and it
rarely rains. Out of season is the best time to go
for mountain biking, as the temperatures are
bearable around the low 20s and you'll enjoy long
sunny days. It's also the best time for cheap
deals, and there's usually plenty of them.
Anywhere in land and north of Alicante is ideal
for riding. There are miles and miles of good dirt
tracks straight out of Benidorm itself, and inland
towards Tarbina and Finestrat. Just get yourself
across the motorway and your on your way.
How to get there:
Try Thomson, Airtours or your local T.A. flights
to Alicante are about £100. Or better still, take
a cheap late package deal to Benidorm about £150
self - catering. It's not that bad out of season.
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Almeria:
Another Spanish trail heaven. This semi - desert
region of southern Spain has possibly Europe's
sunniest climate. It was the setting for many
westerns. Head north - east from the airport and
you'll reach the coastal region around the resort
town of Mojacar, which makes a great base for out
of season trail riding. You can ride straight out
of the small coastal town and into the surrounding
Sierras. The weather is glorious, the trails
plentiful, and everything is close at hand. During
the winter months, this area is fairly quiet and
many of the tourist facilities close down. Flights
to Almeria also become harder to find, but
Alicante is less than four hour's drive away.
How to get there.
To Almeria or Alicante about £120. Car hire
for one week is about £90. Head to Majacar, many
small sea front hostels for about £15 p. p. night.
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Australia:
For exotic riding through rainforest on red
earth trails, head for Cairns. The riding can be
tricky-tight and twisty single-track. Take off in
either direction up the coast from Cairns and
you'll find marked trails, peppered with warnings
about dangerous plants and animals to be avoided
that adds extra frisson to the biking.
Explore the base of Uluru [Ayers-rock]
in the heart of Australia's red centre.
Or head on north to King's Canyon where the
100-million year old Finke river has cut gorges
that beg to be ridden fast and hard. It's one hell
of a wicked place to live with your mountain bike.
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Austria:
If you like your creature comforts, Chalet Levett
is just outside St, Anton in the Austrian Alps.
There are about 60 km of good marked trails on
your doorstep. Austria has tons of great trail
riding to keep you happy all day along, with
fantastic mountain scenery around every twist and
turn.
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Barcelona:
For a short break Barcelona takes some beating.
It's amazingly cheap and easy to get to for a
start. The weather is nice for most of the year
the winters are generally mild and sunny, while
summers are very hot and dry. The city is also a
major centre for culture, if that's your bag.
There are plenty of great rides to do within
minutes of the city. To the north are the wooded
hills around Mataro, where there's some great
riding. To the west there's Montjuic, which has a
whole load of superb trails. Keep heading inland
towards Montserrat and things just get better.
How to get there:
Try Easyjet, Debonair, B.A, or Span-air flights
for about £50 - £120 return. Take the train from
the airport into town and check-in to a small
hostel or Formula 1 chain hotel at about £10 - £15
per/room per/night.
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Crete:
Go to Crete in the summer and you'll be heading
very cheaply to trail paradise. The weather is
almost always warm and sunny, although it does
snow inland in the winter. The bike riding is
superb, stay on or off road, there really isn't
that much difference. Fly to Iraklion, from there
head east wards to the Dikti plains or south
towards the famous white gorge. Trail finding is
not that easy, most of the trails end up in some
old blokes olive grove. That said it's still a
great place for long distance riding.
How to get there:
Get a cheap charter flight or go self - catering
from about £100 - £200. Accommodation is basic
adequate and cheap. about £10 per/night see your
local T.A. or Teletex.
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 Cote-d-Azur:
Very chic, arguably the world's most richest
coastline, play ground for the rich and famous it
may be, but you can do it on the cheap. Catch a
flight to Nice, then just head inland - or stay in
Nice if you fancy it. Try to eat outside the main
resorts, it's better value. Just head anywhere
inland and you'll find good trails, the biking is
typically Mediterranean, with loads of pine forest
dusty tracks that tend to be dry all year. Try
east from Nice towards St, Tropez and you'll find
the rolling trails used for the famous Roc d`Azur
race. Turn inland to Apt and there are masses of
trails. or head north to Capd`Ail and test your
metal on the finest downhill in Europe.
How to get there:
Try Easyjet to Nice about £60 - £100 return, or
check with your local T.A., stay in a small budget
hotel chain from about £15 per room.
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At
Wheelie Cyprus we want to show you some of the
best mountain biking in western Cyprus. You can
join us for a week long holiday or - if you happen
to be in Cyprus - simply come out with us on one
of our many guided rides in the Pafos Forest and
Akamas regions. If you think that a week's
mountain biking might be too strenuous for you
then why not combine your holiday with some other
less energetic
activities: perhaps a little water sports ,
some sightseeing or simply lapping up the sun in
the comfort of your rented villa or apartment.
If you just
want to
hire a bike for the day or at any time during
your stay in Cyprus then just
contact us.
It may be that you fancy something more epic and
we can certainly oblige with a tailor made
point-to-point hard graft riding experience. For
those who think that Cyprus is just a destination
for lethargic beach loving holiday makers then
think again.
Cyprus is a modern, active and happening place
ideal for people who want action, adventure and
exercise as part of their holiday experience.
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Ethiopia:
Dramatic biking with more than 6,500 meters of
descending is in store for you if you head here.
The remote Bale Mountains of Ethiopia have
everything, dirt roads and gravel pistes to test
your mtb skills. Explore remote villages, you
could be the first foreigner the children have
ever seen.
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France:
Morzine is the best place for summer mountain
biking. Most trips here focus on down-hilling, but
if you want to explore more, try asking the owners
of the local chalet, they know the area very well.
In the summer they run guided trips, including
some big epic rides into Switzerland. There are
more than 500 km of paths and single-tracks, more
than 20 lifts to take you and your bike to the
top, and 6 world class downhill course to play on.
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France
& Pyrenees:
Normandy's Calvados country makes a good long
weekend for newer bikers. On forest tracks, with
challenging descents and river crossings you'll
soon work up an big appetite, which is just the
thing to enjoy the French food. The Cathar trail
is a ride for any level it's in the foothills or
the Pyrenees {it's not that technical} The
Luchon Valley is renowned as one of the worlds
best areas for mountain biking, with hundreds of
miles of first class trails.
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Greece:
How about cycling
through the land of ancient legend, from the
shores of the Med to the mountains of Arcadia in
the Peloponnesian peninsula. This area has non -
technical routes following forest roads and rocky
tracks that take in some of the best ancient
sites. Lefkas in the Lonian islands has a
reputation as one of Europe's top mtb
destinations, trails lead inland through citrus
groves towards the mountains. How about a surf,
sail and cycle combo ?, you can do them in several
places.
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 Iceland:
Why not go and ride among the geysers and icecaps
in Iceland's volcanic landscape. A good place to
start from is Reykjavik, you will soon be among
the stunning scenery, well off the tourist trail.
80 per cent is off-road and it can be challenging
due to the weather changing all the time. Not for
the faint hearted.
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Majorca:
Only two hours form the U.K. the Island has tons
to offer you, road riding or mountain biking it's
all here. Winter is the best time to go, the
weather is a hell of a lot better than home. Some
times it can be chilly so be prepared. You can
ride down quiet country stone walled roads, hit
the many dirt tracks that head of into the
mountains or just stick to tarmac. The North of
the Island is very good for riding, as well as the
West, in fact anywhere in Majorca is good for
biking. Out of season is the best time, and
cheaper.
How to get there:
Fly from your local airport, lots of airlines fly
to Majorca, check with you local T.A. or Teletex.
There are lots of package deals to be had and
cheap too. Self - catering is the best bet, food
and beer is cheap too.
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 Morocco:
The Tuareg trail in Morocco's Anti Atlas Mountains
makes for great winter mountain biking, with
plenty of descending. you could ride through
remote villages surrounded by green terraces,
explore canyons and visit palm-filled oases. There
are top down-hills with wild scenery in the Atlas
Mountains, rocky, steep and good dirt tracks. It's
only four hours away, but the lifestyle is a
million miles for Europe.
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 Himalayas
Nepal:
You need a few days acclimatising before
tackling the famous Annapurna circuit by bike.
Travelling along high ridges and over rugged
mountain passes among the highest mountains in the
world is not for the faint-hearted, but the
awesome views make it worth the effort. In fact 75
per cent of the ride is downhill and it is
virtually all off-road through a fascinating
landscape.
Keadventure.com do Nepal- single-track village
paths are the main roads in parts of Nepal and
this two-week adventure from Pokhara to Kathmandu
travels along them on a spectacular route, with
views of the Annapurnas, a testing mile high climb
to the rim of the Kathmanda valley and a downhill
blast into the city to finish. This trip is fast
becoming an mtb classic.
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 Swiss
Alps:
The Swiss Alps offer some fantastic riding and
scenery, from May to September, head for the
French / Italian border area [Valais] where
there's easy access to areas such as Verbier,
which has fantastic riding. The cheapest way to do
things in Switzerland is to camp in the valleys,
there are lots of decent sites around. The train
are the best way of getting around.
How to get there:
Fly to Geneva with Easyjet, British Airways or KLM.
Check with your local T.A. return trip about £135.
Then take the train to Martigny, ride or take the
bus to Chablis, Sion or Brig, and camp. Or drive
down and check into some of the small hotels from
about £25 - £30 per/room/per/night.
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 Sri
Lanka:
The tea estate tracks and scenic jungle paths of
Sri Lanka are the perfect setting for an mtb
adventure. Travelling by bike, 90 per cent
off-road, is the best way to see the country and
maybe even some wildlife, elephants and leopards
in the parks. This holiday takes in the main
cultural sites, including the rock fortress at
Sigiriya and Kandy's Temple of the tooth,
and the last two days are spent chilling-out
on a gorgeous beach.
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 Tanzania:
This epic ride goes from Mount Kilimanjaro to
Zanzibar. You won't ride to the top of the
mountain, but you'll get a good view of it, plus
the chance to go on safari in the famous
Ngorongoro crater, with the largest concentration
of game anywhere. Dirt roads and rocky tracks make
up 90 per cent of the riding, through amazing
scenery. Cost from £1,695 Exodus biking
adventures.
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Spain:
The Picos de Europa,
northern Spain, has never ending descents,
sweeping forest trails and tricky gorge riding. No
wonder Picos is one of the world's top 10 mtb
destinations. You can't beat Andalucia in southern
Spain for a sunny biking break. there are trails
for all levels. For off - season breaks in the
sun, fly to Majorca. In the North of the island
there are trails through olive groves and along
some beautiful coast lines, plus mountains to bust
a gut on. Don't forget Tenerife, head for the
North of the island where the riding is wicked.
The down-hills on the Macizo de Anaga peninsula
are among the best anywhere.
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Tenerife:
Four and a bit hour's
flight from the U.K. The British head here in
there millions. The weather has something to do
with it, warm all year round, the summers can be
very dry and hot. The best time to go for biking
is the winter, when it's very pleasant, long sunny
days with great biking trails. The Island is
dominated by mount Teidi, the biggest mountain in
Spain. The climbs are massive, but the roads are
good. Be warned though,, mountain biking is not
permitted in certain areas of the Teidi national
park. Stick to the pine forested foothills and
you'll have a wicked time. Be-warned, on the
downhill hairpins, lots of loose gravel waiting to
bring you off.
Bicyclemania.co.uk trailfinders
'Do not recommend skin contact with Volcanic laver
rocks!! .... our body testify to that.'
How to get there:
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