If you could tour a country

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Kastrup
Posts: 570
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 12:00 pm
Location: Aarhus, Denmark

by Kastrup

I am considering going on a somewhat planned adventure when spring returns. I have this cyclocross/tourer bike that i've been using as my winter workhorse to and from work for quite some time but i've never really toured on it. Yesterday a friend of mine asked why i'd never gone and traveled on my bike instead of with it. I figured i might as well give it a go.

My initial plan is 1-2 weeks of riding around with as little baggage as possible. I'll probably equip my bike with some bags but won't bring a tent, trangia or similar items. I plan on staying at hostels or hotels. All of this will be figured out once i set my sight on a destination and finalize the duration. But before i can to that i need to figure out which country i'll visit.

I'm currently based in Denmark and it would be absolutely perfect if i could get to my country of choice without having to fly. This would enable me not having to worry about the insane fee airlines charge for bikes as well as not having to get a bike bag.

So far i have considered numerous countries and the list i rather long: Sweden, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and so on. Do you guys have any recommendation regarding my method and/or destination?

Much appreciated,

Emil
"Stay cool and try to survive" A. Klier to the other members of the Garmin classics squad the night before P-R.

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mattr
Posts: 4671
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 6:43 pm
Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

Get the ferry across to the uk?

Not sure where the ferries go now, Harwich or Hull.
Good touring from Hull, not so good from Harwich!

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FIJIGabe
Posts: 2241
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:07 pm
Location: The Lone Star State

by FIJIGabe

If it were me, I'd love to ride in southern Germany (Bavaria), reaching all the way out to the Black Forest.

RussellS
Posts: 916
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:31 am

by RussellS

21 years ago I rode the touring bike with four panniers and handlebar bag around western Europe. Rome to Brussels. Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Czechslovakia, East and West Germany(they were combined by 1992, but you could easily tell where the border was), Netherlands, Belgium. Covered about 6000 kilometers in three and a half months. Stayed in hostels, pensiones, with friends met along the road and contacts from home. Wonderful. Riding was good everywhere. Maybe fewer cars in the former soviet countries. Did not like all the bike trails in Netherlands. Everywhere was good. Italy is the most historic. Pisa, Venice, Rome, Florence are just a couple cities I saw.

Rode around Portugal and southern Spain in November 2000. Two weeks, maybe 1000 kilometers. Touring bike. Pensiones, cheap motels. Warm weather for November. Good roads, good traffic, good riding. Nice riding along the coast.

I can't recommend anyplace in particular to ride. All of western Europe is great for riding. Eastern Germany and Czechslovakia are also great. Pick a place and go. It will be great.

For carrying minimal gear on the bike. Consider Carradice saddle bags and the Jandd Mountain Wedge 3.

http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FMW3
http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?pa ... duct_id=33
http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?pa ... duct_id=35
http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?pa ... duct_id=37

HillRPete
Posts: 2284
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:08 am
Location: Pedal Square

by HillRPete

The problem is, there's good riding everywhere you mentioned. The earlier in spring you're planning, the further south you probably want to be.

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Kastrup
Posts: 570
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 12:00 pm
Location: Aarhus, Denmark

by Kastrup

Mattr and Fijigabe thank you for some alternate suggestions, I'll check them out. Seems like i can find quite a few tall mountains just south of Bavaria when crossing the border into Austria.

RussellS, I'll have a look at those panniers you suggested. Haven't even begun searching the market for such things yet.

Wassertreter, that's exactly why this is so hard :) Thankfully there seem to be a user or two who had had some great experiences and this might influence my final decision as i am sure every place i have considered will offer me some great riding. As far as the weather goes I would obviously prefer if it were a bit warmer than Denmark during early spring. Haven't finalized any dates yet though.
"Stay cool and try to survive" A. Klier to the other members of the Garmin classics squad the night before P-R.

Frans
Posts: 546
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:32 pm
Location: Bow of a Farr 40

by Frans

That trip in 1992 sounds great. That's a great time to tour, fewer cars than now.

France is just so easy to get around, Italy less so, you need to choose your routes more carefully.

The UK is nice but the weather is just sheit and car drivers love to kill cyclists. My commute is an extreme sport.

A place I've not been but heard a lot about is the "Romantic Road" in Slovenia.

Best to take some suggestions from here and get on the net for research.

mattr
Posts: 4671
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 6:43 pm
Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

Could try doing a tour of Weight Weenie "approved" shops and members, couch surfing of sorts.
Get to meet some people and with local knowledge, probably get some decent riding in. Rather than just following a route on a map.

sebcap
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:36 pm

by sebcap

I have biked a piece of the romantic road - you can start in in Brixen in Italy, go through southern Austria and then end in Slovenia....

campbellrae
Posts: 545
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:20 am
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

by campbellrae

There is some phenomenal riding in Scotland, weather maybe not so much. If you wait until May the weather is usually at it's best(although by that point the alps etc are becoming more of an option). Hostels, B&B's and hotels are easy to find, plus you can camp pretty much anywhere you want(within reason). Easy to get to, as mentioned above. But rather than ride from Hull, hop on the train further north.

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Kastrup
Posts: 570
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 12:00 pm
Location: Aarhus, Denmark

by Kastrup

Keep the suggestions coming! Much appreciated :)

I still haven't finalized my destination yet. And it will probably take a while before i get around to it. Will keep you posted
"Stay cool and try to survive" A. Klier to the other members of the Garmin classics squad the night before P-R.

toride
Posts: 153
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2011 6:19 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

by toride

mattr wrote:Get the ferry across to the uk?

Not sure where the ferries go now, Harwich or Hull.
Good touring from Hull, not so good from Harwich!


Yep, into Hull from Europe and then IMO just head North,not sure it contends with the likes of Switzerland, Austria, France etc but there's some cracking touring. Mind you,to far North and insect midge repellent is a must.

campbellrae
Posts: 545
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:20 am
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

by campbellrae

The midges aren't too bad until June usually, and if they are it's just motivation to keep moving! And stock up on Avon Skin So Soft.

JMT
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:16 pm

by JMT

I don't know enough about biking in the rest of Europe (I'd personally want to go to Portugal, Italy or south Germany) so I'll just give some recommendations for Sweden.
Most routes in Sweden contain a lot of forest. this can get a bit tedious. If you decide on Sweden you could probably get rather detailed suggestions for routes on happymtb.org

Around the Stockholm area, Roslagen (the area north of Stockholm) and the inner archipelago has nice roads and a nice landscape. Though I havn't been there, Gotland is a popular place for biking and has a different environment to the rest of Sweden. July and August will be the busiest (and warmest) months. I'd go either in June (but avoiding midsommar) or early September.

If you do want to bike In Sweden I'd suggest going through Skåne, up through Österlen which has a nice landscape, on to Blekinge and keep going to Kalmar if you want to visit Öland. Unfortunately you are not allowed to bike over the bridge to Öland (you have to take a bus or ferry). Bike around on Öland, go back to the mainland and go on to Oskarshamn, take the ferry to Visby on Gotland and bike around there, take the ferry from Visby to Nynäshman and bike around in the Stockholm area, perhaps going around in Roslagen or the archipelago. Go back to Denmark from Arlanda. Unfortunately I think bringing your bike on the train may be difficult so flying and going by ferry is probably best.

If you like mountains and fjords I'd go up through the Swedish west-coast to the south of Norway.

voodoojar
Posts: 618
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:50 pm

by voodoojar

Take a train down to Split, Croatia and ride home.

by Weenie


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