I've been to the Alps/ Pyrenees/ Sierra Nevada and I've got to say the best was with http://www.alpcycles.com/

Not too expensive (£750 for a week) and that's pickup from the airport, great chalet accom and amazing food - every day when getting in from riding there is a homebaked cake and a pasta salad waiting for us. Also the guys are really nice - it feels like riding with mates. All rides are guided with 2 of the Alpcycles riders and supported with a van with spare wheels and bike. Really helpful as well - on my last trip someone had a small crash and broke their shifters. On getting back to the chalet all the guy had to do was sit down and rest while Alpcycles sourced a shifter to borrow then were up till 1am due to the internal cabling of the guys Cervelo.

And on top of all of that the riding is epic. Really well structured week with great climbs.

I've been with them now 3 times

Col de la Lombarde today, to the french border at the top and back in Italy

Lovely little colle.

The ride up from Isola is nice too and the Morte is sublime.

I'm about to book some flights on Geneva in mid September for a few days riding, probably staying in Annecy. Any idea what sort of weather to expect? Thanks

Could be anything, but generally Lake Annecy itself is pretty dry. Mountains around are more variable naturally. Should be mid 20s if seasonal weather. The Lake is at c.450m above sea level FYI.

BTW ... further down the east side of the Lake is more agreeable.

Thanks for the info Sawyer! From the average weather info I can find online Annecy shows less rainfall in september than July! Fingers crossed! I was lucky in July just gone when staying in Aix les Bains with a week of hot sunny weather.

Tailloire and Menthon-St-Bernard are the two best places to stay on lake IME.

So there are loads of climbs there. Literally weeks of nice riding. Note that there is nice cycle path down to Albertville also from where you can tackle the Madelaine.

Nice pastronef. Rode this last year as a loop from Barcelonnette over the Cime de la Bonette and up the French side via Isola to continue over the Colle della Maddalena... 184km with 5784m elevation gain.

View down the Italian side of the Col de la Lombarde

_________________
http://climbinglama.blogspot.com.au

all right guys, May is coming, the weather should help us so it's time to plan some rides

on my agenda a 1 night car trip to Bourg d'Oisans (I live near Torino) to climb the Glandon (maybe just until Le Rivier d'Allemont to get a coffee there) and then back to Alpe d'Huez. After that ,return to Bourg via Col de Sarenne.

later, end of July or August, Petit Saint Bernard from Italian side (I discovered it thanks to our friend Dalai) and down to Bourg Saint Maurice in Savoie. From there maybe a few kms of the Cormet de Roselend. then back over to Italy

WRT the July ride, I'd start that in Morgex. Go up the main route and into France but on the way back climb the Colle San Marco once over the Petit St Bernard. The descent into Morgex is unbelievably good.

@Airwise: yep, I'll start in Morgex. Just have to see how much strenght I still have after the second climb of Petit Saint Bernard and maybe a few kms towards Iseran or Roselend
this time in Bourg I will not just have a coffee and anyway, Dalai won't be there with his 53-12 to make me suffer on the downhill more than on the climb

Got my second wind on the descent after you towed me all the way up the Italian side... Especially knowing a coffee was waiting for us in Bourg Saint Maurice. Was a great day pasteronef, thanks again for the company.

I came across Colle San Marco descending to Morgex on the way to meeting you in Pré-Saint-Didier. Technical little descent -read steep and very twisty! Personally if riding that loop again; although a tougher ascent I'd climb over Colle San Marco from Morgex and return the main road to Morgex...




As you can see from the profile - much steeper and longer from Morgex! 10% average over 10.5km! http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?qryMountainID=1945

_________________
http://climbinglama.blogspot.com.au

That's what we live for

Really great turns and superb surface made us grin from ear to ear when we reached Morgex. Really pick up speed quickly. Not for those who aren't confident descenders mind.