Here are, in order, the things I think of when I think of a group cycling trip: the sun setting over the rolling hills surrounding San Gimignano, a Tuscan hill town fortified by 13th-century walls, with a skyline of medieval towers. A winding section of exposed Slovenian singletrack, backdropped by the Julian Alps. A haggis roll I had for breakfast in Bo’ness on the John Muir Way. An old Spanish chapel, hidden somewhere high in a forest outside Santiago de Compostela (and the radiant couple who had just got married there) - and the massive plate of fishy tagine I shared in the medina of Essaouira, Morocco, which rejuvenated a few pairs of well-worked legs.
The benefits of a bicycle to an adventure are obvious (but that won’t stop me from spelling them out for the sake of this article).
When you sweat up the hills and whizz back down them, you build a mental map of a place; you experience every curve and contour of a country...
You can go further each day on a bike than you can do on foot, meaning you can see more of a country in a shorter period of time. That means more towns, more cities, more rolling hills, more mountain panoramas and, well, probably the same quantity of coffee, haggis and tagine (not together) - but in a wider variety of surroundings. Sure, you don’t move as fast as if you’re in a car, but on a bike, you’re not boxed off from the world. You breathe it in as you travel through it.
A bike gives you a proper understanding of a landscape. When you sweat up the hills and whizz back down them, you build a mental map of a place; you experience every curve and contour of a country.
A group cycling trip is the perfect entry into the world of adventure cycling. You get all those benefits outlined, plus, you’re with an expert guide who can help with navigation and any mechanical problems. There’s a real social aspect, too - struggle up the climbs together and laugh about it later around the dinner table.
I’m lucky enough to have cycled around a lot of Europe in the past decade. A few super quick tips to get you started? Bring your own helmet. It’s comfier and it's nice to have a touch of home. And if you’re riding a bike in a new country, double check the front and rear brake levers are on the sides you think they’re on.
Here are a few other things that I wish I knew before my first group cycling trip.
You don’t have to be a "cyclist" to go on a cycling trip
This is likely to be one of the earlier revelations you'll have upon joining a multi-day, group cycling trip, because - odds are - most people will turn up for the cycle wearing shorts, t-shirt, comfy shoes and a smile, as opposed to lycra and an aero helmet. Before my very first group cycle trip, out in Ireland, I remember worrying that everyone else booked in would be ultra experienced and ready to form a peloton. The reality is, most people like that organise their own tours.
Everyone person on a group cycling trip is likely to have a different level of experience. Some might cycle to work everyday. Others might go out riding on the weekend. Some might have a good level of general fitness, but haven’t sat on a saddle in years. But this isn’t a time trial. You aren’t going to have a sprint finish and the World Anti-Doping Agency won’t be raiding your hotel in the middle of the night looking for samples (though don’t let that give you any ideas).
Hill climbing on a bicycle is an exercise in humility and humour.
We joke, but all we’re really saying is: don't let the fact that some people are really into riding their bikes put you off exploring a new country on two wheels.
You don’t need to know what a rear derailleur is and you don’t need to have climbed Ventoux (or even know where, or what Ventoux is) to enjoy a multi-day cycling adventure - though, of course, a bit of training will always help. What unites everyone who turns up on a group cycling trip is a desire to explore the world, and the consensus that a bike is a bloody good way of doing so.
Saddle & bum may have a complicated relationship at first
How to put this. The early stages of a multi-day bike ride can be a baptism of fire for your backside - which frankly, is not a phrase I thought I would ever write.
It’s not so much the first day on the bike, when you’re fresh-cheeked, so to speak, and enthusiastic. It’s really the morning after; the second day, when you clamber back onto the saddle and get going again. The likelihood is, you’ll feel a little awkward on the bike that morning. The only way to avoid this is to spend more time on a bike before you go (and a pair of padded shorts can go a long way), but if you do suffer the saddle sores, don’t worry too much - your body will adjust as the day goes on and you get used to the bike.
Ride yourself into a better place, and in the meantime, embrace the comedy of robotic walks to breakfast. It’s part of the cycling adventure badge of honour.
Whether you’re first or last on a hill doesn’t matter (odds are you’ll be both)
Hill climbing on a bicycle is an exercise in humility and humour.
On some climbs, you’ll feel like Tadej Pogačar setting off to break another record on the Tour de France. On other climbs, you’ll feel like one more pedal stroke might mean you’ll never be able to move your legs again. To be honest, I think I’ve felt both those emotions on the same climb.
The fear of being constantly at the back on a group cycle is the most common anxiety I hear from people. You would be amazed how many folk think they’re going to be left out the back. On most trips, you’ll probably all end up laughing at that fact by the end of day one. It’s really rare that it turns out to be an issue.
I actively enjoy spending time at both the front and back of a group while cycling - just like on a hike. Sometimes it’s fun to dig in and see how hard you can ride. Other times, it’s fun to chill, take in the views and eat Haribo on the sly.
Energy comes and goes as you ride and fuel, and different moods will take you.
The best tip I ever got regarding climbing hills was when I was on a group trip out in Slovenia - settle on a consistent cadence (the speed at which you pedal), even if it’s super slow, and really try to stick to it. If you’re constantly slowing down and speeding up, you’ll find it more tiring. Use your gears, keep yourself centred and relax your shoulders and grip. It’ll be over soon. Earn that view!
Read more: What If I Don't Get Along With People on a Group Adventure?
Don’t fear the flat tyre
If the main thing people fear on a cycling trip is getting left out the back, the second on the list is getting a puncture. We’ll keep this one short and sweet, though, because on a guided group cycle, this is an absolute non-issue.
The phrase “we’re coming up to a gentle incline” can mean you’re about to go up a mountain...
The beauty of a trip like this is that you’re going to be riding with an expert guide. That means that they’ll be able to tell you stories about the areas you’re passing through, make sure you don't accidentally go 30 miles (50km) in the wrong direction, warn you about climbs - the phrase “we’re coming up to a gentle incline” can mean you’re about to go up a mountain - and yes, if you get a puncture, they’ll be on hand to help you fix it if needed, nice and easy.
It’s not all about the cycling
On a cycling trip you'll see the world, both on and off the saddle. Of course, you’ll spend plenty of time cycling on any self-branded cycling trip (though do read the itinerary to see what suits you best), but you won’t be pedalling dusk to dawn.
When I think about my cycle from Pisa to Rome, I remember riding as the sunset on the dusty Tuscan hills, but also the agriturismos, the heavenly, long coffee stops and debates over whether gelato counted as a recovery snack (it definitely does). When I think of my multi-day ride in the backcountry of Galicia, I think almost exclusively of pulpo and chorizo, but also of the sublime accommodation I stayed in - an ancient monastery perched on the edge of a dramatic canyon.
When I remember my journey on the Kirkpatrick C2C, a coast-to-coast route across southern Scotland, I think of Wigtown (a village in Scotland populated almost entirely by booksellers), of a morning wondering around Hermitage Castle, a fierce 14th-century fortress in a remote valley, of pub sessions in Castle Douglas and a particularly fat seal bobbing around in Eyemouth Harbour.
The bike is your noble, trusted steed on this voyage. It's an activity in itself, but part of the beauty it brings is also the fact that each day it carts you from town to town; museum to gallery; cafe to restaurant. It's your gateway to the world.
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