TL;DR – help me choose a biking holiday destination!

The detail:

I’ve a non-biking partner (she prefers hiking and beaches):
may get her out for short flat rides and/or easy gravel/flattish singletrack as long as setting is worthwhile (e.g. great views or destination),
OK with riding around towns/cities, to/from pubs & restaurants,
maybe a more game for a substantial road ride/mountain pass on an e-bike (with low traffic)
happy to shuttle me (particularly if she can hike in same area)
will need to spend some quality time together!
I usually get out a few hours in the morning before meeting for a hike in the afternoon (or vice versa)
she likes to be left alone to poke around farmers markets
our trips do not have to fully overlap (She may go to visit family in the UK before or after my trip – I could go out earlier and/or stay later.)

Max duration 3½ weeks but needs to include any travel time from my home in Vancouver Canada (so at least a full day in each direction). Time frame Mid July – Early August

Generally we do road trips and spend 3-4 days in a place before moving on. Happy to continue this or do a ‘two-centre’ trip. Not likely to want to stay in one place for the entire duration (unless it’s stellar!)

Within the last 7 years, I’ve “done” the following road rides/areas
Alpe D’Huez/Bourg D’Oisan
Mont Ventoux/Provence
Stelvio
Sella Ronda
Mallorca

I’ve “done” the following mountain biking destinations (though all were 15+ years ago)
Morzine/Les Gets
Les Arcs
Lake Garda
Pyrenees (Bagnere De Luchon)

Would like to do a mix of road and mountain biking

Would consider
Switzerland (Zermatt?) for mountain biking,
Croatia
Livingo/Bormio?
Looking for other suggestions

Would like to tick off at least one ‘signature’ climb
I quite like the idea of point-to-point riding for a few days

Don’t generally enjoy riding (uphill!) in 40C+ heat so want to avoid anywhere likely to be searingly hot (Central Spain?)

Would consider a sportive road ride if it coincides with my timetable (and assuming it doesn’t cost a fortune or is particularly difficult to enter)

I’m not a park rat so whilst I’m happy to spend one or two days doing lift assisted riding I’d rather not just be banging out short laps of jump trails (I can do that here)

Want to get some alpine riding in with big descents (above the trees – plenty of epic riding in BC but mostly in trees or places with no other infrastructure)

Generally don’t need a guide as I can read a map but happy for the occasional day’s guiding for pushing the envelope a bit and/or when there’s lots of junctions/shift sections of trails to link up. Mostly likely to be solo riding (but not by choice).

Must be relatively easy to get to from a major European hub airport from Vancouver

Will probably bring my own mountain bike but will consider renting a good road bike (unless someone can suggest a good way to travel <solo> with two bikes – see my other thread!)

So, anyone know of good biking holiday websites with detailed itineraries and/or route maps which I can use for inspiration? Any suggestions for areas to consider?

Don’t generally enjoy riding (uphill!) in 40C+ heat so want to avoid anywhere likely to be searingly hot (Central Spain?)

Yeah, mid-July we can get to that kind of temperature in Madrid. Northern Spain? Not quite as hot, and it’s a stunning part of the country with some beautiful climbs (Angliru, for example…), Doug from Basque-MTB posts on here regularly if you prefer MTB, Bilbao + San Sebastian + loads of small seaside port towns…

If you’re thinking of a road trip along the eastern (Mediterranean) coast of Spain, we run an activity based b&b which is half way between Valencia and Barcelona. It’s a beautiful unspoilt area with loads of interesting places sandy beaches and quiet on and off road riding. Climate is perfect for activity or chilling out on the beach. We have both road and mountain bikes for hire and I can show you around or load a gps with suitable routes. Here’s our website
Casa Tomillo

Bumping this back up again. Been doing some more research and the Spanish Pyrenees (Zona Zero Ainsa) is looking interesting as plenty of mountain biking plus the ability to nip over the border and tick off the Col du Tourmalet as well as some road-riding on the Spanish side.
Question is…based on late July/early August, would that be too hot (assuming we stick to higher elevations)? Also, is it likely to be stupidly busy/expensive as prime holiday time (or does the heat keep people away)?

Anyone ridden Zona Zero? (I see BasqueMTB do trips but only in cooler months…)

I’ve a non-biking partner (she prefers hiking and beaches):

Walk the El Camino Del Norte from St Jean de Luz to Oviedo.

I’ve ridden Ainsa (zona zero) a few times in the Spring and Autumn, Summer is busier and hot but not unbearable. France isn’t either busy or too hot if you stay at altitude. Accomodation in ski resorts is really cheap in Summer. Barrèges for example. Spain is hot but if you get up at dawn and have a long siesta it’s manageable. Read this thread, page 19 for pics.

Buying and renovating a rural property on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees

I would say Pyrenees or Canary Islands.
Or possibly Croatia or Romania or something like that?

Check out Sallent de Gállego as an idea in the Pyrenees. An easy 10degC cooler than an very hot Ainsa. Lots of road riding out the door and plenty of marked Mtb trails. There will be lots going on and if you’re lucky a big music festival. Lots of walking for the afternoon. It’s a bit of a secret though compared to Ainsa… don’t tell anyone 🙂

@edukator: yeah, thanks…I’ve read some of that thread already and your input has been very useful!

@doug I’ve also been looking at your website for inspiration and im curious why you offer certain tours/areas at certain times of the year only. Is that for logistical reasons or just how the riding seasons play out?

Hi Mark, it’s because of the weather. We try and choose the best times for each area. It’s all really close, I can be in Ainsa in a couple of hours so moving between areas is easy. I choose the South Pyrenees through Ainsa in spring as it is drier and hotter and it’s beautiful at that time of year with perfect temperatures and snow up on the high mountains giving an amazing backdrop. The Basque coast when it starts getting hotter and that area starts to become drier. Then high in the Pyrneees late September through October when the snow has gone / not arrived, the thunderstorms have died down and the temperature are nice. Really just because of that. And we have a lot of repeat visitors so this gives people some choice. August I don’t work, it’s a stupid business decision but I have a young daughter and I work way too much and am scared of missing her growing up.

@doug
Thanks! Makes sense. A holiday with BasqueMTB has been on my bucket list for a couple of years but with a non-riding partner and living in Vancouver, it makes it a little more tricky to organise!
Having said that, I want a change to riding in trees as we have millions upon millions in BC, and I want a change of scenery so am looking for alpine riding primarily 🙂

Slovenia?

good riding I believe ( I have only walked there) Lots of WWI history ( farewell to arms)

I really like slovenia.

Nice spot you have too! I’ve got family there. Funnily enough I was just talking to some repeat guests there today who are coming back again. Sounds like the weather isn’t the best today!
If you do go for Sallent drop me a mail and I’ll pass you a track or two. I might even be riding there early August with my brother who is visiting from Vancouver.

Sallent de Gállego: The road on the Spanish side is fine in summer but on the French side of the Portalet it’s horribly busy with people driving up to buy fags and stuff in the ventas. If you want to road ride on the French side it’s best to start from Laruns and do the Aubisque, Marie Blanque and Port de Castet rather than breathe exhaust fumes and get cut up by camping cars on the Portalet.

Edukator, you have over to Ordesa too, it is stunning and now largely bypassed. I’m not much of a roadie to be honest.

Before they built the new road from Sabiñànigo to Fiscal the road from Biesca through Broto was the shortest way to Ainsa. It was awful in a car but is now great on a roadie. The day they remove the sign in Biescas it’ll be even quieter, people still take it because they don’t realise there’s a new road.

Yeah tell me about it! That road with the big van and trailer was a nightmare. I remember the day they opened the new road, bliss!

@markgraylish

I don’t do tours but I’m sure @doug_basqueMTB.com does 😉

Doh!

Mark, get over to Lancashire & ride up Rivi… 😉

Hmmm, sunny Spain and epic alpine descents or boggy Lancashire moorland. Diffiçult decisions…. 🤔

IF you want short flat rides and walking you can do together, the lakes around Torrevieja are nice. Right beside the beach & city as well. If you want something a bit more challenging in the hills, I can share some of my Strava rides.

Trekking

Tenerife for Mount Teide (biggest climb in Europe) and the better weather.

But especially if the weather holds out, a trip through Wales. Snowden; Cader Idris; Bwlch Y Groes; Ffordd Pen Llech (steepest road in the world); Stwlan Dam… And that’s just a few highlights of North Wales.

IF you want short flat rides and walking you can do together, the lakes around Torrevieja are nice.

Much as I like riding my bike around Torrevieja there’s no way I’d recommend it to anyone looking for holiday with a “biking holiday destination”!

Tenerife for Mount Teide (biggest climb in Europe)

Tenerife is in Africa geographically, the biggest climb in Europe is the Veleta in Spain which can be ridden as a tarmac climb from the sea to 3300m, somewhat more than the road up Teide.

how about Girona? a beautiful location for the wife and loads of rides, climbing, road for you and gravel for you/your wife. good weather too

I’m off there in April and am taking my wife as a non-rider. she will just shop ’till she drops.

“Girona is a paradise for cyclists. Known as a favourite training place and home for professional cyclists, Girona really does have everything: quiet roads, varied terrain, quality restaurants, a medieval city centre, cafès & a buzzing cycling culture.”

Girona is a lovely city to visit: stunning old town, close to the coast, you can also see the Dali museum nearby in Figueres, maybe a day trip to Barcelona…

IF you want short flat rides and walking you can do together, the lakes around Torrevieja are nice.

Much as I like riding my bike around Torrevieja there’s no way I’d recommend it to anyone looking for holiday with a “biking holiday destination”!

tbh, this line stood out:

“I’ve a non-biking partner (she prefers hiking and beaches):”

I wouldn’t recommend it for a biking holiday either 😉

*I was thinking more of a road trip along the coast.

I suspect Tenerife will be a pain in the ass to get to from Vancouver! Also, won’t it be even hotter than Spain in July/August?
Need to check the temperature charts I guess.

Girona is a possibility as it’s only a couple of hours drive away from the areas of the Pyrenees mentioned above

Finale or would it be too hot in summer?

Finale or would it be too hot in summer?

I suspect it’s not as hot as the lower Spanish Pyrenees but I’ve been underwhelmed by the YouTube riding footage I’ve seen of Finale (happy to be proved wrong!)
Plus places right on the Med always seem ridiculously crowded and expensive (I went to St Tropez a couple of years ago!).
BTW: “beaches” doesn’t need to be on the Sea…could equally apply to inland/mountain lakes (if the water is warm enough for swimming)