Texas Hill Country Bike Tour, Lizard Head Cycling Guides

If we had to choose between the West and East side, we’d definitely go with the West side, much more scenic and enjoyable. There is virtually no traffic and the road comes through a number of small tunnels, more than 10. As you make your way up, the view becomes more and more beautiful. Even in the middle of summer, you could find yourself riding between walls of snow at the very top of the pass. Down valley to Agordo, riding a mixture of old roads without cars and lake or streamside main roads; we’ll bypass the tunnels on the way to Agordo.

• Or a longer climb where the average grade is less than 3%.
• The top design priority here is durability, using higher-quality components and construction principles specific to the rigorous demands of touring.
• Luxury Accommodation | In the heart of the Pyrénées lies the hotel Mercure Saint Lary Sensoria, offering an exceptional location with excellent access to many of the legendary mountain passes.
• In the afternoon explore the Mission Beach Boardwalk, or rent a surfboard, and enjoy the beach.
• The original Sutra was one of the first mainstream touring bikes to make the switch to disc brakes back in the early 2010s.

Foliage season is one of the best times to ride in the Northeast. Home to Kingdom Trails, one of the country’s most popular purpose-built networks, with more than 100 miles of flowy singletrack. Between the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests and the nearby Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Parkway, you’ll find some of the prettiest riding on the East Coast. World-class road and mountain biking tucked away in the peaks and valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Create Your Own Cycling Tour

If it’s full, riders park in the Whole Earth parking lot down the street to the south. Most of the touring bikes I read about in this section either deal with 700c size wheels or 26″ wheels. I bought a Surly Ogre 29er and it’s been the best commuting/touring bike in my opinion. The wider wheels help to accommodate a wider tire (1.9–2.3) that helps absorb the load that you’d be carrying. Hi Tom, it’s that time of the year when all you want to do is load up your bike, jump on the ferry to France and just go wherever the mood takes you.

• We’ll use a bike path at the top of the pass and glide down into Italy, entering our last country of the trip!
• The climb that the local say is harder than Passo Stelvio.
• As you say, the Novara Randonnée is a closer fit for this list of mid-range tourers, though I would still be concerned about the rear rack’s strength and the 10-speed drivetrain.
• Trento is a busy city with centuries of history as one of the “gate-keepers” of the most important trade-routes between Italy and Northern Europe .

It was here that the Marquis organized his first theater festival. In 2001, the new owner, Madame Lhermie, transformed the Château into the quaint Hotel de Charme that welcomes tourists from all over the world. Luxury Accommodation | In the heart of the Pyrénées lies the hotel Mercure Saint Lary Sensoria, offering an exceptional location with excellent access to many of the legendary mountain passes.

Texas Hill Country Bike Tour: Highlights

There are good reasons why the Peak District was the first National Park in England. Cycle your way through the forested hills, sprawling heather moors and jagged rock formations that make this place so truly spectacular. You’ll follow the eastern of Ladybower Resevoir then turn back towards the Great Ridge, enjoying stunning views of the so-called Shivering Mountain, the brooding Mam Tor and nearby Man Nick.

With all safety equipment plus an included lunch for the fll-day tour, you’re free to soak up the scenery and enjoy a wet and wild adventure. Your climb guide will take you through all of the safety information and ensure you are kitted up for the experience. You will then start your climb, embarking on a journey 46.8 metres above the football pitch, where you will step out onto a glass walkway, to reach the stadium’s iconic golden cockerel. Yes, for most of our destinations and most of our itineraries we can create a fully guided experience.

Day 15

Immerse yourself in the landscape, history and culture of the places we visit as we ride this inspirational trail. The terrain is best seen from the small roads we hand pick, maximising cycling pleasure and safety. Staying in monasteries, castles and agriturismi you will relax and refresh each evening in unique and exceptionally interesting places with a masseuse on hand.

After settling in, you’ll enjoy a relaxing dinner while unwinding from the day’s ride. After dinner, stroll down the streets of this quaint Texas town. Lizard Head Cycling has worked with locals to devise a route on single and two-lane roads with little traffic. The routes wind through rolling limestone hills, past wineries and through quiet river valleys under the shade of giant cypress trees. The destination towns have a rich history of independent German and Irish immigrants who fought off Comanche and Apache Indians to settle there.

Day 9

I’m no fan of bike paths, but Marin has a world-class one (or so it used to be—a reader tells me the surface is now poor). It’s on the Marin Bicycle Map and you can google the route. When you’re on the Camino Alto leg of our loop, it’s running right beside you. Looking at the features of these touring bikes they look like early 90s mountain bikes. Tom, for my 21st birthday I got a Cannondale T1000, 22 years and miles later it is going strong. Much of today’s riding is spent on minor roads and tracks around the New Forest and Wiltshire.

Valparola often features as the last pass in the Maratona does Dolomites single-day race. With an average gradient of 6.7% that ramps up to 15% in places, it 13km and gives stunning views over the Dolomites. The highest peak in Spain won’t be found in the Pyrenees or Andalusia, but in the Canary Islands.

Portugal Bike Tour

Gradients are relaxed the whole way up, not to mention the frequent sections of flat or downhill which provide excellent recovery. Once you find your rhythm you can really relax and take in the views of the valley floor below you. Trevelez, resting at 1,486 metres above sea level, is one of the highest villages in Spain. The village is famous for the quality of its air-cured Iberian hams.

Day 12 & 13

With the Slovenian Alps never far away, the panoramas are breathtaking. If you’re feeling bold, there’s a 750m climb to the Jelovica high plateau—or catch a lift for 20 euros per rider. Summer and early autumn is the prime cycling season in the Scottish Highlands.

Day 5: Donauschingen To Lake Constance

Explore Europe with the family on an affordable walking or cycling tour. Discover Europe with our family-friendly self-guided & guided hiking and bike holidays. UTracks offers unforgettable self guided walking holidays and incredible small group hiking trips in Europe. Explore the winding roads of the Blue Ridge mountains, where challenging climbs and technical switchbacks are rewarded with exquisite views.

Classic Climbs: The Dolomites Bike Tour

You’ll also have time to hike the 1-mile trail to the top. After Luckenbach, we continue our ride through the rolling Texas hills to end the day in Fredericksburg, Texas and to check into the Hoffman Haus, our accommodations for the next two evenings. Sit back after a day of cycling in their serene and secluded enclave. Stroll a block to downtown for a hearty Texas sized dinner, live music and post ride camaraderie. This town with it’s deep German heritage is sure to offer something to everyone. This first day’s route follows a lonely road from Blanco, Texas to Boerne.

The Mines Climb

An annular solar eclipse is where most of the sun is covered by the moon, but it does not reach totality as the moon is too far in it’s orbit. What you will experience is very dim twilight conditions for about 4 minutes as the sunlight is shaded by the moon creating what as known as the “ring of fire” effect. This will occur just before noon on Day 6 of this special Texas Hill Country Bike Tour and while we will not be located under the direct path of the eclipse, you still will be able to see part of the eclipse. Discover the ancient cities of Croatia on this Dalmatian cycling tour.

Mudgee Explorer Self Guided Cycle

Most tours depart daily allowing for maximum flexibility. The medieval city of Bolzano is truly the “gateway” to the Dolomiti with castles, spires and cathedrals pointing the way to the mountains. We have scheduled two days in town to fully appreciate the richness of the culture and history dating back over a thousand years. Our hotel is strategically located near the historical center of town.

Day 17: Treviso

Get ready to dive deep into the heart of the Dolomites as you cycle up into the Val Badia where Ladino, a local language that has controversial origins – is it a mixture of Latin and tribal dialects? Experts disagree, but it remains the first language of locals and is not readily understood by Italian speakers. Arabba is packed with cyclists from all over the world drawn by the opportunity to conquer the famous Sella Ronda.