Cycling abroad reco...
 

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Cycling abroad recommendation - compromising with the wife... help

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Please could you recommend somewhere that you have visited that has the following criteria

Warm in Oct & Dec (20 degrees C plus)
Has good bike hire shops & options of tours (road biking)
Has some hills (ideally mountains)
Safe to ride alone
Has the usual holiday resorts where wife and kids can sunbathe and swim in the sea/ swimming pool

We've just come back from Lanzarote which was good and she's already talking about booking Tenerife...

I'd be really interested to hear about somewhere other than Spain! Croatia, Bulgaria? Etc

Many thanks in advance.


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 5:46 pm
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I’m struggling to think (even after googling global weather averages) anywhere that matches that criteria other than lanzarote or Tenerife.


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 5:50 pm
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My wife had settled on Ibiza for October sunshine. I wasn't over the moon about the road cycling potential (lack of big hills) but it would still have been nice!

Other than that Mallorca ticks all the boxes except guaranteed October temperatures!


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 5:54 pm
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Yup, that time of year its hard to look elsewhere.

Has some hills (ideally mountains)

Tenerife certainly has that covered


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 5:57 pm
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https://granguanche.com/ride/

https://granguanche.com/route/

Canary Islands options?


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 6:22 pm
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Gran Canaria - although I appreciate that's little different from Lanzarote & Tenerife...


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 6:31 pm
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Don't bother going abroad for warmer weather. Just wait a few years and climate change, caused in part by aircraft emissions, will bring the weather to you.


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 6:41 pm
Bunnyhop, towpathman, thegeneralist and 2 people reacted
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Mallorca?
Costa dek sol?


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 6:43 pm
 mert
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A mate runs this, you might get the weather in October, but not December.
Mike's wife is a top notch cook and i think they have in the past done cooking courses.
Cycling round there is excellent (that's why they chose it).

It's on my bucket list once finances allow.


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 6:48 pm
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Don’t bother going abroad for warmer weather. Just wait a few years and climate change, caused in part by aircraft emissions, will bring the weather to you.

+1


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 6:54 pm
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We went to Liguria in October a few years ago. Day time temperatures at the coast were @25 degrees. We hired road bikes through Riviera Bike, as well as using our own mountain bikes. The road rides up into the hills were good. It was easy to get to from Nice in the tour company minibus.


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 6:57 pm
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https://skodatitandesertmorocco.com/en/

I understand this is in May but maybe there's something else in the winter in Morocco


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 6:59 pm
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Sicily?

Was there a few years back in December. 18-25°C most days. Went swimming in the sea on Christmas Day.

Despite the mafia, it's safe. Locals liked that tourists were there. Mafia leaves the tourists alone (this coming from a friend who's from the island).

Big mountains and not just Etna. Was surprised how big the hills and landscape was. Honestly, it's beautiful. Road and mtb options. We rode down some awesome trails on Etna after a massive snow storm which was cool AF.

I worked for six months as a bike guide on Gran Canaria.
The roads are nice, it has beaches... but honestly, it lacks culture, cuisine and any authenticity.

If your missus isn't interested book then a weeks all inc on one of the shit Spanish islands and go somewhere nice yourself?


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 7:00 pm
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Finale is a good shout. Have been several times in October. Stayed for two months Jan-Feb a few years back.

Temps in October were as said around 20-25°C. In Jan it was still 15-18°C. By the end of Feb it was snowing.

Follow the girls from Cafe Din to get an idea of how much snow...

https://instagram.com/osteriadeldin?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=


 
Posted : 07/03/2023 7:06 pm
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Sicily or Puglia both accessible by train to avoid plane based emissions in the upper atmosphere.


 
Posted : 08/03/2023 8:17 am
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A Neilson resort maybe? Not for everyone, but they're pretty much designed for what it sounds like you all want. I've been to Sardinia with them and whilst my experience was a bit of a disaster, that wasn't down to the company or location.

Heard the Greek clubs offer decent cycling. How late their summer season runs I don't know


 
Posted : 08/03/2023 8:40 am
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whilst my experience was a bit of a disaster

Why? Seen a lot of their ads recently


 
Posted : 08/03/2023 9:08 am
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where in Tenerife? been on 'family' holidays in playa des les americas and escaped out on bike, but where would you go?


 
Posted : 08/03/2023 9:39 am
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Gran Canaria - we had a trip just like that last month. Definitely ticks your boxes.


 
Posted : 08/03/2023 9:42 am
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Why? Seen a lot of their ads recently

Long story but it was more down to me than Neilson.


 
Posted : 08/03/2023 10:52 am
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We stayed in Los Gigantes ~15 years ago, would love to go back these days with the cycling bug and try various routes up Teide.

Cyprus maybe? Temps look ok in December, but a bit 50/50 on rain.

Alicante area and head north west?


 
Posted : 08/03/2023 12:14 pm
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Got to be Canaries for the weather.

We stayed in Las America's last year, virtually on the road onto Tiede. I can recommend a bike hire place - "Cycling in Tenerife", think I paid 32e for a day, delivered to my hotel the night before and picked up about 5pm. If you want to ride every day you might get bored or Tiede, but the different ways up (and down) are all quite different.

Also done the Gran Canaria, staying in the South, which is very different to Tenerife, lots more variety, some flat, seems like more trees, more rolling stuff and more loop options.

You'll all have a great time anyhow.


 
Posted : 09/03/2023 5:04 pm
 5lab
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20 in december is tough - you're basically limiting yourself to the canaries or somewhere further afield.


 
Posted : 09/03/2023 5:08 pm
 NJA
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Croatia and Montenegro fits the bill, except for the December temps. Some great riding over there.


 
Posted : 09/03/2023 5:30 pm
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Nice and the Italian riviera... it's currently sunny and 20 degrees.... amazing riding both on and off road, and 1.5hrs flight (gatwick)

Edit... 20deg in Dec, probably not, but Jan and Feb has regularly exceeded that


 
Posted : 09/03/2023 7:14 pm

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