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I'm sick of winter so I want to go somewhere sunnier next month to ride road and mountain bikes. Sardinia seems like a good spot - does anybody know it well? I'm looking for where's best to base myself that I can ride from my door on both road routes and MTB trails. A small town, maybe a village would suit me. Doesn't need to be on the coast, just needs to have greatest concentration of good routes on the doorstep. Any tips?
There was a guy who used to post on here a few years ago who lived there and I believe had worked on creating some mtb routes.
I was interested in going there but didn’t get round to it.
Sorry can’t remember his username but if you do a search on Sardinia it should come up.
Went there a couple of times for road riding - we stayed in Alghero cos Ryanair flew there cheap. Most flights now go to Olbia or Cagliari, neither of which I know. Ryanair still have a couple of flights a week to Alghero from Stansted.
Didn't do any MTB, road only but it was lovely for that. Smooth roads, pretty quiet and the drivers were very considerate. Good weather when we went there in March - high teens celsius.
Alghero was lovely.
Sardinia especially the interior is a lovely place. Even has a ski resort … bit of a hint there
Do not do a U-turn outside a police station to try and park next to the beach. Despite using indicators an idiotic motorcyclist will crash into the side of your hire car and you will be informed it is illegal to do u-turns anywhere (!) and get fined plus have to pay a huge insurance excess equivalent to a month’s rent. The soon to be ex-girlfriend will refuse to pay any share of the costs despite having insisted that you do the u-turn.
Well reeksy, it had a similar impact on me.
You could be a single bloke on a windsurfing holiday in Sardinia, you could get roomed (by the hol company) with another random bloke (aged early 30s, about the same as me), who during unpacking let me know his mum helped him pack his case (*honest), after the introductory get together meeting and drinks you could be wandering about the holiday flats with him in tow and meet two very attractive young ladies from the same hol, sunbathing on the lawn topless, who asked you to stop for a drink, and handed you a beer, only to realise that the bloke next to you is staring and barking like a dog (*he was, he really was), without doubt the longest week I’ve ever been on holiday.
Mate if from there. Tiny town on the east side where the oldest Italians live.
Have a look on Trailforks for where the trails are.
Locals are cool AF.
I was there in the summer last year. We did a round trip in the camper starting and finishing in Golfo Aranci. I was on my road bike so can’t comment on MTBIng but I found the best riding around Alghero ( the coastal road is absolutely beautiful). Bearing in mind it was really hot and we always camped on the coast so I can only comment on the interior from the point of view of driving but the mountainous region in the south east had the feel of the Alps and was a lot cooler than the rest of the island so no idea what it’s like in winter. Also the route we took from Alghero to Palau passed through some stunning scenery I would like to try on a bike. Bear in mind the road quality is pretty awful on the entire island with huge potholes everywhere which meant descending was taking your life in your hands-
Bear in mind the road quality is pretty awful on the entire island with huge potholes everywhere which meant descending was taking your life in your hands-
Been to the UK recently?
My brother has had a place for over 10 years on the southern coast about an hour from Cagliari. I’ve actually never ridden there but he says there is supposed to be some decent riding there, I know the locals all have moto enduro bikes so there must be trails.
Here’s his website which hasn’t been updated in about 8 years!
Think it will be too similar to here.
Potentially wet and not that warm.
Madeira, Majorca or Gran Canaria would be a better bet if ypu want sunshine and double digit temperatures. >
Been next door to corscica and alot of tbe roads had freeze thaw damage, snow poles up om the cols, and there is a ski resort on Corsica as well.
We did coast to coast mtb with https://www.skedaddle.com/uk/holidays/location/Sardinia/250
Great riding, lovely place. The riding was really good. Unfortunately a bug ran through the group and nearly everyone was very sick, one lady ending up in hospital on a drip.
Personal highlight, puking something fluorescent green out on a trail which was then eaten by a passing dog. Personal lowlight; a rock on a really great descent ripping off my new expensive rear mech which had only gone on the evening before after something smashed the previous one.
Would go back there again
Thanks for all the useful (and not so useful) first-hand feedback. Personally, I was very inspired by the Sardinia episode of Stanley Tucci's series. Anyway, have realised that MTB isn't the priority as I'm driving via Finale Ligure so can get a fix there. Also, it has to be Italy for work reasons.
I'm skewing towards the southeast of the island with a stop along the east coast. I'm assuming that there will be the possibility of snow in the mountains (then again, the last time I was in Mallorca in the winter it snowed heavily on our first day). It's the perfect day for more planning, being wet, windy and warm here.
Ridden there many times with Saddle Skedaddle over the years and still in touch with many of their now ex guides who live there. Mountain bike riding is excellent and you can easily ride in shorts all year round.
Judging from FB photos they've been posting over the last few weeks, their winter weather is very much nicer that ours (hardly surprising given it's in the middle of the Med).