Tips for Cycling Holidays

 

If you love cycling, then chances are you’d probably enjoy a cycling holiday. There are a number of ways to incorporate cycling into your holiday; from touring and traveling entirely around by bicycle, to simply renting a mountain bike for a day and enjoying some challenging terrain. One of my favourite reasons that I love to include cycling in my travels, is that it helps keep you fit on the road – which is really important to me as I am always tempted by excess food when I’m overseas! Cycling also allows you to get much closer to both nature and the environment around you, rather than being shut off in a car. Here are some good tips for cycling holidays so you can plan your perfect cycling holiday:

 

 

Not all helmets are created equal, and although no one wants to think about it, accidents do happen when you’re on a bike. Don’t let that put you off enjoying cycling overseas, just use it as motivation to invest in a high quality bike helmet to keep your most valuable part of your body safe, no matter what. There are so many different styles of helmets these days so you can find one you really love. In New Zealand, it’s illegal to cycle without a helmet so I’m used to wearing one no matter what. If you’re planning a holiday to a country that is more relaxed about wearing helmets, consider wearing one just in case. It’s worth it for the peace of mind. 

 

You can choose to do a cycling holiday independently or with a tour. Whichever way you go, make sure that you read some online reviews about the company and/or tracks. Bare in mind that people are much more likely to leave reviews when they are really disappointed than when they really like it. By checking out the online reviews, you can get a better idea of what to expect and whether it’s what you want from your cycling holiday. 

 

 

When you’re planning your trip, read up on the weather reports for that time of year for the place you are planning on going. When I was in Asia during rainy season, I heard some fellow tourists complaining about the rain. I didn’t understand what their problem was; it’s rainy season. It rains at least once a day during rainy season, usually for about an hour. It’s annoying, but a little research would have warned them and then maybe they wouldn’t have found the rain so disappointing or bothersome. I like cycling when it’s cool to warm, not too hot and not raining. So for me the shoulder side of summer in most places would be the best time of year to go. Be realistic about what kind of conditions you need to be comfortable cycling and work backwards from there. 

 

These are my top three tips for planning your cycling holiday. Is there anything I’ve missed off the list? If you’ve had a great cycling holiday or done some great cycling while away, let me know in the comments below.