You look forward to it all winter. It gives you a reason to climb on the turbo for another tedious hour on Zwift while watching the rain lash against the window. It’ll take forever to get to the day you’re boarding the plane, but will also be here before you know it.

A cycling holiday is something to really, truly savour. Often they are the perfect combination of all of the elements that brought about the love for it in the first place.

Endless sunny days, no commitments to get back for or rushing around after people.

Just the open road, some friends, and a healthy dose of endorphins to finish.

And so to ask what makes the perfect cycling holiday is a tricky thing. You’re starting from a pretty high baseline, so what is it that tips it over into ‘best-ever’.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but our recent trip to Calpe got me thinking about it as I can say with some degree of confidence that it was my best cycling holiday yet.

Planning

A great trip comes from great planning. The research into where to fly to, where to stay, and where to ride each day leads to a seamless cycling holiday. I have been planning and booking cycling holidays for my clients for a number of years now, and I can say that the more work done at this stage, the better the trip overall tends to be.

Mallorca, Calpe, Girona, somewhere else?

There are so many great places to ride in Europe, and beyond, that having a good understanding of the group you’re going with, their level and ability and matching that to the right destination is a must and I’ll always start the process with a consultation call to run through exactly where the group have been and where might work best.

Route planning and custom itineraries to suit the group are something included as standard with all of the cycling holidays I arrange.

And this means that you just have to load them to the Wahoo in the airport before you fly, climb on the bike each day and head out knowing you’re in for a treat of a day.

Being adaptable to changes is something that can get overlooked when there are more than a handful of you riding each day.

Something we found worked very well in Calpe was having multiple ‘ride-leaders’. These weren’t professional guides (although they can be arranged with ease), but people who knew the roads and could manage a smaller group of riders.

As the differences in fitness levels widens, people aren’t going to be burying themselves with yet another 150km ride…

The Group

Are they friends you ride with week in, week out? Are they a group of relative strangers in a club you’ve just joined?

Either way, there’s a very good chance you’ll return from the trip with a stronger bond than before, but tailor the room list to match people up in twin rooms that know each other well, or shoot for single occupancy rooms if you’re not sure.

If one person is running around like a headless chicken trying to solve problems all week, there’s a good chance they aren’t having as much fun as the rest.

So when I’m booking trips for groups I aim to ensure that everyone, even the lead booker, can enjoy it by taking the responsibility off their shoulders and fixing problems before they arise.

Logistics

Some suppliers we work with have a better reputation for getting you to where you need to be on time than others.

But of course, travel plans can go awry regardless of who you book with.

We’ll be in touch during your trip, through WhatsApp and other means to ensure that if there are any disruptions they can be quickly dealt with.

But this is the perfect cycling holiday, so if anything your plane is landing five minutes early, your transfer is seamless and you arrive at the hotel to a red-carpet and a delicious welcome drink.

Bikes get built or collected from the rental shop at lightning speed, they’re all working perfectly, you change into fresh kit and are clipped in a ready to roll out mid-afternoon. Lighthouse spin anyone?

The Hotel

I spoke to a very reputable cycling hotel recently who informed me that for cycling groups they offer ‘unlimited carbohydrates’ at breakfast and dinner. This is what we are talking about.

Hotels that understand what cyclists need make a huge difference to the group’s enjoyment.

For a group over 5 people I would always recommend Half Board at the hotel unless people are specifically wanting to try local cuisine, which in some destinations I would highly recommend.

Early dining is good.

By 7pm we’re usually dizzy with hunger after 5-6 hours in the mountains, so being able to walk up to a buffet and pile more rice onto your plate than is socially acceptable is a very good thing.

The Roads

Quiet roads, smooth tarmac, steady 10km climbs averaging 5%. It’s the stuff of dreams.

Having a hotel or villa that you can roll out of in the morning and not have to battle inner-city traffic is a massive plus point. Sometimes, with places like Nice and Girona, you might find it can get busy, so knowing ahead of time what the destination is like is key to your overall enjoyment.

Bucket List Stuff

The Tourmalet | Sa Calobra | Coll de Rates.

You’ll sit on Zwift watching POV footage of these headline climbs, and Rouvy even lets you ride them for ‘almost’ real now.

So conquering your longest climb ever, or going for a PB on a climb you’ve done a few times is another major part of that perfect holiday feeling. You’ll buzz off that one for a while once it’s done.

And those added luxuries like a support vehicle…

… can really elevate the experience.

Off the Bike

A cycling holiday can feel like you’ve been riding for hours all week, with very little relaxation time and yet by the time you’re home a sense of low-level calm and content radiates out of you. Try explaining that to ‘regular’ people and they look at you funny.

It is the top-tier flat white and almond croissant from a thoroughly researched cafe stop.

It’s the lager (0% of course) mixed with Fanta Lemon - try it, it’s insane - at the end of a long day while comparing watts in the bar next to the hotel.

These are the moments that you’ll remember, and they’re very well-earned.

Perfect Trip

Perfect doesn’t come easily, and doesn’t usually happen by accident. Months of planning and research has gone into delivering a perfect cycling holiday. Being prepared ahead of time helps.

The group, the riding, the weather all add up to make it exceptional, and when it all comes together you sit on the plane home not sad that it’s over, but glad that it went so well.

If you are planning your next cycling holiday, or know someone who is, please get in touch and we can make it your best cycling holiday yet.