My Portugese Cycling Holiday
Discussion
Last week I went on a cycling holiday to Portugal, so thought I'd share a bit about it.
A small bit of background; I started cycling in May last year, really enjoyed it and did ever bigger distances (for me). Then in June this year I summoned up the courage and went out with a local group of blokes (one owns the cycle shop I bought my bike from) - you may all remember this thread; http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... . Anyway, the last 3 months I've been out with them lots, done loads of riding and felt myself getting ever stronger and so they invited me away to a villa they use in Garvao, Portugal.
3 of us went out there, plus the English guy who owns the place is a keen cyclist too. He has carbon bikes out there that we used rather than take our own.
The riding itself was glorious! We rode every day - the first few days quite hard, including the Foia pass on the Thursday (4600ft of climbing that day!). We took it easy on the Fri/Sat because on the Sunday we were entered into the annual Garvao race!
30 miles neutralised behind a van, then an 8 mile sprint with a 0.25 mile very steep climb at the end. An amazing experience! I got dropped by the front group with about a mile to go - a bit gutted about that, if I'm honest, but my climbing all week had been pretty good and so I made a fair few places up on the final climb to the finish. I'm waiting for my placing, but if I'm top half I'll be very happy; there were some SERIOUSLY quick guys there
(and we did have 500km in our legs by that point!). Annoyingly there were thunderstorms on the Sunday, having had high 30c all week!
The stats;
310 miles
18,083ft of climbing
19hrs 14min in the saddle
0 punctures
000's cans of coke
Mon = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986310
Tues = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986313
Wed = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986315
Thurs = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986312
Fri = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986305
Sat = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986298
Sun = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986306
We were in South West portugal, here;
(zoomed out)
and some cheesy shots for you all...
(me)
(my ride for the week - a carbon framed Wilier)
(us at the front of the (then neutralised) race)
(heaven)
I must say, it was bloody great fun. The riding was fabulous - very little traffic, beautiful scenery, and all the people really enjoyed cyclists being there. We'll be going back in March where I'll be trying to challenge my times up some of those climbs!
And now, I write this from a freezing cold crappy office having got back to freezing cold wet crappy UK at 3am yesterday morning. I couldn't have had a bigger come down from a great week
A small bit of background; I started cycling in May last year, really enjoyed it and did ever bigger distances (for me). Then in June this year I summoned up the courage and went out with a local group of blokes (one owns the cycle shop I bought my bike from) - you may all remember this thread; http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... . Anyway, the last 3 months I've been out with them lots, done loads of riding and felt myself getting ever stronger and so they invited me away to a villa they use in Garvao, Portugal.
3 of us went out there, plus the English guy who owns the place is a keen cyclist too. He has carbon bikes out there that we used rather than take our own.
The riding itself was glorious! We rode every day - the first few days quite hard, including the Foia pass on the Thursday (4600ft of climbing that day!). We took it easy on the Fri/Sat because on the Sunday we were entered into the annual Garvao race!
30 miles neutralised behind a van, then an 8 mile sprint with a 0.25 mile very steep climb at the end. An amazing experience! I got dropped by the front group with about a mile to go - a bit gutted about that, if I'm honest, but my climbing all week had been pretty good and so I made a fair few places up on the final climb to the finish. I'm waiting for my placing, but if I'm top half I'll be very happy; there were some SERIOUSLY quick guys there
(and we did have 500km in our legs by that point!). Annoyingly there were thunderstorms on the Sunday, having had high 30c all week!The stats;
310 miles
18,083ft of climbing
19hrs 14min in the saddle
0 punctures
000's cans of coke
Mon = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986310
Tues = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986313
Wed = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986315
Thurs = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986312
Fri = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986305
Sat = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986298
Sun = http://app.strava.com/rides/22986306
We were in South West portugal, here;
(zoomed out)
and some cheesy shots for you all...
(me)
(my ride for the week - a carbon framed Wilier)
(us at the front of the (then neutralised) race)
(heaven)
I must say, it was bloody great fun. The riding was fabulous - very little traffic, beautiful scenery, and all the people really enjoyed cyclists being there. We'll be going back in March where I'll be trying to challenge my times up some of those climbs!
And now, I write this from a freezing cold crappy office having got back to freezing cold wet crappy UK at 3am yesterday morning. I couldn't have had a bigger come down from a great week
te the UK roads really areGreen with envy - nice holiday!
This pretty much sums up the extent of my cycling in Portugal earlier this year;
http://app.strava.com/activities/20261321
Taking a bike next year.........
This pretty much sums up the extent of my cycling in Portugal earlier this year;
http://app.strava.com/activities/20261321
Taking a bike next year.........
GBDG said:
Looks perfect, can you direct me to where i can find friends who own villas in Portugal, with a stock of carbon road bikes on hand?!?
He's turning it into a business hence buying the bikes, so we did pay for villa/bike combo (though I suspect not as much as normal rates may be), but he needed to pay for the bikes somehow He doesn't have a website yet but when he does I'll be sure to share it 
MadDad said:
If you're anywhere near the south west when you do go, shout and I'll give you the routes (and others) that we recommend!
Very interesting.... I have a couple of villas in Villamoura I have potential access to as my Mum lives on the hills overlooking Faro. They definitely don't have a nice supply of carbon bikes though - that's for sure.
I would imagine its worth investigating which roads are ok though as loads round there are more suitable for a mountain bike!
I would imagine its worth investigating which roads are ok though as loads round there are more suitable for a mountain bike!
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