Europe (all)

Goschenen - Andermatt - Furkapass - Gletsch - Grimselpass - Innertkirchen - Sustenpass - Wassen - Goschenen, Km 120.

This is the (partly still under construction) report of a 10-days tour in Mallorca in October 1995. Includes weather information, a literature, photographs, the works.

Thusis - Tiefencastel - Albulapass - La Punt - Zernez - Fluelapass - Davos - Klosters - Landquart - Chur - Thusis, Km 190.

The report of the 850 km trip Jose Roberto and his buddy Aurelio did in September 1995. Annoying and confusing Flash navigation, I didn't actually find much useful information.

This is a report about a bike tour which we undertook in Andalusia in September '95. We started in Sevilla, travelled down to Tarifa at the Strait of Gibraltar, learned a lot about forceful winds, crossed the mountains of the Serrania de Ronda to see Ronda, one of the oldest cities in Spain, directed our tires once again to the sea side towards Malaga, travelled on lonely winding roads and the beach promenades of the Costa del Sol and finally crossed the Sierra Nevada to terminate our journey in Granada, one of the most beautiful cities we've ever seen. The overall distance was about 700 km. We took two and a half weeks but think one should have a week or so more to fully enjoy the spirit of the region.

Susa - Montgeneve - Briancon - Col du Lautaret - Col du Galibier - Col du Telegraph - St Michel de Maurienne - Lanslebourg - Mont Cenis - Susa. Km 205.

A ride from Chioggia to Venice and beyond, along the tiny strip of land that separates the sea from the Laguna. A bicycle ride is one of the best ways to exprience this magical terrain...

After a successful biking holiday in the northern parts of the Danish mainland Jutland in 1993, we wanted to see Djursland and Sealand in 1995. The starting point was Hobro by the Mariager Fjord. We [a family of 5] had one Burley d'Light trailer for Trine [4 years old] and her personal luggage, and relatively large panniers on all 4 bicycles.

Tussen juli 1995 en december 1996 hebben wij een fietsreis gemaakt van Rotterdam naar Kaapstad. Op deze reis hebben we door twintig landen gefietst in Europa, het Midden Oosten en Afrika. In anderhalf jaar tijd hebben we een afstand van ruim 20.000 kilometer afgelegd. Op deze internet-site kun je enkele verhalen over deze reis lezen en de mooiste van onze honderden foto's bekijken.

This is an outline of a 1,000 miles trip around perimeter of the Republic of Ireland that my boyfriend and I took. [...] Based on everything we heard, we were prepared for rain, rain and more rain. In thirty days, we only had two full days of rain, and a few other light showers. By the last week of June, the weather was in the 70s -80s (F), which I guess is rather unusual for Ireland, and the Irish were ecstatic.

Oslo - Gothenburg - Falsterbo.

The ``tradition'' of going to Copenhagen in May started in 1992 when we took the ferry from Oslo to Frederikshavn and cycled via the Danish mainland Jutland. However, with only 350 km this tour became too little of a challenge after 2 times. Therefore, in 1994, we did our first trip to Copenhagen via the Swedish West Coast.

The part of this region known as the ``Suisse Normande'' is particularly suited to cycle touring (at least by us) - the area is picturesque, (the river, the forests for example), has a number of interesting villages and towns, is quiet at this time of year, has enough ups and downs to be interesting and still easily managable. The food is pretty good, and affordable.

Mt. Marmolada is in the central Alps. Before I first went there I had this mental image of snow-capped peaks and vertical cliffs that could not possibly allow any reasonable bicycle riding. I found this is wrong, it's in fact fairly easy - if exhausting - to ride in the Alps because all the roads and trails avoid the really steep mountains and remain in the valleys and lower and less steep mountains. Riding in the Alps means rarely riding on either level or really steep roads, 4 or 5% is typical but it can reach 10% or more in places. Roads usually wind their way up or down in serpentines. I live in Berlin, which has only very minor hills, and I am a poor climber, but I found that I can manage a pass or two a day in the Alps without too many problems. The reward of the trouble is awesome scenery.

The ``tradition'' of going to Copenhagen in May started in 1992 when we took the ferry from Oslo to Frederikshavn and cycled via the Danish mainland Jutland. However, with only 350 km this tour became too little of a challenge after 2 times. Therefore, in 1994, we did our first trip to Copenhagen via the Swedish West Coast.

A beautiful tour, mostly off-road, with great photos.
Uphill and downhill sections in a beautiful landscape on the south slope of the Sierra Nevada with more white villages.Great views.After Ug?jar a 63-year-old mountain biker starts a roadside conversation on bicycling, this year's draught and possible climate change.Unlike me, he believes the Puerto de la Ragua is the only pass crossing the Sierra Nevada.

The report of a one-week training camp in Spain.
After 2 days spent on a bus, and a night in a Premier Classe Hotel in Rheims, France, we were ready to get on our bikes and stretch our legs. (There had been the temptation to get the bikes unpacked in Rheims and re-run the stage finish there from the 1985 Tour de France when Sean Kelly and Eric Vanderaerden had thrown punches at one another as they sprinted for the line ! But as it was dark, 1 a.m. and we were all tired it was decided to leave it until another time.) The camp was based in L'Estartit, a holiday resort on the Costa Brava approximately 100 kms north of Barcelona.

This is the great report of a tour in the Alps that Jobst Brandt did in the summer of '95.

Wayne rides through France, and has a look at the Tour on the way.

A family goes cyclo-camping and brings back valuable experience, great stories and beautiful pictures.

From Arrivèe On-Line, Audax UK's quarterly magazine.

A certain Frenchman, Georges Rossini of Thonon on Lake Geneva, has set up four testing Alpine routes, or 'Raids':

• Randonnee Alpine - Thonon to Antibes, 740km and 43 cols through the French Alps.
• Randonnee Alpine - Thonon to Trieste, 1180km and 41 cols through the Swiss and Italian Alps and Dolomites.
• Randonnee Prealpine - Thonon to Antibes, 894km and 47 cols through the French Alps.
• Randonnee Prealpine - Thonon to Venice, 1209km and 69 cols through the Italian Alps and Lakes.

This report details a van-supported, mostly camping, bicycle tour of Germany and Austria taken by 29 members of the Davis Bike Club (Davis, California) during 3 weeks in 1995. We were a varied group, aged from 9 to 70ish, and included families, couples, and singles, riding 7 tandems and 22 single bicycles.

Wayne rides through France, and has a look at the Tour on the way.

In the summer of 1995, my girlfriend Thea and I spent a fortnight on a motoring, camping and cycling holiday in France. Our longest stay was a week camping in Bourg d'Oisans, with the joint aims of seeing the Tour go up Alpe d'Huez, and also cycling up a few mountains ourselves. I was also considering attempting the Marmotte randonee, which coincided with the weekend of our stay.

This was our 10th cycling trip to France but our first north of the Loire river. We were very apprehensive about the weather but our worries were unfounded as Normandy had a sunny and dry summer that year. We travelled with another couple who have joined us for four European trips (and a fifth this year - 1997). We are all middle-aged (actually getting to be late middle-aged). We travel unsupported but we stay in hotels or chambres d'hote (B&B's). We average about 60km per day. We dine well. It's an elegant life we lead!!

Paris-Brest-Paris is the oldest traditional cycling event, started in 1891 by a Frenchman named Giffard who thought it would be a great way to promote cycling, as a test ``not primarily of speed but brains, skill and endurance.'' It was held thereafter every ten years, and since the middle of the century, every four years. Attracting more than 4,000 or so riders from a number of countries, it is a ride of over 1,200 kilometers (about 750 miles) that must be completed within 90 hours.

In the summer of 1995, my girlfriend Thea and I spent a fortnight on a motoring, camping and cycling holiday in France. Our longest stay was a week camping in Bourg d'Oisans, with the joint aims of seeing the Tour go up Alpe d'Huez, and also cycling up a few mountains ourselves. I was also considering attempting the Marmotte randonee, which coincided with the weekend of our stay.

We'd managed just one ride before getting to Bourg d'Oisans. This, around Annecy, included the Col de la Forclaz, claimed by a local friend to feature ``the best view in the Alps'' from the top. We were sadly unable to confirm this, as it was pouring with rain and visibility was down to 20 yards when we got there. A bunch of people in the cafe seemed very amused by us taking photographs of each other in front of a fog bank.

Although there are many areas that I have not toured yet, trips to Lorraine, Alsace, Vosges, Doubs, Alps, Pyrenees, and Provence have all been great.

Very brief: Auvergne, Dordogne, upper Loire region, Languedoc-Roussilion, Ballon d'Alsace.

This route goes from the rainy South-West coast of Iceland right to the North of the country, which is drier and warmer in summer, passing through the interior of Iceland along the Kjölur route. I made it with 4 more friends in 6 days.

A gorgeous trip through the Alps, over several passes: Simplon, Furka, Oberalp, Wolfgang, Fluela, Ofen, Stelvio, Mortirolo, Tonale, Mendola, Sella, Fedaia, Gardena, Campolongo and Pordoi. Don't miss this great story!

[...] I saw three bikes being loaded onto the conveyor...two of them were in boxes that looked different than the ones I had so carefully reinforced and packaged back home. Sure enough, my bike and Eric's had suffered terminal damage to our front wheels, and Eric's front pannier racks had been damaged badly. How were they able even to start this tour? Read on!

This is an older version without pictures; the main one is no longer available on the net.

From Arrivèe On-Line, Audax UK's quarterly magazine.

A certain Frenchman, Georges Rossini of Thonon on Lake Geneva, has set up four testing Alpine routes, or 'Raids':

• Randonnee Alpine - Thonon to Antibes, 740km and 43 cols through the French Alps.
• Randonnee Alpine - Thonon to Trieste, 1180km and 41 cols through the Swiss and Italian Alps and Dolomites.
• Randonnee Prealpine - Thonon to Antibes, 894km and 47 cols through the French Alps.
• Randonnee Prealpine - Thonon to Venice, 1209km and 69 cols through the Italian Alps and Lakes.

Most of the places we stayed were walled medieval towns, each with histories dating back centuries, and each with its own identity and flavor. One such city was Volterra. Perched on a high plateau, Volterra has been occupied since prehistoric times because of its strategic location. [...] The fields of colorful spring wildflowers, flowed up to the vineyards, which were just starting to spread their new spring growth across the hills, while roves of olive trees added their own unique presence to the landscape. Tall, stately spires of Italian cypress appeared to march across every distant ridge, usually leading to a small farm or a large villa. As we finally entered the ancient gates of the city, we collapsed in the shadows on a cool stone bench.