Europe (all)

In the year of 2010 I participated in the Ötz valley bicyclemarathon (228 km + 5300 m) which is one of the most prestigious bicycle marathon event in Europe. Its slogan is „I have a dream” and a lot of starters think this, me too. First I saw a report about it in the TV 17 years earlier and I hoped I would cycle it once in my life. I rode my touringbike and I carried a small videocamera with me to record the day for video.

The route starts in Austria, Tirol. Its 1st climb is Kühtai (2020 m) which ascent contains a stretch with 16% steepness. On the descent I reached 86 km/h speed. After Brennerpass the 3rd ascent was Jaufenpass / Passo Monte Giovo by pleasant sunny weather. As I reached Bad St Leonhard in time (before timelimit) I knew that the last hard climb, Passo Rombo / Timmelsjoch (250 m) would be a pleasure for me (I knew it too, had climbed earlier): enough time and unbelievable feeling on that wonderful road. I took a lot of photos and often used my videocamera and enjoyed the last climb very much, while I saw few cyclists struggling. I reached the finish with great emotions and memories: that was one of the most memorable day of my life. The travelogue contains a 28 minutes long video about the bicycle marathon.

Nine week bicycle tour tour with different travel plans for all 6 participants: Finland - Kirkenes - North Cape - Tromsø - Lofoten - Tromsø - Bodø - Östersund - Mora - Oslo

Bicycle tour on the Swedish island Gotland with tent, with a lot of sightseeing. Some part on the main land and on Öland for connecting the railroad station of Kalmar with the ferry ports.

The basic idea of this tour originates, to combine a bicycle tour with a concert of of Mary Gauthier at Malmo. [...] Useless to say, for me as a lifelong bicyclist I have decided to take the chance and pack my Brompton folding bike and carry it with me. That's make me touring around the city of Malmo / Sweden.

To travel to Malmo, is somehow easy. I decided to take a direct flight to Copenhagen, using my free miles. Then by train to Malmo, which is nowadays just 35 minutes away from Copenhagen, if one takes the train. So far, as I know, the train passes a sub-sea tunnel, which shortens the travel time drastically down. Needless to say: I had a wonderful concert, a wonderful stay and enjoyed riding the city of Malmo.

I have never seen a 'bicycling ride city' as Malmo before, but it is in competition with Copenhagen, which seems to have people with the same habit. Language of Denmark and Sweden is somehow similar. Both countries are rather expensive. Both countries still on their original currency, the Swedish crown or the Danish crown. A foreigner needs not to change money. Everything can get paid by credit card. Really everything; even the toilet usage at the train station.

Enjoy the pictures and my report. Good luck to our followers!

L'opportunità di riscoprire vecchi percorsi arginali, uniti ad affascinanti tratti di strade rurali attraverso rigogliose colture frutticole e formazioni boscose fluviali, ha portato all'ideazione di una proposta di percorso cicloturistico che colleghi due direttrici turistiche a valenza europea già affermate ed in fase di definizione e potenziamento quali la dx Adige e la sx Po.

The opportunity to rediscover old riverside paths, combined with fascinating stretches of rural roads through lush forested river formations and fruit crops, has resulted in the development of a proposal for a cycle path linking two main tourist valence European-established and being definition and enhancement such as right Adige River and left Po River.

Cycling on the ice is a great thing. You drive away from man-made paths, you have countless opportunities to go in a direction, and you get really close to unspoiled landscapes. A bit of skill is required to assess the self-chosen roadway as safe. We learned from previous tours in Germany, when lakes and rivers freze for a short time and animate to small bike tours. After that we were attracted for a distant goal with different landscapes: the Swedish archipelago with its countless islands and bays - enough space for an extensive trip over several days. The ice in February was thick enough and open areas were mostly already recognizable from afar. As it turns out, the biggest problem was the snow, which had grown in few days so high that we had to continue on the streets.

September 2012 and I was back, solo in the French Pyrenees, staying high and near the Spanish border,specifically in the Pyrenees Atlantique and Haute Pyrenees. My goal was to ride many of the famous cols and to explore the Pays Basque and Bearn. I planned to spend several days in different locations, riding unloaded on the oh-so-beautiful little roads of France before moving on. The ride began with a beautiful, all-too-short ride along the coast south from St. Jean de Luz, then turned inland to St. Jean Pied de Port, Larrau, Arette, Arrens-Marsous, Luz St. Sauveur. Cols climbed included Arnostéguy, Orgambide, Burdincurutcheta, Bagargui, Marie Blanque, Aubisque, finishing with the very famous Col de Tourmalet.

L'itinerario si svolge nell'area a nord-est di Lecce toccando il Bosco di Rauccio, posto quasi in prossimità della costa adriatica. Il bosco è uno degli ambienti naturali più belli di Puglia, ultimo residuo di una più estesa e folta copertura boschiva conosciuta nel medioevo come "Foresta di Lecce". Ma la meta ultima della nostra ciclo-navigazione è la straordinaria Abbazia di Cerrate, della prima metà del XII secolo, la cui costruzione sarebbe stata voluta dal conte normanno Tancredi.

The tour takes place in the area north-east of Lecce touching the Rauccio Forest, located almost near the Adriatic coast. The forest is one of the most beautiful natural environments of Puglia, the last remnant of a more extensive and dense forest cover in the Middle Ages known as the "Forest of Lecce." But the ultimate goal of our cycle-navigation is the extraordinary Abbey Cerrate, the first half of the twelfth century, whose construction was commissioned by the count Norman Tancredi.

La parte meridionale del percorso attraversa i confini dei paesi balcanici: Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Grecia e Turchia. Alcuni lo percorrono già, molti lo stanno promuovendo, presto sarà una realtà per il cicloturismo europeo.

Winter time in Austria is boring for bicyclists. In order to get my lazy bones moving, I have decided to do this tour.

At the Spain Island Fuerteventura you may find the sun of Africa and you training partner, the wind of the Atlantic. Fuerteventura has become popular by bicyclists. It's a rocky, hilly Island. Main Wind direction NW. It would be wise to ride against the wind in the morning and return with tail wind.

Roads are empty only on very early morning hours. During day time, all the others are on their way with rented cars. But take care, looking at the driving performance of some drivers, told me: not everyone is with a drivers license. But even the bus drivers can be special. I have been using once a bus, and the driver as set the speed to automatic and with his feet he made dancing steps to follow the loud music of the radio, whilst his bus has been riding against the car before him in far too short distance.

Winding roads, most of them are new (maybe EU money returns) makes riding road by bicycle easy. Highest elevation on road is the Betancuria circle with the highest summit of the 'Morro Velosa', round 660 meters above sea level. Not all road shown in the maps are paved. The Island has become popular for mountain biking. [...]

A month of biking took us from Munich to Venice over the Alps. We did not bike up the Alps. Check the site to find out how we did get up. We went up the Inn river from Rosenheim through Innsbruck to Landeck. Once over the Alps through the Reschen Pass, we followed a beautifil Adige (Etsch in German) river. The Adige flows through Bolzano, Trento to Verona. Along the Po river it was a zig zag route to Venice.

This is a great introduction to cycling holidays in Brittany France. The hotels are typical country hotels, not expensive tourist traps,but all offer clean simple rooms with en-suit facilities etc.

Roma, la città più bella del mondo, non finisce mai di stupire con la sua eleganza architettonica di ogni epoca. Non mi stupiscono i chilometri percorsi per visitarla: ben 75. Il giornale che leggo in treno al mio rientro, è solo un pretesto per calmare la mente pervasa di mille ricordi, di mille visioni, di mille chilometri.

Rome, the most beautiful city in the world, never ceases to amaze with its architectural elegance of every age. I'm not surprised the mileage to visit: well 75. The newspaper I read on the train on my return, it's just an excuse to calm the mind filled with a thousand memories, a thousand visions of a thousand miles.

A due passi dalla modernissima stazione centrale dei treni, un giovane ciclonoleggiatore, vestito come un artigiano d'altri tempi, ci prepara delle ottime city bike equipaggiate (incredibile) con borse Ortlieb a sgancio rapido ....

A few steps from the modern railway station, a young renter of bicycle, dressed as a craftsman of the past, prepared for us some great city bike equipped (surprise) with bags Ortlieb quick release....

A bike tour in winter, along 4 Regional or National Parks. 350 km in six days. From Spoleto (Umbria) to Sora (Lazio).

Riding bike around Elba Island, in june, from and to Portoferraio.

Continua il racconto dell'itinerario da Aosta a Roma

Fuori Pavia il percorso Francigeno si inoltra in strette strade provinciali e piste sterrate. Oltrepasso Belgioioso con il suo bel castello, sosto per il pranzo all'ombra di un altro castello il Cusani Visconti di Chignolo Po,supero il ponte della ferrovia di Lambrinia, seguo una strada sterrata sull'argine del fiume che conduce a Corte Sant'Andrea.

Continues the story of the bicycle trip from Aosta to Rome. Out of Pavia path Francigeno you forward in narrow roads and dirt tracks. I cross Belgioioso with its beautiful castle, I stop for lunch in the shade of another castle of the Visconti Cusani

Prima parte dell'itinerario dal Gran San Bernardo a Roma percorso in bicicletta lungo il il pellegrinaggio del vescovo Sigerico che nel X secolo fece da Canterbury a Roma. Questo itinerario attraversa le testimonianze più significative dell'epoca medioevale.

First part of trip from the Great St. Bernard to Rome by bike, path along the pilgrimage of the bishop Sigerico that in the tenth century made from Canterbury to Rome. This route passes through the most significant example of medieval era.

Las Vías Verdes de Ojos Negros I y II , con unos 160 km de longitud, unen Santa Eulalia (al Noroeste de Teruel) con la ciudad de Sagunto, y entre las dos forman la Vía Verde mas larga de España.

Atardecer entre Escandon y Teruel

La ruta sigue en su mayor parte el trazado de un antiguo tren minero abierto a principios del siglo XX, y que unía las minas de Ojos Negros con el puerto de Sagunto. Las minas fueron en su momento las principales minas de hierro de España, que ademas contaban con la ventaja de ser a cielo abierto y de fácil explotación. Sin ninguna industria en la zona capaz de explotarlas, se construyo un ferrocarril de vía estrecha que llevara el material a los altos hornos de Sagunto. Esta linea estuvo en funcionamiento hasta 1973, cuando para aumentar la capacidad de transporte, se reconvirtió a vía ancha el tramo desde las minas a Santa Eulalia , donde se unía a la ya existente red de vía ancha de RENFE. Quedo entonces el resto que la linea de vía estrecha entre Santa Eulalia y Sagunto en desuso, y este es mas o menos el tramo que se ha transformado en vía verde, y que durante muchos kilómetros transcurre paralelo a la linea de vía ancha todavía en funcionamiento para transporte de viaj! eros.

Seconda parte dell'itinerario con dati GPS del percorso. Descrizione del diario di viaggio con precisione e professionalità. Tirreno -Adriatico dall'Argentario al Conero 374 km suddivisi in cinque tappe; 4370 mt di dislivello; oltre 37 h in bicicletta. Hanno pedalato questo viaggio condividendone salite e discese, sole e pioggia, gioie e sudore, allegria e amicizia:Angelo, Enzo, Giorgio, Giuseppe, Marino, Pietro, Stefano. a cura della Associazione FIAB-Grossetociclabile. "In bici per l'ambiente"

Second part of the data with GPS location. Description of the travel diary with precision and professionalism. Tirreno-Adriatico Argentario to the Conero 374 km divided into five stages; 4370 meters of elevation gain over 37 h on a bicycle. Rode this trip sharing ups and downs, sun and rain, sweat and joy, happiness and friendship: Angelo, Enzo, George, Joseph Marino, Peter, Stephen. by the Association FIAB-Grossetociclabile. "Cycling for the environment"

Dal Tirreno all'Adriatico, un viaggio in bicicletta che attraversa in orizzontale l'Italia, per congiungere idealmente i due promontori posti geograficamente "all'altezza del cuore" del Paese.

From the Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic Sea, a bike trip through horizontally Italy, to join the two promontories ideally placed geographically "at the heart" of Country.

Orbetello, Capalbio, Bolsena, Orvieto, Todi, Massa Martana, Bevagna, Foligno, Plateau Col Fiorito, Serravalle di Chienti, Tolentino, Macerata, Recanati, Loreto, Ancona, Ancona centers of historic, scenic and cultural meet along the way. The Ways Aurelia, Cassia and Flaminia consular roads you ride, of 'Albegna in Tuscany, the Tiber in Rome, Chienti and Power in the Marche region, the valleys of the rivers that follow.

Terza parte del tour Trieste - Istambul

Da Skopje con arrivo a Istambul
Il pensiero finale è per Asif. Ho ricevuto grande stima da questa persona e affetto da tutta la sua famiglia, senza fare altro che essere superiore ai luoghi comuni e ai pregiudizi di molti. Faleminderit.

Third part of the tour Trieste - Istanbul

Arriving from Skopje to Istanbul
The final thought is for Asif. I received great respect and affection for this person by his whole family, not help but be more than clichés and prejudices of many. Faleminderit.

A 3-day, 250-km bike and train ride on the Lake Road in Switzerland, from Geneva to Interlaken

This last spring and summer I was lucky enough to explore one of the world's most popular bicycle climbing areas in the world: the western alps. So I took lots of notes,and many pictures of my bike rides over more than 50 passes and summits.

Some of my favorite memories are these crossings: Col et Tunnel de Parpaillon , Col de la Croix de Fere , Col de la Cayolle

But summits do not have to be that high to impress with their beauty: For example the D32 summit in Utelle, or a ride over Col d'Eze or Colle Langan on the glitzy Cote d'Azure.

Seconda parte del Tour in bicicletta da Trieste a Istambul

Si dice che il mondo sia piccolo, figuriamoci Sarajevo: sto per ripartire quando sulla bici trovo un biglietto degli amici cuneesi: tra i molti alberghi della città abbiamo soggiornato nello stesso, senza avere la fortuna di rivederci.

Second part of the Bike Tour from Trieste to Istanbul

People said that the world is small, let alone Sarajevo: I am starting when on the bike when I find a ticket of my friendsfrom Cuneo: among the many city hotels we have stayed in the same, without having the chance to meet again each other.

[DOC] Quest'anno per una serie di motivi abbiamo optato per un breve tour in patria non privo comunque di interesse come il titolo e la foto introduttiva sono a testimoniare.

Il nostro solito e collaudato periodo è ad inizio giugno, le scuole sono ancora in attività (Alessio saluta il signor direttore), le giornate sono le più lunghe dell'anno, il caldo quello vero è ancora in rodaggio e per i prezzi siamo ancora in fase low cost.

[DOC] Ancora Francia, eh sì ci troviamo proprio bene ma quest'anno allarghiamo un po' il giro sconfinando nella vicina Germania per rientrare in Francia per poi nuovamente passare in Germania fino a raggiungere il punto dove si incontrano le tre frontiere di Francia, Germania, Lussemburgo cioè Schengen.

[DOC] La buona riuscita del viaggio dello scorso anno ci ha spinti anche quest'anno a pedalare per un po' di giorni in un paese sempre ospitale e ricco di storia, cultura e gastronomia come la Francia.

La Francia dunque : liberté, égalité e vin rosé

L'idea che ha dato vita al viaggio è stata quella di bagnare le ruote delle bici nell'Oceano Atlantico e di bagnarle a fine percorso nell'acqua del Mediterraneo.

[DOC] Per un paio d'anni, praticamente ogni domenica mattina durante il nostro giro in bici, il ritornello è sempre stato quello e cioè l'idea di un viaggio in bici che durasse qualche giorno e non solo le quattro, cinque ore domenicali.

Le strade di casa nostra ormai percorse in bici decine e decine di volte cominciavano ad avere l'orizzonte della cyclette in camera e dunque la domanda diventava sempre più martellante " Nemo in Francia in bicicreta ??" (Andiamo in Francia in bicicletta ??). Non ci è voluto tanto tempo per organizzare questo "over 50 tour" con lo spirito del cicloturista o ciclo viaggiatore e cioè con il preciso intento che velocità e media oraria non dovessero essere la nostra preoccupazione. Perché in Francia? Perché l'idea è nata per raggiungere la città di mia moglie Valence (Drome) un centinaio di km a sud di Lyon e perché in Francia si mangia bene e perché in Francia c'è del buon vino e perché in Francia i ciclisti sono veramente rispettati.

Racconto di viaggio ed emozioni in Danimarca

"Skagerrak o Kattegat?...Skagerrak o Kattegat?

Sul "ramo" sfoglio le onde, provenienti da mari opposti, che si infrangono una contro l'altra disegnando la fragile lingua di sabbia di Grenen.

about 410 kilometers only - but please consider the circumstances...; and made a climb up to nearly ~ 4.000 meters

[...] Chile is a rather safe and clean country. People are honest and helpful. Moreover, they have a good public transport system (...this in case ones leg gets soared...). There are a lot of but's...: one is the traffic and the smog. Both is against bicyclists. Roads between major cities are freeways. Service roads ending, than one is supposed to ride on the shoulder of the freeway (which is officially forbidden in Chile - but what to do?!) Constructors simply have forgotten on 'normal' roads.... And, it increases the problem: Chile has no long distance train (only Metro, e.g. Santiago and or Valparaiso - good system - but you cannot take a bicycle to the Metro). The other issue is the smog. You may see the smog cloud, one you approach Santiago by air. But this smog cloud is so heavy, as it penetrates houses (living room, sleeping room...). My mouth is maybe to sensitive, but I felt a permanent bitter taste. Long distance travel in Chile is done via a very good bus system. Rather cheap and reliable. [...]

Trieste porta dell'est. Oltre questo confine finisce l'occidente e ci si immerge in una mescolanza di culture e religioni che convivono da secoli, non senza problemi, una affianco all'altra. Guerre, invasioni e lotte intestine hanno caratterizzato la storia dei Balcani, territorio la cui bellezza stupisce, così come non lascia indifferenti la disponibilità ed il senso di fratellanza con cui si viene accolti. Percorrere a ritroso le strade attraversate dai turchi cinquecento anni prima, visitare i palazzi della dominazione asburgica a Sarajevo, vedere la recente guerra balcanica negli edifici forati dai proiettili o nelle lapidi tutte vecchie di due decenni. Leggi tutto...

In Hameln wünschten uns die Freunde eine schöne und interessante Fahrradtour an den vier Flüssen Weser, Werra, Itz und Main.

A Lubecca, alle biciclette vogliono un gran bene. Quei pali zincati sui quali le biciclette vengono legate, diventano strumenti per dimostrare il loro attaccamento.

Rivestiti di cotone e lana lavorata ad uncinetto, traforata o a patchwork, ne fanno un elemento colorato che non crea alcun danno al telaio della bicicletta sui quali viene legata.

In Lübeck, People love bicycles too much. Those galvanized poles on which bicycles are tied, they become tools to demonstrate their attachment. Covered in cotton wool and crochet, patchwork or perforated, make it a colored element that does not create any damage to the bicycle frame on which it is linked.

A blog by a brother, a sister and her boyfriend (now husband) about their anti-clockwise trip around the ring-road and the West Fjords during the summer of 2011.

When I begin the planning process for a tour, I usually start by looking at journals on Trento Bike Pages and 'Crazy Guy on a Bike'. If something peaks my interest, I'll check out the Web site for that country and also look at Google maps. As I progress I'll browse through the travel section of our local bookstore.

The great thing about touring is that every day is an adventure and every day offers different challenges. In spite of all the planning you do, what you expect and what you get are two different things.

Cycling through the Catalan region of Spain and the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France far exceeded all our expectations. It was a bike ride that combined beautiful scenery with historical sights. We had challenging cols, rode along the Mediterranean and through spectacular river gorges. Every day was different.

I tried to avoid to fall into an early Winter sleep... Tried to keep my tired bones fit. As I have been in an refreshment email contact with a biker couple, living nearby Hamburg, we have quickly made a plan to meet and cycle around. I have been knowing Hamburg from the past, but Hamburg today, is even more bigger, more modern (more expensive...).

What impressed my most, beside the friendly attitude of Hamburgers citizens, was the wide variety of music shops. We had the chance to participate a 'concert' in one of Hamburgs music pubs, the 'Knust', whereas we have seen on stage Ryan Bingham and Valerie in the pre-program... Just wonderful!

In quei 17 km sopra l'isola ho ascoltato i versi della natura di Sylt. Un po' brughiera, un po' erica, un po' vento, un po' uccello, un po' innamorato, un po' poeta, mettevo alla prova i miei sensi.

In those 17 km above the island I heard the verses of the nature of Sylt. A bit heath, a little heather, a little wind, a little bird, a little loveer, a little poet, put to the test my senses.

Mit dem Fahrrad durch den Koog
Es ist fast wie ein Sog
Blumen, Ferlder, der Deich.
Die Sonne lacth mir entegegen
aber auch bei Regen
liebe ich dieses stille Reich.
Gedankenreise, di Waltraud Hansen