My experience on a Sportive Breaks self-guided cycling holiday
Sportive Breaks has recently unveiled a new selection of self-guided road cycling holidays in Spain, with further locations to come soon. These independent cycling trips are ideal if you want to continue riding a bike whilst on holiday or to keep training for an upcoming event, without the need for you to join a group training camp, or if you just want to go to somewhere that has better weather! Ideal for getting away and cycling with like-minded friends, club or team members or even your family and self-guided cycling holidays ensure that you remain active with a choice of routes for each day of cycling.
We have started our self-guided road cycling offering with stays in Mallorca, as well as Girona, the cycling gem of Catalunya, with trips to Calpe on Spain’s Costa Brava and Tenerife, taking in routes around the infamous Mount Teide, coming soon.
To test our Mallorca self-guided cycling holidays for our customers, we sent Customer Service Executive James Morrissey out to Mallorca to get the full self-guided experience and report back on his time there…
Have you ever been on a trip like this before?
This was my first time going abroad to do road cycling, so I was a complete novice with the travel arrangements and the logistics of getting out on the road in Spain. Between the advice on the Ride With GPS app and the support of Sportive Breaks and local staff this was made much easier.
What are the main benefits for cyclists in a self-guided holiday?
I would say the main benefit is being able to plan your days around your needs, and not have to work around an inflexible itinerary. This meant I could plan shorter rides for my arrival and departure days to maximise the amount of riding I could get in. It also meant I could lie in as long as I wanted and enjoy the evenings as I pleased!
What are the additional benefits you can get from a self-guided cycling holiday in terms of a regular holidaymaker?
As a regular holidaymaker rather than a cyclist, the self-guided trip allowed the freedom to be a tourist on rides and actually stop in towns on the routes provided. Typically when riding in a fixed group, you don’t have the freedom to explore these places as you have a schedule to follow with other riders. This meant I could soak up the culture of Mallorca as well as get the kilometres under my belt at the same time.
How simple was it to navigate with the app?
The Ride With GPS app was really simple to use, each route is labelled well and so selecting suitable routes each day is really intuitive. The navigation worked really well too, both on the app and via my head unit with the GPX file – so even I couldn’t get lost while on the bike!
How easy were other aspects of the trip such as airport transfers/hotels?
All the logistics of the trip such as airport transfers and bike rental were planned seamlessly, the MTS transfer desk was really easy to find thanks to the instructions in the app. Once there, the staff were really helpful in finding my driver and sending me on my way to Port de Pollenca. It was the same for my departure transfer, as the driver was parked directly outside the hotel, in plenty of time for my planned departure, here he notified reception accordingly – so I could relax in my room knowing everything had been handled.
The staff at the bike rental shop next door to the hotel were equally supportive and easy to work with. They had my bike ready in good working order for my arrival, and were really helpful in attaching my pedals and swapping the Garmin mount for my own. Not only that, they were really friendly and also offered advice on each day of riding before I went out, to make sure I got the most out of each route.
The hotel was really easy to navigate and the staff there couldn’t do more for me! They were always on hand at reception to answer any questions about the facilities and to give suggestions on what was on offer in the local area. The breakfast buffet was extensive, with hot and cold options galore, so you couldn’t go wrong.
How would you describe Mallorca as a cycling location?
It’s easy to see how Mallorca has become a Mecca for road cyclists in recent years. There is a great mix of challenging climbs, sweeping descents and stunning scenery to keep you engaged even on the longest routes. Not only that, the roads are really well maintained and local drivers are incredibly cautious around cyclists – often giving another metre of space even when you’re already in the wide cycle lanes. As such, I felt safe and secure during each ride which allowed me to enjoy the trip all the more and come home in one piece.
Would you say the trip represents value for money?
Absolutely, between the stunning location, support of local staff and availability of the best equipment – this trip offers incredible value for those wanting to ride independently and discover Mallorca cycling.
How would you say this trip differs from other products available in locations such as Mallorca that are available to book with Sportive Breaks?
I would say the self-guided cycling holidays offer a nice middle-ground between a completely independent trip and one with a set itinerary, making the most of both the riding and culture on offer in Mallorca – without any of the stress of planning routes or logistics. As such, when riding in a new destination, I would be sure to use the self-guided option in future as it allows you to use to expertise of local staff while still being able to ride on your own terms.
Also, as the trip does not centre around a race like our Mallorca 312 trip, this allows cyclists of all abilities to take part and enjoy the incredible cycling on offer in Mallorca.
How long did you go for?
2 nights, with an early flight on arrival and late flight on departure – meaning I could fit 3 rides into my trip.
What was your favourite aspect of the trip?
My favourite aspect of the trip was probably the independence and arms-length support that the Ride With GPS app allowed me, meaning that I could enjoy cycling the routes without worrying about getting lost or relying on a guide. This also meant I could ride at whatever pace I liked and not have to speed up to catch anyone or take more rest stops than I needed – so it was an ideal way to train for the upcoming Mallorca 312 trip.
Interested in booking one of our self-guided cycling holidays? Book Mallorca | Book Girona | Enquire for Calpe | Enquire for Tenerife
