Guided Bike Touring companies, like Adventure Travel Group, take you to beautiful riding destinations, and part of that beauty stems from climbing up to gorgeous vistas. After you take in the view, follow these 4 tips to help you descend:
1. Look ahead. Looking up the road will prepare you to avoid obstacles and line up turns. This is especially important for corners, where you should look as far “around” the corner as possible. A good rule of thumb is that your front wheel should be in your periphery and the road ahead, as far as you can see, in your direct line of sight.
2. Weight the bike properly. For straight roads place pedals parallel to the ground; place hands firmly in the handlebar drops with loose elbows; keep your back flat; keep your knees close to the top tube; and slide back in the saddle slightly, and hover as necessary based on the roughness of the road. For cornering, form a “tripod” on your bike with the outside (of the corner) pedal down, your body firmly on the saddle, and your inside hand (of the corner) applying light pressure on the handlebar drop.
3. Brake before the corner. You should be at a controllable speed before you enter a corner. Braking in the middle of a corner creates the chance of losing traction or control.
4. Attack the downhill. Using the above techniques, work on each descent to look ahead and position yourself for each corner. Never sit up and lock the elbows out.
Safety is of the utmost importance. These tips do not condone reckless behavior. Know your limits, and always descend slowly to maintain the highest level of personal and group safety.
Robert Panzera is a Level 2 USA Cycling Coach and owner and operator of Cycling San Diego (CCSD). CCSD is designed to provide a venue of warm weather training miles in the off-season for serious touring and elite racing cyclists. For more information about Robert Panzera and CCSD, visit www.cyclingcampsandiego.com or contact him at robert@cyclingcampsandiego.com
This tip was originally published in the Adventure Travel Group (ATG) monthly newsletter. For more information on ATG, visit Adventure Travel Group or email us info@adventuretravelgroup.com.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Cycling in Croatia: The New, Hot Cycling Destination
With its sublime stretch of Adriatic coast and 1,045 islands, Croatia is Europe's hottest new travel destination and a fantastic place to visit by bicycle! Conde Nast and GQ magazine pro-claimed the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia as the "next Riviera" and the Istrian Peninsula "the New Tuscany."
Croatia, formerly part of Yugoslavia, became an independent country in 1992 and is located along the Adriatic Sea just east of Italy. European tourists quietly visited Croatia for decades until tourism was interrupted by the Balkan war in the early 1990's. The best time to visit Croatia by bicycle is May, June, September when the weather is warm... but not too hot!
My grandparents immigrated to the USA from Croatia in 1914 so I have a special interest in this wonderful country. In fact, my grandmother took the last ship that departed from Yugoslavia before the outbreak of World War I when all emigration from Yugoslavia was banned!
"For Cycle Trips, there are two main destination areas: The Dalmatian Coast and The Istrian Peninsula." - Gary Bezer
If you love islands, the sea and want to visit Dubrovnik, a World Heritage City, then Dalmatia is the place you want to visit. You can experience the Mediterranean Sea. "The way it used to be," with crystal clear Adriatic waters, lush islands, unspoiled fishing villages, beaches, vineyards, Roman ruins and medieval walled cities.
Start your trip in Dubrovnik, then continue by boat to the oasis of Mijet, an island blanketed by forests and edged with hidden limestone coves. Next, explore the beautiful island of Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo. Sail onward to the sun-soaked of Hvar, accented with vineyard-draped hills and friendly coastal villages. Finally, visit the isle of Brac, featuring Croatia's most photographed beach., Zlatni Rat, before returning to the mainland in Split, an exuberant town famous for the Diocletian palace, one of the most imposing Roman ruins in existence and a UNESCO World Heritage site. From Split, take the bus back to Dubrovnik for your return travel home.
If you want to ride on roads so small you think you are on a bike tour path and want to go "off the beaten path" and discover "authentic old world charm," visit Tito's former summer residence on the Brijuni Islands, and see a Roman Coliseum that rivals Rome, then the Istrian Peninsula is for you.
"The heart of Europe" is what the Istrians call their peninsula, inspired by its geographic form and its liveliness. This is where Central Europe and the world of the Mediterranean meet. On one trip you can easily visit Italy, Slovenia and Croatia and explore both the interior countryside, which is dotted with remote hilltop villages that some are calling the "New Tuscany," as well as the scenic Adriatic coast of Kvarner Bay and the popular western Istrian coast. You can also take a cycling tour ride through scenic wine country and visit Roman ruins, Venetian and Austro-Hungarian architecture left over from the heyday of these historic empires.
Croatia, formerly part of Yugoslavia, became an independent country in 1992 and is located along the Adriatic Sea just east of Italy. European tourists quietly visited Croatia for decades until tourism was interrupted by the Balkan war in the early 1990's. The best time to visit Croatia by bicycle is May, June, September when the weather is warm... but not too hot!
My grandparents immigrated to the USA from Croatia in 1914 so I have a special interest in this wonderful country. In fact, my grandmother took the last ship that departed from Yugoslavia before the outbreak of World War I when all emigration from Yugoslavia was banned!
"For Cycle Trips, there are two main destination areas: The Dalmatian Coast and The Istrian Peninsula." - Gary Bezer
If you love islands, the sea and want to visit Dubrovnik, a World Heritage City, then Dalmatia is the place you want to visit. You can experience the Mediterranean Sea. "The way it used to be," with crystal clear Adriatic waters, lush islands, unspoiled fishing villages, beaches, vineyards, Roman ruins and medieval walled cities.
Start your trip in Dubrovnik, then continue by boat to the oasis of Mijet, an island blanketed by forests and edged with hidden limestone coves. Next, explore the beautiful island of Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo. Sail onward to the sun-soaked of Hvar, accented with vineyard-draped hills and friendly coastal villages. Finally, visit the isle of Brac, featuring Croatia's most photographed beach., Zlatni Rat, before returning to the mainland in Split, an exuberant town famous for the Diocletian palace, one of the most imposing Roman ruins in existence and a UNESCO World Heritage site. From Split, take the bus back to Dubrovnik for your return travel home.
If you want to ride on roads so small you think you are on a bike tour path and want to go "off the beaten path" and discover "authentic old world charm," visit Tito's former summer residence on the Brijuni Islands, and see a Roman Coliseum that rivals Rome, then the Istrian Peninsula is for you.
"The heart of Europe" is what the Istrians call their peninsula, inspired by its geographic form and its liveliness. This is where Central Europe and the world of the Mediterranean meet. On one trip you can easily visit Italy, Slovenia and Croatia and explore both the interior countryside, which is dotted with remote hilltop villages that some are calling the "New Tuscany," as well as the scenic Adriatic coast of Kvarner Bay and the popular western Istrian coast. You can also take a cycling tour ride through scenic wine country and visit Roman ruins, Venetian and Austro-Hungarian architecture left over from the heyday of these historic empires.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Riding the Pyrenees with Adventure Travel Group - 3 of 3
At the start of stage 17 in Pau, we watched as a spectator booed the first Rabobank rider as he rode to the start line- this was the first day the team rode without Rasmussen. The rider stopped, angrily glared for 30 seconds, then circled back 
to the spectator and squirted him in the face with his water bottle. Across the way, a group of people dressed as giant hypodermic needles protested in front of television cameras. Tensions were definitely high at the start of this stage, but it didn't ruin the Tour experience. Several of us were close enough to the Discovery riders to get autographs from George, Levi and Popo. We were able to see all of the teams up close as they assembled at the start.
You Call That a Climb?
Looking back on our EuroBike Tour, the miles didn't seem so significant - around 40 to 60 miles a day - but it felt like so much more. They were definitely some of the hardest - but sweetest miles I've ridden. Everyone in the group improved as a rider, and all of us had different opinions about which climbs were the toughest (it was Tourmalet for me). And because most days included hours of climbing, nothing seems daunting anymore - an hour of climbing? A grade of over 10%? No problem, we did that for days.
Cycling together on a group cycling tour also gives you an opportunity to get to know people a little better - whether it's because careers and lives outside of cycling are secondary, or whether people are more likely to let down their guard on a bike. It's hard to beat the friendships you develop through cycling. We all came away from the trip with memories of great cycling, shared pain (the good kind), scenery, food and new friends to call for a weekend ride or to plan future cycling adventures with.
to the spectator and squirted him in the face with his water bottle. Across the way, a group of people dressed as giant hypodermic needles protested in front of television cameras. Tensions were definitely high at the start of this stage, but it didn't ruin the Tour experience. Several of us were close enough to the Discovery riders to get autographs from George, Levi and Popo. We were able to see all of the teams up close as they assembled at the start.You Call That a Climb?
Looking back on our EuroBike Tour, the miles didn't seem so significant - around 40 to 60 miles a day - but it felt like so much more. They were definitely some of the hardest - but sweetest miles I've ridden. Everyone in the group improved as a rider, and all of us had different opinions about which climbs were the toughest (it was Tourmalet for me). And because most days included hours of climbing, nothing seems daunting anymore - an hour of climbing? A grade of over 10%? No problem, we did that for days.
Cycling together on a group cycling tour also gives you an opportunity to get to know people a little better - whether it's because careers and lives outside of cycling are secondary, or whether people are more likely to let down their guard on a bike. It's hard to beat the friendships you develop through cycling. We all came away from the trip with memories of great cycling, shared pain (the good kind), scenery, food and new friends to call for a weekend ride or to plan future cycling adventures with.
SDBC Rides the Pyrenees with Adventure Travel Group - 2 of 3
by Lonna Ramirez
The Hills Are Alive...
Our guided bike tour began and finished in the city of Pau, and we spent three days in Luchon, St. Lary and Viscos - all great towns with charm, picturesque surroundings and great cycling trips.
Daily routes included some of the most beautiful and brutal climbs in the Pyrenees. We climbed four of the five cols of stage 15 a few days before the pros came through (we rode them over two days, while the pros knocked them out in one), and watched two Tour finished and a start. We climbed Port de Bales, Superbagneres, Portet d'Aspet, Col de Mente, Col de Peyresourde, Col Pla d' Adet, Col d' Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, and Col du Solour/Aubisque. Most of these climbs had steep sections, many over 10%, and to do a few of these climbs was tough enough, but several in the same day at race pace like the Tour riders... absolutely mind blowing.
With the exception of the roads along the Tour route (tons of RVs and campers) and the Col du Tourmalet (very popular with cycling tour groups), we had most of the climbs to ourselves. We wound our way up lightly traveled mountain
roads, rolling over spray-painted names of riders from previous Tours. The scenery was spectacular, with green meadows, wildflowers and snow-covered peaks in the distance - it was like a movie set from "The Sound of Music." We rode past waterfalls, waited for grazing animals to cross the road and had the satisfaction of looking back over miles of switchbacks from the top of the cols. As beautiful as it was, it was tough. There was probably a lot that I missed while I was staring at my front tire, slipping into a climbing coma on some of the more difficult climbs.
Partying Tour de France Style
Watching a stage of the Tour is like attending a huge picnic, party, parade and sporting event combined - something that every cyclist should try to see at least once. As the riders are preparing for the start, the tour caravan begins its drive of the entire course, with costumed people tossing hats and other samples at spectators amidst loud music. The caravan doesn't look out of place at the start or finish lines, but it's an odd sight driving along narrow mountain roads. At the stage 15 finish line in Loudenvielle, we joined hundreds of people on
the grass in front of the TdF jumbotron to watch the progress of the race. We saw Vinokourov get his last stage victory of the Tour before he was kicked out. Similarly, we watched the stage 16 finish on Col du Aubisque, where Rasmussen earned the yellow and polka-dot jerseys for the last time. And we were there to watch Team Discovery's Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer seal their positions on the podium.
The Hills Are Alive...
Our guided bike tour began and finished in the city of Pau, and we spent three days in Luchon, St. Lary and Viscos - all great towns with charm, picturesque surroundings and great cycling trips.
Daily routes included some of the most beautiful and brutal climbs in the Pyrenees. We climbed four of the five cols of stage 15 a few days before the pros came through (we rode them over two days, while the pros knocked them out in one), and watched two Tour finished and a start. We climbed Port de Bales, Superbagneres, Portet d'Aspet, Col de Mente, Col de Peyresourde, Col Pla d' Adet, Col d' Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, and Col du Solour/Aubisque. Most of these climbs had steep sections, many over 10%, and to do a few of these climbs was tough enough, but several in the same day at race pace like the Tour riders... absolutely mind blowing.With the exception of the roads along the Tour route (tons of RVs and campers) and the Col du Tourmalet (very popular with cycling tour groups), we had most of the climbs to ourselves. We wound our way up lightly traveled mountain
roads, rolling over spray-painted names of riders from previous Tours. The scenery was spectacular, with green meadows, wildflowers and snow-covered peaks in the distance - it was like a movie set from "The Sound of Music." We rode past waterfalls, waited for grazing animals to cross the road and had the satisfaction of looking back over miles of switchbacks from the top of the cols. As beautiful as it was, it was tough. There was probably a lot that I missed while I was staring at my front tire, slipping into a climbing coma on some of the more difficult climbs.Partying Tour de France Style
Watching a stage of the Tour is like attending a huge picnic, party, parade and sporting event combined - something that every cyclist should try to see at least once. As the riders are preparing for the start, the tour caravan begins its drive of the entire course, with costumed people tossing hats and other samples at spectators amidst loud music. The caravan doesn't look out of place at the start or finish lines, but it's an odd sight driving along narrow mountain roads. At the stage 15 finish line in Loudenvielle, we joined hundreds of people on
the grass in front of the TdF jumbotron to watch the progress of the race. We saw Vinokourov get his last stage victory of the Tour before he was kicked out. Similarly, we watched the stage 16 finish on Col du Aubisque, where Rasmussen earned the yellow and polka-dot jerseys for the last time. And we were there to watch Team Discovery's Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer seal their positions on the podium.
SDBC Rides the Pyrenees with Adventure Travel Group - 1 of 3
by Lonna Ramirez
It was an hour into the first climb (Port de Bales) of our 10-day
cycling trip. The group had split up, tackling the seemingly endless climb at their own pace. It was foggy and a little cold, but perfect for climbing. I kept hearing what sounded like dozens of people banging pots and pans somewhere off in the distance, but the fog was too thick to see where it was coming from. As I came around a switchback I saw the source: Cows, scores of them, with bells around their necks, grazing along the road and the surrounding hillsides. They were completely oblivious to cyclists, and several of us had to maneuver around a group of particularly stubborn ones that wouldn't budge from the road.
Port de Bales, an hors categorie climb, was our first taste of climbing in the Pyrenees on the 2007 Tour de France trip with Adventure Travel Group (ATG), run by SDBC members and guides extraordinaire Gary Bezer and Lisa Fleury. We'd be hearing the cow (and sheep) bells on most of the climbs over the next nine days. As hard as the climbs were, I always looked forward to the sound of the bells and coming across the grazing animals.
Good People, Good Times...
My husband Dan and I had dreamed of watching the Tour de France in person and attempting some of the epic climbs, and the ATG tour offered an ideal opportunity to do
both. The group included fellow SDBC member Andy "Il Falco" Gurney, Mark Warlen, Richard "The Gentleman" Lakier and Keith Kumm. In addition, a father-son duo from San Diego and a recently married tandem couple from New Jersey came along - she wore a veil on the back of her helmet every day and was photographed and cheered on by the French. Theirs was the only tandem we saw in the mountains (for good reason). Two Florida cyclists, Fred and Michael, rounded out our guided bike tour group in France and were the strongest climbers in the group, even though there are no hills in Florida. They claimed they practiced on bridges, but I'm guessing they trained in an undisclosed location with Rasmussen.
Each morning we discussed the details of the day's route over freshly baked croissants, pastries and coffee. ATG provided directions, maps and highlights of the day's ride along with easier or more challenging options for the day. Throughout the day, Lise parked the van at various places along our route, offering water, snacks and transported jackets and other items to lighten our load on the bike. After our ride, we'd gather at a local cafe or bar to have a "recovery" beer and watch the Tour. We'd end the day with a group dinner that gave us a chance to try the local cuisine and wines. Gary and Lise chose restaurants that offered excellent food and great ambiance.
It was an hour into the first climb (Port de Bales) of our 10-day
cycling trip. The group had split up, tackling the seemingly endless climb at their own pace. It was foggy and a little cold, but perfect for climbing. I kept hearing what sounded like dozens of people banging pots and pans somewhere off in the distance, but the fog was too thick to see where it was coming from. As I came around a switchback I saw the source: Cows, scores of them, with bells around their necks, grazing along the road and the surrounding hillsides. They were completely oblivious to cyclists, and several of us had to maneuver around a group of particularly stubborn ones that wouldn't budge from the road.Port de Bales, an hors categorie climb, was our first taste of climbing in the Pyrenees on the 2007 Tour de France trip with Adventure Travel Group (ATG), run by SDBC members and guides extraordinaire Gary Bezer and Lisa Fleury. We'd be hearing the cow (and sheep) bells on most of the climbs over the next nine days. As hard as the climbs were, I always looked forward to the sound of the bells and coming across the grazing animals.
Good People, Good Times...
My husband Dan and I had dreamed of watching the Tour de France in person and attempting some of the epic climbs, and the ATG tour offered an ideal opportunity to do
both. The group included fellow SDBC member Andy "Il Falco" Gurney, Mark Warlen, Richard "The Gentleman" Lakier and Keith Kumm. In addition, a father-son duo from San Diego and a recently married tandem couple from New Jersey came along - she wore a veil on the back of her helmet every day and was photographed and cheered on by the French. Theirs was the only tandem we saw in the mountains (for good reason). Two Florida cyclists, Fred and Michael, rounded out our guided bike tour group in France and were the strongest climbers in the group, even though there are no hills in Florida. They claimed they practiced on bridges, but I'm guessing they trained in an undisclosed location with Rasmussen.Each morning we discussed the details of the day's route over freshly baked croissants, pastries and coffee. ATG provided directions, maps and highlights of the day's ride along with easier or more challenging options for the day. Throughout the day, Lise parked the van at various places along our route, offering water, snacks and transported jackets and other items to lighten our load on the bike. After our ride, we'd gather at a local cafe or bar to have a "recovery" beer and watch the Tour. We'd end the day with a group dinner that gave us a chance to try the local cuisine and wines. Gary and Lise chose restaurants that offered excellent food and great ambiance.
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