So, the Pyrenees then . . .
Discussion
Anyone been, anyone ridden over them? I fancy an active holiday this year and watching the TdeF coverage, there look to be some cracking roads there of both the flat and the up and down variety. However as a MAMIL who trundles around at an average of about 25/26kph on rolling roads in the UK, I have no frame of reference as to how steep some of the climbs are. I don't particularly want to get down there and think "feck!I'm going home", or spend the entire trip grovelling. Tell me things please people.
Would love to do something with these guys www.gironacycling.com
Maybe next year if I can afford it and time permits....
Maybe next year if I can afford it and time permits....
I've been. I did Raid Pyrénéen last year where I rode from Bilbao to the start at Hendaye, the Raid which is Hendaye to Cerbere then on to a hotel on the outskirts of Perpignan covering 601 miles in 6 days.
Most of the climbs aren't particularly steep and have gradients of 6-10% (with the odd exception like the Col de Portet d'Aspet which peaked at 17%) but they are long and you could find yourself climbing for up to 30km at a time. The flip side of this is that you could also find yourself descending for up to 30km at a time and unlike the Midi-Pyrenees where the roads only seem to go up or down, you do get some decent valleys to ride along between cols where the gradient is pretty flat to give you a rest before tackling the3rd 7th climb of the day. 
My top tips would be:-
Training, training and more training - I was doing 50 miles plus most evenings in the final month leading up to the Raid to get myself used to doing lots of miles with no rest days in between.
If you're not already, it helps to be whippet thin before tackling 20km+ climbs. (I wasn't on the first day but I was by the end!)
If you're doing it on a road bike, I'd suggest a bottom gear no bigger than 39 x 26 for the long climbs although I guess gearing comes down to personal preference so if you'd rather use a compact or triple then that's up to you but I really wouldn't recommend turning up with a 42 x 21 bottom gear if you want to enjoy your time down there!
Check your brake blocks before you go and if they've got less than half the pad material remaining, replace them as unsurprisingly, anywhere with lots of mountains is quite heavy on brakes! Despite the Pyrenees being a major cycling area, bike shops are few and far between so even if you choose not to replace pads with plenty of life left in them, at least pack a spare set just in case.
Take lots of money. Most of the more famous climbs have a cafe / shop / bar at the top where they charge comedy prices as they know you're not going to get a drink anywhere else. Expect to pay upwards of €3 for a can of Coke.
Stating the obvious but take a camera as the Pyrenees have some of the most stunning scenery of anywhere I've ridden e.g.
plus you'll want the all important custard test pictures of you at the top of each col!
Above all, enjoy!
Most of the climbs aren't particularly steep and have gradients of 6-10% (with the odd exception like the Col de Portet d'Aspet which peaked at 17%) but they are long and you could find yourself climbing for up to 30km at a time. The flip side of this is that you could also find yourself descending for up to 30km at a time and unlike the Midi-Pyrenees where the roads only seem to go up or down, you do get some decent valleys to ride along between cols where the gradient is pretty flat to give you a rest before tackling the
My top tips would be:-
Training, training and more training - I was doing 50 miles plus most evenings in the final month leading up to the Raid to get myself used to doing lots of miles with no rest days in between.
If you're not already, it helps to be whippet thin before tackling 20km+ climbs. (I wasn't on the first day but I was by the end!)
If you're doing it on a road bike, I'd suggest a bottom gear no bigger than 39 x 26 for the long climbs although I guess gearing comes down to personal preference so if you'd rather use a compact or triple then that's up to you but I really wouldn't recommend turning up with a 42 x 21 bottom gear if you want to enjoy your time down there!
Check your brake blocks before you go and if they've got less than half the pad material remaining, replace them as unsurprisingly, anywhere with lots of mountains is quite heavy on brakes! Despite the Pyrenees being a major cycling area, bike shops are few and far between so even if you choose not to replace pads with plenty of life left in them, at least pack a spare set just in case.
Take lots of money. Most of the more famous climbs have a cafe / shop / bar at the top where they charge comedy prices as they know you're not going to get a drink anywhere else. Expect to pay upwards of €3 for a can of Coke.
Stating the obvious but take a camera as the Pyrenees have some of the most stunning scenery of anywhere I've ridden e.g.
plus you'll want the all important custard test pictures of you at the top of each col!
Above all, enjoy!
Girona isn't in the Pyrenees though. 
It's also about 250 miles from the Col du Tourmalet which I imagine is the main draw of the Pyrenees for most people so not exactly handy for day trips either.
Somewhere like here would be a better bet for a cycling holiday in the Pyrenees. http://pyreneescycling.co.uk/
It's also about 250 miles from the Col du Tourmalet which I imagine is the main draw of the Pyrenees for most people so not exactly handy for day trips either.
Somewhere like here would be a better bet for a cycling holiday in the Pyrenees. http://pyreneescycling.co.uk/
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