Cycling holiday companies

In 2010, I was looking to go on some sort of cycling holiday,

My idea was that it would be on one of these 'supported' rides, where a bike and van-support is included, somewhere warm, in europe, like spain.

Does anyone have any experience of any of the online agents and companies who specialise in these types of holiday? and any recommendations of a company or location to go for...???

potentially looking for a week to 2 weeks of challenging road cycling, fitness not really an issue, jut looking to cycle some good roads, get some good weather and get some good beer.

any urls or recomendations welcomed,
anyone done anything like this in the past?

Cheers
Rich

Ones I've used and would happily use again;

Bike and Ski Vercors - Ed is a top bloke and does some great trips
Italian Cycling Tours - Sean and Matt are passionate about cycling in Italy and know some great restaurants

Some I've used and would refrain from using again;

Gastro biking - I did the Marmotte with them and the organisation was haphazard to say the least.
Sports Tours International/Graham Baxter - budget prices with budget service.

I'll stop there before I go off on one about the quality of couriers on Baxter trips again.

Before the server meltdown there were a few nice suggestions here. Anyone able to remember what they were?

thanks andyp and wools,
some good advice, certainly like the sound of the bike and ski,
good to know who to keep away from

thanks

More here - Channel to the Med, or Bordeaux to Barcelona. Kevin who runs it is a great guy - terrific routes.

http://www.bikeadventures.co.uk/

Bazz

If you want to go further afield you could try one of the American state rides like Cycle Oregon or Ride the Rockies

http://www.cycleoregon.com/
http://www.ridetherockies.com/

These are week long supported rides with different routes each year. About 2,000 riders each though and camping rather than hotels. I've done Cycle Oregon and highly recommend it - at about $850 all in, a bit cheaper than the European equivalents - but there's also the cost of getting there.

I'm off here in June not been before but andy p and all the other people I know that have been there say it is amazing.

http://www.belvederericcione.com/en/

thanks furious and balmain, both look good, belvedere looks a bit up market for me!

haha get saving

Unless I haven't UTFS well enough, I can't find much other chat on here about tour operators.

I run a cycling club at the school I teach at. We have successfully taken groups of kids London to Paris and London to Edinburgh. I am considering organising a trip this summer to the Alps. Perhaps five days of riding and travel either side of that. For L-P and L-E and a lejog this summer (without kids) I have done all of the organising. However, for a few days in the mountains, I am considering getting a company to help out.

So, apart from the comments above, does anyone have anything much to add? Any companies worth checking out?

Any experience of either of:

http://www.sportingtours.co.uk/

or

http://www.marmot-tours.co.uk/

The other possibility is MTFU and do the organising myself again.

Any thoughts or advice welcome.

Ta.

Joe

Grupetto have loads of experience with Jonathon from Sports Tours Int. (sportingtours.co.uk)

Grupetto have loads of experience with Jonathon from Sports Tours Int. (sportingtours.co.uk)

Positive, I assume? 'Loads' would suggest repeat business.

My comment from November 2009 about sportingtours.co.uk remains - they used to be cheap (I've not used them for a few years now) but the level of service leaves something to be desired. On the Raid Alpine I asked Jonathan whereabouts in Val d'Isere that evening's hotel was, his response "fucked if I know!". Which makes me smile now, but at the time it wasn't much use especially as there are dozens of hotels in Val d'Isere.

How did you find your hotel?

I asked in the Tourist Information office.

Then led the group of ten or so lost looking cyclists I'd rounded up to it.

did you have a barrel of rum round your neck to ?

www.redspokes.com

they do well organized, supported tours. not for the super fit athlete thou. more for the holiday maker/adventurous kind.

another dredge but this is the most appropriate place I have found: my friend runs a cycling tour operator in the Pyrenees - Le Domestique Tours.

http://www.ledomestiquetours.co.uk/

They started this year and (I believe) have had nothing but excellent reviews (twitter links):

http://bit.ly/MsO5Di

http://bit.ly/MsOaqQ

http://bit.ly/MsOcyX

http://bit.ly/MsOeXm

http://bit.ly/MsOh5A

http://bit.ly/MsOh5A

http://bit.ly/MsOu8N

And more no doubt. Anyway, I said i'd post on here for him - I think some groups from bike radar have gone and had a good time.

Definitely worth checking out - they're aiming for great service with very competitive pricing.

review from an Irish paralympian:

http://637daystogo.blogspot.fr/2012/08/the-tour-de-france-live-my-week-in.html