Everything you need to know about Intrepid cycling holidays

Keen on bikes? Want to go cycling with a partner or family against a more exotic backdrop than youre used to? Perhaps youre considering going on your first cycling holiday? Aspen Travel offer an enormous range of cycling breaks via award winning and internationally respected tour operator Intrepid Travel.

This time next week, you could be biking across the Atlas Mountains, feeling the heat of the Sahara below you, cycling past the Geishas of the Gion district in Kyoto, Japan, or finding out how it feels when your tyres skid against leaves on the South American rainforest floor.

A wealth of cycling adventures are out there to be enjoyed by you. So to help you make a decision about which destination is going to make you the most excited its possible to be about your upcoming week off work, weve put together this guide to first time cycling holidays.

Tips for those about to embark on their first cycling holiday

Although Intrepid cycling holidays will allow you maintain a leisurely pace, there will still be an expectation that a certain distance will be reached everyday, particularly if the tour youve chosen relies on your cycling from one nights accommodation to the next.

Should you get too tired, or get cramp, there will always be a support vehicle to help you get to your next destination. However, the higher your fitness level before you arrive, the more youll get out of the holiday. Instead of worrying about how youre going to cover the distance, or keep up with the others, youll simply be able to enjoy the view.

You certainly dont have to be an olympic level of fitness. Just being of average fitness will do. In order to train, why not have a look at the proposed route of the schedule on which youll be embarking and choose a similar terrain on which to practise. In this way, your body wont get such a shock when you reach the proper route. If youre still nervous about this, let us reassure you, just about everybody completes an Intrepid cycling tour and they all report the same rewarding feeling of achievement when they do.

What level of fitness you need to be, is one of the things we get asked most by customers embarking on cycling holidays. The second question we commonly hear is – what happens if you get lost. Theres a simple answer to this. You wont get lost! Youll have a tour leader with you who will be looking out for you.

Unlike a cycling holiday that youve organised yourself, an Intrepid cycling holiday means youll be following your guide, not worrying about maps and how to get to the next stop. Your accommodation will all be pre booked ahead of time. Nothing is left to chance. Your luggage will be carried for you.

You also wont be hungry. Your cycle leaders will know the route youve chosen very well and there will be snack stops at every opportunity. You will be advised to carry your own hydration system with you and water will be available from the support car. In addition to water, dont forget your camera and your suncream.

Some people ask us about bringing their own bike, which is entirely possible, but obviously a lot more hassle than simply using the bikes Intrepid provide, which tend to be hardtail mountain bikes by Giant or Trek X, with front suspension. Please speak to your airline about transporting your bike, if thats what youd like to do, but if not, you might find it easier to simply bring your faithful gel saddle with you!

Should your bike break down en route, the support vehicle will be able to help if its a puncture or a broken chain. Should you suffer an injury to yourself whilst cycling, the guides with you are trained in first aid and have equipment at their disposal to help you. Helmets are compulsory, when taking part in Intrepid cycling tours.

Intrepid cycling tours are suitable for children over the age of 14. If youd like your teenagers to join you on holiday, theyd be more than welcome and will get a lot out of it too. The Intrepid team are so good at what they do, theyll even put you together with 2 or 3 other families, with similar interests, to give you and your kids readymade friends during your holiday.

Speak to one of our friendly travel representatives to find out more about an Intrepid cycling holiday on 0161 755 3081, you can learn more about what Intrepid Travel offer by clicking here