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Advice and tutorials
HOW TO PREPARE FOR CYCLING HOLIDAYS?
The good days are here and with them, your desire to get away! That's why you should organize cycling holidays. This type of vacation is perfect for visiting, discovering new horizons and having a good time with family or friends. But whether it's for a few days or several weeks, it is necessary to prepare your trip, both in terms of your route and your equipment. Find out how to prepare for cycling holidays!
Preparing the route
There are many cycling routes available to travelers by bike throughout Europe! You will therefore have the choice in planning your vacation. We advise you have a look at the greenways. These routes are roads designed for non-motorized two-wheelers (e-bikes allowed). Most of the time, these greenways are roads built along former railroads and towpaths along rivers and canals, which makes them perfect for cycling vacations in quiet, natural and beautiful places!
Many maps and guides are available on the internet to help you plan your route in advance and choose the trip that suits you best. Thanks to this, you will be able to book hotels or lodgings on the way as soon as possible, or find camping places for the more adventurous! This will allow you to create stages between your resting places, to determine the number of kilometers that you will travel during each day and to be able to estimate the total duration of your journey.
It is important to know the weather during your vacation. Depending on where you will be biking, the weather and temperatures can vary greatly and so can your equipment. The time of year is also important. For example, spring is a good time to travel by bike because of the nice weather and the often mild temperatures. For you, here is a selection of cycling vacations recommended by Zéfal:
La Loire à Vélo. What better way to start than this 900km long itinerary linking Nevers to Saint-Nazaire to the Atlantic Ocean and passing through Orleans, Blois, Tours, Angers, Nantes and the Loire castles. On your way, you will find the historical headquarters of Zéfal located in Jargeau, about 20 kilometers east of Orléans! This route also offers shorter escapades such as from Saumur to the Ocean in 8 days or from Nevers to Blois in one week!
La Vélodyssée. The Atlantic Ocean is at the heart of this trip! From Roscoff in Brittany to Hendaye in the Basque Country, you will follow the French west coast from north to south, crossing magnificent landscapes: from the Breton lands to the Basque Country, passing through the Vendée and the Landes. A 1300km marked itinerary that is almost exclusively on car-free roads.
La ViaRhôna. This time we are heading to the south-east of France with an 815km long itinerary that starts in Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva, follows the Rhone and ends on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in the natural region of the Camargue. From Savoie and its mountains to Provence, its small villages and its lavender fields, passing by Lyon, Valence or Avignon, it is the magnificent south that is offered to you!
Preparing your equipment
You now know your itinerary and your different stages, it is now time to prepare your equipment that will accompany you throughout your holidays! Depending on the weather, the periodicity, the difficulty and the duration of your cycling vacations, your equipment will not be the same. So, luggage rack, panniers and bikepacking? Zéfal guides you to prepare your equipment!
For holidays lasting several days, luggage racks are an interesting solution. These will allow you to hang panniers and store all types of clothes. Speaking of clothes, if you decide to choose accommodations like hotels or lodgings, it will be then very easy to clean them at the end of the day and thus to lighten your bags by taking only 2 to 3 outfits for the trip. You can then turn to frame bags and front bags to complete your storage for your tools, cereal bars, phone and wallet.
Here is a list of Zéfal products that might interest you:
If you want to go off the beaten track in gravel, then bikepacking bags will be more suitable for you! You will have to equip yourself with saddle bags, in order to make the right choice, follow our guide on how to choose your bikepacking saddle bag! Also think about frame bags and front bags to store your different clothes (cycling clothes, short and long sleeve t-shirts, rain gear, fleece, windbreaker, spare shoes, flip-flops, leggings or pants, shorts and underwear), your sleeping gear, your repair tools (multi-tools, patches, spare inner tube...), your snacks and your personal belongings.
Here is a list of Zéfal products that might interest you:
Remember that it is important to make choices and to be essential when selecting your equipment! The goal is to not overload your bike and to only bring what you really need. Estimate what is necessary regarding the duration of your trip, the places you wish to visit and your objectives!
