What Level Rider Am I?

[MauiRockHopper]

I love you guys, it's so great to have this network of female cyclists. Yeah, I will definetly up my training prior to going, do some long rides for several days in a row.

I know on the tour the mornings are gonna be super tough to get up and ride especially because in Spain people stay up so late (and I'll probably have some of the local wine too). But being a fellow masochist I'm looking forward to the punishment and humiliation

[Eden]

Spain is great. My husband and I did a self planned and supported tour there in 2004. We did a big loop Sevilla - Palma del Rio - Cordoba - Zuheros - Alcala La Reale - Granada - Antequerra - Osuna - Carmona - Sevilla. We were there for about two weeks and rode most of them. We did one train transfer because we lost a day's riding (husband strained his back...). In the east it was flat, but very windy. West getting near Cordoba it was much more hilly, though our one day (out of Zuheros) was nearly 20 miles all down hill. We went on to the next town from where we thought we'd stay when it took less than 2 hours to get to the place we'd planned on.

The food is terrific, the wine superb (oh and if you sit at a table in a restaurant you can't just get a glass.... you've got to buy the bottle....) Vegetarians and people who eat Kosher beware though - almost *everything* made in the Andalucia region contains ham of some sort. You'll get sick of gazpacho sooner or later.

[OakLeaf]

If you're following a Spanish meal schedule, then you'll have siesta as well. A ride definitely doesn't seem as long when you have a 3 or 4 hour break in the middle! More like two rides with a decent recovery period in between.

[jobob]

But being a fellow masochist I'm looking forward to the punishment and humiliation

That's the spirit!

[indysteel]

The first miles each morning of a multi-day tour are tough, especially if there's climbing, but it's amazing how much better you feel once you warm up!

Have fun! It sounds like you've been bitten hard by the road cycling bug! You will find plenty of fellow "sufferers" on TE!

[eclectic]

MauirockHopper

I don't have anything to add because I have never researched or done a European tour but I wanted to say welcome and DARN I was just on Maui for a week in Oct. Having a local to connect w/ before i went would have been awesome.

how do you like riding on Maui? - we saw a lot of roadies out on Sat and the bike lanes were nice. How is it during high tourist season?

You definately have some hills to train on.

we did the Haleakala downhill (unguided) and it was great but next time I would like trying to ride UP (part way anyway) !

Anyway - welcome to the clan!

[Triskeliongirl]

I think you are thinking about this wrong, its not about what level rider you are, its the degree of difficulty of the tour, and therefore the prep. work required to enjoy it.

[MauiRockHopper]

Ok since this is now a discussion about where I'm headed in Sept, which
Andalusian tour do you think is better?

http://www.bikespain.info/en/t_andalucia_en.asp

or

http://www.iberocycle.com/sa7and1.htm

Also anybody have tips on Barcelona or Northern Spain?

[malkin]

Wow Maui! Those both look like grand rides!!

I do love cities, and had big fun in Granada (long enough ago that it might as well have been in a previous life) so I'd take that one. For someone who prefered villages though, the other one would be the way to go.

On second thought, I could be ready for a village trip in a matter of minutes too. Just depends on what you're in the mood for.

Can you get any idea of the personality of the organization and the other riders they are likely to attract? That will be a big part of your experience.