Some of the best bike touring stories are not all about the bike or even the ride, but about the people you meet along the way, and the experiences you have - or the emotions! A classic bike tour that never fails to elicit all of the above is of course the Camino de Santiago, but some of my own unforgettable rides have been much closer to home.

Below are a few of my favourite and most inspirational bike tour stories, that simply put the joy of pedaling in me. But I would love to hear about your most memorable experiences on a bicycle!

• Cycling the Camino de Santiago
• Côa Valley bike tour diary
• Cycling the Algarve

Every February, in deepest, darkest Winter, restaurants all over the Catalan countryside load up their grills with a rather unusual vegetable and churn up huge bowls of rich, Romesco sauce, to host a fun food fiesta known as the Calçotada.

Calçots are not unlike a large, fat spring onion, which when grilled over hot coals soften and become sweet and sticky. The centre of the onion slipping easily from its blackened outer layers is then dunked in garlicky romesco sauce before being dropped vertically into the mouth for a fun and tasty food tradition enjoyed by Catalan families and visitors alike, every winter.

​It is quite the sight. Salsa Romesco, is a special sauce made from dried red peppers, nuts (usually hazelnuts and almonds), garlic, vinegar and olive oil that is typical of Tarragona, the region where this tradition started.

At a real Calçotada, a 3-4 course menu is usually served, looking something like: a cream of artichoke soup or pan con tomate (coca bread rubbed with garlic and tomato), Butifarra (Catalan sausage) and Crema Catalana (the Catalan's version of Creme Brulée), with a pile of Calçots as the main event.

It is simple fare but is generally an excuse to gather with friends and family on a Sunday, drive out to a country restaurant, eat a lot and laugh as you get covered in charcoal, and start to smell like fire and onions.

Recently passing through Tarragona on our way south from Barcelona we stopped off for a Calçotada before we left the Catalan region. As plant based eaters we opted for a 'Teja' (roof tile) which is a piping hot pile of calçots served on a hot terracotta roof tile to maintain heat as you work your way through the lot.

​You are provided with a Calçotada kit when you order, containing a bib, plastic gloves and extra napkins – all of which you look at wondering how on earth you could need so much stuff for a few grilled onions, but need them you will.

​It is messy, hilarious fun with the added game of seeing who can eat the most calçots. Siestas afterward are unavoidable and you will potentially not eat for 24 hours following your Calçotada, so they are quite the memorable experience if you find yourself in Catalonia in Winter. And we highly recommend that you do.

Vals
Cal Ganxo 
Address: Carrer de la Font F, 14, 43813 Masmolets
Telephone: 977 60 59 60
Web: www.calganxo.com
Hours:1-5pm everyday

Tarragona
Restaurante El Rodavi
Address: Av. Can Nicolau, 47, 43881 Cunit, Tarragona
Telephone: 977 94 39 54
Web: https://www.facebook.com/Rodavi/ 
Hours:1-4pm; closed Monday

Hostal Restaurant Grau
Address: Pere el Gran 3, Santes Creus, Tarragona
Telephone: +34 977 638 311
Web: http://www.hostal-grau.com
Hours: 1-4pm; closed Monday

Barcelona 
Font Les Planes
Address: Carrer Vallvidrera a Sant Cugat, 08017 Barcelona
Telephone: 932 80 59 49
Web: http://www.fontlesplanes.com 
Hours: 9am – 7pmSunday to Thursday; 9am-11:30pm Friday & Saturday; closed Tuesday

Can Xurrades
Address: Carrer Gran de Gràcia 57, Gràcia
Telephone: +34 932 187 370
Web:  www.canxurrades.com
Hours: 1-4:15 & 8:30-11:45pm; closed Sunday & Mon. evening

For 5 years now I have organised a cycling week in the Western Algarve for me and some of my lady friends. The first trip in 2013 there was just 5 of us, the numbers have increased year on year and last trip there was 12 - yes TWELVE!!!

We always base ourselves in the gorgeous village of Burgau just west of Lagos. We self cater in a couple of 3 bedroom villas and every year Cycling Rentals have provided our road bikes. They have been a major key player in the success of our trips and I cannot thank them enough for their support.

We usually ride 6 of our 7 days and average 80 kilometres a day. I plan the routes in advance and cycling in any direction from Burgau is just fantastic! 

We have taken our bikes on the train from Lagos to the lovely town of Silves and then cycled back. A large percentage of our groups have also ridden to the Foia the highest point in the Algarve. There are enough restaurants in Burgau for us to eat somewhere different every evening. We have memorable lunch stops at some amazing beaches and also inland destinations,

On our day off we usually go kayaking from Lagos, another amazing day! We always have an on-line food delivery on our arrival with just about every essential item that 12 ladies could need.

We are not "Spring Chickens" either! our ages range from 40-69 and we have a fabulous time, roll on our next trip in September 2018. Give us a wave if you see a "peloton" of 12 ladies whizzing by!!!

We were 49-56 years when we started along Donau and have since cycled within the borders of Ireland (W), Poland (N), Croatia (E) and Spain(S). Although we have experienced some common challenges (brain/heart infarctions), we have kept fitnes and are still cycling. We are following the same kind of planning, adapted to age, conditions and experiences.

Our advice is: Do not go more than 4 persons together, carry your own luggage, spend the nights at hotels, perhaps bed&breakfast. We have learned that four people are convenient, 2 double rooms, you can eat together, you can split up easily for one night – if you feel its necessary, its easy to arrange. To carry the luggage is something to learn. You do not need much clothing. Wool is essential (also in summer), also daily washing (of something). One pair of shoes is maybe sufficient. We use always watertight bags. Regularly you need only one bag for a 1 week trip (2 bags for 2-3 weeks). We often like to go down along rivers, it is a guaranty for nice travel.

How do we decide where to go? Desires and initiative counts. Often we want to visit people we have met at cycling-journeys before or who have visited us in Norway - sometimes we end or start the journey there. Commonly we buy the air transport and two nights- the first and the last- in advance. The other lodging we arrange during the journey (if advice does not tell us that this will not be possible).

We have never lacked accommodation – from 87 spontaneously arranged lodging – every time, although difficult, was arranged. Sometimes, these stories have become our most beloved moments: once a closed hotel was opened by help from the neighbors, another time we were handed over the hotel keys and locked the hotel in the morning -  because the owners went on holidays.

In our last journey, in northern Portugal the first week of November, we happened to use the firm Cycling Rentals and their services. It was an unambiguously positive experience, the most reliable bicycles we ever experienced, reasonable priced and very practically arranged (hotels, transport). Thank  you!

Written by Didi Knowlton

When undertaking a long distance bicycle tour it can make sense to cut out certain long haul sections of the journey, especially if you are short on time. One of the best ways to travel these parts of your route is to simply put your bike on the train - or is it?

If you are bike touring in Spain, there are a few things you should be aware of if you want to use the rail services for any part of your journey. You should be able to take your bikes on the train on most rail routes using the Regional or Media-Distancia trains, and making sure that you book your train seats ahead of time and add a notification that you will be bringing a bicycle.

If you are travelling with friends, you also need to be aware that there is a maximum of 3 bikes per train composition.

You can get more details from the official Renfe website.

Written by Fernanda Mateus

​As world travelers and cyclists ourselves, we looked long and hard for a simple, inexpensive but broad covering insurance that would have us covered on our active travel adventures. The very first time we felt we should get travel insurance, we were already on our way and frantically hunted for a full coverage plan. We settled on World Nomads as we were able to easily buy fairly priced insurance online before we even reached our starting destination.

​We were also able to increase the coverage during the journey to cover more activities and we were very happy with the service and have used them ever since! We also like that fact that they support local communities through their Footprints initiative and feel they are the best choice for active travelers and now recommend them to all our riders.

For all these reasons and since we have had many requests for active travel insurance, beyond our Crash & Theft insurance, we have added a simple form on our site where you can get a real time, no obligation quote. Safe travels!

Written by Didi Knowlton

With the growing amount of Camino Rental Packs we dispatch, we thought a Camino cyclist specific packing list would be very helpful! We update this article regularly and count on your suggestions to make it better and better.

The first thing to bear in mind is the Camino de Santiago is that you can essentially cycle the pilgrimage route any time of year - though our preference is for late spring, early summer or fall. Other times of year can be rather too cold or hot for comfortable cycling. Having said that, any time of year you choose to cycle the Camino, you should bear in mind that given the distance, elevation and natural micro-climates, the variation of the weather is something you must prepare for.

From the brisk mornings in the Pyrenees to the hot plains in and out of Leon, to the chilly heights of O Cebreiro and the possible rain showers around Santiago de Compostela, you will be exposed to a range of temperatures and weather conditions.  With that in mind and because you don't want to pack too heavy (despite the generous 40 liter capacity of our Ortlieb panniers!), here is our suggested bicycle packing list - why not print it out and check items off as you pack?

Riding Gear
1 x Bike helmet
1 x Sun glasses
1 x Fingerless gloves
1 x Full finger gloves 
1 x Clear lens glasses (or changeable lenses)
1 x Cycle Shoes
2 x Padded cycle shorts
2 x Cycle Jersey
4 x Cycling socks  
1 x Light Water-proof wind breaker 
1 x Warm, light Fleece (makes a great base layer for your rain jacket on cold days)
1 x Arm warmers
1 x Sunscreen
1 x Small first aid kit 

Post Ride gear 
1 x Long sleeve "dinner" shirt
1 x Short sleeve "dinner" shirt or polo
1 x Long trousers / practical skirt
1 x Warm, light Sweater 
1 x flip-flops or light walking shoes
5 x Underwear (remember you only wear after showering each day!)
1 x Compact wash kit 

Tools & Equipment
1 x Smartphone
1 x Camera (or save space and weight and just use your smartphone)
1 x Multi tool
1 x Spare tube (and / or patch kit)
1 x Small bottle chain oil

If you have found other items to be useful, or any listed items to be superfluous, get in touch and let us know!

Buen Camino!

This was first published on our old Blog.