Anyone Interested in Cycling In Turkey?

[lordwizlon]

Hope I am not breaking any forum rules here. If I am, then please tell me and delete.

Have organized a whole range of on and off-road cycling tours focussed on South West Turkey.

Just a cheeky thread to 'test the water' to see whether anyone would be interested (either as an individual, group or club) before going to otherwise unnecessary expense of advertising an undesirable product.

Please feel free to PM me or e-mail me direct on lordwizlon@yahoo.co.uk

Any feedback at all would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Simon

 

[bigjim]

I assume this is a commercial operation then?

 

[lordwizlon]

Thanks

Hi,

Commercial potential, yes.

But not commercial at this stage.

Started as a project of passion.

Just still considering possibilities.

Any suggestions?

 

[lordwizlon]

Back over here

Hi

Just a quick note to say that I am back over in Fethiye at the moment and if anyone wants any further information, then now is the time to ask.

Thanks all.

Simon

 

[jags]

so what have you in mind .

 

[lordwizlon]

Not sure what the last post meant?

 

[Desert Orchid]

I think jags was asking for more info about the rides

did a tourist ride from Fethiye with the kids, mostly downhill with stops at places of interest ( deserted village ) and ended up at the beach for a swim, very nice ride.

lovely scenery there but a bit warm

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Galipoli battlefileds?

 

[Desert Orchid]

btfb, I thought you weren't getting itchy feet till the new year
like your band btw

sorry, back to topic

 

[ComedyPilot]

BTFB, Gallipoli is near Istanbul, Fethiye is on the south coast about 45kms from Dalaman Airport.

 

[lordwizlon]

Rides detail

Thanks Desert, and all others.

Was cautious about putting details, because don't want to break any forum rules.

Any misspelling here is down to the Turkish keyboard I am using. LOL

The prime base for all rides is Fethiye town, using a Hotel at Calis beach for a clean, safe environment to store bikes etc. with good size pool and easy access for a choice of evening entertainment and shopping etc.

Having personally ridden all the routes, they are carefully logged and offer a full spectrum from the flat for beginners/leisure cycling , to some extremely hard climbs for the more discerning, advanced cyclist.

In effect, all routes are customisable to suit the group that turn up.

Obviously it is preferable to keep the groups riders to a similar standard (I once spent several hours at the top of a himalayan foot hill/smallmountain waiting for people who shouldn' have been on the ride).

Road condition is generally good, but I will not be advocating any night rides, because the street lighting outside urban areas is non existent and driving standards go pretty much unchecked in the dark.

Some routes are circular, starting and finishing at Fethiye, and some daily rides return to base, but as far as possible by totally different paths.

Prices will depend on group size and hotels etc, so vary.

Any further details required, please just ask.

By the way, there are several towns named Fethiye in Turkey. This one, as Comedy Pilot said, is nowhere near Galipoli, and a long way away from the Syrian border.

Simon

 

[jay clock]

When I go touring I like to do my own thing. Turkey is a friendly place and cheap, so I would not personally pay a premium for a guide.

If not already done so look at the competition. I used Skedaddle a few years back to Baja in Mexico and they were stunning. You will need to pitch your prices below those type of people, and bear in mind the DIY price of flying and finding cheap rooms.

Good luck

 

[lordwizlon]

Thanks jay,

Independent travel is also my mode of choice, however, having considerable local knowledge and personally ridden the routes makes it more feasible to arrange group trips.

Added to this is that we are a small group of local people, not just travelling here for the tourist season like many Turks do from Ankara and the other major cities.

My Turkish partner has been in the Hotel and Catering trade here throughout his life, and consequently I would challenge anyone here to find better rates, or quality at the rates we offer.

In effect, the only premium we will be charging for the rides will be to cover local taxes, petrol etc.

I have taken your advice and checked out Skedaddle. we had already checked out most other cycling tour companies.

Our prices would be considerably more reasonable than those shown. Furthermore, we would also be advocating booking own flights, but could assist with this aspect if required (if only to ensure that the required number of flights were available for a larger group).

I have not found a single other company offering such a service as we intend in this region of the world.

The countryside is stunning and once you explore off the beaten (and tourism exploited) track, there are wonders to behold.

by the way, if you do do it on your own, I'm not sure when you last went, but prices have escalated somewhat, and coupled with the weakening of the pound, I think you may find that it is not quite as cheap as it once was.

Thanks again for your post, it was much appreciated.

Simon

 

[lordwizlon]

Ready To Go !!!

Just a quickie to let all know we are now ready to go on the ground and are just waiting for printing and website preparation.

As a ball park figure, based on a group of 10 people, the 7 day trip and rides will cost from about £335. (flights are not included).

This will include all taxes, police notification etc., collection of individuals and bikes from the airport, hotel accomodation on a B&B basis, lunches and soft drinks whilst out on cycling routes, support vehicles, and any necessary transport to and from routes for those suffering difficulties. Maps, welcome groups and finishing parties etc. go without saying.

Dinner will also be included for £55 extra.

There will also be an option to extend stays at the hotel for a mere £75 for one week.

Deals will also be available for those who wish to accompany riders, but without the physical effort.

Bike rental will also be available if required.

Thanks to everyone for all posts so far.

Simon

 

[andytheflyer]

Hi,

I am a British geologist working in Canakkale, near Gallipoli, and I go cycling on the Gallipoli peninnsula regularly. The maps are poor, so you need Google Earth images - but the local authorities don't like to see you with GPS and maps >1:50,000 scale. I've not been stopped and given a hard time carrying Google Earth maps, but it could happen I suppose. However, there are lots of UK and ANZAC tourists in this area so the authorities might be more relaxed with foreigners.

I also go up in the hills above Canakkale, did 55k yesterday, with 700m of ascent on a locally-bought full-suspension MTB. Only £100 and OK for local use.

Provided you keep off the main roads, the (bumpy) local roads and tracks are fine for an MTB, but you will find that a hardtail road expedition bike off the main roads will be uncomfortable.

The locals are very friendly, if a bit increduluous when you go past in a helmet and Lycra - the Canakkale residents use bikes a lot in town, but it would not occur to them to go outside town!

You can certainly see all of the Gallipoli battlefields and cemetaries in a week, staying in Canakkale, and getting the cheap and easy hourly ferry across the Dardanelles to Kilitbahir or Eceabat. The penninsular is fairly flat, apart from the 250m climb up to the main memorial site at Canak Bair. A week or 10 days in the Canakkale region in spring or late summer would be satisfactory. Gets hot in June - August!