Sardinia

[pennine sloth]

I'm off to Sardinia at end of May. I've heard that its possible to hire good road bikes in Alghero. I would welcome any advice tips warnings etc.
Thanks
Pennine sloth

 

[andym]

Sorry I don't know about bike hire in Alghero. I've been mountainbiking in Sardinia a couple of times, love the place.

You don't say what you're planning to do or how long you're planning to be riding for. If you're travelling around then you have to check out the Nuraghe - for example the complex at Burrumini. The area around north east coast has some spectacular mountainous scenery. There are some great beaches on the south west coast. If you're any where near do go and check out the murals in Orgosolo.

Saddle Skedaddle have a local affiliate run by an english woman who grew up in Sardinia - so unbeatable local knowledge. They do self-guided tours.

 

[ASC1951]

PS, I had a week's road biking based in Alghero a couple of years ago. Flat and windy to the north and west, big and hilly everywhere else. I had a couple of stunning 100 milers, the best being down the coast to Boza then swinging inland in a big arc via Suni, Villanova and Olmedo.

There were a couple of bike shops in Alghero but I took my own anyway. This place does bike hire, probably low end, but they may know somewhere else.
www.cicloexpress.com

Or you could email this bloke http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-forums/CentroStorico - he is based in Alghero and seems to know all about everything.

About 10 miles down the coast road to the south there is a steep road up to Villanova. If you can get straight up that, you are my hero: I had a couple of goes, but my log just says "Couldn't do this, even with a triple". Think Hebden Bridge to Blackshaw Head with someone playing a blowtorch on your back.

Have a good trip.

 

[Crankarm]

Both Sardinia and Corsica are spec for cycling. I have cycled in both, Corsica is a lot more mountainous than Sardinia, some years ago now in the early 1990s. The interior is stunningly mountainous in Corsica around Corte. MountCinto is 2700m and MountRenoso 2300m. Taking the ferry to Bastia on Corsica from Nice looking back on the orange, copper and pink Alps reflecting the setting sun in the south west is stunning and then taking the boat from Bonifacio to Santa Teresa on Sardinia is one of Europe's spectacular journeys IMHO. Bonifacio is a very pretty place to visit nestled high on a cliff overlooking Sardinia. The boat to Sardinia is only a short trip. A lot of the north and west of Sardinia is much flatter than Corsica and the hills in the Northwest and centre aren’t anywhere near as high as the peaks of Corsica, but is still hillyish which is great for cycling not too punishing. It can be windy on the West coast and being flat can be a chore cycling. But hey you will be on a beautiful Italian island. Enjoy the fish the like of which are truly something to behold.
I had my own bike BTW which I guess doesn't help you much on this post. I can't remember seeing bike hire places but then again I wasn't looking. What I would say is get travel insurance as some of the traffic can be manic on the more busy routes between the towns. The coast roads on Corsica used to be very narrow and busy and some heart stopping moments although cyclists are generally well respected.

 

[HLaB]

I went with Skedaddle last year to Sardinia and really enjoyed it, Skedaddle hired some good road bikes from this shop in Cagliari at the other end of the island but I'm sure there'll be something in Alghero too. We started in Alghero and followed the coast to Cagliari and I cut into the hills on the rest day. Its maybe fixed now but last September there had been a land slip just south of Alghero so the coast road was shut and we had to go inland a bit.
Enjoy your trip, IMLE its all good

 

[Orange]

I'm off to Sardinia at end of May. I've heard that its possible to hire good road bikes in Alghero. I would welcome any advice tips warnings etc.
Thanks
Pennine sloth

Too late now, I appreciate but I hired bikes in Alghero last July for a day - very cheap but comfortable and well equipped hybrids. My hotel (Hotel Oasis) at the north end of town directed me to a holiday camp two minutes' walk away on the beach side of the road and we used them to cycle up to the famous grotto caves about 15 miles away. I was very impressed with the care that drivers took when over-taking; not at all like the typical Italian stereotype.

The only other cyclists we saw were a group on road racers that we met up with again at the caves - and who overtook us again on the way back later on. It was a sweltering day, so the cooling breeze caused by ridew was most welcome, particularly on some of the quite steep descents.