What would a holidaying cyclist want to know?

[kendalcottages]

Hi all

As I've mentioned in my intro, I'm not much of a cyclist but I would like to get into it more. I'd also be interested in hearing what a cyclist wants to know before holidaying in a particular area. I ask this because I am offering holiday accommodation near the Lakes and would like to piece some information together for different niches (cycling, fishing, etc.)

So far the kinds of things that I can think of are...

- is there somewhere to store your bike and is it secure?
- what local routes are there?
- is there off-road and on-road cycling?
- how hilly is it?
- are there any cycling clubs?
- are there any cycling events?
- are there any cycling shops, repair centres or bike hire available?

What other information would be helpful, do you think?

Thanks!

 

[stephenjubb]

are there any campsites?
how many people?
what's the scenery like?
is it expensive?
how far between shops?
are there plenty of minor roads?
what's the traffic like?
is is expensive?
what language is spoken?
what kit do I need?
what is the weather like?
is the destination safe?
any wild animals?
what kind of bike do I need?
how many hours of daylight?
can I wild camp?


wouldn't think about cycling clubs (maybe events) going on holiday, can do clubs at home

 

[stephenjubb]

what are the attractions of the area?
is there anything interesting to see (memorials/musuems etc)?
what food is available?

 

[stephenjubb]

what are the people like?

 

[nosherduke996]

Where,s the nearest pub

 

[kendalcottages]

Thanks, guys... this is a really helpful start. I'll not be supply info on campsites as that doesn't really sit well with the self-catering accommodation that we provide, but there's some useful ideas there to get me started.

This leads me on to another question. I can see the appeal of camping because it means you could cover a long route and stop at different places along the way. In the case of ourselves, the accommodation is fixed in one location and people would typically book for a week in season. Would this still have appeal to some cyclists? Those that want to just go out on day trips and come back to the same accommodation each day... or would that not really appeal so much?

 

[stephenjubb]

Thanks, guys... this is a really helpful start. I'll not be supply info on campsites as that doesn't really sit well with the self-catering accommodation that we provide, but there's some useful ideas there to get me started.

This leads me on to another question. I can see the appeal of camping because it means you could cover a long route and stop at different places along the way. In the case of ourselves, the accommodation is fixed in one location and people would typically book for a week in season. Would this still have appeal to some cyclists? Those that want to just go out on day trips and come back to the same accommodation each day... or would that not really appeal so much?

charge people for camping in garden?
staying for a week could appeal to some cycling groups to use as a base to explore for local area, if you had somewhere for them to keep their bikes under cover/work on them it gives you an advantage in attracting this group.

 

[kendalcottages]

We don't have a garden. It's a first floor apartment. Has a balcony but I'm not sure the apartment guests would thank you for stopping there.

The apartment block is mostly residents (ours is the only holiday home let out to the public) and there's a secure underground car park where I've seen people chaining up their bikes. Perhaps it lends itself more to cycling families who might venture out a short distance during the day, and those who aren't clocking up 50+ miles each day.

I guess there are many different types of holidaying cyclists and I need to try and figure out what kinds might stay with us, and what information those particular people would want to know.

Hmmm...

 

[stephenjubb]

if you aim at families you could always rent them bikes?

 

[jags]

the touring cyclist is always on the lookout for a bargain,so even if you can't provide campsites how about good price on meals (food) if you do food that is.

 

[Hilldodger]

Where can you get a full English breakfast nearby.

 

[andym]

Sorry to sound prosaic but I think my questions would be:

- have you got a footpump I can use?
- where can I dry my clothes?
- is there a washing machine?
- how far is the nearest pub/chippy?
- is the local Indian/Chinese any good and do they deliver?

 

[kendalcottages]

if you aim at families you could always rent them bikes?

It's not something I want to do myself but we could certainly tell people where they could hire them, that's for sure.

Re: meals and breakfasts... the accommodation is self-catering so guests will have a kitchen (including a washer/dryer! ) to fix up whatever snacks they like... but yeah... we'll be providing info on where to eat, where to shop, etc. That's more general info that we'll be providing to all, not just cyclists.

 

[Arch]

Andym's footpump question makes me think...

It would be a nice touch to have a trackpump and some basic tools (repair kit, set of allen keys, spanners, bottle of chain lube etc) available for cyclists to use. And a selection of local cycle maps/cycle guide books for people to leaf through. Maybe a loose leaf file with details of local shops/repair/hire etc.

Plenty of people like to base themselves and do day rides, so it's a good idea. I think people would want to be sure there was some secure bike parking - the car park sounds good.

I suspect you can do a certain amount to attract cyclists, but you can also do stuff to ensure word of mouth recommendations and repeat visits, just be being thoughtful about touches like tools/maps. Just giving people the feeling that they are specifically welcome.

 

[kendalcottages]

Thank you again for all the feedback. I've had a go at cobbling something together. It's only a first attempt but I've tried to make it fairly comprehensive, detailing what cycle shops are around, what organisations/groups exist locally, some info on clubs and details of cycling events. The more I 'dug', the more I kept discovering! I'd be interested to hear what you think so far...

http://www.kendalcottages.com/specialinterests/cycling.htm

Thanks.