[Rider07]

If you had 5 days in the Alps what climbs would you do?
I am in Germany working, have my bike and planning a long weekend.
I am not really looking for the hardest, really more like the most interesting/senic.

 

[teoteoteo]

Lots of great riding in that area. Personally, I'd hit Provence for 2 days and Alps for 3.

You can ride Ventoux and such then move

As for the Alps I tend to prefer closer to the Swiss border over the zoo that is Bourg d' Oisans/Alpe d Huez this time of year. Annecy is a nice place to be based. Their is a beautiful lake to relax with when your not riding. Lots of big TdF climbs close enough by to ride. Great place at night. Lots of great rides on the link below, put out by the tourism office.


http://www.tourism.savoiehautesavoie.com/images/upload/portfolio_img/brochure_velo.pdf

If you do decide to stay near Alpe D Huez,

http://www.bikes-oisans.com/mtb-cycling-oisans.html

A great link for anywhere in the alps, best website there is for Alps cycling...

http://www.grenoblecycling.com/

PM me if you'd like some lodging suggestions/advice

 

[thebadger]

Teoteoteo makes some good choices for France.

Taking a little different angle I would recommend being deep in the heart of the Dolomites. They are part of the Alps, too. Towns like Arraba, Alleghe and Caprile, maybe Corvara all though I only rode through. The scenery is amazing and great climbs all around like Fedaia, Pordoi, Sella, Gardena, Campagnolo, Giau, Duran, Falzarego, Staulanza, San Pellegrino among others.

 

[velotel]

Annecy is a great place for cycling but not in August; town and lake are overrun with people on holiday. The Bourg St Maurice area offers some great riding options with Petite St Bernard, Cormet de Roselend, Col del' Iseran, the various ski area roads, plus a terrific plateau road. Even better could be the Briançon area: Col de Montgenèvre, Col de l'Izoard, Col du Lautaret/Galibier right out of town. If you're ready for some serious riding, Barcelonnette is hard to beat with the 3-col tour (Col d'Allos, Col des Champs, Col de la Cayolle - 124 kms, 3265 meters of climbing), Col de la Bonette, Col de Vars, Col de Larche, etc. Plus Barcelonnette is a terrific small town with good hotels and restaurants and atmosphere. I'd also recommend the Aix les Bains region, even more than Annecy. Fewer people, great lake, and a plethora of super rides to select from, including rides in the Bourges and Chartreuse Mountains, most of which are generally easier than the climbs in the Alps themselves.

 

[tom_o]

If you're ready for some serious riding, Barcelonnette is hard to beat with the 3-col tour (Col d'Allos, Col des Champs, Col de la Cayolle - 124 kms, 3265 meters of climbing), Col de la Bonette, Col de Vars, Col de Larche, etc. Plus Barcelonnette is a terrific small town with good hotels and restaurants and atmosphere. [\QUOTE]

I just came back from Barcelonnette, did the 3 col tour as well! It's TOUGH:

Cayolle -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0DbRSoG_no

No pics of the Champs - I was toast after I climbed to the top.

Allos -

Also did the Bonette, but not that day. I'd highly recommend Barcelonnette if you can get down that way. Might be a bit of a stretch from where you are though.

 

[MarkS]

The Bourg St Maurice area offers some great riding options with Petite St Bernard, Cormet de Roselend, Col del' Iseran, the various ski area roads, plus a terrific plateau road. .

I agree with respect to the Bourg St. Maurice area. Even better, is the area around Beaufort, which is on the other side of the Cormet from BSM. Beaufort is a very nice, small town that has a lot of charm, unlike some of the ski stations in the Alps. From Beaufort, you can not only do the BSM climbs (if you get tired, as I did in 2007, you can take a train from BSM to Albertville after climbing the Cormet and the Petit St. Bernard and rest your legs a little), but cols to the north of Beaufort, such as the Col des Saises. Basically, the whole range towns and cols in France that parallel the Swiss/Italian border are great places to be. I agree with what teo said about Bourg d'Oisans and the Alpe d'Huez area. It is greatly overrated.

One relatively undiscovered area that I really like is the Vercors, which is to the west of Grenoble. If you scroll down to the middle of this thread, you will see some pictures of my trip there in 2006. http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=106490&highlight=vercors

 

[merckxman]

Another vote for the Dolomites

Spectacular. You can also ride the Maratona dles Dolomites granfondo course which is here: http://www.maratona.it/info/2005/courses/ (you can click on the maps to enlarge them). I have stayed in Corvara which is perfect for riding from.

Teoteoteo makes some good choices for France.

Taking a little different angle I would recommend being deep in the heart of the Dolomites. They are part of the Alps, too. Towns like Arraba, Alleghe and Caprile, maybe Corvara all though I only rode through. The scenery is amazing and great climbs all around like Fedaia, Pordoi, Sella, Gardena, Campagnolo, Giau, Duran, Falzarego, Staulanza, San Pellegrino among others.

 

[Rider07]

basic plan

Thank you everyone, great ideas. My plan is to go to Dolomites first. I am thinking two days of riding in this area. Then go over to ride Stelvio. After that I may drive back to Austria or even southern Germany and do an easy day on my way back to Northern Germany. I have a few weeks to finalize things.
I still want to do a few of the infamous French climbs just to say I did but I think I will wait until the first week of September and hope the toursts are gone.
Again great tips.

 

[Rider07]

Gearing

Anyone ridden Rettenbachferner and Stelvio? Which is harder? I rode Rettenbachferner last year and was really hurting with a 39X27.

 

[MarkS]

I still want to do a few of the infamous French climbs just to say I did but I think I will wait until the first week of September and hope the toursts are gone.

I think that the "infamous" French alpine climbs are overrated. Sure, it is nice to say that you have ridden over the Galibier or up Alpe d'Huez. But, I think that you would have a much better time if you rode the French cols that are next to the Italian/Swiss border (i.e., the cols in the vicinity of Bourg St. Maurice, Beaufort and Annecy).

 

[thebadger]

Anyone ridden Rettenbachferner and Stelvio? Which is harder? I rode Rettenbachferner last year and was really hurting with a 39X27.

I have never ridden the Rettenbachferner, but rode the Stelvio last year.

When I reached the base of the eastern slopes of the Stelvio I already ridden about 7 days in the mountains and had already ridden up the Bormio side of the Stelvio to start the ride, so my legs may have been tired. Also, a head cold hit me at dinner after we rode the Stelvio so I may have been in a somewhat weakened state. All that said, the Stelvio absolutely kicked my butt.

I have been up many of the well known French mountains in years past and a number of Italian climbs in the days before the Stelvio and I never suffered as much as I did going up the eastern side of the Stelvio. Some time I want to go back and find out if I was just tired or having a bad day. My gearing was a 39x27.