Geneva to Milan

When?

Monday 12th Sept – Friday 16th September 2016. We will be cycling for 4 days in total from the Monday to the Thursday, finishing with a celebratory dinner and overnight stay in Milan on the Thursday evening (everyone will then go their separate ways on the Friday).

Some things to organise before you go:

START POINT – 7.30am Monday 12th Sept 2016

We will all meet in Square du Mont Blanc next to Lake Geneva.  Look out for the orange Ride25 flags and our tour crew in their Ride25 shirts!  (You won’t miss us!)

MAP OF START

Start Time:

7.30am – registration and bag drop

7.45am – rider briefing

8am – depart and start pedalling!

N.B. – please make sure you have had some food and coffee before arriving at the start and also had a pee!

The finish – Milan – Piazza Del Duomo, Thursday 15th Sept 2016

We will all finish in the Piazza de Duomo (the main square in Milan with Cathedral) on Thursday 15th Sept 2016. Approximate time for arrival 5pm (NB: this is very approximate and depends on how fast you pedal!)  For guests coming to cheer you on at the end, please ask them to look out for some orange Ride25 flags so they can locate the tour crew.

After freshening up back at the hotel, we will all enjoy a celebratory meal and a restful night’s sleep.

Hotels

We will be staying in the following hotels during the trip (NB: hotels are subject to change):

The Route & Strava:

Please note that the route is not signposted and you will need to use either a Garmin or a phone downloaded with the Strava app to self-navigate.  Please make sure that you have somewhere to mount your device and that you carry a portable battery charger.

Strava routes – please download 1 week before the event:

Dress Code

Please don’t over pack as we will just have to carry all the overweight bags in our vans for 4 days.

As well as plenty of lycra, you only need a couple of t-shirts/tops and a pair of jeans – and your pjs!

Kit List

You will be given 2 x Ride25 personalised cycling shirts when you check-in

Things you should consider buying and bringing on your Geneva to Milan adventure….

• Overshoes
• Chamois Cream – lots
• Base Layers to wear under your cycling shirts
• Arm and Leg warmers – to carry with you in case it gets cold and or wet
• Gloves
• Helmet
• Sunglasses / clear lenses for glasses (if its not sunny)
• Large saddle bag with –  2 x spare inner tubes, puncture repair kit and tyre leavers
• Cycle pump or gas canisters
• 2 x large water bottles for hydration drinks and water – we sell hydration table if you need to re-stock supplies
• Energy gels – we have a pay as you go shop supplying these if you need some
• Washing powder to wash the lycra in the shower at night
• Sun cream
• Top bar bag for phone, wallet and energy stuff
• Phone mount if you are using Strava as a navigation tool
• Portable battery charger for mobile
• Garmin (or similar GPS navigation device) or Strava App for phone

Bags and Tags

We will carry all your bags, bike boxes and kit for you in the vans and will provide you with luggage tags when you check in on Day 1.  You may also want to have a small day bag/rucksack that you leave in the van which you will have access to at coffee stops and lunch time etc – we will provide a separate tag for this bag and you will check this bag into a different van to the overnight luggage as this will go straight to the end hotel.  Things to put in day bag could be – leg/arm warmers, extra layers, waterproof jacket, additional energy etc.

Bringing your bike back to the UK

We recommend that you hire a bike box to transport your bike back to the UK.  These are much more sturdy than bike bags and will ensure your pride and joy arrives in one piece.   Please let us know if you would like to hire a bike box and we can organise this for you (at an additional cost.)

Mechanical Support

We have a mechanic on the trip to keep you rolling – however he is not there to change tubes when you get a puncture.  You should be able to do this on your own!   Please make sure you have had your bike serviced recently, most issues are normally cause by poor bike maintenance.

Sound Cycling Advice

Read one of our rider’s Tricia’s blog with advice for people doing their first long trip  Part 1 and Part 2 – including a bit about why you should always ride commando!

How to change an inner tube

How to avoid saddle sores

How to cycle in a group

Ride25 in the news

Read what the press has to say about our adventures so you can get a flavour of what you are in for…..

The Telegraph

Cycling Weekly

What’s included?

• Four nights’ accommodation in a clean, comfortable hotel (in Sierre, Airolo, Como and Milan).  All rooms will have twin beds and we will allocate you a room partner unless you specify who you would like to share with (unless you have already selected a single supplement).

• Three meals a day plus stops for snacks

• Support vehicle to transport your luggage (clothes and supplies) from each stage to the next

• Back-up vehicles to provide you with medical help and any assistance should you need a rest

• A digital map in the format of a .gpx file for mobile navigation devices such as Garmin

• Customised, waterproof route maps including essential directions, pitstops and interesting information on the area.

• Two new, bespoke high quality breathable cycling shirts for use on your trip. These will be fully personalised for you and adorned with badges showing the number of Ride25 legs you have completed so far.

• Daily fresh fruit and water in the support vehicles

• Celebratory dinner

What’s not included?

• Flights and transfers

• Accommodation the night before the tour commences (we recommend the Novotel Geneva)

• A Bike – we recommend a road bike

• A bike box (we can help to organise this – please let us know if you require a bike box)

• Personal insurance

Bike Boxes

We recommend that you hire a bike box to transport your bike back to Paris and back from Geneva.   These are much more sturdy than bike bags and will ensure your pride and joy arrives in one piece.

We recommend using BikeBox Online.

To check out the prices, click on the banner below to choose your delivery – they will deliver your case to your door and arrange collection upon your return.

Also, take a look at our blog which gives advice on travelling overseas with your bike:  ‘Flying With A Bike: The Ultimate Guide’

WHAT ELSE CAN I EXPECT?

RIDE25 APP

Ahead of the ride, you will be able to access your route on the Ride25 app (available to download on the app store – just search on ‘Ride25’).  This will enable the crew to track your precise location (and allow you to also see where the crew are and other riders at any given time).  It will also count you down to your next coffee/lunch or finish stop! You can also use the app to navigate although we recommend that you carry a portable battery charger and somewhere to mount your phone if you are doing this.

REGULAR DESIGNATED STOPS

We will have designated stops mid morning and mid afternoon together with a lunch stop – no pressure to stop unless you want to but we have endeavoured to find the best places on the route to stop for coffee, cake and ice creams as well as a good lunch.  The mechanics will also set-up a service stop here for any tweaks you need.

SUPPORT VEHICLES

We will endeavour to make support vehicles fully accessible throughout the days so that you can always call to be picked up if you’re struggling.  The crew can be contacted (and tracked!) via the Ride25 app – or by calling them.   We will have a bike mechanic on the trip to keep you rolling – however they are not there to change tubes when you get a puncture.  You should be able to do this on your own!   Please make sure you have had your bike serviced recently, most issues are normally cause by poor bike maintenance.

Instructions for navigating for Android users:  Duplicating the Route to your STRAVA account – ESSENTIAL for Android users.

Step 1

Open up the routes on a desktop/laptop computer.

You will see a page like this (NB – Route is for illustrative purposes only – you are not cycling from London to Brighton on your Geneva to Milan adventure!):

Step 2

Click on the duplicate button above the map, give the route a logical name so you can find it later.  It will now save the route to the map/routes section on your phone app – this works for both Apple and Android but is essential for some Android users.

Step 3

Log into the app and check the route is there – click on the MAP tab, then the SELECT A ROUTE tab.

Step 4

On the day you want to use the route click the USE ROUTE button, also remember to click record (if you want to track your ride) and then go back to the maps to use the navigation of the route.