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The world may not be growing, but our range of cycling destinations certainly is.

Cycling lets you travel at your own pace, guarantees plenty of interaction with the locals, has minimal environmental impact and best of all, helps you finish your trip fitter than when you started! You don’t need to be young or super-fit to take part. If you want to really push yourself, then we can provide the challenge, but most of our cycling holidays are exactly that – holidays.

They say that ‘first love never dies’. For me, discovering cycling was life changing and years later it’s still how I choose to spend much of my spare time. Clearly there are more and more of you who share this philosophy, so this year’s challenge has been to keep up with the ever increasing demand. Our team have enjoyed a busy summer creating new trips and it’s exciting to now be in a
position to share the fruits of our labour. I hope you are inspired by one of our 14 new cycling adventures.

Andy Ross, Exodus' Cycling Programme Manager

What the experts say about our Cycling Holidays

"When the Olympic Games unfold in London in 2012 the most watched sport will be cycling, with a million people expected to watch the best free show of the Games! The pastime has come a long way and now it seems everyone is riding a bike and discovering that it is not as hard as it seems! Nowadays the world is open for the taking, thanks to top travel companies like Exodus.

This year, Exodus has lots of plans with new road trips to Costa Rica, Iceland and Alaska – all stunningly beautiful places and best discovered from the saddle. Mountain biking as a holiday is another challenge that anyone of average fi tness can do. It’s true, believe me!

I have said it before, but one day I am going to say ‘non’ to the Tour de France and join you all in the cycling holiday of a lifetime. Enjoy your ride!”'.

Phil Liggett MBE, Cycling Broadcaster and Journalist

Choosing your Cycling Holiday

Since 1994, we’ve developed the widest range of cycling holidays available across the globe. Whether you’re an occasional cyclist wishing to amble through the vineyards of the Loire Valley, or a hardened biker looking to be challenged by the awesome mountain passes of the Himalaya, Exodus has a trip to suit you.

Trip Style
To help you choose your ideal holiday, we have divided our trips into three simple categories. Trips are ordered through the brochure according to style and grade. The idea being that first you identify your preferred riding style and grade, then choose from the range of holidays that suit your specific requirements.

Self Guided Cycling
The perfect choice for those who like to cycle independently, we have added support to minimise the hard work and planning. We arrange your accommodation and provide you with maps and route notes, so you can cycle at your own pace from one hotel to the next. Your bags are transported for you, so all you carry is what you need for the day’s ride.

Road Cycling Tours
Itineraries are based at least 70% on tarmac, which may be in good condition or potholed. Some routes also include occasional sections on unsurfaced tracks, but these will not require any specific technical riding skills. We design our routes to avoid overly busy roads, but you should be comfortable occasionally riding in traffic. The terrain varies from flat to hilly.

Off-Road - Mountain Biking
These trips follow a mixture of dirt roads, paths and trails. These may be smooth and hardpacked, or loose, rutted, steep and rocky, and are often in hilly or mountainous terrain. On some trips, the tracks are mostly vehicle-width, but on others we aim for a higher proportion of singletrack riding. For trips of grade C and over, some off-road experience is recommended.

Grading
These are active holidays and it is very important to choose an itinerary that is right for you. We give each of our holidays a difficulty grade, and supply a ride profile with information on the number of cycling days, average daily distance and the level of vehicle support. When choosing your trip, please consider both the level of physical fitness and the technical riding skill required. If you have specific questions about either of these, please contact one of our sales team on 0845 863 9626, or e-mail: Sales@exodus.co.uk.

Leisurely (Grade A)

If you can ride a bike and enjoy gentle exercise then these are an ideal introduction to a cycling holiday. Unfortunately no routes are entirely flat, so expect some short climbs and descents. Maximum daily height gain is approximately 250 metres and daily distances rarely exceed 50 kms (32 miles), often any longer days are optional.

Click here to see all the Grade A and A/B trips.

Moderate (Grade B)

Most people who enjoy a weekend riding on either trails or roads at home will enjoy a B-grade trip. You need to be in good health and reasonably fit. Ideal for occasional cyclists, or as a more relaxed trip for fitter riders. B-grade off-road trips require no previous experience. Distances on road trips rarely exceed 70 kms (43 miles) per day.

Click here to see all the Grade B and B/C trips.

Challenging (Grade C)

For any ride at this level, fitness is important. C-grade trips require confidence in your own ability and physical condition. They are equivalent to an extended period of cycling at home. Previous mountain biking experience is preferable, but not essential, for C-grade off-road trips as they will involve some technical riding.

Click here to see all the Grade C and C/D trips.

Tough (Grade D)

At this level previous experience of the cycling style or surface is a must. These routes have long cycling days and tougher terrain on both road and off-road trips. You need complete confidence in your fitness and technical ability to cope with difficult or steep terrain, rough surfaces and longer distances. Ideal for those seeking a challenge!

Click here to see all the Grade D trips.

Split and Optional Grades

In order to provide a more accurate cycle holiday grading system, where a cycling trip falls between two grades we use an intermediate or split grade, for example A/B. Clearly, conditions may differ from region-to-region or month-to-month and as such the information given on these pages is designed to act as a guide to your cycling holiday only. In all cases you should refer to the Trip Notes for further details.

See our Top Ten Cycling Trips: 10 trips that embody the range of pedal-powered experiences we have to offer.