|
This week is all about extremes - every day is either climbing stunning mountains or cranking out the big miles on the flat.
After busting the Apuseni Mountains and the Bihor Massif on Day One, we dive into the Transylvanian Alps and the ridiculous views of the Transalpina road - Dracula never had it so good! The week ends in a blaze of glory as we climb up and over the infamous Balkans into Sofia. Although there’s not quite as much climbing as The Freakin Alps One, Week 7 will be waaaay more adventurous - Thighs code for anything could happen! |
|
|
|
GREAT! HOW MUCH WILL IT BE?!
Not one or two but FOUR pricing options. For all options, you can pay in one transaction or two equal, monthly instalments. 1. The standard = £385 Straight up! 2. I can and I will! = £385 + whatever you want The gift economy! Most tours like ours are double the price. We choose to keep the price lower than most so that we have a fun mixture of people from different backgrounds and lifestyles. If you can afford anything from one to one million pounds extra, you’ll make our day, and make it much more likely Thighs will continue for another year! 3. Low income place = £250 4. No income place = £0 Previously the low and no income places have been given to people that spend lots of time volunteering and people out of work, particularly if you are a migrant and don’t have the right to work. If this is you, please get in touch with us at [email protected] This money covers the costs of the trip, the £500 fundraising is separate and goes directly to Help Refugees. Scroll down to find out more about the fundraising. |
|
|
|
By coming on a week of the ride, you’re committing to fundraise a minimum of £500 for awesome grassroots refugee organisations.
Together, we’re hoping to raise £60,000 for Help Refugees. Every penny of this will be given to projects such as Khora, who are supporting refugees to move forward under exceptionally difficult circumstances. We're confident you won't find it too tough to raise £500, to give you a head start, here's a load of ideas and tips from Thighs cyclists who've fundraised gazillions in the past. We're always around to help you come up with new ideas as well - drop us a line if you’re worried. Read more about your incredible impact as a Thighs cyclist on The Reason page |
|
- 815km of downhills.
- A bike. ( BUT! We have two bikes available for hire for £70. Let us know in your sign up form if you need one)
- A luxury week away. We'll rotate all the jobs that need to be done to make communal life a dream. Be ready to cook, do the washing up, and put your own tent up and down as required.
- A daily shower. There's no guarantee. More often than not we simply head for the nearest body of water, or tip a water bottle over our heads!
- Most days we’ll have a quick break at a café, bakery or a shop so that you can stock up on caffeine and carbs. Sometimes, depending on the group vibe, we might get lured into a fantastic-smelling restaurant en route. For all of these, you'll pay your own bills.
- Your journeys to the starting point and then homeward after the trip. We strongly recommend that you book travel as early as possible to get a decent price.
- Insurance. Boring but essential!
SATURDAY 22 AUGUST // At 7pm we’ll all come together, have dinner and chat about the week ahead. Then rest our excited nervous heads! We suggest arriving around 5pm so that you have time to put your bike together first You’re welcome to arrive even earlier than that, to have a bit of time to explore the city and prepare for the week ahead.
See this page for more important arrival info, including airport pickups where necessary.
SUNDAY 23 // Leaving Cluj in our dust, we head straight for the hills with a cool 2,000m of climbing warming us up for the week. For views to salivate over, look up the Apuseni Mountains and the Bihor Massif.
MONDAY 24 // Our second day of cycling is much flatter as we dash across the Transylvanian basin. We’re not going to dress this up: it’ll be stinking hot, so fingers crossed we can have a dunk as we cross the Mureș river. We’ll wild camp with our noses just poking into the Transylvanian Alps and sleep dreaming of the morrow!
TUESDAY 25 // This is the big one - the Transalpina awaits! With around 2,500m of climbing we’ll hit 2,000m altitude not once, but twice. Enjoy the cooler air, the frankly ridiculous views - and keep an eye out for bears!
WEDNESDAY 26 // After our hard-earned descent, today we’re back on the flat as we dodge out of the mountains, following rivers and woods. We’ll aim for big miles while the going is good, passing through the ancient city of Craiova en route to our wild camp spot for the night.
THURSDAY 27 // Another flattish day not dissimilar to yesterday. We’ll hit the Danube, Europe’s greatest river, and follow her for 50km or so. Rivers are always great company - and hopefully offer us a chance for a heat-stroke saving swim.
FRIDAY 28 // Monasteries and mountains are on the menu for our last day. One monster 1,200m climb takes us over the Balkan mountains and a gradual undulating descent finishes with a 20km sprint into the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.
SATURDAY 29 // Wake up, a mixture of tired and elated, wander around the city in a happy daze. Set off home with Thighs a little steelier.
* NB: All the above details are loosely collated from our route planning, the internet and our imagination. What we do know for sure is that this is a real adventure and that plans and itineraries mock you in retrospect
See this page for more important arrival info, including airport pickups where necessary.
SUNDAY 23 // Leaving Cluj in our dust, we head straight for the hills with a cool 2,000m of climbing warming us up for the week. For views to salivate over, look up the Apuseni Mountains and the Bihor Massif.
MONDAY 24 // Our second day of cycling is much flatter as we dash across the Transylvanian basin. We’re not going to dress this up: it’ll be stinking hot, so fingers crossed we can have a dunk as we cross the Mureș river. We’ll wild camp with our noses just poking into the Transylvanian Alps and sleep dreaming of the morrow!
TUESDAY 25 // This is the big one - the Transalpina awaits! With around 2,500m of climbing we’ll hit 2,000m altitude not once, but twice. Enjoy the cooler air, the frankly ridiculous views - and keep an eye out for bears!
WEDNESDAY 26 // After our hard-earned descent, today we’re back on the flat as we dodge out of the mountains, following rivers and woods. We’ll aim for big miles while the going is good, passing through the ancient city of Craiova en route to our wild camp spot for the night.
THURSDAY 27 // Another flattish day not dissimilar to yesterday. We’ll hit the Danube, Europe’s greatest river, and follow her for 50km or so. Rivers are always great company - and hopefully offer us a chance for a heat-stroke saving swim.
FRIDAY 28 // Monasteries and mountains are on the menu for our last day. One monster 1,200m climb takes us over the Balkan mountains and a gradual undulating descent finishes with a 20km sprint into the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.
SATURDAY 29 // Wake up, a mixture of tired and elated, wander around the city in a happy daze. Set off home with Thighs a little steelier.
* NB: All the above details are loosely collated from our route planning, the internet and our imagination. What we do know for sure is that this is a real adventure and that plans and itineraries mock you in retrospect
A WEEK NOT ENOUGH?
After one week, most people are seeing showers as mirages on the horizon and are shuddering at the sight of a bicycle, but not you! You’re craving adventure and muscle ache, and god damn it, you will not be stopped after a measly week! You may be wild enough to be considering 3 or 4 or ALL of the weeks, but because places on the ride are limited, we only allow people to come for a maximum of 2 weeks so that as many people can come as possible, and therefore fundraise as much as possible. It's possibly obvious, but you’ll pay £385 for each week, and fundraise £500 per week too. To sign up, you have two options: 1. Fill in the sign up form on each of the weeks you want to join for e.g. sign up on weeks 2 and 3. This is the quickest way. 2. If you'd like to pay in 4 monthly instalments to spread the cost, email us at [email protected]. We'll reserve you a spot on both weeks if there space and then set up a payment plan with you. BIKE-LESS BUT WANT TO JOIN US?
This year we have not one but two spare bikes for you to borrow. The aim of the game is to make overland travel easier and encourage people who want to avoid flying - but we understand how hectic life is and welcome all-comers. The cost of hiring a bike is £70. The first bike will fit a human 5’5” - 5’9” (166cm - 175cm) tall. The second bike will fit a human 5’9” - 6’1” (175cm - 185cm). If you would like to reserve one of the bikes, let us know when you sign up. Note: We will provide lights, a day bag for your lunch, a variety of pedals Please bring your own helmet and 2 inner tubes. Bring your own saddle if you have a favourite one, otherwise we have a few to choose from. WHAT WILL I NEED TO BRING?!
What on earth do you bring on this trip!? Don't panic! We have a kit list for everything you need, HERE. We're fans of doing things as cheaply and greenly as possible, so there's not much on our 'essentials' list. We really recommend asking buddies and pals to borrow bits and bobs to save on buying new! TRAVEL & LOGISTICS HELP!
We understand travelling is a bit of a logistical puzzle sometimes! SO...we've researched the routes and the best ways to get there! Head here to see how! |
