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Week 3 is a beast. For real. This is the one for people who like long days in the saddle and the certainty of a huge physical challenge. With 5 out of 6 days riding in the valleys and cols of the Austrian Alps, Italian Dolomites and down the lower Alps in Slovenia, this is a true mountain week. Ridiculously hard. Insanely beautiful. Deliberately uncompetitive. |
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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. |
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There are too many climbs to name, but the literal high point will be the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, which tops out at 2504m above sea level and was built entirely for its beautiful views of the highest point in all of Austria. This ain’t no sight-seeing hobby though, we’ve cycled it before and it’s hard. Like, really hard. It has a false peak that can break the will of any steely creature, and was so high that several people felt a little queasy. Fun? In retrospect. Still reading? Awesome. There will be spectacular scenery, there will be cowbells, there will be cheese and there will, very briefly, be pizza. We’ll wild camp in a collection of beautiful/hilarious/weird places through the week. Sometimes we’ll get permission from village mayors to camp on their football fields or communal land, and other times we’ll wild camp in the mountains. We’ve already spied out an amazing spot to sleep on the shores of a lake on the Italian/Slovenian border for our penultimate night. Whilst this is the toughest leg of the ride, the atmosphere will still be totally uncompetitive and supportive. Join this week with your brain and body up for an adventure! |
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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 |
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- 850km of downhills.
- A bike. ( 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 18 JULY // At 7pm we’ll all come together, have dinner and chat about the week ahead. Then rest our excited nervous heads! We suggest arriving at 5pm so that you have time to put your bike together first. You’re welcome to arrive even earlier than that, 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 19 // A little climb to get out of Stuttgart and we’re off! Today is our all German day where we’ll get the miles in and see glimpses of the Alps by dusk!
MONDAY 20 // Otherwise known as Big Monday, this day was uncompletable when we cycled it last time. When you get mountains, you get anything. Last time, after a morning of glorious sunshine, we got unrideable thunderstorms in the peaks and had to shelter in someone’s home and find a train to catch to our destination.
TUESDAY 21 // Today we’ll ride through valleys with mountains on either side of us, and have one major climb to tackle. Pretty sure tonight is the night we can camp in a glorious communal land in a village that has a swimming lake, showers and a zip wire. Save a kilojoule or two of energy for the evening!
WEDNESDAY 22 // What else would you rather be doing on a Wednesday than climbing Austria’s highest paved road that was built specifically for its beauty. Yep, today is the Grossglockner and it will be hard: bring gummy bears and teddy bears, your energy and psychological levels will need to be managed.
THURSDAY 23 // Expect cool breaks from the beating sun in old railways that have been converted into cycle paths, and then expect to climb and climb and climb. Every time you turn around the view will have got more magnificent. Tonight we’ll wild swim and then camp by the shores of Lago Predilli, nestled in the mountains of the Italian/Slovenian border.
FRIDAY 24 // A short uphill to warm up the legs, and then we’ll cross the border, entering into Triglav National Park, packed with lush green biodiversity, and though we barely ever say these words… pretty much all downhill for 40 minutes. It’s like a nature filled rollercoaster / bird simulation experience. All in all, a good way to start the final day's riding!
SATURDAY 25 // 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 19 // A little climb to get out of Stuttgart and we’re off! Today is our all German day where we’ll get the miles in and see glimpses of the Alps by dusk!
MONDAY 20 // Otherwise known as Big Monday, this day was uncompletable when we cycled it last time. When you get mountains, you get anything. Last time, after a morning of glorious sunshine, we got unrideable thunderstorms in the peaks and had to shelter in someone’s home and find a train to catch to our destination.
TUESDAY 21 // Today we’ll ride through valleys with mountains on either side of us, and have one major climb to tackle. Pretty sure tonight is the night we can camp in a glorious communal land in a village that has a swimming lake, showers and a zip wire. Save a kilojoule or two of energy for the evening!
WEDNESDAY 22 // What else would you rather be doing on a Wednesday than climbing Austria’s highest paved road that was built specifically for its beauty. Yep, today is the Grossglockner and it will be hard: bring gummy bears and teddy bears, your energy and psychological levels will need to be managed.
THURSDAY 23 // Expect cool breaks from the beating sun in old railways that have been converted into cycle paths, and then expect to climb and climb and climb. Every time you turn around the view will have got more magnificent. Tonight we’ll wild swim and then camp by the shores of Lago Predilli, nestled in the mountains of the Italian/Slovenian border.
FRIDAY 24 // A short uphill to warm up the legs, and then we’ll cross the border, entering into Triglav National Park, packed with lush green biodiversity, and though we barely ever say these words… pretty much all downhill for 40 minutes. It’s like a nature filled rollercoaster / bird simulation experience. All in all, a good way to start the final day's riding!
SATURDAY 25 // 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! |
