Birthday ideas for cycling husband

[bupsybrowne]

My husband is approaching a special birthday at the beginning of 2011 and I am looking for ideas on what to get him.

My thoughts at the moment are taking him to see the start/finish of the Tour De France, will it be coming back to London?

He enjoys spending time doing up his bikes and has taken part in a few cycling events, he is also keen on cycling the big mountains that the pros do during the Tour.

I am aware that his birthday is a while off but I want to give myself enough time to book something and being a cycling widow I know a little bit about cycling but not enough to do something special for him.

Any ideas/suggestions will be greatly received

Many thanks

 

[Anonymous]

what do you have available to you..
ie: campervan or caravan, or do you camp, or would you be relying on hotels...

if you have campervan or dont mind camping, for me there is only one birthday present i would like, and thats flanders or roubaix..

if you are hotel dependant, then either the prologue or final stage of the tour is pretty special..

it wont back in the uk for a while.. maybe 2012

 

[fatandfast]

My husband is approaching a special birthday at the beginning of 2011 and I am looking for ideas on what to get him.

My thoughts at the moment are taking him to see the start/finish of the Tour De France, will it be coming back to London?

He enjoys spending time doing up his bikes and has taken part in a few cycling events, he is also keen on cycling the big mountains that the pros do during the Tour.

I am aware that his birthday is a while off but I want to give myself enough time to book something and being a cycling widow I know a little bit about cycling but not enough to do something special for him.

Any ideas/suggestions will be greatly received

Many thanks

France can kill 2 birds with one stone. Get a room in a town near a stage and commute to see it(50-60k is not too far on the day of the stage) the rest of the time you can drink wine and go on a hike or shop. If he brings his bike he can ride around for a couple of days before or after a stage on the same route. Seeing the race finish is pretty fun,out on the race route can be a good place for a picnic and again some wine. @2 stages from 1 hotel is do-able with a little driving. Also staying in Paris(outer parts) can get you a decent room rate and you can commute to see the finish. They close all the roads before and for a time after each stage so a car commute means you have to get there really early and it takes awhile start your journey back to your hotel can make for a long day. IF he likes mountains just pick one of those stages and get a room near...as you can. What a nice wife.

 

[Oldman]

My husband is approaching a special birthday at the beginning of 2011 and I am looking for ideas on what to get him.

My thoughts at the moment are taking him to see the start/finish of the Tour De France, will it be coming back to London?

He enjoys spending time doing up his bikes and has taken part in a few cycling events, he is also keen on cycling the big mountains that the pros do during the Tour.

I am aware that his birthday is a while off but I want to give myself enough time to book something and being a cycling widow I know a little bit about cycling but not enough to do something special for him.

Any ideas/suggestions will be greatly received

Many thanks

Accompany him to one of Andy Hampsten's camps in Italy. The food and wine is supposed to be good and you can cycle at your own pace, or not at all. The scenery is also supposed to be beyond comparison. Watching bike races is boring.

 

[elapid]

Being on top of one of the mountain stages, preferably the queen stage, would probably be better than either than the start or finish if your husband prefers mountains. Two reasons, the start and finish of the TdF, while full of energy, is also very crowded and you may not get good viewing points. The mountains are for committed fans, you will often find a good place to watch the race, and you get to see the peloton ride past you for a while because they are usually spread out by that time. As fatandfast posted, your husband can also ride some of the mountains in the region before and/or after the stage so you can kill two birds with one stone.

I watched Vino and Lance climb over the Col du Galibier in 2005. I didn't have my bike with me then, but there are a number of classics nearby including Izoard, Galibier and Alpe d'Huez. We stayed in Briancon, watched the start of the following day's stage, and enjoyed fantastic food and wine.

The other option is an organized tour. There are many options for these in the French Alps and Pyrenees, as well as most other mountainous areas such as the Italian Alps, Austria and Switzerland.

I am not sure about other guys, but I really enjoy receiving experiences. If your husband is anywhere near similar, you're definitely on the right track! Good luck.

 

[pedaling squares]

What a wonderful wife you are. I am another one of those men who like to share an experience instead of receiving an item as a gift. My preference would be (you've already heard it from others) to stay in a hotel near but not too near a mountain that the tour crossed over. I'd ride up the mountain on closed roads ahead of the tour, watch them pass by from a great vantage point, and ride back afterwards. If my wife was with me on the bike, more the better, but if she was not a rider it would still be fantastic to share a dinner and have her listen to me blab about my day.

The start/finish of the tour would also be nice, but very crowded and very limited ability to see any racing.

Whatever you do, he'll sure appreciate it.

 

[Bartali]

Why not book a break at one of the Riccione Bike Hotels in Italy? The best of them is the 4 star Hotel Belvedere http://www.belvederericcione.com/en/belvedere-bike/. I've stayed there several times and it's always been superb. Every year the group from our club gets bigger as the word spreads.

Your husband will be taken on guided group rides in the hills each day and will return in time for lunch with you. There are 4 levels of ride, depending on ability. Meanwhile you could visit the hotel Spa or go shopping in the trendy town centre.

There are secure bike stores and mechanics to help with problems. Each day they wash your used kit and return it in the late evening washed and dried (I still don't know how they manage it). They even suppply fruit, rolls and sports drinks for the rides.

The best months to go are April/May and September/October.

 

[TheDude]

My wife just got me a USB Flea set. Was perfect for me. I think you have to know what he wants needs - not sure we can guess. I do think a Super Record groupset would probably work for most any cyclist - except those that want DI2.

A TdF tour package would probably go over well. See you at the start in Rotterdam?

 

[David Suro]

In addition to the travel ideas (which are all great), nothing says 'I Love You' quite as nicely as a new pair of Castelli bib shorts and some chamois cream.

If my girlfriend surprised me with a trip to see some of the Tour and a new pair of shorts, she would have one happy dude for a looooong time.

If she booked a cycling tour we would do together, that would be the best!

You can check out Trek Travel for some ideas.

 

[Anonymous]

The start/finish of the tour would also be nice, but very crowded and very limited ability to see any racing.

weve had a great view every time.. 10 metres from the finish line in london, and always a great spot in paris..

though to be fair we do get on the course at 7am

 

[bupsybrowne]

Thank you....

for so many ideas I will start investgating now and let you know how I get on

Many thanks to you all

 

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