Guiding

We offer a guiding service, subject to Peter’s availability. On road, most of our customers self-guide, which means using a GPS to follow the route we’ve got planned for you. We’ll always talk you through the route beforehand, and for most people, especially couples, it works well.

A guided ride is a different experience. It means there’s no chance of taking a wrong turning and you won’t have to get to grips with the GPS technology. Peter’s a mine of information about this area and can tell you a lot more if you’re out with him all day. It also creates flexibility – if you want to ride further, or you’re tired and want to cut it short, it’s easier to alter the route if Peter’s with you. Finally, Peter’s a fluent French speaker which comes in handy in restaurants and he can deal with any mechanical niggles you might have on the ride.

If you’re here for gravel riding, guiding is more useful. That’s because navigating off road is more difficult: many of the trails we use aren’t mapped, and it’s difficult to concentrate on a GPS when you’re dealing with riding on a rough surface. All of that means it’s more challenging to stick to the route. Gravel guiding offers the same flexibility as on the road, but it’s even more useful because changing the route as you go is much more difficult off road – local knowledge is essential. There’s also a safety element – the routes we use venture into remote areas far from roads, so if you have an accident or a mechanical it’s good to have someone with you who knows what to do!

If the GPS technology worries you, a good solution can be to pay for guiding on the first day so that you can get used to how it works with no fear of getting lost, then venturing out unguided when you’re feeling more confident.

Peter has a particular style of guiding. His racing days are well behind him, so while he’s happy to ride all day with you, he’s not into testosterone fuelled rampages through the countryside. If you want to test yourself on the climbs, that’s fine, but you’ll need to wait when you get to the top. Our rides are for fun, they’re not training camps so no-one gets left behind!

Peter normally guides alone. If you’d rather have two guides, so that one rides at the front, the other at the back, we can sometimes arrange that, but the cost would increase. Doubling up on guides makes most sense with groups and would be essential with larger groups.

The charge for guiding is €120 per day plus expenses regardless of the size of the group. Expenses are normally lunch and sometimes train fares. Eating out here is usually quite cheap, unless you want to go really upmarket, but that’s your choice! We’re happy for you to mix and match so that you’re guided on some days, not on others.

How to Book

We can create a bespoke vacation around any one of the challenge rides. Stay for a few days or longer. Contact us to discuss your plans.