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In conversation with August Collections, cycling enthusiast Paul speaks about his favourite road bike experiences and cycling trails not to miss in Mallorca, Barcelona and the South of France.
I’m Paul, I have three kids, two of whom are adults. We live near Manchester and all love sport, being outdoors and travelling, so August is perfect for us. I co-founded a corporate finance business a number of years ago but sold it more recently and will be able to step back from next year to spend more time abroad.
I came across August through an email from Rightmove. I've always wanted to own a property abroad and so looked into it. I wasn't ready to make the move to be honest, I didn't have time to look at different things but I just really liked the concept but it looked too good to be true. I asked a few people about the model, to try and work out what could go wrong, but it's been a couple of years now, and it's really fantastic. It's been wonderful for our family and we’re looking forward to enjoying many more trips together.
When I first invested, I chose the City Collection which was a little more attainable and eased my hesitations at that time, such as not knowing how easy it would be to book the time you want or how nice the properties are etc. But having used the homes now for a couple of years, I love the concept and wanted a larger Collection with more rooms and bedrooms so we could have friends staying.
The City Collection has two bedrooms in every home - apart from the Tuscany property which has three - whereas the Signature Collection has three to four bedrooms and even five in one of the properties, so it just means you could have more people with us.
I've got adult kids, they can start to use the Collections too. My son who is 25 is in Mallorca this week - in the City Collection in Port de Sóller. There’s a bit of overlap between the two collections, as each has properties in Mallorca and Tuscany, but they're in different parts of the region so we get to see different areas, depending on which Collection we are staying in.
Yes, I’ve cycled in Barcelona, Mallorca and Cannes already. Barcelona has lots of options for tourist guided routes in the city and along the coast which are family friendly, as well as longer routes for more serious riders. We went up the coast on a guided tour and the person who led the tour explained how it’s becoming a popular place for real enthusiasts and there are some great cycle routes outside the city that start in Barcelona. I haven't been able to enjoy them yet, but I will next time we go.
The place where I cycle the most is Mallorca, because Port de Sóller is just at the foot of the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, and there are a lot of cycle teams who are based around there. It’s where they train over the winter because it has very good cycling terrain; it’s mountainous and the roads are relatively quiet.
I've had a couple of really good cycle trips there. The first one I went on with my wife and son, and we went up to Sa Vinya (Deiá). Then the second one I did on my own as it was a bit more rigorous. It was up in the mountains and went through Sa Vinya (Deiá) - it's called the Valldemossa route loop. That was four hours and it had some pretty big climbs.
I use a bike hire provider just near the beach in Port de Sóller called Tramuntana Tours and you can hire a range of bikes from them, including really good quality road bikes. They offer guided or mixed group tours, and you can download cycle routes that last from two hours to all day from their website if you want to try them solo. The scenery is amazing and well worth the effort of the climbs.
Yes. At home, I tend to do hybrid - so a bit of road and trail. I'm not into mountain biking, I do more road or trail biking - it's a bit easier on your back at my age! I prefer skiing down mountains to cycling down, to be honest!
The quality of bikes that you can hire now is really good, so it's just easier to hire them when you're out there. We did some cycling in Nice this summer when we were in the Cannes property. Cannes to Nice is a really beautiful route, which is nearly all on a cycle path, so that is great - it's a really nice run. There are also some more challenging routes inland.
Another cycle we did was near the Chamonix property. That time we stayed just south of Geneva, in Annecy where there's a 40-kilometre route around the lake. That was really good fun. It was relatively flat but really busy. Lots of cyclists do that, it’s a popular cycle route for all levels. Chamonix itself is very popular in the summer with mountain bikers and has some great routes.
It's a bit of a mix. If it's more sedate and one for enjoying the scenery, I'll do that with the family. If it's more of a rigorous cycle, I'll probably go on my own because my wife and younger son prefer a slower pace. I went on a ride in Mallorca that started at seven in the morning because it was a more technical ride and very hot weather...
To be honest, I go as often as I can. Whenever I’m at one of the properties I've got an app called Komoot that will tell you the routes that other people have ridden and then you can look at what the cycle hire is like and just decide what to do when we're out there.
Sometimes I'll book it before I travel but it depends. They say you can’t go out in the summer, but when it's really hot you just go early, and I don't mind getting up early. Or, you can go in the evening when it's cooler as well. So even in July or August, you can still cycle but you just have to go either very early in the morning or later in the evening.
I don't usually wear the full lycra gear, I tend to be a bit more casual. Make sure you've got a decent water bottle, that's pretty essential. When we did an early morning ride in Mallorca, the cafe at the top of the highest hill was shut. It shuts in August because it's so hot and no one goes there, but I had water on me already so it was fine. Always make sure you have water and other than that, a decent pair of trainers I suppose!
I have a backpack for water and sun cream, as well, if it's particularly hot. You’ll wear a helmet but when you're resting, if in the sun, you might want a cap on too.
Yes, very convenient in the City Collection. Other than Tuscany, you’ve got a cycle hire within a kilometre of the homes. Obviously, in Tuscany, because it's up a big hill you have to come back down into the valley to find cycle hire places but they are there. I haven’t started going to the new Signature Collection because it will only open up properly next year, but I’ve already seen that there is good access to cycle hire near each property.
The place in the south of France is a bit up the hills above Nice, but there's a cycle hire that will deliver to your villa if you want them to, called Bike Doctor. They deliver to your villa so that's handy. The Mallorca home will have a cycle hire nearby, as well.
Yes, I've tried both. If you're in Mallorca or you're cycling in the mountains, e-bikes can come in handy and you don't always have to have them turned on. But if you need that extra bit of a boost then it's always helpful, especially in the heat.
“Some of these homes are on routes that the Tour de France either passes through or nearby each year.”
I think if you're an average cyclist and you go out regularly and like road bikes then Mallorca is fantastic. The same with Tuscany, in both of those places you see cyclists out in groups or singles all the time. They have good cycling infrastructure, with good cycle hire and some great routes.
Naturally, Chamonix is more of a place for mountain biking, but if you're into that, there are some great places for it. In places like Barcelona, it can be a bit more touristy, where you’ll go along at a more sedate pace. Something else is that the Tour de France moves around the country each year and some of these homes are on routes that the Tour de France either passes through or nearby each year.
They announce the route at the end of October each year for the following year’s event. This year it ended in Nice for the first time because of the Olympics, which is near the Cannes property. Unfortunately, it was already booked during that time but, if you get there quick enough, you know it's on that route. Especially around Chamonix and Megève, it always comes into the Alps at one of the stages.
“I'm taking more holidays than I've ever taken in my life.”
Yes, I'm taking more holidays than I've ever taken in my life. It's partly because of how it's going with work in terms of the stage of where I'm at with my work-life balance. But having these properties, they are fantastic. When I'm there I feel very relaxed and it's not as if I can’t be contacted by the office. They've all got good wi-fi and areas where you can properly work as well, so if you need to do a conference call you can.
I'm at a stage in my life where I want to be outside more and I want to be in the sunshine more and having these homes just allows you to do that. I can't speak highly enough of the team at August as well. They are great in the way they look after you and communicate with you on everything and I'm looking forward to getting to use this second Collection now. I'm very lucky to have two and yes, I will be using them a lot.
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