BIKECAT in Girona

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:44:00 +0000

Bikecat Cycling Tours - Cycling in Girona

New website online.

During the past few months, Debbie and I have been working with Xavier (La Imaginaria) and his never ending patience to edit hundreds of changes and photo contents. A long process that finally comes to light. The new website has been launched, same philosophy, cleaner design. We hope you like it and find your pictures and tours easily.

www.bikecat.com

Cap de Creus

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:56:00 +0000

Saturday I came along to enjoy the beautiful day and prepare for an upcoming tour that will bring us out to the Cap de Creus, the easternmost point of peninsular Spain. We started in Castello d´Empuries, important for being the capital of the Empuries county during the Middle Ages. I enjoyed the pastry shop and little squares while Jaume, Tom and Hugh started off on their ride. I met up with them for a relaxing lunch near the Cap de Creus lighthouse. Debbie

Don i Simon

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:58:00 +0000

Last year we got to meet Don during Easter vacation and this year he came back with his son Simon for some riding. The first day they headed out to Santa Pellaia with Jordi and really enjoyed the descent. Next they did Les Serres climb and rode on beautiful countryside roads. The last day, Don went on a discovery of medieval villages over the rolling hills in the Emporda. All days with sunny spring weather!

Pulau Perhentian Islands

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:53:00 +0000

To end the tour in the Perhentian Islands would be ideal. Snorkeling in the amazing coral reef with the possibility to see sea turtles and many colorful fish. Finding the perfect spot on a deserted white sand beach with a good book and daydreaming. Listening to the lapping waves from your chalet as you fall asleep at night.

I am sure we will have more cycling in Malaysia soon...

For now, see you back in Girona

Kota Bharu

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:57:00 +0000

In Gua Musang we woke up the next morning to pouring down rain. Feeling a little tired of rain, we decided to ditch the next couple days plan to ride to Dabong and go caving, and decided to head straight up to Kota Bharu. KB is a city in the northeast near the Thai border known for its amazing market. We enjoyed wandering around and trying different food. We rode up to the beach for ice cream without the bags and out to a must-do restaurant called Yati. (Jeff’s recommendation)

Tanah Rata to Gua Musang - 100km

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:48:00 +0000

Our next adventure was going to be the most challenging of our entire trip. 125km. Leaving Cameron Highlands would involve a bit more effort than what we´d done up until now, with it’s up and downs, +10% and -10%.... We were told, that it would only be for the first 25k. Then we’d have a 40km descent and easy terrain to the next village, Gua Masang. Yes, next village after 100k with nothing but jungle in-between.

So we made sure we had packed plenty of water and fruit for the route.
We woke up early, still dark. Had breakfast and time to realize it was raining. A local bus let us on since there were only a few people on the 8:30 bus. In Blue Valley, at the top of the descent, it was extremely foggy and blowing a sideways rain. We decided to have a 2nd breakfast of Roti, an Indian flatbread filled with banana and strawberry jelly, and hot tea while hoping the rain would end and fog would lift. No such luck, but we started the descent with good cheer and only a 100km to go, instead of 125!

The foggy weather disappeared quickly as we descended a few kilometers. The road was wide and no cars. The first part of the ride turned out to be very fast, yeah! going downhill, but not so long as we expected, as the road started to go up. 15km on the bike and we were climbing the unexpected hills, which were short and seemed to have a constant 9%!
To finish quickly, a supposedly flat ride turned out to be 1200meters of climbing, alternating sun and showers every 5 minutes. Dry, sweat, wet, dry, wet, dry, sweat…
In Gua Masang ready for bed.

The next day, after a good sleep, it was time to remember. It had been an epic ride. Crossing from Western to Eastern Malaysia through a remote forested area. We felt happy to have ridden it!

Cameron Highlands

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 06:27:00 +0000

We rode up from Ipoh on the bus, this being highly recommended by Jeff, with our bikes being stowed down below. Up we went through the amazing forest and curving roads to Tanah Rata, the main hub town. It would have been a 40km climb. Luckily, we skipped doing it under the rain.
Settled down in a little hotel just off the main street to work and enjoy the area for a few days. We got to see the exciting end of stage 4 of Tour de Langkawi with some new friends from England.
Met Jeff at our favorite restaurant in town while he had a coffee break and also met more organizers of the LTdL, they were so welcoming and happy to have us following the race.
On our last day, we went on a hike through unbelievably green tea plantations, up Mount Brinchang, through the mystical Mossy Forest and back down a jungle trail.
The Cameron Highlands was first developed by the British in the 1920´s, as a cool mountain getaway. (We understood why the British liked it so much because it rained on and off the four days we were there) The non-riders options of jungle trekking, visiting tea plantations, strawberry farms, and the ¨native¨ people who still live in the hillsides and villages, all make it a special place to spend a few days and discover this different part of Malaysia.

Le Tour of Langkawi 2011

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:04:00 +0000

Le Tour de Langkawi starts Sunday, and during these days we’ve seen the teams training and getting ready. Today was the Team Presentation and we were invited. The set up was impressive and they had an amazing opening ceremony with traditional dance. In fact, LTdL is the biggest Asian race, and the media covers every detail.

We are excited to see the start as the island gets ready with events and flags everywhere.

Riding in Langkawi

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:00:00 +0000

We are spending 5 days riding on the island before Le Tour of Langkawi starts next Sunday.
It’s been a great spot for cycling and we’ve covered almost every single road. The loop around the island is about 100km. Of course, we’ve been trying to look for some back roads where often we ended up riding on paths. But that is what makes Bikecat riding J

Most of the riding is flat with roller costers along the coast, beautiful views and not much traffic. And then, there is the climb to Gunung Raya, similar to Rocacorba in Girona, so it´s also challenging.

Langkawi

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Ooh Langkawi. The waterfalls you can swim at the base of, the clear beautiful beaches, jungle vegetation, seafood, that idea of paradise comes to mind. The possibilities for non-riders: boat rides to private islands, a bat cave, an island tour, hikes in tropical forest, cable car to the top of the second highest mountain on the island (the tallest the riders have to climb). The night markets are kind of like doing tapas in Spain, but of course more exotic with things like mango salad, coconut pastries, local rice specialities, and juice drinks of all kinds. We are planning a tour but also having such a good time imagining how much fun people would have if they came here.

Made with Slideshow Embed Tool

Georgetown, Penang

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:36:00 +0000

A fast ride from Taiping led us to Butterworth where we took a ferry to the island of Penang. On the way we met the first cyclotourists, they were on their way to Kuala Lumpur from London! Off the ferry, we were launched into the bustling city of Georgetown which is a fascinating mix of old and new. It is the oldest of the British Straits colonies and many of the beautiful colonial buildings are being renovated since Georgetown was named to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2008.
We went to see some really beautiful hotels, thinking this would be an excellent place to bring a group of riders.

Penang Hill
This morning I decided to check out Penang Hill. I had read about it before and knew it was going to be hard. I started my way out of the city, after 7km I was warmed up to face the climb. Wow it really started kicking from the beginning, 20%!! I was fresh, and the compact helped. Kept a good cadence, but after a few turns, I was all sweaty, and… a sharp turn I saw a wall in front. 31 % according to the gps. My speed was now about 7km/h and I started to zig zag on this tiny one lane road trying to keep my equilibrium. 170 bpm.1km done, I didn’t know how long it was, and was already thinking of being at the top.
The easier section at 10% gave me a leg rest. Ahead I saw another steep section,it really looked like a wall. I had to stand,4k an hour,leaning all my weight on the front wheel, struggling. Tried to look at the gps, 42%, oooooh, that was painful. I had to keep up. Reached 185. Only with 1.5km covered.
I took a break, and stopped next to a bench. Caught some air before starting again. Well, I did the same process for 4km more. Stopping two more times. My legs in pain. I had done it!
On the way back, I tightened the brake cables and did the descent more like I was mountainbiking. On a turn, my front wheel started to slip away, I thought it was gravel, I was falling down. I realized I had a flat, and went straight to stop the bike. The rims where boiling. Probably that caused the flat. Changed it and made my way safe to the bottom and back to the hotel. 30km total and the job done. I had enough. I was exhausted.
Pels que coneixeu Aiguafreda, doncs, res igual. He patit pujant com mai, casi no em podía mantener sobre la bici. Parat. La mitja de 14.4%. Vamos, que ha sigut la pujada mes dura que he fet mai.

Taiping

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:43:00 +0000

The people next to us said that we had to eat the real Indian way, with our hands.
Imagine going up a hill all loaded up
We were very impressed with the market in Taiping. It seemed like it hadn´t changed in a very long time.

Ipoh to Taiping - 95km

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 15:05:00 +0000

Made with Slideshow Embed Tool
We found a good way out of the busy city of Ipoh. Not long after, we took a very nice road with a motorbike lane that was perfect to cycle on. At an intersection we saw a little van with a woman and her three children that went by waving at us. A little after, the same car came back and they waved at us again and later on were stopped waiting for us to go by again. It seemed we were the attraction for them for the day to see two foreigners on a bike. It was a good feeling to be so welcomed by them.
An exotic lunch in Kuala Kangsar and then we headed on to our destination. To our surprise, near the end we hopped onto a tiny road, just one car wide, through little villages (called Kampungs) and a sensation of being in the real country.

Teluk Intan to Ipoh – 81km

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 12:14:00 +0000

Debbie had the first flat out on a country road just after passing a rice paddy vehicle. For this repair we had a nice shady spot. This was the first day we had an all sunny day and we had a much appreciated stop for coconut water along the road.

Near the end we saw mountains ahead of us but we wouldn´t be climbing them yet, we´ll wait for a week or so more of training with the bags before we attempt to reach the Cameron Highlands on top.

Ipoh has over 600,000 people and so we were a little nervous as we made our approach. It turned out not to be a problem and the gps was a great help and brought us right to our hotel.

Made with Slideshow Embed Tool

Kuala Selangor to Teluk Intan - 101km

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 10:55:00 +0000

Waking up to the sound of a tropical rain this morning gave us some time to work and catch up on email until the rain stopped around 11am.
Finally packing everything on the bike and setting out at 11:30, we had a long way to go.
We try to sample as many dishes as we can

Seeing all the people that wave at us when we go by, the cars and trucks that honk and greet us happily and motorbikes riding with us, I can just imagine how it would be riding with a group here. It would be show time and the local’s attraction.

KL to Kuala Selangor - 81km

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 04:55:00 +0000

After having received our bikes and successfully packing all our stuff in the bags, stopping by a gas station to fill our tires, we were on our way out, being guided by Jeff´s suggestions and a handy gps (thank God!!!). We got a little turned around in places but made it out on a pretty green road. Riding on the left side of the road takes a little taking use to as well as carrying lots of weight on the bike. About 20kg extra each.

Made with Slideshow Embed Tool
After 25km, the darrellieur cable on Debbie´s bike broke while heading down the highway. The breakdown took us an hour of work. The tip of the cable broke in the handle and was quite a job removing it without proper tools. Luckily Jaume knew how to and fixed it with a new cable under the tropical heat.
Cars seemed to respect us pretty well and from time to time there was a motorbike lane that we could get some rest in. We stopped for Indian food along the road and made our way near the coast to Taman Alam Kuala Salangor nature park.
At the desk they told us there were too many mosquitoes now, (as they were saying that, we were being bitten up…) but we were so tired and sweaty after 80k that we stayed anyway.
We had a little A-frame cabin and were the only ones staying there. We went for a fantastic seafood dinner along the river and the next day for a walk through the park. We saw lots of birds, crabs, monkies, walking fish, and monitor lizards!

Kuala Lumpur

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:42:00 +0000

Our bikes arrived to our hostel a day and a half later while we discovered KL in the same clothes as we had on who knows how many hours earlier. KL is disorienting and colorful, hard to navigate as a pedestrian, yet laid back, friendly and good food to be had almost everywhere.

Though the official language is Bahasa Malay and Muslim the official religion, the mixture of Malay, Chinese, and Indian, and indigenous ethnic groups and religions: Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and others all seem to harmoniously live alongside each other. Fortunately for travelers, English is widely spoken as a second language, which is left from colonial days when the British set up trade in the late 1800´s.

In KL we got over our jet lag while trying all the different types of cuisine, the bird park, butterfly park, while waiting for our bikes and clothing to make it to the hotel.

Made with Slideshow Embed Tool
On Saturday morning we finally got to meet Jeff. He picked us up in his car and drove to Lake Gardens for a real Nasi Lemak, the typical malay breakfast dish. Turned out Jeff is an organizer for the Tour de Langkawi! We talked about the upcoming Tour, which starts in Langkawi on the 23rd of January, and finishes in KL the 1st of February. I mentioned our interest in organizing a cycling tour in Malaysia and discussed several possibilities.

Later on we moved to a more relaxed place to have a copi (the malay coffee with condensed milk). Unfolded the map, Jeff gave us tips about the places to go, rest stops and so helped us plan the whole trip. Very helpful! Now we have an idea of what’s coming in the next few days and we’ll see how riding goes. Time flew by, we ordered lunch, and by the time we realized it was after 5. As the race is coming soon, Jeff was super busy and had work to do.
His help has been unvaluable! Terima Kasih!

Cycling in Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:09:00 +0000

Well, it’s been 10 years since that first trip with Bernat, we started in New Zealand and I later continued in Borneo alone. The experience was so unforgettable and enriching that we committed to do something related with cycling and traveling for work.
A few years later, Bikecat started to share cycling in Girona and our next move might be traveling somewhere else, Malaysia? We’ll see after these 6 weeks.
Cycling around Peninsular Malaysia had been on my mind for a while. Especially after Lucas Euser (ex-Garmin pro) mentioned he had a cyclist friend in Malaysia I could get in touch with.
More to come….

Jaume

Bikecat, November in Florida, GA, and SC

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 18:07:00 +0000

Thanks Frank for your friendship and support!

While visiting friends and family we were able to enjoy nature and actually take a dip in the Gulf. Fossil hunting in Florida, hiking in GA, a special Thanksgiving, all time off the bike - really:) Seeing the great people at Naples Cyclery and Roswell Bikes, we thank you for your warm reception and 2011 is the year! We loved seeing everyone!
Things are looking up in the South!

The best bike shop in southwest Florida!

USA November Trip - Philadelphia

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 16:26:00 +0000

Spanish Night at Breakaway. Thanks for braving the rain everyone!
We like to be kept on the wall, Jaume at Breakaway
Spanish Night at Breakaway - Joe helping set out the spread

It was time for us to head over to the other side, see friends and family, and some bike shops on the East Coast. Back in Philadelphia feeling at home, old favorite restaurants, South Street, Reading Terminal Market, art museum, and staying with our friend Bruce whom we discover is into hang gliding now! Thanks Bruce! We had Spanish night at Breakaway Bikes which was a success despite the incredibly rainy weather. It was great to see everyone and hope we´ll see you in Girona soon!Pretzel Park

Lance Armstrong and Radioshack

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:57:00 +0000

He'll be back in Girona. This time he and the new team SadioShack will be taking part in La Volta a Catalunya UCI Pro Race. A one week tour that this year has moved to the end of March.
We are holding the annual Breakaway Spring training Camp and an excellent opportunity to ride and see the Volta. We will have the chance to see the first two stages of the race with exclusive passes from La Volta organization.
More information and sign ups at: breakawaybikes.com

Curtis Cramblett

noreply@blogger.com (BIKECAT) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:22:00 +0000

My friend Lucas Euser told me a good friend of his was coming to Girona.
Curtis has been the physical therapist helping Lucas recover from a knee injury. He is going to do bike fits for the news guys on the Garmin team as they have a training camp in town.

I met Curtis and spent sometime walking around Girona. We had lunch before going back to the hotel. As it was early, Curtis was very nice to check a few things that were bothering my body after the car accident.
The following days he got a team bike and we have been riding for 2-3 hours during the mornings.
These are some of the pictures:

Curtis Cramblett revolutionsinfitness.com

Thanks for all the tips and help!
Jaume

Garmin's garage Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Jaume - BikeCat) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:43:00 +0000

The previous week Will emailed the info about the garage sale and we started to get excited and pass it to all of our friends.
It's Saturday morning. The word has spread and lots of people show up.

The Team is part of Girona and it's a great opportunity to look for unique stuff. Hang out and stay for lunch at the restaurant that holds the event.

Ver todas

Consigue el tuyo

Joe's Rides

noreply@blogger.com (Jaume - BikeCat) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:32:00 +0000

More great days of riding. Joe came from Portland to ride a few days in Girona and nearby areas. He ended up staying the whole time in Girona. This charming city has something :-) As it is easy to feel at home.
These are some of the pictures we took during the rides to Costa Brava, Medieval Emporda and to the base of Sant Hilari (the complete ride would be accomplished later)

Thank you so much for your three day guided support on my rides. Your knowledge of the area and the roads was invaluable and allowed me to just focus on riding. You seem to know every highway, road, and back alley in and around Girona. I can't imagine being with a more professional, enjoyable guide. It was truly a great experience. I will not hesitate to recommend Bikecat to my friends that are thinking of going over. Thanks again for all the help and look me up if you get over to Portland.

Joe

Eric and Lawrence

noreply@blogger.com (Jaume - BikeCat) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:58:00 +0000

The cardiologist Congress took place in Barcelona - European Society of Cardiology (ESC) just an hour away from Girona, that was a great chance to stop by Girona and ride. That is what Eric and his friend Lawrence decided to do. Eric had come with us the 2 previous years, so he knew what to expect...
We had prepared a new ride, Susqueda reservoir. These are the pictures of that day. A good example of exercise and keeping your heart healthy!