Gravel/Adventure/MTB in Southern Spain

[Mythste]

Obviously, this year has been a bit of a write off for international excursions, and truth be told the closest thing I've been to an international cycling holiday is the Outer Hebrides! It still counts.

I'm looking for some opinions (Kind thanks to Norm who has OK'd this post).

My family have a Villa in the mountains of southern spain, immediately adjacent to the Montes de Malaga. The Villa was renovated over 5 years from around 2010 and the lead builders son owns 2 bike shops in Malaga - Result!

With this in mind, we're thinking about setting up a mountain bike and gravel bike excursion proposition. The local bike shop has ride leaders they're happy to spare us and a few vans they're happy to use as shuttle vehicles. I don't imagine that they will be up for single run shuttling, but would be happy to drop off at 8 am and pick up later in the day if the route doesn't start or stop at the villa.

The locale is perfect for road riding, and the vuelta goes passed every few years, however the last mile is a loose gravel track and I think that really rules things out on the road riding side. I wouldn't want to walk that track in SPD-SLs.

The villa is functionally luxurious. There's a pool, a number of outside seating areas. Indoor and outdoor kitchens. A courtyard (Which we are kitting out with a bike stand and some decent tools) Parking for 6 vehicles. Sleeps 10, 3 kings and 2 twins. 2 full bathrooms.

So my question to you, bike packers, is what would you want from a trip like this? What would you want to know before handing over any hard earned?

I'm well aware that most of you would sooner cut up your own tarps than go on a pre-arranged holiday like this, but that's the reason I wanted to ask, I imagine you lot will be nice and critical!

Fire away!

[Bearbonesnorm]

Personally, I'd probably want something quite simple. Someone to pick me up from the airport, a meal and a place to stay the night I arrive. After that I'd be up for something self-guided while my bike box stayed behind. After getting myself lost and dusty, another meal, another nights accommodation and a return to the airport.

I appreciate the above probably wouldn't make good business sense though

[jameso]

I always liked the idea of staying somewhere that was the centre of a number of 2-3 day loops. Get to know an area with a home from home base. It'd be like a 7-10 day trip with more down time, could do a few trips or just 2 with some pool time in between.

[pistonbroke]

We've been doing exactly what James talks about for coming up for 3 years here in Southern Cataluña.
https://casatomillo.wixsite.com/home
We offer guided or diy trips around the mountains surrounding the Ebro river, day trips or multi-day bikepacking, airport pickups from Reus or Barcelona etc.
Tbh, most of our visitors have been content to chill out by the pool or take trips to the beach 20mins away or birdwatch on the Ebro Delta.
The cooler climate here allows us to operate virtually year round with only July and August temperatures being a shock to the system for visitors from the UK. Not sure if this would be the case in Andalusia, I did the Badlands event around Granada last week and it was mid 30's, an ex TdF pro dropped out with heatstroke. I also run a week long Coast to Coast trip in the Spring which has been well received by those who've done it.

[Cheeky Monkey]

I'm struggling to reconcile a swish villa with trips that'll involve several nights away. Seems a lot of expensive,unused resource for the odd night or two.

That may just be me and my standards though

[pistonbroke]

I think James's description of a trip that involves a clover-leaf of overnight or 3 day trips works very well, especially in an area that's not well known to the visitor. I spent a considerable time researching such trips before we started doing our thing and now have at least 10 multi-day routes that either start from here or very close by. You should also consider that people have partners that wouldn't consider a week sleeping in a ditch a perfect holiday, we also cater for bikepacking widows and widowers with a range of activities from mountain walking to kayaking on the river Ebro and paddleboarding in the Med, or of course just lying on the beach. Also having someone local who can sort out the logistics and has done their homework on good places to go can save an awful lot of faffing time or those who don't have much to spare.

[Cheeky Monkey]

"Bike packing widows"



[woke]Though if course the casual sexism in your statement appuals me [/woke]

[Bearlegged]

Widowers were mentioned too, definitely equal ops abandonment going on.

[Cheeky Monkey]

How right your are. Apologies to Piston. I am clearly to sh1t to read properly

[pistonbroke]

Though if course the casual sexism in your statement appuals me

Perhaps you should read the post properly then and then learn to spell apalls.
Edit, apology accepted, try looking up the use of too too

[Lazarus]

Widowers were mentioned too

[Ultra woke] God we are very very binary on here today lads *[ ultra woke]


* Intentional and true !

[Cheeky Monkey]

It's been a long day.

[AndreR]

Widowers were mentioned too, definitely equal ops abandonment going on.

[jameso]

Seems a lot of expensive,unused resource for the odd night or two.

Expensive, maybe not, price wasn't mentioned - gear storage, value of returning to comfy clothes and a pool and cold beer, a mix of riding escapism and coming back to base to relax or do day rides, or a restock point in an area that may not have a lot of supply points? Or starting out in all this, a bikepacking couple or group of mates wanting a mix of trips and a place in the sun with a flexible week agenda, it makes some sense to me. Niche market but little competition (I am available for marketing and promotional work at a very low rate, value for money is to be assumed as like-for-like )

[Cheeky Monkey]

I'm not doing well at clarity here

My mention of "expense" was the cost to OP of the villa, rather than his pricing. Although I anticipate the two may well be linked to some degree to recoup costs (just thought of that).

The couples thing hadn't occurred to me but it's a good point. Although here I also wonder how many take their non-biking OHs on these sort of trips? Again, not something I know about. Family and trips involving OH would not include me ducking off for days of BP

Personally, if I were going to the time and expense of travel abroad to ride I'd want to max that so really all *I* would need is something at the start and end of trip. A little luxury siuld be lovely but that's probably much more basic than the OP's place Hence my thinking that an all mod-cons villa would be sitting unused for too much of the trip. Something like a bunk barn would be all I'd need. I completely accept my whole image of trips doesn't probably fit with the potential aspirations of the OP or how others see this sort of trip. Then again the question was how it would appeal to all the bikepackers

HYOH

[jameso]

My mention of "expense" was the cost to OP of the villa

Ah ok... Nice problem for someone to have OP mentions a family villa so I just assumed they were looking at ways to get bookings there.

Although here I also wonder how many take their non-biking OHs on these sort of trips?

I do see a fairly high proportion of gravel bikepackers being couples so maybe they're not going yet but there's a small market there for sure - the TNR has a noticeable amount of couples entering. I really do see the appeal of a villa base for ride-outs in the way that Pannier do 'luxury bikepacking' trips. Just needs presenting well and some pre-planning of the rides (as Duncan's done/mentioned).

(all counterpoints for the sake of topic, not 'But, but, no...' )