Friday, February 20, 2015

A cycling weeked in Nice

To escape the foggy, dark and depressing weather in Zuerich, I spontaneously decided to fly to Nice for a three day weekend. With a bike rented and a small hotel room, I was ready to discover Nice.

Here are the details:

Airport: The airport of Nice is adjacent to the city and it takes a 10-20 minute bus ride to get downtown.

Hotel: I stayed in Eastern Nice in a 10 room hotel, privately owned: Clair hotel for 55 Euro/Night. If you prefer to cook your own food (with a grocery store in 2 minute walking distance) the room has a small cooking niche. It is a simple setup, not at all fancy but has everything one needs. Plus, the hotel owner is very nice and makes sure you have a nice stay.

Bike: To avoid the hassle with bike transfer and build-up, I rented a Giant TCR Advanced at http://www.cycleclassictours.com/ for 165 Euro for three days. It is an online service and they delivered it to a near-by La Route Libre bike shop which was a 10 minute walk from the hotel.

Riding: The guys at the Route Libre bike shop were awesome. I joined them for a ride to Italy and back. If you are looking for recommendations on routes, ask Francois from the bike shop. He speaks English and knows the area very well.
On Saturday we rode along the coast to Italy and back. Amazing scenery. Beautiful view to the ocean, castles, and towns like Monte Carlo and Menton. From the coastal road there seem to be endless climbs up perfect to get more climbing into the ride.
On Sunday, I joined a Triathlon club towards Cannes and then hit the mountains. Monday, I rode up to the small town St Agnes.












And here some pictures:

View towards Menton

Fantastic views

Relaxing near the water


The town of St Agnes on top of the mountain


Smoothly paved roads