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Islandhopping by Bicycle
The Croatian Adriatic coast and the islands are not like the lowland, but mostly hilly, and partly mountainous with steep climbs; therefore, to participate in our tours, a good physical condition is essential. The routes are suitable only for participants who cycle or do other sports regularly.
You should furthermore bear in mind that the temperatures in Croatia could often be much higher than in your home country and may reach 30°C and more, even in June or September.
We have created route profiles for each tour, in order to give you an overview of the difficulty of the routes and stages. The creation of the profiles was carried out with utmost care; anyhow, small differences due to measurement tolerances of heights and distances are possible. The tour descriptions and line profiles are therefore purely informative. The actual distance travelled may depend on various factors – therefore, in consultation with the participants, legs can be reduced or extended, or, in case of bad weather or high temperatures, replaced by longer swimming breaks.
Our bike guides have evaluated the degree of difficulty of each tour from 1 to 5, which is pictured in the route profiles with the corresponding number of bike icons. Not only were the length of the tours, but also the number of ascents and descents, and the type of the trail taken into account. For the evaluation average physical condition was supposed – it could of course happen that some participants are already overwhelmed by an easy tour, while others still feel underchallenged even at a difficulty level of 5.
Depending on the physical condition of the participants, the bike guides may suggest routes with lower or higher levels of difficulty. Trips to small island locations – to visit a landmark or a lodge for an additional break – are often not taken into account in the descriptions and leg profiles. Since the roads on the islands mostly run above the villages, additional ascents and descents are possible. It may also occur that some vantage points or sites cannot be reached by bicycle, but are accessible only on foot – in such cases, we may opt for a short walk.
Our bikes are stable trekking bikes with aluminium frame, Shimano gears, light luggage racks, bottle holder and bike bag. Not only our vessels are serviced, maintained and safety checked every year. We also pay the highest attention to our bicycle fleet. The bikes are not only serviced weekly after each tour and also given a general overhaul in winter, but are replaced with new ones every two to three years. In the last two years, we have purchased around 100 new cross bikes each time – not off the peg, but individually assembled for us from the best components, based on the experience of the last few years. In the following we will give you some technical data:
- Frame: aluminium
- Frame size ladies: 45, 50 cm
- Frame size men: 50, 55, 60 cm
- Brakes: Shimano BR-M315, hydraulic disc brake
- Derailleur rear axle: Shimano Deore RD-M591
- Derailleur front axle: Shimano Alivio FD-T4000
- Seat tube: Scott HL SP 238
- Saddle: Selle Royal Rio
- Tires: Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour Unplattbar®
On our “Active & Cappuccino” cruises from Rijeka (RC), Zadar (ZC) and Trogir (TC), a limited number of children’s bicycles is available as well. Please indicate with your booking if you need children’s bicycles, so that we can plan ahead. For children from approx. 10 years of age, our ladies’ bicycles with a frame size of 45 cm, are suitable as well. On our regular bike & boat cruises, children’s bicycles are available at a very limited number, and can be booked only on request.
In recent years, e-bikes (electric bicycles) have increasingly come into vogue. Of course, we do support this new trend, and therefore we are offering you the opportunity to rent e-bikes on our active cruises (limited number). This will give elderly and not experienced guests the opportunity to participate in more challenging tours, because the e-bikes will ease the trip, especially on uphill tracks.
In the years 2018 and 2019, we purchased over 100 new e-bikes “CUBE Cross Hybrid Pro 500”. The motors “Bosch Performance Line CX” with 250 watts power and support up to 25 km/h are ideal for the requirements of the Croatian island world. Even steeper inclines, which can now be mastered without effort, make you want to experience the new lightness of cycling. We have also deliberately equipped our e-bikes with “Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour Unplattbar®” tyres, which guarantee almost puncture-free riding even on difficult terrain.
- Frame: Aluminium Superlite
- Frame size: Men 50, 54, 58 cm; Trapez 46, 50, 54 cm
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX, 250 W, 75 Nm
- Fork: SR Suntour NEX-E25, 63 mm
- Handlebar: CUBE Rise Trail Bar, 680 mm
- Derailleur: Shimano Deore RD-M6000, 10-speed
- Breaks: Shimano BR-M315, Hydraulic Disc Brake
- Rims: CUBE ZX20, 32H, Disc
- Saddle: CUBE Active 1.1
- Tires: Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour Unplattbar®
The bicycle rental refers to the use during the advertised and guided tours. For insurance reasons, it is not possible to use the bicycle for tours on your own.
For your own safety, we strongly recommend that you wear a bicycle helmet. With booking one of our active cruises – “Island Hopping by Bicycle” or “Active & Cappuccino”, a rental bike is included in the tour price and we will gladly provide you with a helmet as well. Please advise us with booking, should you require a helmet. Of course, you may also bring your own.
It is also possible to bring your own bicycles if you travel by plane. The supplement for bicycle transport is around € 50 per bicycle and route, including transfer from the airport to the ship and back, with most airlines. The airlines reserve the right to make changes to fares. The passenger is responsible for preparing (e.g. straightening the handlebars, removing the pedals, deflating the tyres) and packing (in special boxes or bags) the bicycle for transport in accordance with the airline’s conditions. Bicycle transport must be announced when booking so that the flight and transfer can be arranged accordingly.
Here you will find the prices for bicycle transport for all airlines with which I.D. Riva Tours collaborates.
Bicycle transport in our coaches is not possible. For charter groups who wish to travel by coach, we will be happy to make an offer for bicycle transport in special trailers.
Our bikes and e-bikes are insured against damage. The insurance premium is included in the rental price.
Participation in the bike tours is at your own risk and responsibility – I.D. Riva Tours is not liable for bike accidents or for damage to bikes not provided by I.D. Riva Tours.
Travel insurance is not compulsory, however we strongly recommend that you have cover for your own peace of mind and security. Emergency medical coverage is most important. Insurance policies vary, so read the fine print carefully to see exactly what is covered, or ask your travel agent for advice.