Georgetown, Penang

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

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

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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

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.

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Kuala Selangor to Teluk Intan - 101km

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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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Joe's Rides

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

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!

2009

It’s been long since I wrote last time. Indeed we have been working on tours and guided rides a lot during the second part of 2008, and so time on the computer besides work was rather short…
But now we are back and I would like to start the 2009 season thanking everyone that came in 2008. Especially Bill from Guy’s Bicycles wth whom we had a lot of fun. We also got to know many new friends which we hope to see in the future. I hope you all enjoy this slide show with some of the best pictures.
Also, I look forward seeing and riding with Matt’s and Co group from Calgary with whom we spent a magnificent tour. We are now preparing the Wine Tour in South Catalonia that I am sure they will love. But I will talk more about it in following posts.

Saludos!! Jaume

Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

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2008 sees the 88th edition of the "La Volta" Ciclista a Catalunya, one of the oldest races on the UCI Pro Tour Calendar.
Throughout the history of this race it has started in as far-flung regions as Andorra, Mallorca, France and even Italy but it is of course focused on the roads of the Catalan region of north-eastern Spain.
Totaling about 900 km in full, stage one starts with a 3.7 km time trial in Lloret and then it’s on to the six remaining days comprising the one-week stage race which finishes up in the great town of Barcelona.
Due to its place in the riding calendar (after the Giro d’Italia), La Volta a Catalunya is the traditional preparation ground for Pro teams to competing in the Tour de France.
The overall winner receives a white and green striped jersey. In addition, as a week-long stage race, The Volta a Catalunya is the third oldest cycling stage race in the world (first time in 1911), only behind the Tour de France (1903) and the Giro d’Italia (1909).

Be part of the History, ride with us La Volta a Catalunya!

Emily and Jack. Tour for Two

We had been preparing this tour for several months.

May came and everything was ready to start. I prefer that this time, Emily and Jack take the blog to write about the week.

Our cycling experience with you in Girona, Spain this May was truly a pleasure. From the day we began planning and inquiring about Bike Cat, you provided a level of hospitality and warmth that is rarely seen. Although it was just the two of us, you gave us the whole trip – frills and all. It was quite special!

We arrived in Girona feeling as though we had known you for ages! What we were about to experience was so far beyond our expectations.

Everything came together in this magical way – the hotel and staff was impeccable, the location of the hotel put us right in the center of everything and we felt like locals in no time. We have never eaten so well and the meals you selected for us were some of the most delicious food we have ever had. We loved how we developed an understanding of Catalan cuisine through the amazing meals you organized. And most of all, thanks for sharing a part of your childhood with us. We loved learning about the Catalan culture through your eyes.

Now for the riding – oh wow! We are still speechless, nearly 3 weeks later! First, a gorgeous Road Book - giving us a synopsis of all the rides, important aspects of the locales we were headed to and information about the terrain both visually and in words.

Each night we would study the book for the next ride and when the ride ended, we logged our time and mileage. This information was invaluable – thoughtfully developed!

The rides were so perfectly timed and put together – we were never outside of our capability but were also incredibly challenged. Lunch was perfectly timed so that we never were short on calories and gave us time to reflect, learn about one another, and discuss the ride. The routes were absolutely stunning, breathtaking, relaxing, all of the above!

In between the riding – Debbie was a dream. We got in the car to head to Figueres and it was like chatting with an old friend. It was also refreshing to learn about Spain from a familiar perspective – being from the States. She let us decide what we had in mind for the day and it we truly enjoyed both the Espelt Winery and The Dali Museum.

Again the hospitality was just overwhelming. We so enjoyed meeting and spending time with Debbie.

Thanks for going the extra mile and taking us to the Volta. We have never been to a UCI Pro Tour race before and it was incredible. It was a great way to top off our tour.
We are so grateful for all the effort you put in to make our vacation the trip of a lifetime. We had the most amazing experience and are already talking about when we can go back.
Thank you for everything! We would not change a thing.

Emily Holdge

Temps de Flors

One magical week in May, Girona opens up to visitors displaying its inner charms. From churches to museums, and even private homes, inventively show off the artistic talents of its inhabitants as well as the intrinsic beauty of Girona. The whole town is in bloom as you wander between displays, taste special "flower" menus in restaurants, and view storefronts all joining in on the festival. What makes this week most magical are the places you can only visit this special week of the year, any other time you could just imagine what is behind those closed doors.

Debbie

Frank & Art

I met frank last year when he spent several days in nearby S'Agaró. We did a few rides, enough to make plans for the following year.

This time, Frank and his friend Art spent a weekend in Barcelona to see the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Catalunya in Montmeló and do some sightseeing before coming to Girona. we spent 3 days of good riding and enjoying spring landscapes. The last day Frank and myself joined Xavi, Michael, Hincapie and Mike Friedman for a ride. But after the first hour, I had a flat and we split. Enjoy the pictures! See you soon!