Girona

Back in the summer of 2016 three friends living in Girona pooled their credit cards, hunted for the best deal on the market & bought 7 bicycles. These bicycles were squeezed into an apartment hallway & delivered to the first Eat Sleep Cycle bike rental guests by founders Lee, Louise & Brian. Now, 3 and a bit years on, we’ve expanded from an apartment hallway to fill our Hub in Plaça Catalunya & a few months ago we opened a Service Course to house more bikes as well as our tour vehicles & equipment.

As the cycling tour season approaches, it’s a great time to reflect on why we work with the brands we work with.

Ridley: A Belgian Classic

The core of our rental fleet comes from Ridley bikes. Ridley is based in Flanders, Belgium – the heartland of cycling & home to some of the most spectacular cycling events on the calendar, the Tour of Flanders & Gent-Wevelgem. It is Belgium where kids master the cobblestones by the age of 5, where the country comes to a standstill to watch the Spring Classics. Ridley, like Eat Sleep Cycle, is made up of a team of people who live & breathe cycling.

Founded by Flandrian Joachim Aerts in 1997, Ridley is a company which has innovation at its core. After racing from the age of 14 to 19, Aerts soon took a different path and learnt bike painting, welding & building. He founded his first bike company in 1994. Staying at the forefront of product design & development is key & their mission is to build cutting edge machines which reflect a riders individuality. To date, Ridley has collected 15 world titles, one for each year since its involvement in professional sponsorship. Ridley is now a household name with top pros riding their bikes, for instance the powerhouse team of Belgium-based Lotto-Soudal making expert use of their bikes.

In 2017 we were searching for a bike brand to work with here in Girona. Ridley had just signed a sponsorship deal with Irish Pro Continental Squad Aqua Blue. A few of their riders were in town and we kept seeing Ridley bikes flash past. Ridley were not with another shop in Girona, so we got in touch & a new partnership was born. Ridley bikes are a firm favourite with our guests. They have great geometry which works for everyone & are dream to work with for our mechanics.

Our 2020 Ridley Bikes:

• Fenix SL Disc – choice of 105 or Ultegra Di2
• Helium SLX Ultegra Disc
• Noah Fast Di2
• Kanzo Adventure Sram Force 1x
• Ignite
• Tempo

Staff rides: Marc – Noah Fast, Nancy – Tempo

Factor: On top of the world

At the beginning of 2019 we were searching for a super-high end bike. We wanted to offer our guests the opportunity to ride one of the best bikes in the world during their tour of a lifetime. At the time we’d just started working with David Millar & his clothing brand, CHPT3. We’d seen David riding around on his beautiful One More Lap design bike and heard good things from riders in teh One Pro cycling team (at the time sponsored by Factor). One Linked in connection request later, and we were in touch with the owner of Factor Rob Gitels.

Factor Bikes is all about technology & its roots like in motorsport & aviation. In 2007 Factor Bikes was born in an industrial unit in Norfolk, England. Originally an offshoot of bf1systems, Factor began as a leading engineering firm dedicated to working at the highest levels of design with some of the fastest, most prestigious brands in the world including Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati and many F1, Moto GP, and WRC teams.

In 2009 Factor entered the cycling world with the revolutionary FACTOR001. More pioneering development ensued and in 2012, Factor launched a collaboration with Aston Martin – the Factor ONE-77 £25k Hyper Bike. By 2013 Factor was unveiling its first production bike, the rule-breaking Vis Vires which included a bf1systems-developed power meter, a distinctive Twin Vane split down tube and a split external ‘Dual Bayonet’ fork. The Vis Vires platform debuted to unanimous critical acclaim from both the world’s cycling press and prestigious design award committees.

In 2014 the Factor engineers turned their attention to developing the next generation of frames, including the ONE & O2. Enter Baden Cooke. A top professional for 14 years, an Olympian & winner of over 50 races, Baden won the Green jersey in the Tour de France in 2003. As he worked with Factor, Baden fell in love with Factor’s vision & ideals. He took the Vis Vires for a test ride & that was it. Shortly after the ride Baden, along with engineer Rob Gitelis, purchased Factor Bikes from bf1systems.

The work continues and the new generation of Factor bikes continues to innovate & meet the highest demand of luxury performance.

Our 2020 Factor Bikes:

• Factor 02 VAM Ultegra Di2
• Plus Factor 02 Di2 in sizes 46 & 61

Staff rides: Louise – Factor O2

Basso: Italian Passion & Family Values

By mid-2019 we had a gorgeous bike fleet made up of a combination of Belgian class & the highest level of British engineering. What we needed next was an injection of Italian passion. Enter Basso.

Basso is a family run business located in northern Italy, in the shadow of Monte Grappa, in the town of Bassano del Grappa. In 1974 Alcide Basso, the youngest of three sons in the Basso family, started making bicycles in his family’s garage. In 1977 be founded Basso Bikes & was joined a year later by his brother, Marino, when he retired from professional racing. Marino enjoyed an incredible career which saw him win many stages of the Tour of Italy and become World Champion in 1972 with a win that inspired a nation. Marino wanted to offer the public the same tools that professional riders used.

Alcide had a solid foundation in mechanics from growing up in the workshops of master craftsmen & from working as a mechanic with Marino’s professional teams. He traveled all over Europe and worked with teams like Salvarani, Bianchi & Magniflex. By 1976 Alcide was able to open a retail store & in 1981 he opened the first Basso factory. The combination of Alcide’s talent for mechanics & engineering with Marino’s experience as a professional racer, led Basso bikes to create a unique geometry & ride feel across their range of bikes, which still shine through today. Basso’s are bikes created for racers.

So in the summer of 2019 we sat down with Alessandro Basso, the son of founder Alcide & got hooked on all things Basso. These a bikes for riders looking for a pure Italian race experience – they are the perfect machines on which to discover the rugged climbs of northern Italy & the rolling hills of Tuscany.

Our 2020 Basso Bikes:

• Basso Astra Ultegra Disc
• Basso Venta Ultegra Disc

Staff rides: Silvia – Basso Venta, Lee – Basso Astra

Reilly: Best in Class Titanium Bikes from Brighton, UK

We were looking for a missing experience for our gravel riders. With a stiff, fast carbon gravel bike from Ridley, perfect for high-octane dashes through the country side of Girona, we were missing a bike which would excel on the technical stuff & provide greater ride comfort. We asked the Gravel kings of Girona & we kept hearing about Reilly, so we got in touch. Enter Phil – all round legend & the guy who keeps things running smoothly at Reilly HQ.

Reilly is based in Brighton & is the work of renowned UK frame builder, Mark Reilly. Founder of Omega & then Enigma, Mark brings years of frame building expertise to the company. Co-founder Neil Fitzgerald comes from Formula 1 & the third partner, Damon Fischer, looks after graphic & product design. Together they create unique & beautiful bikes focused on creating the best ride experience for the user. Their approach is down to earth & their testing grounds are the rolling Sussex hills around Brighton.

Our 2020 Reilly Bikes

• Reilly Gradient GRX

Focus Bikes: New Generation E-Bikes

The e-bike is a rising phenomenon in the cycling world with sales outstripping the sales of normal bikes. The e-bike is a fantastic way to level the playing field and for people of different levels to genuinely enjoy riding with each other. E-bikes make long kilometers & incredible landscapes accessible for a whole new group of people.

German brand Focus have a reputation for solid engineering. Their road e-bike has led the way for the industry & incorporates the latest technology for the lightest e-bike ride on the market. We’re waiting for the delivery of the first batch, so watch this space!

Our 2020 Focus Bikes:

• Focus Paralane2 e-road bike
• Focus Jarifa2 e-hybrid bike

Book for 2020 Now

To find out more about our 2020 rental fleet and to book now visit our Girona Bike Hire pages, give us a call now on +34 972 754 301 or contact us online!

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Our 2020 rental fleet is finalised, and it’s bigger and better than ever before giving you more bike hire options. We’ve collaborated with brands that we admire, who share our values and, crucially, make fantastic bikes that our guests will love! We’ve also updated our fleet to 100% disc brakes. From road to gravel, electric bikes and hybrid bikes, there’s a bike (and cycling tour) for every type of cyclist to enjoy.

New Rental Bikes for 2020

Let’s start with the new (and exciting!) arrivals for our 2020 rental fleet.

New Gravel Rental Bikes
Gravel is the new black in cycling right now and to reflect that we’ve upped our gravel game by adding TWO new gravel bikes to our 2020 fleet. Ideal for use on our Girona gravel cycling tour or embracing the Trans Alps Gravel tour!

Ridley Kanzo
First up is the Ridley Kanzo. Our 2019 fleet contained the Ridley X-Trail, the brand’s answer to an ‘all-road’ or gravel bike and we loved the versatility of this bike. Ridley have since replaced the X-Trail with the Kanzo Speed, a faster, racier, gravel-oriented bike and introduced the Kanzo Adventure; a bike designed for tougher gravel rides and with longer chainstays and a shorter reach for bigger tyres and more comfort on those long adventure rides.

Ridley Kanzo Spec:

• Groupset: SRAM Force 1
• Wheels: Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 DB

Reilly Gradient Disc
The second new addition to our gravel collection is the Reilly Gradient, a titanium gravel bike hand made in the UK. Not just a pretty frame (although have you SEEN it), in the brand’s own words: “The Reilly Gradient is an unprecedented engineering achievement. Combining a Hydro-formed REILLY AXIS 3AL-2.5V titanium tube set with our hugely flexible geometry”. We can’t wait to get out there and test it on the Girona gravel!

Reilly Gradient Disc Spec:

• Groupset: Shimano GRX
• Wheels: Fulcrum Racing 900

New Road Rental Bikes
Road bikes make up the majority of our rental fleet and as such, curating a high-quality yet wide-ranging collection of road bikes for our guests to ride is paramount, these two new additions are no exception and will be the perfect two wheeled companions for our upcoming 2020 cycling tours.

Basso Diamante SV Ultegra Di2 Disc
For 2020 we will be augmenting our current collection of Basso bikes by adding the brand’s top-tier offering, the Diamante SV. The Diamante is the diamond in the Basso crown jewels, the top-end, aero, race offering from the Italian brand and the SV builds on previous Diamante incarnations with slight improvements and adjustments.

Basso Diamante SV Ultegra Di2 Disc Spec:

• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra
• Wheels: Microtech 38

Ridley Helium SLX Ultegra Disc
Both us and our guests love our Ridley rentals so we’re adding the top-end Ridley Helium SLX to our fleet for even more choice! In Ridley’s words, the Helium SLX is: “the highest level when it comes to stiffness to weight ratio. We’ve designed it to be as light as possible to tackle the longest, steepest climbs. Yet it is stiff and durable…”

Ridley Helium SLX Ultegra Disc Spec:

• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra
• Wheels: Fulcrum Racing 5

Returning Rental Bikes for 2020

Now that we’ve gone through the lineup of new rental bike arrivals for 2020 it’s time to look at the tried and tested that will be returning to the rental fleet lineup for 2020!

Road Rental Bikes
Basso Astra Ultegra Disc & Basso Venta
We love Basso! We introduced the Italian brand to our fleet only a few months ago and the bikes have since had a very exciting reception from everyone who has ridden them. You can read more about the Astra and Venta on this blog.

Factor O2 VAM Disc
One of the most exciting bikes of 2019, the Factor O2 VAM has been a mega hit amongst both our tour and Girona guests as well as staff and friends of Eat Sleep Cycle. To find out more make sure you check out our Factor o2 VAM review (and preview!) to see why we love it.

Ridley Fenix 105 and Ultegra Disc
The Fenix has been in our fleet since 2018 and has received rave reviews from guests in both the 105 and Ultegra versions. Crucially, these models both run disc brakes, which we will be exclusively using in our rental fleet going forward.

Electric and Hybrid Rental Bikes

We’ve spoken before about how electric bikes are a game changer for cycling vacations and what was true in 2019 is even more true for 2020.

Orbea Gain M20
Sometimes we all need a little boost, and the Orbea Gain M20 provides just that. For those riders who want to enjoy the thrill of climbing a mountain without the worry of whether they can make the whole way the Gain is a perfect safety net.

Ridley Tempo Disc (hybrid and electric)
Available as standard and e-bike versions, the Ridley Tempo disc is a great bike to take along the Via Verde or on a family ride or to explore a town and its surrounding area. Our guests have been impressed with the versatility of the Ridley Tempo Disc.

City Bike Rental

If you’re looking for a leisurely cycle tour around a city then these are the bikes for you, spearheaded by the classic cycling brand, Brompton.

Brompton
Bromptons are quite simply the best at what they do. A classic brand and a fabulous fold-up bike for getting around a city, we love Bromptons!

Book for 2020 Now

To find out more about our 2020 rental fleet and to book now visit our Girona bike hire portal, give us a call now on +34 972 754 301 or contact us online!

P.S. Enjoyed this blog? Why not sign up to receive notifications every time we post and get regular updates on our latest tours!

Last month we brought you a preview of the all-new Basso Venta when we added it to our Girona rental bike fleet. Now, it’s the turn of the all-new Astra, which has undergone a similar update and also been made a part of our Girona bike hire cavalry. The Astra comes in at a higher spec than the Venta and according to Basso: “The all-new 2020 Astra pushes the limits farther than any version before it and does so with a good dose of style.” Let’s find out more…

About Basso Bikes

Founded in 1977 and based near Bassano del Grappa, Italy 50km northwest of Venice and less than 10km from the base of Monte Grappa, Basso have been making 100% Italian bikes for over 40 years. In their own words, the brand’s aim is to “put the product first, while always moving forward in terms of innovation, our technicians create with an extreme attention to detail, high precision and relentless perfectionism”, which sounds like a recipe for some pretty special bikes. Basso also work closely with another of our favourite brands, MAAP. The Australian brand, who design and make our beautiful Eat Sleep Cycle kit, worked with Basso to design a Diamante frame as well as running the MAAP/ Basso road team.

How Has the Basso Astra Been Improved?

Basso state that: “the latest version of the Astra model incorporates a great deal of technology that derives from its upper tier siblings and adopts a design that follows a tighter family feeling than ever before”. The new Astra benefits from aspects of the technology utilised within the pricier Diamante range. The frame is designed to be aero but not to such an exaggerated degree that it is rendered uncomfortable on long rides. The Astra has a larger head tube for increased solidity at the front, a near-horizontal top tube and chainstays that are designed for improved efficiency in power transfer.

Basso Astra Technical Info

The Astra’s frame is constructed from 100% 3k Torayca High Modulous Carbon Fiber from a blend of T700 and MR60 fibers.

• Headset and fork 1-1/8” to 1.5” for more rigidity.
• Monocoque frame without aluminium reinforcement parts
• Integrated seatpost clamp
• Disc brakes

Basso Astra Bike Rental Spec

Our Eat Sleep Cycle bike rental Basso Astras are set up with the following spec:

• Microtech MR38 wheels
• Shimano Ultegra 11-speed groupset
• 11-32 cassette

Basso Astra Reviews

We will be road-testing the Astra and we will be sure to get feedback from our Eat Sleep Cycle Hub guests too. Check back here soon for a full review of how the new Basso Astra fares on the roads of Girona!

Basso Astra Bike Rental

To find out more about buying or renting the Basso Astra visit our bike hire web page, give us a call now on +34 972 754 301 or contact us online!

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Photos: Basso

We love Italy. The culture, the food, the cycling and since working with Basso, the bikes! For the end of the 2019 season we are super excited to be introducing the newly re-designed Basso Venta to our rental fleet. The new Venta landed in the Hub this week and we can’t wait for our test-ride event, but until we get our hands on it, let’s take a more general look at Basso and the new Venta’s spec.

Basso Bikes

Founded in 1977 and based near Bassano del Grappa, Italy 50km northwest of Venice and less than 10km from the base of Monte Grappa, Basso have been making 100% Italian bikes for over 40 years. In their own words, the brand’s aim is to “put the product first, while always moving forward in terms of innovation, our technicians create with an extreme attention to detail, high precision and relentless perfectionism”, which sounds like a recipe for some pretty special bikes. Basso also work closely with another of our favourite brands, MAAP. The Australian brand, who design and make our beautiful Eat Sleep Cycle kit, worked with Basso to design a Diamante frame as well as running the MAAP/ Basso road team.

The New Basso Venta

The Venta model is not new to Basso, however the brand has completely redesigned the bike for the 20th anniversary (it’s described as the venti venta, venti meaning 20 in Italian), making it lighter, more aero and trickling down technology and lessons learned from the high-end Diamante but with a much smaller price tag at €??. Available in both disc and rim, they describe the bike as one for “from the pro racer to the Sunday amateur” which is reflected in the more relaxed, but still relatively racey fit.

Basso Venta Bike Specs

Now, onto the details that you need to know about the new Basso Venta bike – it’s a beauty!

• Frame: Full carbon construction and no aluminium reinforced parts.
• Tapered Headset: Headset and fork 1-1/8” to 1.5” for more rigidity.
• 2 Fit: The frame can be used with both mechanical and electronic groupsets.
• Tyres: The Venta comes spec’d with 28mm tyres and there is clearance for a few mm more.

Basso Venta Road Testing

We will be road-testing the Venta in the coming days along with some of our Eat Sleep Cycle Hub customers and we will be sure to get feedback. Check back here soon for a full review of how the new Basso Venta fares on the roads of Girona! And, if you’re keen to find out more about Basso, check out our Basso Palta review here.

Basso Venta Bike Rental

To find out more about buying or renting the Basso Venta visit our bike hire web page, give us a call now on +34 972 754 301 or contact us online!

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When planning a cycling holiday a key consideration is what bike to ride. Whilst some people choose to travel with their own bike the majority opt to save the plane fare & hassle of lugging a bike box around and rent instead. Renting a bike can be daunting – so many colours, models, sizes, groupsets, braking systems, frame materials, companies etc etc. But, renting a bike is a golden opportunity to try something new or even test ride the bike of your dreams.

By asking yourself these simple questions you can decide which bike to choose from all the options out there. Given our location this will be focused on Girona Bike Hire but should help choose your perfect rental bike wherever you’re traveling to!

What Type of Cycling Would You Like to Do?

It sounds obvious but if you know what terrain you’ll be riding on this is a big part of the puzzle & you can start to narrow down your bike hire options:

1. Road – Girona is a hub for road cycling in Europe. Professional road cyclists choose to make Girona their base for training and racing. Quiet roads, respectful traffic a huge variety of terrain & route options make road cycling the most popular type of cycling in Girona (and as a result one of the most popular types of bike hire in Girona).
2. Off-Road – Girona also has a network of gravel roads, mountain bike trails and family-friendly bike paths. There are plenty of bikes to choose from in the off-road category, depending on which type of terrain you’d like to explore.
3. City – Cruising around the city and Devesa park on a bike is a cool way to see the city. You could even consider taking a 40 min train to Barcelona and bike around there too. This is a great option for families and groups of ‘normal’/non-cycling people. A Brompton has to be the ultimate city machine – it’s great fun to ride & is completely foldable – perfect for carrying on and off trains & into cafès and restaurants (for more info make sure you check our guide to cycling in Barcelona!)

Road Cycling: What Type of Cyclist Are You?

Ok, so you’ve decided you want to explore Girona’s beautiful roads. Let’s take a deep dive into the world of road bikes and see how to separate the options so you can choose the perfect rental road bike. Road bikes tend to fall into three broad categories and are best suited to different types of cyclist.

• Lightweight – The Climbers Rental Bike: For cyclists who love to climb then a bike designed around the ability to climb will maximise the enjoyment of the ride.
  • Top Pick: Factor O2 Ultegra Di2 – ok, so it’s a treat but we think a Factor 02 rental is the ultimate climbing machine. With a precision engineered Factor 02 frameset, Black Inc carbon wheels, bars, seatpost & stem & the high performance lightweight groupset that is Shimano Ultegra Di2 this is a machine that flies uphill.
  • Best Value: Ridley Helium X Ultegra – if the Factor’s way out of budget there’s no need to panic. Enter Ridley’s lightweight sensation that is the Helium. Aptly named this is a beautiful frameset which heads skywards with ease.

• Comfort – The Endurance Bike: For riders who love long days in the saddle on varied terrain the endurance bike is the way to go. These bikes tend to offer a more relaxed geometry giving the rider a more comfortable position, best for long days in the saddle.
• • Top Pick: Ridley Fenix Ultegra Disc – The Fenix is Ridley’s answer to Paris-Roubaix. Designed to absorb the shock of the cobblestones the Fenix promises a smooth, sweet ride. Disc brakes offer powerful braking & the ultegra groupset promises perfect shifting.
  • Best Value: Ridley Fenix 105 – the same as above but with rim brakes and Shimano 105 groupset. Perfect for a smooth ride for those on more of a budget.

• Fast – The Aero Bike: we don’t recommend this type of bike for cycling in Girona. With a more aggressive geometry & added weight for the aero features this is a bike that will neither climb particularly well or be that comfortable for a long day in the saddle.

Off-Road Cycling: What Type of Terrain?

If you’re heading off road the key consideration when renting a bike in Girona is to decide what type of terrain you’d find most enjoyable – this will best help you to select your steed:

• Gravel – A good definition of a gravel road is anything that a car can be driven down, any more technical and gravel riding starts to head into mountain bike terrain. A gravel bike has wider tyres and more tread compared to a road bike – offering better grip off road. A gravel bike has a more relaxed geometry than their cyclo-cross counterparts. Make sure your rental bike is geared for the rides you’re planning to do: the steep trails around Girona tend to need a larger cassette that what might otherwise be normal. Get an introduction to gravel cycling in Girona from our ESC tour guide Peter Gaskill.
  • Top pick: Basso Palta – ‘Palta’ is Italian for mud & this is a high-end carbon gravel bike which thrives in dirty conditions. With a specially designed fork and shock-absorbing seatpost enjoy a stable and comfortable ride. There’s also space for up to three bottle cages – great for a hot, off-road bike-packing adventure.

• Trails & Single-track – If you’re planning on tackling more technical trails then consider a mountain bike. A hardtail will cope with most of what Girona has to offer. A full-suspension is pretty niche and not widely available to rent in Girona.
  • Top pick: Ridley Ignite – A lightweight 29’er hardtail designed for cyclocross competition, this is an ultrafast bike for ultimate off-road fun.

• Bike Paths – Girona has a network of bike paths, the most popular being the Via Verde, stretching from San Feliu at the coast to Olot in the foothills of the Pyrenees. A hybrid bicycle is best suited to these trails. Equipped with wider tyres than a road bike for extra grip on the gravel and a super comfortable upright position. Hybrid bikes often come with a rack for carrying bags – perfect for stashing a picnic for when you reach the beach!
  • Top pick: Ridley Tempo Disc – a comfy, versatile bike for enjoying bike paths & roads alike. This bike comes in female specific & men’s geometry & comes equipped with a rack for carrying your bags.
  • Add Some Gas: Orbea Keram Comfort Electric – turbo boost your ride and take the edge off the climbs with this dreamy electrified hybrid. Equipped with a rack you can carry everything you need for a lovely day out on the bike.

If some of the rental bikes mentioned above have piqued your interest you can check our range of rental bikes in Girona here and we also have some of them available for purchase if you’re really tempted!

What About Renting an Electric Bike in Girona?

The trend of electric bikes is booming here with electric bike rentals on the up. Sales across Europe are up & more & more people are turning to electric bikes and it’s no surprise why. Electric bikes offer many people the opportunity to ride a bike in places they never imagined they could physically cope with. Electric bikes mean groups of friends & families with riders of different abilities can ride together and enjoy shared experiences. Electric bikes are a serious amount of fun.

• Top Pick: Orbea Gain M20 – this is a very special electric road bike. A carbon frame & ultegra groupset mean this bike oozes quality and puts Orbea at the forefront of electric bike design. The battery is discreetly hidden in the downtube meaning the bike doesn’t stand out in a field of non-electric bikes.

Bike Hire Girona – Choose Your Bike!

If you’re in Girona and looking to hire a bike we hope the above guide has given you some useful information about the types of rental options that are available and which one would suit you best. If you’ve any questions about which rental bike is for you then give us a call now on +34 972 649 131 or contact us online for more info.

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