cycling holiday tour company

[Mtb tourer]

2 nights ago an Exodus tour arrived not long after us , bikes were still outside as we tried to check in . We are not using booking sites where possible ( America) as it saves the accommodation owners paying fees. Check out the tour expensive for cycling days ( £200 ) and looks like every day has a transfer . Support is guide ,jeep with trailer and a minibus/broom wagons and the info pack highlighted plastic waste problem, don't think European cyclists chuck water bottles bought in shops all over the countryside. 2 vehicles following 12 cyclists is not very eco friendly.

[Navrig]

There are a few ways f looking at these tours. Obviously your comment about it not being eco friendly with vehicles following the cyclists.

At least they are cycling and, assuming they are trying to cover a specific distance over the trip, they are probably covering at least 50km per day. Over a few days that does require some dedication and fitness.

Is it possible that they are all still working and choose to have everything organised so they can maximise what they do with their holidays? If this is the case then there is a chance that some of them will start to look into longer, self supported tours in the future.

I must admit I quite like the idea of a fully supported tour in the south of France. 30-50km per day through beautiful countryside with great food (cafes, restaurants and picnics) and a greater chance my wife could join me.

On the topic of booking sites, I have come across some places which prefer people to use the likes of booking.com.

[slowster]

There are a few ways f looking at these tours. Obviously your comment about it not being eco friendly with vehicles following the cyclists.

From an eco perspective the tours really need to be looked at in the round. The support vehicles and plastic bottles probably pale into insignificance compared to the ~1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person for a return transatlantic flight to somewhere such as Central America.

[Nearholmer]

Precisely.

Going on holiday by air is a sustainability disaster zone, and the various forms of bike tourism, hobbyist roadies going to Spain for a week during winter for instance, which is very common, just adds to it.

It’s just skiing holidays on wheels.

You can easily add 20% to your personal CO2 (and other pollutant) emissions in a year by going on holiday by air to Europe.

[Mtb tourer]

What if you are away for 30 +days instead of the usual 10/12 days . looking at them I reckon most were retired.As for food how many eat the food that's available in street stalls and local produce? Carrefour has a supermarket for the campervan people in Ouarzazate Morocco, some just can't do holidays without food they are used to or try local dishes.

[TrevA]

My wife and I did a Cycle Tour of Cuba, supported by a small tour bus. Not Exodus, but Cycle Active. It was good to have your bags carried, so you could just ride with a small bag with snacks, etc. The bus met us at regular points and topped up our water on some very hot days. We also had some part transfer, part ride days, and a couple of full transfer days, which enabled us to see much more of the island than if we’d just been riding. As the bus was always following and meeting us, you did have the option of climbing aboard if you’d had enough. Not everyone on the Tour was a seasoned cycle tourist. We weren’t retired at the time and took 2 weeks annual leave to do the Tour. We ate local food, Rice and Peas and had lobster 3 or 4 times. Some restaurants were in peoples houses. The trip and experience of a lifetime for us.

We’ve also done several self supported tours, where we had to carry all of our stuff with us. JOGLE and a CTC Tour of the Inner Hebrides, amongst others.

[slowster]

What if you are away for 30 +days instead of the usual 10/12 days . looking at them I reckon most were retired.As for food how many eat the food that's available in street stalls and local produce? Carrefour has a supermarket for the campervan people in Ouarzazate Morocco, some just can't do holidays without food they are used to or try local dishes.

Whether the holiday lasts one or two or three months, the flights still emit ~3 tonnes of CO2. Consuming locally produced food on holiday is not going to offset that.

[Mtb tourer]

At least our Winter heating is not used, have you eaten supermarket imported fruit this winter or the phone /computer we use on forums come from Asia . You would need to be hermit cut off from the commercial world to be Co2 free. Also the concrete bases for imported wind turbines etc . We are all guilty.

[slowster]

We are all guilty.

That was not your attitude when you started the thread in order to criticise the Exodus tour and contrast its eco impact with your own.

[roubaixtuesday]

At least our Winter heating is not used, have you eaten supermarket imported fruit this winter or the phone /computer we use on forums come from Asia . You would need to be hermit cut off from the commercial world to be Co2 free. Also the concrete bases for imported wind turbines etc . We are all guilty.

The emboldened is a total red herring.

Embodied carbon in wind installations is tiny compared to the power output.

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021 ... d-turbine/

[Navrig]

At least our Winter heating is not used, have you eaten supermarket imported fruit this winter or the phone /computer we use on forums come from Asia . You would need to be hermit cut off from the commercial world to be Co2 free. Also the concrete bases for imported wind turbines etc . We are all guilty.

As a civil engineer I am interested in your alternative solution for stabilising and dealing with the large loads coming from wind turbines and their towers. If it's a good idea perhaps we can work together and patent it. Clearly the stupid engineers who are designing current wind farms aren't doing their job well enough.

[Mtb tourer]

Concrete emissions on a global scale https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/11 ... tal-impact. Read this and find out how much damage it causes. Just saying everything that's made has side effects. Structural engineering projects using concrete might need a rethink if it's 8% of Co2 output.

[roubaixtuesday]

Concrete emissions on a global scale https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/11 ... tal-impact. Read this and find out how much damage it causes. Just saying everything that's made has side effects. Structural engineering projects using concrete might need a rethink if it's 8% of Co2 output.

You either didn't read or didn't understand the article I posted.

Embodied CO2 emissions in wind power are tiny.

The emissions of the total amount of concrete poured in the world is completely irrelevant to wind power emissions.

[simonhill]

About 2015 it was calculated that the CO2 emissions from the gas central heating of a 3 bed house was the equivalent to 6 transatlantic flights.

Since then planes have become significantly more efficient most central heating boilers havn't.

Staying at home isn't necessarily the best option

[Mtb tourer]

Makes me feel better now . Not at home and heating off, non Transatlantic flight ,a win for the planet as my sister says it's 2° at home.