Discover Hidden Europe

Come and share in our passion for exploration. Podiaventures are fully supported cycling adventures across Hidden Europe.

The Tatra Mountains stretch across Poland and Slovakia offering a rich tapestry of scenery to explore by bike. Tatra Mountains Roadventure, Poland & Slovakia 12th - 16th June 2019 11th - 15th September 2019

Start: Base location: Duration: Avg Distance: Avg Elevation: Difficulty: Kraków Niedzica 4 days riding / 4 nights 100km 1300m 3/5

The Podia Way Roadventures are fun, social rides with a chance to meet new people with the same interests. They are not about performance, but the joys of adventure. If you want to test yourself up a climb, we have the guides to go with you, but if you want to ride it at the back at your own pace, we also accommodate that. BOARS PASS 120km 1,680m

WARM UP 42km 630m

POLAND

SLOVAKIA

ROMA ROADS 105km 1,630m

GIANT’S SHADOW 92km 1,700m

TATRA MOUNTAINS

Location

The Tatra Mountains make up the highest part of the Carpathian range that stretches in an arc from Czech Republic, through Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Ukranie all the way down to Romania. The Tatra’s are rugged mountains with high cols and precipitous faces. The wall-like nature of them forms a natural border between Poland and Slovakia with only a few places to pass through them. "The experience turned out to be much more than just beautiful roads and spectacular scenery, I also got to meet and ride with a group of exceptional cycling enthusiasts from all over Europe."

Eric, Hong Kong

Roadventure includes...

- Small groups of 6-8 riders - Kraków airport transfers - Four nights single & double occupancy accommodation - Four days of riding - Breakfast and evening meals - Ride guides with in-depth local knowledge - Ride support with mechanical assistance - Ride photography - Routes designed around experiencing the local area - Ride nutrition and hydration provided by Chimpanzee - Wahoo GPS devices for test rides - Brooks saddles for test rides (special sale prices available) - BBQ & Drinks on the final night Roadventure does not include...

- Flights

- Lunch and snacks

- Alcoholic drinks with meals

- Travel insurance

- Incidental expenses

- Genesis bike hire available upon advance request

"Lost roads surrounded by beautiful landscapes, crossing picturesque villages with long, curved climbs!"

Philippe, Belgium

[email protected] "After experiencing the Tatra Mountains with an amazing group of people, I can honestly say that it was the most fun I had on a bike"

Benjamin, Berlin

Itinerary

What to expect Day 01: Warm Up, 42km, 630m

You will be looked after from the moment of your You will be collected from Kraków airport and transferred to arrival to your departure. Staying in traditional our mountain base in Niedzica. Transfer by mini-bus will take mountain accommodation, tasting local food and drink around 2 hours. as well as experiencing the Tatra Mountains. Fully planned routes with support vehicle, mechanic After settling at the mountain base, there will be the first oppor- and ride guides with you at all times. Each day of tunity to explore the area by bike. A short ride will help stretch riding will be tailored to the group. Ride nutrition and the legs after the travelling and give you a taste of what is to hydration provided by Chimpanzee. come. A buffet-style dinner will follow in the base. There will be an opportunity to have a light lunch or Day 02: Roma Roads, 105km, 1,630m coffee/cake stop during the riding days (not included in the price). These breaks will be in restaurants that we The first full day in the mountains will bring a favourite ride of have pre-selected on each route. ours; a loop crossing the border into Slovakia. It has featured in Podia articles and the first Podia film. From 30-40 minute ascents, short and punchy climbs to rolling hills, the terrain of South Poland and Slovakia The day will be supported by a service car with mechanic, ride has it all. food and drink. Our ride guides will be riding with you at all times.

A buffet-style dinner will follow in the base. Day 03: Giant's Shadow, 92km, 1,700m Partners

The second day brings the chance to sample the quick descents To help make your Roadventure an unforgettable of the Tatra Mountains as well as the picturesque surroundings of experience we have teamed up with some of the best the small village of Osturňa. cycling companies around.

Dinner will be served in a special location where a metal sculptor has spent the last decade working on every detail of the restau- Genesis – If you don't want to bring your own bike, we rants décor. can offer you the fantastic Genesis Volare race machine.

Day 04: The Boars Pass, 120km, 1,680m Brooks – We have a range of Brooks C13 saddles for our guests to try on rides. We also have special discounts The final day in the mountains and a further opportunity to for the Brooks online shop. explore some of the roads around the Pieniny National Park as Morgan Blue - We think a clean bike is a fast bike, so they wrap around the Dunajec River. we use the great cleaning products from Morgan Blue to give you that extra advantage. To celebrate four days of riding we will finish the day with a traditional BBQ feast during which you will have a chance to fill Chimpanzee – Honest, all-natural, hydration and up on local food and drinks. nutrition made from real foods. Free of additives, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, chemicals and GMO's. Day 05: Departure day Vegetarian and Vegan options available.

Transfer back to Kraków as per individual travel arrangements. Wahoo – Our ride guides and support vehicles use the Sightseeing or late departure from Kraków to the airport possible great tracking features of the Wahoo ELEMNT. We are upon request. also able to offer units for guests to test on rides. Rental Bikes

We love seeing people's bikes on Podia Roadventures, we even photograph some of them for our blog. But, we know that it isn't always practical to travel with your pride and joy. With this in mind, we wanted a great solution for our guests and to achieve this we partnered with British brand Genesis. With a strong history of producing fantastic bikes for amateurs as well as their own professional team, they were in the perfect position to offer our guests a temporary steed. Our purpose built fleet of Volares are steel machines made from Reynolds 853 tubing that provides an incredible level of comfort on long rides, but stiffness where it is needed. Specification

Our fleet of Volares have been specially built by Genesis with a great choice of components. Shimano flows right through them making use of the Ultegra R8000 mechanical groupset with hydraulic disc brakes. The all new Ultegra RS770 carbon-laminate wheels complete the kit. A mid-compact crankset (52-36) with a large range cassette (11-28) is the perfect combination to tackle the terrain around the Julian Alps. Pro PLT seat post, bars and stem complete the build. We have a range of stem lengths to suit most riders, we ask that you send details of your bike dimensions before the trip, so we can ensure the rental fits you perfectly. Accommodation & Food

We want Podia Roadventures to be as much about riding in new places as experiencing the country and local region. With this in mind we have found a traditional mountain base in Niedzica where we have reserved exclusive access to a large traditional log cabin. Located next to a lake and a medieval castle, our traditional Polish mountain base is part of the 19th century complex originally built in the nearby village and now moved and renovated to modern standards. Each guest will be provided with comfortable double occupancy en-suite bedroom (single available upon request) and bike storage. Breakfasts will be served in the restaurant in an adjacent building from our base. The same restaurant will host a buffet style dinner for the first two nights. On the Friday evening we have planned a meal in different and unusual location. To celebrate the Roadventure weekend on Saturday night we will have traditional BBQ feast by our mountain base. Accommodation & Food includes...

- Picturesque mountain base location in Niedzica

- Traditional Polish accommodation and restaurants

- Double occupancy en-suite bedrooms

- Single occupancy upon request

- Buffet breakfasts

- Buffet style dinner for first two nights (alcohol not included)

- Friday evening dinner in a special location (alcohol not included)

- BBQ and drinks on the Saturday night Join us on a Roadventure

Contact [email protected]