Neilson Lesvos as a real mountainbiker!

24 Aug

For nearly the last decade Vicky Bikes' family holidays have been spent with Neilson Holidays in Greece or Turkey. Originally it was about relaxing, waterskiing and sailing but in 2015 I got on a bike and the rest is Enduromum history. A few weeks ago we returned for a fourth time to the volcanic island of Lesvos, ready for another fortnight of fun in the sun.

Early starts to beat the heat

Biking with Neilson depends on the resort, but in Lesvos it’s a mix of road and offroad riding on hardtails over mountainous terrain. The trails immediately around the resort are a mix of fireroads or singletrack where technical sections come in the shape of loose rocks, pillows of sand, disintegrating concrete and deep ruts caused by heavy winter rains. Neilson guests represent all walks of cycling from lycra clad roadies and baggy shorted MTB’ers through to happy pedallers wanting an excuse for a pint. Through the prism of the holiday you see a rare sight: roadies and MTB’ers mixing – happily! Roadies lead uphill on the roads, moving aside so the MTB'ers can go stonking past, off the brakes and flying down the descents, later over gritty Greek coffee or frappes they can all be found swapping tales and tips. Even more impressive this year was the numbers of riders turning out early each morning – one ride peaked with over 30 guests pedalling their way up to the local dam and beyond! The guides are usually mountain bikers but not exclusively and their fitness and enthusiasm are immense. Between the longer/harder morning rides and the shorter/gentler afternoon rides there’s something for everyone and it’s heart-warming to see others starting out just like I did and finding the passion and confidence to tackle rides they didn’t think they could.

Dambuster ride - Radio mast in the distance

When I first rode with Neilson, fitness was my biggest challenge. I felt the buzz of adrenaline and got the endorphin rush but knew there was more to be had if I could just go a bit faster. Last year, my fitness had improved and the technical sections became more of a consideration. Could I make it through the rock garden to claim a beer prize? As it turned out, I couldn’t! This year, the holiday was a welcome chance to do a few hundred km’s in glorious scenery but what would the challenges be? The rock garden was an obvious one but beyond that how would it feel to be riding these trails again with a year’s UK riding under my belt?

Radio Mast - Ride 1, Week 1

The first ride of the week was to the local radio mast; a short, steep track gaining 150m+ in elevation. This was my original nemesis and when I reached the summit this time I really couldn’t believe how easy it felt. Although many of the routes remained the same, some of them were being run in reverse which provided more challenging and interesting technical climbs.

Vicky 1: Radio Mast 0

Some of the riders from the first Sigri 50km ride

However, I did rebel on the last ride of the holiday – a 50km circular route with 910m elevation gain. Why would you climb from sea level to 502m elevation on a road full of switch backs instead of coming down that way and going from summit to sea in 20 minutes?! You wouldn’t! Total no brainer - there was no way I was missing that descent for a second week!

Summit to sea in 20 mins!

You see it all on the roads in Lesvos!

I am still not the fastest hill climber and strong winds meant that at times I had to battle to cycle downhill, however, I came into my own on the dusty rock-strewn fireroads – both up and downhill. The techniques I’d learnt in the last year were paying off as I chose my lines and moved around the bike to keep grip on the sketchy surfaces. Over the winter the rain and rivers had washed whole roads away, obligingly creating a variety of natural rock gardens to play in. Even the original rock garden section proved no challenge this time, earning me a QOM on Strava and 4^th place overall (by 3 bloody seconds!).

That was a road last year

As the holiday progressed several of us bonded as a group and sometimes broke off from the main ride to extend the ride or get back in time for a ski tow or sailing lesson – scheduling your activities is a serious business on a Neilson holiday. In the interests of variety and this blog I also joined a couple of the green rides – they get cocktail stops on those!

That'll be a Straight Up at Parasol, please!

I love this mural in Skala Eressos

Rush hour traffic!

I was stoked to be invited out on a couple of extra rides with the guides: Guy, Lewis and Pablo. Along with another guest and fellow MTB’er, Andy, we scoped out a new route that would give people a taste of more challenging offroad riding, before heading over to the other side of the resort to try out a new end for the following day’s Offroad Riot. It was great to see the guys let their hair down and to share a ride for the fun of it.

Recce ride with Pablo, Andy and Lewis

The highlight of the week was an epic early evening ride encompassing a local goat trail. Descending over 300m it turned out to be the best bit of raw singletrack I’ve ever ridden this side of Snowdon! The euphoria alone would have carried Guy, Andy and I back up the torturous road ascent to do it all again, but the light was fading and we had to climb back through the scarily named Death Valley to get back to resort.

Andy at the top of the sweetest singletrack!

Andy, Guy and Me - anticipation building!

Kings and Queen of the Mountain!

Reaching home just as sun sets

So how was the riding after a year’s MTB in the UK – great! At times I missed the longer travel of my Juliana Roubion, but riding a hardtail on dusty trails under the baking sun is simple, honest fun. The trails felt so much easier and hills were not an issue any more but there’s always something to enjoy, even if it’s simply pushing faster and harder.

Cheers once again both Lesvos and Neilson Holidays – see you again next year? Although I may have to push it back a week so I can get to Ardrock first, if that’s OK with you!

Epic Sigri ride - the right way round!