Summary: Did 7-day self-guided Alentejo Heritage & Wine Route. Accommodations 5/5 stars; Support…read morefrom bikeiberia 1/5 stars; Bike condition/safety 2/5 stars; Bike routes 4/5 stars. This was our 3rd self-guided bike trip (previous years included Czech Republic and Puglia, Italy).
The lodging was incredible. Arriving after biking all day to a basket of goods & refreshments was much appreciated. Taking a refreshing dip in the pools was also welcoming. The wine experiences were exceptional, especially the tasting at Ervideira in Èvora.
Support from BikeIberia - another person posted a similar comment and we should of listened!! One bike had unsafe lack of braking power. Our group of 8 had two experienced bike mechanics and they were unable to fix this problem. The response from BikeIberia was "Let one of the smaller women ride that bike." Guess that's an option if you want see someone seriously hurt!
Bike condition/safety: 2/5 stars - above and also two of the bikes had the chain jumping off the gears into the spokes or off the front gears. The rear chain jumping off locked the back wheel which was dangerous. Obviously the bikes were not thoroughly road tested and tuned to acceptable and safe standards. Fortunately, a group of two finished their BikeIberia tour the day prior, and the two Cannondale's fit the folks with no brakes/no gears.
Bike routes: The itinerary was well organized with the average distance of 30 miles/daily was ideal. We enjoyed the castles, churches and cemeteries that greeted us throughout the day. However, we did not feel consistently safe on the roads; many roads ridden with minimal shoulders. Also, did not appreciate the routing at the end of day, through towns, past ALL 'sights' and finally to the lodging. This often involved narrow cobblestone roads shared with cars, trucks and walkers.
