Croatia

Don't Chute!

Has anyone here done any cycling in Croatia? What was it like? Any suggestions for bike rental? I'll be staying in Kastel Stafilic near Split in September for a week and thinking about doing a bit.

hesker

Spent two weeks in Croatia in July. Absolutely loved it. Only rented a mountain bike one day for a few hours but that was excellent.

I'm sure you will get a road bike rental if that's what you're after.

If you have the time get out to the Islands. I stayed in Stari Grad on Hvar. Got up at 5.30 one morning to avoid the heat and had a great spin on a mixture of unpaved and paved road across the Island to Jelsa and around Jelsa.

Stayed in Sali also on Dugi Otok. The sea is fantastic over there. So clean, warm and calm.

September is the best month to visit according to the locals. I wish I was still there!

ThisRegard

Didn't cycle, but had a car for a few weeks there. Driving was the worse I've encountered anywhere I've been abroad.

edit: Just googled their statistics, despite an improvement their roads are apparently 60% deadlier than the European average, it's about the worse in Europe.

Don't Chute!

ThisRegard wrote: »

Didn't cycle, but had a car for a few weeks there. Driving was the worse I've encountered anywhere I've been abroad.

edit: Just googled their statistics, despite an improvement their roads are apparently 60% deadlier than the European average, it's about the worse in Europe.

Jesus. Something to look forward to so:(

lil_kev

Don't Chute! wrote: »

Has anyone here done any cycling in Croatia? What was it like? Any suggestions for bike rental? I'll be staying in Kastel Stafilic near Split in September for a week and thinking about doing a bit.

Yes I did from Osijek to Zagreb apx 300 km. Took me two days to cycle that route.

Fian

I was in Istria. Lots of good off-road tracks, picked up a few punctures on them though. I was on a hybrid rather than a mountain bike. The off road tracks are not smooth, but they are quite pleasant. I wasn't in a rush.

On road was very different. Scary close passes, no street lighting at all. Would be very wary of cycling on roads there, off road was good though. I did cycle about 20km to a waterpark with the (teenage) kids, mostly on road, (we hired a bike each but no car.) Was a bit nerve wracking tbh but we made it. Would not do it with kids again though.

mr spuckler

ThisRegard wrote: »

Didn't cycle, but had a car for a few weeks there. Driving was the worse I've encountered anywhere I've been abroad.

edit: Just googled their statistics, despite an improvement their roads are apparently 60% deadlier than the European average, it's about the worse in Europe.

I didn't find the driving there that bad tbh - Montenegro was much more sketchy! I don't remember meeting any cyclists on the road though, perhaps a sign of how safe the locals see it as being!

Lusk_Doyle

Going to the other end of the country myself shortly. I found my bike rental store!

hesker

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Going to the other end of the country myself shortly. I found my bike rental store!

Care to share the details. Just back from 2 weeks in northern Croatia (Zagreb and Cres Island).

Was in Slovenia for 5 days also. No cycling due to chest infection. Slovenia around Kranjska Gora is set up brilliantly for cycling. Plenty of completely segragated off road cycle paths with good surface. Drove up to Vršič pass from Kranjska Gora and there were tons of road bikes and mountain bikes doing the climb (Ht 2874m with 24 hair pin bends). Road and mountain bike hire available locally. Was gutted I could not take it on.

https://www.kranjska-gora.si/en

Mercian Pro

This year's Hospice Cycle took in a bit of Northern Croatia and quite a bit of Slovenia before finishing in Italy. On a previous trip I had thought that the Croatian drivers were worse than the Slovenians and my experience this time was similar. We were on quiet back roads or cycle tracks a lot of the time but on main roads the Slovenians generally gave more room when passing. We probably felt more vulnerable in Croatia than at home but less so in Slovenia.

We were due to cycle the Vrišič Pass hesker but because of rain, poor visibility and cold we gave it a miss. Definitely one to return to (even if it's "only"1611m) as the scenery is really spectacular around there.

Lusk_Doyle

hesker wrote: »

Care to share the details. Just back from 2 weeks in northern Croatia (Zagreb and Cres Island).

Was in Slovenia for 5 days also. No cycling due to chest infection. Slovenia around Kranjska Gora is set up brilliantly for cycling. Plenty of completely segragated off road cycle paths with good surface. Drove up to Vršič pass from Kranjska Gora and there were tons of road bikes and mountain bikes doing the climb (Ht 2874m with 24 hair pin bends). Road and mountain bike hire available locally. Was gutted I could not take it on.

https://www.kranjska-gora.si/en

Flying to Pula and staying in Umag, right up near the border with Solvenia.

Found a rental spot here:


http://rentalcenter.hr/rent-a-bike-umag/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyeKK-cWl3AIVTLftCh3fdgtiEAAYASAAEgJIefD_BwE

Have a few weeks to do a bit of terrain research before I go to see what's on offer route-wise.

mr spuckler

hesker wrote: »

Drove up to Vršič pass from Kranjska Gora and there were tons of road bikes and mountain bikes doing the climb (Ht 2874m with 24 hair pin bends).
https://www.kranjska-gora.si/en

isn't a good bit of it cobbled? it's years since I drove it and I seem to remember cobbled stretches on one side anyway.

I drove the Stelvio and Vrsic passes in the same day - for reasons of need rather than a particular desire to do so, had to get from Bormio to Bovec. that was a long hairpin filled day!

hesker

mr spuckler wrote: »

isn't a good bit of it cobbled? it's years since I drove it and I seem to remember cobbled stretches on one side anyway.

I drove the Stelvio and Vrsic passes in the same day - for reasons of need rather than a particular desire to do so, had to get from Bormio to Bovec. that was a long hairpin filled day!

Just the hair pin sections are cobbled and don’t think all of them either. The straight sections between bends are smooth tarmac. Loads of road bikes going up. Cobbles did not seem too deep so maybe that was why. I’d have no hesitation about choosing a road bike over a mountain bike.

Edit: You can see from google maps that the cobbled sections are really like a block paved driveway.

Mercian Pro

This is the last bend (#24) before the top coming from the Krjska Gora side. Fortunately there are no cobbles on the far side if you are descending that way. There's a good description of it in "Mountain Higher".