Hooked on Cycling-UK tours outfit, any experience?

Hi,

I was thinking about doing a tour of the south west coast of Sardinia with
Hooked on Cycling (http://www.hookedoncycling.co.uk). The problem is they
don't really have any references or testomonials. The itinerary looks good,
but vague on lodging and food. The gentleman I have been corresponding with
will only supply me with the fact that they are members of two tourist
organizations including Bitoa (British Association for tours) as well as
two cut and paste rather unspecific remarks from customers as follows:

" Thank you for arranging a fabulous cycle tour , the weather was fab,
hotels great and that Italian Cuisine !!! , the hotel at Calasetta was
wonderful "

" Just a quick word to say thank you for the Sardinia tour , our family
enjoyed the small group and the back up service was first class , the bikes
were some of the best we have had on a cycle tour before "

He says the UK data privacy act prohibits his giving out information. I
asked if they might add testomonials to their site, no response. In fact,
though I have been impressed by the quick responses, I feel like they could
be more thorough and substantive.

Anyhow, I am sure they are fine, but never having heard of them and living
in the US leaves me somewhat uncertain about choosing them. They are the
only tour starting at a good time for me, though. I realy want to see
Sardinia.

http://www.hookedoncycling.co.uk/Ita.../sardinia.html

Anyone who has direct experience with Hooked on Cycling in Sardinia or any
other country, if you can offer feedback I'd appreciate it. Also, if anyone
has cycled in Sardinia and knows this course, I would welcome any advice or
commentary on the itinerary.

Thank you in advance,
Susannah

Suggest you post he

uk.rec.cycling

On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 17:47:16 GMT, Susannah wrote:

Hi,

I was thinking about doing a tour of the south west coast of Sardinia with
Hooked on Cycling (http://www.hookedoncycling.co.uk). The problem is they
don't really have any references or testomonials. The itinerary looks good,
but vague on lodging and food. The gentleman I have been corresponding with
will only supply me with the fact that they are members of two tourist
organizations including Bitoa (British Association for tours) as well as
two cut and paste rather unspecific remarks from customers as follows:

" Thank you for arranging a fabulous cycle tour , the weather was fab,
hotels great and that Italian Cuisine !!! , the hotel at Calasetta was
wonderful "

" Just a quick word to say thank you for the Sardinia tour , our family
enjoyed the small group and the back up service was first class , the bikes
were some of the best we have had on a cycle tour before "

He says the UK data privacy act prohibits his giving out information. I
asked if they might add testomonials to their site, no response. In fact,
though I have been impressed by the quick responses, I feel like they could
be more thorough and substantive.

Anyhow, I am sure they are fine, but never having heard of them and living
in the US leaves me somewhat uncertain about choosing them. They are the
only tour starting at a good time for me, though. I realy want to see
Sardinia.

http://www.hookedoncycling.co.uk/Ita.../sardinia.html

Anyone who has direct experience with Hooked on Cycling in Sardinia or any
other country, if you can offer feedback I'd appreciate it. Also, if anyone
has cycled in Sardinia and knows this course, I would welcome any advice or
commentary on the itinerary.

Thank you in advance,
Susannah

Cross-posted to uk.rec.cycling. Someone there may have been on a trip
organised by these people, even if not in Sardinia.
--
Michael MacClancy

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 07:42:51 +0000, Michael MacClancy
wrote:

I was thinking about doing a tour of the south west coast of Sardinia with
Hooked on Cycling (http://www.hookedoncycling.co.uk).


Hi,

I _think_ (I'm really quite sure) it was this lot I booked a holiday
with in 2003 - it was the Tuscany coast one south from Livorno. They
basically book you up with a large German tour company whose name
escapes me; there were mostly Austrians and Germans doing the same
tour as us, including a couple of near pensionable age old dears who I
suppose creaked along all day in the Tuscan sunshine (and sometimes
just got a lift with the luggage van). You can choose whether or not
to cycle together (we didn't).


So the cycling's not too hard - our hardest day was 40 miles along the
coast and then inland though a forest. It was hot. Our water was hot.
We got lost etc etc.


It was great visiting a different resort each day and having a cold
beer on the beach knowing that we'd earned it for the day. The hotels
were generally decent, mostly air conditioned. We took our own bikes
via Ryan air which was fairly painless tho' the tour company do
provide decent-ish looking touring bikes (looked quite
sit-up-and-beg).

Thoroughly recommended holiday! We're thinking of doing the Czech
lakes one next :-)

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 08:50:25 +0000, silangdon wrote:

They
basically book you up with a large German tour company whose name
escapes me;


http://www.eurocycle.at/index_en.php