The next steps would be to sort out the logistics. This was the bit I was least looking forward to, given the myriad of different options and permutations available. Given that I am going with a mate also, this would mean co-ordination and agreement on many aspects of the trip which was bound to take some extra time and effort.
As usual, first port of call was the trusty research. What were the options for getting bikes to Mallorca, how much would different options cost, what did others do, where was the best place to stay, how long should we stay for, when should we arrive, or leave......
My biggest concern and least understood element was the bike. I knew that there were bike boxes to hire and I'd already researched those and decide the bike box Allan was my choice, not only did it seem the most appropriate and recommended, but what a name. It was worth hiring one for that alone. And then of course, hiring a box would mean dismantling my bike and reassembling it at the other end. Whilst I look after my own bikes as best I can, I wasn't sure how much dismantling was required and therefore how much reassembly. On top of that, the charges levied by the different airlines and the requirements and conditions under which they transport your sports gear, didn't always seem to be entirely crystal clear. If I used a box, did this limit my options for getting to the airport, as I couldn't imagine using a train/tube with a holdall/case and bike box in tow.
Or there was the option of a bike transfer. So a firm that collects your bike and delivers it to the race start location and then collects it after the race and takes it back home. My Mate had done some checking on this already and had come up with a price of £180..wow, that seemed a lot compared to the bike box option. I was hoping to get return flights with one case and my bike for that sort of money....maybe I was being too optimistic.
There followed a period of looking at flights, trying to get an idea of price and see if there were sensible time/price combinations. There wasn't a massive variety and a lot of flights seemed to leave from one airport and return to another. Also Easy Jet had not yet released flights covering the dates we were interested in...should we wait - they might be cheaper?
Then, we couldn't work out when to arrive and leave....so a Saturday race would be a Friday registration and rack, but you'd want to be there the day before to get your bike set up and sorted and a test ride in. But, you don't really want to use up too many days holiday....although you don't want to rush the trip either. We seemed to be in a bit of a circle here, not being able to decide on anything and as a result not booking much.
These things are typically not straightforward, especially as an age group athlete, where you are trying to book something into a family calendar and need to discuss and agree dates with the better half, like I said before, you don't necessarily want to take up 4 or 5 days annual leave for what is to all intents a one day race.
So, we decided on a face to face meet, rather than endless what's apps, emails and texts. Bacon sarni's were and mugs of tea were made one Sunday morning and we eventually agreed on all we needed to.
1. We would use the bike transfer service
2. We agreed the hotel we would book and the exact type of room
3. We agreed what day to leave and when to return
4. There would be no snoring in the room
All we wanted to do now was wait a few days for the Easy Jet flights to come out. And, it was worth the wait. Once we had agreed to use the bike transfer service, we knew it would be easier, if we wanted to, leave from one airport and arrive back at another as we didn't have to think about lugging bikes around with us (if we landed back home at say Gatwick and had to get trains). We managed to get return flights, leaving from a different airport to the return one, but including 23g luggage, for £109 all in. Very happy.
Once flights were confirmed, I booked the hotel room. All that remains now of the logistics side is to book the bike transfers, for which the price is already agreed.
So, what is the tally for this leg of bookings. Here goes.
Or there was the option of a bike transfer. So a firm that collects your bike and delivers it to the race start location and then collects it after the race and takes it back home. My Mate had done some checking on this already and had come up with a price of £180..wow, that seemed a lot compared to the bike box option. I was hoping to get return flights with one case and my bike for that sort of money....maybe I was being too optimistic.
There followed a period of looking at flights, trying to get an idea of price and see if there were sensible time/price combinations. There wasn't a massive variety and a lot of flights seemed to leave from one airport and return to another. Also Easy Jet had not yet released flights covering the dates we were interested in...should we wait - they might be cheaper?
Then, we couldn't work out when to arrive and leave....so a Saturday race would be a Friday registration and rack, but you'd want to be there the day before to get your bike set up and sorted and a test ride in. But, you don't really want to use up too many days holiday....although you don't want to rush the trip either. We seemed to be in a bit of a circle here, not being able to decide on anything and as a result not booking much.
These things are typically not straightforward, especially as an age group athlete, where you are trying to book something into a family calendar and need to discuss and agree dates with the better half, like I said before, you don't necessarily want to take up 4 or 5 days annual leave for what is to all intents a one day race.
So, we decided on a face to face meet, rather than endless what's apps, emails and texts. Bacon sarni's were and mugs of tea were made one Sunday morning and we eventually agreed on all we needed to.
1. We would use the bike transfer service
2. We agreed the hotel we would book and the exact type of room
3. We agreed what day to leave and when to return
4. There would be no snoring in the room
All we wanted to do now was wait a few days for the Easy Jet flights to come out. And, it was worth the wait. Once we had agreed to use the bike transfer service, we knew it would be easier, if we wanted to, leave from one airport and arrive back at another as we didn't have to think about lugging bikes around with us (if we landed back home at say Gatwick and had to get trains). We managed to get return flights, leaving from a different airport to the return one, but including 23g luggage, for £109 all in. Very happy.
Once flights were confirmed, I booked the hotel room. All that remains now of the logistics side is to book the bike transfers, for which the price is already agreed.
So, what is the tally for this leg of bookings. Here goes.
- Return flight to Palma (Easy Jet) including 23kg luggage = £109.40 (annoyingly my mate booked his 10 minutes earlier and paid about a pound less !)
- Hotel accommodation (5 nights) = £272 (includes breakfast)
- Bike transfer = £180 (not booked at time of writing)
This makes the running grand total so far, including race entry (approx £283) and bike transfer (when it's paid) a not insignificant......£844 !! By far the most expensive race I've ever entered.
Remaining spend I hope now will be limited to spending money when I'm in Palma (food, the obligatory Iron Man t-shirt). I'd initially thought the whole adventure would cost me around the £1000 mark...so far, I'm in budget !
No comments:
Post a Comment