HC Bike Tours
Providing all-inclusive, SAG van supported and guided cycling tours in Europe for avid cyclists., HC Bike Tours involves cycling 60+ miles a day with ex-pro cyclists, including the owner, Aigars Paegle. Now, with over 10 years of experience providing tours, he uses that same level of excellence in leading guests to the tops of the most famous summits of France, Italy, and Spain. In fact, don't be surprised if your leader is an ex-Tour de France rider. Their routes include scenic backroads and climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees, or anywhere you wish, as custom tours are also a large part of their business.
Regional Notes:
- Operator Type:
Regional Operator - Website:
http://www.hcbiketours.com/ - Price Tier: $$$
- Services:
- Country:
Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain
20 Reviews
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Thank you HC Bike Tours and Aigars Paegle for an exceptionally well organised training camp catered to our goals whilst touring the beautiful island of Gran Canaria. Thoroughly recommended for any cycling enthusiast and i will be back!
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I joined HC Bike Tours as a guest on Tour de France Alps tour. I had the great opportunity to climb the most beautiful climbs in Alps that were included in Tour de France stages. It was a bit hard core, as it should be. Days when we watched the Tour de France live were really exciting – seeing how pro cyclists are climbing the same climbs where we had been just few days ago was amazing! HC bike tours truly provided perfect service and organisation for our well being. It was a great week in Alps! Thank you!
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HC Bike Tours is a good tour company if you would like to do a lot of riding in the high mountains and a lot of kilometers. Good food, well organized. It’s a good idea to travel with HC Bike Tours. I plan to travel with HC Bike Tours in future and recommend that to my friends as well.
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I had a blast at the Gran Canaria training camp. Challenging but doable. Gran Canaria was beautiful and the roads were great. Your pre-ride descriptions were very accurate and although the weather did not always cooperate you were able to plan a good ride. Thanks for being a great guide and providing support during the rides.
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Marion Clignet was a guide on a cycling tour that I undertook through the French Alpes in July 2013. Marion’s love of cycling was very evident right throughout the tour. She was more than happy to share little tips and tricks to help either improve our cycling in general or great benefit. I would be more than happy to take part in another cycling tour that was guided by Marion.
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I joined the HC Bike Tours Spring Training Camp in Gran Canaria in 2016. 2 great weeks – lots of challenging (and picturesque) riding made great fun by Aigars and his team. A lot of thought had gone into the schedule and routes and the team were very flexible and adaptable to cater for differing ability levels, fatigue levels and, for the first week, unusually unpredictable weather. Lots of great training tips were offered, the on road support was second to none and the camaraderie and vibe made the whole trip a pleasure.
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Thank you, Aigars, for the live opportunity to witness such an amazing event as Le Tour de France 2014! As a non-rider I initially expected a boring time in some cycling camp and was not sure how will I fill in my free time. However, it turned out me having no free time whatsoever! Every day was fulfilled with new impressions, activities and amazing sightseeing of Alps. Looking back at the trip I am amazed by HC Bike Tours professional investment to create the trip as it was. I could fully rely on the organisers; everything was carefully thought through in advance even for me as a ‘city cyclist’ – regardless if that was joining the group in mountains, receiving other special service or enjoying amazing company. Exclusive opportunity to ride the Tour de France track myself on the electro bike and then seeing Tour de France live for sure was a highlight! It was extremely emotional for me to have that special presence feel of thousands of fans involvement.
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I road with Aigars, a co-founder of HC Bike Tours, for five amazing days in the Alps during the 100 year anniversary of the Tour de France. I will never forget that trip, and highly recommend cycling with him. Aigars helped create the most epic moments, like descending a pass in the pouring rain or sprinting for French city signs. Yet he also took great care of me. He navigated crazy country roads, lead me to amazing food and shelter, and simply matched my pace on a tough climb. I’m already looking forward to my next trip!
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My son and I recently completed the 2015 Pyrenees Tour de France tour – 6 great days and a real challenge. It was made exceptional by the HC Bike Tours team (Aigars and Janis). Everything was well planned and executed – accommodations, rides, support – all of it. By the end of the tour I felt we had made new friends and plan not only to stay in touch but look forward to another tour in the future. I cannot recommend HC Bike Tours enough – small tours with a personal touch and great people. Hey, they put up with an old guy trying to keep up finish the climbs each day. Great job guys!
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To any/all folks poking around the internet, trying to track down a reputable, small-group cycling tour with great challenges and greater guides, I could not recommend HC Bike Tours enough. My father and I just wrapped up a week-long battle through some fantastic Pyrenees climbing, and walked away feeling like the experience was essentially unmatched. The rides are very well guided, flexible for varying levels of experience and fantastically well-supported. Despite near-100f temperatures all week, the HC Tours van kept us very well fed and hydrated throughout all of our rides, allowing us to focus on completing some historical climbs and enjoying the atmosphere surrounding Le Tour. Honestly, could not say enough things about the company. Thanks for a great week, guys!
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Just returned from our Tour de France Alps Tour w HC Bike Tours. First, this was my first trip to Europe and a first bike tour. And HC Bike Tours company made it a memorable, hard but enjoyable and well organized experience. Couldn’t have asked for anything more…I attempted many hard, beautiful climbs in the Alps…minus the heat, I think I would have fared much better. But the overall experience was awesome and Aigars Paegle and Janis Musins “Coach” were awesome hosts. Took care of you when it was needed. Left you alone when it was warranted. They were very accommodating and generous. Felt like many “Sunday”rides with a handful of your buddies. If you are thinking of some serious riding in Europe, consider HC Bike Tours to even accommodating your custom tour. The routes they select are awesome and breathtaking. The accommodations are clean and comfortable. Prepared food are delicious!!! I wish I can do a Tour with them several times a year…. Thank you Aigars and Janis for the experience and memories.
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2015 will forever live in my memories as the vacation that allowed me to learn what it means to “climb” as well as view the races of the Tour de France. An avid “crit” racer who lives in Florida, my previous climbing experiences have been little or non-existent when compared to the 39,000 ft. I tackled on this journey. With the aid of them leader Aigars Paegle and coach Janis Musins, I received the personal attention necessary to allow me to achieve my goal of climbing the mountains of the Tour de France. HC Bike Tours specializes in catering to small groups that are hard core cyclists so you will never find a excursion like this, that will be allow you to fulfill your cyclling needs and special viewing set-up complete with satellite dish and gas grill. Thank you Aigars and Janis for fulfilling the dream of a lifetime!
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Nearly two months after our Cantabria & Asturias Tour all the physical tiredness is gone and only good and positive memories cross my mind when I remember this trip. The route was very interesting and HC Bike Tours was very flexible to adjust it in order to match different fitness levels in our group. Half of our group had only some MTB experience and it was the first time on decent road bike for us. In the very beginning to climb Lagos de Covadonga seemed mission impossible, but we did it only 4 days later 🙂 It was a great achievement for men who are not very regular cyclists and quite often prefer pub to the bike 🙂 . All this was possible because we could concentrate only on cycling and HC Bike Tour did the rest, spoiling us with excellent service and assistance en route and perfect after-cycling program with nice diners and accommodations. Cantabria & Asturias itself was very nice with scenic nature, perfect roads, friendly people, good cuisine. Definitely it’s worth to go there but be prepared for heavy pedaling.
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Overall really enjoyed the bike tour. The tour was well organized for the whole tour and in particular for the days we watched the Tour de France. The locations for viewing of Le Tour were great and the amenities provided were awesome. The itinerary for the tour covered all the major Cols in the region with options that helped eliminate “junk” miles. In addition, as sometimes happens on holiday, forces beyond your control change the plan. HC Bike Tours was well prepared with alternate options that were equal to my expectations of the original route. I thought the tour was a little pricey compared to other tours, but it can be hard to compare value without actually going on all the tours. I was disappointed that none of the guides on the tour spoke French. I had communicated that as an expectation prior to the tour. Luckily no emergencies came up, but based on my previous experience it helps enhance the experience of being in a foreign land when you have guides that know the language. Pros: Nice route.
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My dreams of cycling in Alps and watching Tour de France LIVE came true this summer. Aigars, the owner of HC Bike Tours helped me to fulfil both at the same time. This trip certainly was the highlight of this summer. Watching Tour de France LIVE in HCBT dedicated race viewing areas and supporting Latvian cyclist Gatis Smukulis was amazing experience. In this kind of cycling trips it is extremely important to have a guide you can rely on; who could share his experience, suggest and educate how to cope; sometimes simple thumbs up was required. Aigars certainly provided that all. We had a true team spirit. I appreciated Aigars helping me to adjust the route and workload to match my physical condition. He also took good care of my non-rider girlfriend, she was pleasantly impressed. I wish good luck and non-stop development!
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Aigars was our team leader when we rode in France. We followed the Tour and rode many of the Epic climbing routes in the Alps during the last week of The Tour. My husband and I have been avid, hardcore cyclists our entire adult life. We originally met racing and training in NYC. We have done many a lap in Central Park in Manhattan and Prospect Park in Brooklyn. We have always dreamed of seeing the tour and of riding in The Alps. Aigars led us through the stages in the Alps with professionalism and humor. His love of the pristine mountains and scenery added to the joy of our experience. He was always there to support us. Happy Cycling!
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HC Bike Tours helped me fulfill a dream of cycling through the Italian Alps and Dolomites. My goal for the trip was to climb Italy’s highest and hardest mountains. The company designed a custom bike tour for me that fit my travel schedule and budget. The CEO and founder, Aigars, took me in his personal vehicle on a five day trip from Munich to Bormio to Val Gardena to Salzburg. HC Bike Tours did all the planning and allowed me to just focus on cycling. HC Bike Tours made sure that I finish every ride, have fun, and enjoy the scenery. The best day was the first and only day in the Dolomites when we knew the weather would be bad the next day so we went big and put two days of riding (Five climbs, 130km, 3500m) into one! I never felt rushed and I never felt alone the whole time. HC Bike Tours was well prepared for the trip with everything I needed for 8-10 hours on the bike each day including energy bars, gels, snacks, and recovery fuel. The ride leader had spare tubes and bike tools.
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I just wanted to express my gratitude for your hospitality on Hautacam while we were in France. To be able to watch a stage of the Tour de France, on the hill, from the comfort of a tent with TV, BBQ, good company, was a real privilege. I can only wish you all the very best. I am sure HC Bike Tours business will be a success.
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Amazing express tour. Aigars picked me up at the Toulouse airport. Two hours later we were on our way to climb Tourmalet and Hautacam. Amazing experience even with the subzero temps and snow storm. Aigars was fantastic – rode to my pace. Now planning another express tour for July!
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My wife and I enjoyed an amazing trip riding and viewing the 100th Tour de France. Aigars was one of our ride leaders. He was the only one brave enough to descend and climb to the lunch stop from Croix de Fer through rain and two hail storms with me and my teammate.
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