Spain (all)

From Barcelona to Venezia (including [among others] Provence and the Dolomites).

Erik had spent the winter looking at pictures of famous Alpine passes, and that's where we were going. Languedoc and Provence also caught our attention, as did Costa Brava in Spain. We therefore decided to start our journey in Barcelona (which we passed through on our Iberia Tour 1999) and to finish in Venice (where we had been during the Touring Italia 1998).

We both signed up in the winter to participate in the ``Vätternrundan'' (a one-day 300k event in mid-June around the second largest lake in Sweden), and trained more than 1000 km during the spring. This training was absolutely necessary, not only for the ``Vätternrundan'', but also for the very hilly tour. In the end, after five weeks, we saw that we had had no more than three days without mountains. The first day through Barcelona, one day along the coast in Southern France and the last day on the plains to Venice. We were also certain that it would not be our last tour in the Alps. The climbs were hard, but the views and encouragements from other cyclists and car-drivers made it all more than worth-while. You are hardly ever alone as a cyclist. Standing on the summit after an hour or more of climbing you feel just as great as when you sweep through the switchbacks, going downhill for tens of kilometers on end!

That was going to be the first of my cycling tours and I had been thinking on a plain and not really long-distance trip. Simply a little adventure in order to test if the experience of touring thanks to your own energy and on a simple economical and amusing mechanical invention as a bike, was so exciting and attractive as shown by the many trip reports already read on the net and also as my mind used always to imagine.

On the other hand I haven?t seen too much material on the net about cycling in the Canaries, therefore I thought that a trip report would be a reasonable and refreshing contribution.

This web site is really just a day to day account of my 2000 mile lone cycle ride undertaken in July and August 2000. Most of my friends thought I was mad to try it at the age of 56 especially since I had never cycled much further than the local pub before. Had done no training, and my fifteen year old MBK mountain bike and heavy tent and things were hardly high tech. Yes I probably was mad but as things turned out most of the trip was great fun and I had very few problems, not even any aches and pains after the first couple of days.

A 2200km ride starting from Bordeaux on the French side of the Pyrenees, and finishing at the rock of Gibraltar off the South West of Spain. We averaged 100km/day, taking a mountainous route through 4 major mountain ranges - the Pyrenees, El Maestrat/Sierra de Cuenca, Sierra de Alcaraz/Cazorla and the Sierra Nevada.
Includes Map, Diary, Kit List, Pictures, Mechanicals, and Quotes...
``The pain in Spain falls mainly on the moun-tain''
``May the flies of a thousand camels infest the armpits of your children''

Santiago de Compostela, next to Rome and Jerusalem, is an important pilgrimage route for christians. According to the legend, the apostle Saint James is buried in the cathedral. Modern science has disputed the fact that the apostle ever reached Spain, however, thousands of people annually make the pilgrimage either by foot, horse, or on bicycle. The historical atmosphere and the spiritual adventure, as well as the physical challenges, cast their spell on the contemporary traveller.

Il seguente viaggio cicloturistico ripercorre una delle vie di pellegrinaggio utilizzate fino dal secolo IX per raggiungere le ``estreme terre della cristianità'' e il sepolcro dell'Apostolo Santiago (San Giacomo Maggiore). Durante questi 2000 chilometri si attraversa ogni paesaggio, dalle Alpi ai Pirenei, dal Mediterraneo all'Atlantico passando per zone montane e pedemontane, altopiani, prati, campi coltivati, fiumi, città d'arte, semplici villaggi, ecc., ecc. Il tratto in territorio spagnolo è meglio conosciuto come Camino de Santiago, Chemin de St. Jacques o Cammino Reale Francese ed è stato dichiarato ``Patrimonio dell'Umanità'' dall'UNESCO e ``Itinerario Culturale Europeo'' dal Consiglio d'Europa dal 1987.

The trip was an attemp to beat Fritz Hansens record from 1999. He did the trip in 20 dayes and nights, 3 hours and 12 minutes. I also went for his average of 289 km a day.

Why alone? It gives you some satisfaction, to know you did the trip alone, and without any help. If you bike in a group, you have to adapt yourself to the groups choice of route and daily distance. When you are alone you are completely free to follow your own rhythm.

Chemin de St. Jacques - Camino Frances - da St. Jean Pied de Port a Santiago (Capo Finisterre). Useful practical information, maps, etc. This is part of the longer trip from Italy through France: Torino - Capo Finisterre 2000.

Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage route taken in honor St James buried in Santiago. There are numerous routes starting at different points - all ending in Santiago. The most famous is the French route starting on the French side of the Pyrennees. Due to limited time, we are riding only part of the route - from Leon to Santiago - a distance over 300 kilometers, in about 6 to 7 days.

Madrid, a cyclist's no man's land - Riding the French Basque Coast - From Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago in 15 days - The Galician Coast.

Wir folgen nun weitgehend den Spuren der Pilger, wobei wir mit unseren Rennrädern natürlich auf der Landstrasse bleiben. Das erste Pässchen - die Hulftegg - fordert etwas Schweiss und wir geniessen die Wärme in der Abfahrt. Das Tösstal ist am Montagvormittag von Autos entvölkert und schnell erreichen wir Schmerikon am Zürichsee. Hier gibt's Kalorien für die nächste Stufe. Die Sattelegg lässt uns reichlich schwitzen und bei leichtem Rückenwind beginnen wir langsam zu kochen. Die Passhöhe erläst uns und bis Einsiedeln sind wir schon wieder abgekühlt. Wir zünden in der Klosterkirche eine Kerze an, fällen die Bidons am grossen Brunnen und weiter geht's über den Sattel nach Schwyz, mit einem herrlichen Blick auf den Lauerzersee.

The Iberia Tour 1999 is our longest journey so far, both in distance and number of days. We went by air from Norrköping in Sweden to Paris on the 9th of June. From Paris, we first travelled southwards to Orléans, then followed the River Loire to Tours, went on to Bourdeaux where we turned towards southeast and followed River Garonne to Toulouse. From Toulouse we began to climb up the Pyrenees and arrived in the mini-country Andorra on the 20th of June. One day later we left Andorra and rode down to Barcelona in two days, then followed the coast to Andalucia, left the coast for Sierra Nevada, Granada and Ronda and arrived in Gibraltar. After a short visit to the African continent, we went on to Seville and then followed the coast to the Portuguese border and further on to the most south-western point of the European continent; Cabo de São Vicente. We arrived in Lisbon five days later on the 29th of July. The total distance amounted to 4630 km and we had 49 days of active bicycling and 4 days of resting. It was just not our longest journey so far, but also the hilliest and the hottest journey, in Spain the temperature at daytime was steadily above 30 degrees Celsius.

I had a wonderful time, everywhere I went the people were friendly, the drivers reasonably considerate, and the touring spectacular. Why the Extremadura? The Extremadura is a very interesting part of Spain for any American because the people in Extremadura have had such a profound impact on the history and development of America. It turns out that the two most famous (or infamous) conquistadors, Pizzaro and Cortez, both hail from the Extremadura. Many other Extremadurans joined them in the conquest of central and south America by the Spanish. Why? During the early 1500's, the Extramadura was a relatively undeveloped part of Spain, filled with minor nobility and controlled by absentee landlords. There were few prospects for a second or third son growing up in this region, and it was a tough neighborhood. The region had long been a contested area in the wars between the Moors and the Spaniards, it was dotted with walled towns, and inhabited by enduring people accustomed to hardship and violence. The opportunity for wealth and fame in the Americas was a magnet for aggressive young men who had few prospects for inheritance and were well trained to fight for what they wanted. Very many of them did achieve wealth and fame, very few of them died peacefully in their bed. They were prepared to live and die by the sword and their wits, most did so.

Middle of June 1998, we [...] started the trip we had dreamed of for a long time: by bicycle from top to bottom through Europe. A view on the map shows that this journey covers 36 degrees of latitude and in total has a length of 7200 km. The trip started in Norway and from there led us through Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and finally to Gibraltar. Not the shortest route, but also an exploration of the better parts of Europe. This on-line trip-report was built up while cycling.

From Glenn and Sheila Ord's Home Page: On the Road to Nowhere - Nowhere is the Place. With an emphasis on budget travelling - Our experiences and advice for cycling in Europe. This guide is entirely based on our 7 ½ months (12,000 km) in 1998 across (and back) Europe: staying almost entirely in campgrounds (185 tent nights). This was supplemented by our time in Italy (April-May 1999).

The idea of cycling in Europe had hit me in England in June: I was cycling from my home in Oxford up to Yorkshire and persistently got lashed by wind and near freezing rain, a thought quickly formed in my mind: time to head south and do a proper cycle trip - to the sun.

From Santiago I headed west to Cabo Finisterre, and Galician equivalent of Englands Lands End, jutting out into the Atlantic, pointing to the American continent. One local I asked directions from said to me; 'Finisterre really is the end of the civilized world', and looked out west towards America. It was a longish days cycling, 140km, and into a head wind, but nice and warm, about 27 degrees.

Es ist schon faszinierend einen kleinen Rucksack zu packen, das Fahrrad aus dem Keller zu holen und sich darauf setzen mit der Zielsetzung Gibraltar zu erreichen. Vor allem, wenn der Startort Zürich heisst und 2800 Kilometer Asphalt in allen möglichen Modifikationen dazwischen liegen. So geschehen anfangs August wo wir uns in Balterswil im Thurgau zum Prolog - so heisst heutzutage der letzte Materialtest - trafen. Der ging über 50 km nach Zürich, bei Wunderwetter das pure Vergnügen, und das Material war perfekt. Also etwas Carbo laden, letzte Details besprechen, die leichte Aufregung spüren und dem nächsten Morgen entgegenfiebern.

Theft Incidents:

• Muesli and milk (fox suspected); Germany
• Dog chewing Glenn's dinner plate; France
• Cat burgler..feline attempt at food in tent vestibule; Spain

A 15-day tour of the Canary Islands, complete with maps.

Gran Canaria is one of the islands of the Canarian archipelago. The island is crowded with small, bending roads. Although the island is not very big there is much to cycle for more than a week. Because of the barranco's (canyons) riding is also very hard. I have been there for twelve days and stayed in an apartment in Playa del Ingles, the tourist centre of the island.

Nice layout, good pictures, altitude diagrams, maps, useful information - well, the works. The route follows the rim of the Alps, crosses the Rhone valley close to Montelimar and enters the Massif Central to follow the gorges of the Tarn river. With an excursion to the Lacaune Mountains and Pic Noire we cross the Garonne valley and head the Pyrenees to climb the Mountains to Puerta Envalira and Andorra. After this excursion to big tourism we enjoy the quietness of the Sierra Cadi from where we visit the Monastry of Montserrat and finally ride down to Barcelona.

With photos, and useful and well-organized information.

Qu'est-ce que le cyclotourisme ? C'est de l'amour ambulant dont la nature est l'objet. Nous devons cette d´finition à Henri de la Tombelle , dans son manuel du cyclotourisme ´dit´ en 1943, et je n'en connais pas de plus satisfaisante.

Pour ma part, même si le cyclotourisme demeure une activit´ ayant ses exigences d'effort et d'endurance, il n'est pas question de devenir esclave de la moyenne kilom´trique. Dans la pratique du v´lo, je vois essentiellement une façon agr´able de se d´placer dans la nature, de d´couvrir des paysages, des r´gions, de r´viser sa g´ographie en allant sur place ressentir la profondeur d'une belle vall´e ou l'altitude d'une montagne. Le Pyr´n´es, lorsqu'on habite Toulouse, sont l'objet de nombreuses conversations entre amoureux de la nature. Très nombreux sont les adeptes des randonn´es durant l'´t´, et du ski durant l'hiver. Pour notre part, peu attir´s par le ski et occup´s à bien d'autres activit´s en ´t´ (du v´lo par exemple), ces montagnes, pourtant si proches, demeuraient ´trangères à nos p´r´grinations et du coup globalement m´connues.

From the moment we started, we knew this was going to be a holiday with a difference. Maybe it was the envious looks we got from British cyclists on the way to Heathrow, or maybe it was the stares from shocked Spaniards as we did a sudden strip-tease beside the baggage reclaim in Madrid, revealing if not our true colours, then at least our lycra-clad limbs. Full of gorgeous pictures well worth waiting for...

Eine ausführliche Tourenbeschreibung unserer zweiwöchigen Radreise durch die großartige Wüstenlandschaft Andalusiens - zu Füßen der schneebedeckten Gipfel der Sierra Nevada. Besonderen Wert haben wir auf genaue Informationen für Radfahrer gelegt, wie Dauer der Tagesetappen, Höhenmeter und zurückgelegte Kilometer. Natürlich kein Ersatz für Reiseführer und Karte.

Unsere Etappen:Cabo de Gata - San Jos´ | Rundtour San José - Las Negras und zurück | Ausflug: Almería - Strände von San Jos´ | San Jos´ - Nijar | Nijar - Turillas - Mini Hollywood - Tabernas | Tabernas - Olula-Paß - Los Navarros | Gergal - Guadix | Guadix - Paß - Granada | Alhambra | Konditionstest: Granada - Parador - Granada | Granada - Beznar - Castel de Ferro | Castel de Ferro - Roquetals del Mar | Roquetal del Mar - Flughafen .

This is the (partly still under construction) report of a 10-days tour in Mallorca in October 1995. Includes weather information, a literature, photographs, the works.

The report of the 850 km trip Jose Roberto and his buddy Aurelio did in September 1995. Annoying and confusing Flash navigation, I didn't actually find much useful information.

This is a report about a bike tour which we undertook in Andalusia in September '95. We started in Sevilla, travelled down to Tarifa at the Strait of Gibraltar, learned a lot about forceful winds, crossed the mountains of the Serrania de Ronda to see Ronda, one of the oldest cities in Spain, directed our tires once again to the sea side towards Malaga, travelled on lonely winding roads and the beach promenades of the Costa del Sol and finally crossed the Sierra Nevada to terminate our journey in Granada, one of the most beautiful cities we've ever seen. The overall distance was about 700 km. We took two and a half weeks but think one should have a week or so more to fully enjoy the spirit of the region.

A beautiful tour, mostly off-road, with great photos.
Uphill and downhill sections in a beautiful landscape on the south slope of the Sierra Nevada with more white villages.Great views.After Ug?jar a 63-year-old mountain biker starts a roadside conversation on bicycling, this year's draught and possible climate change.Unlike me, he believes the Puerto de la Ragua is the only pass crossing the Sierra Nevada.

The report of a one-week training camp in Spain.
After 2 days spent on a bus, and a night in a Premier Classe Hotel in Rheims, France, we were ready to get on our bikes and stretch our legs. (There had been the temptation to get the bikes unpacked in Rheims and re-run the stage finish there from the 1985 Tour de France when Sean Kelly and Eric Vanderaerden had thrown punches at one another as they sprinted for the line ! But as it was dark, 1 a.m. and we were all tired it was decided to leave it until another time.) The camp was based in L'Estartit, a holiday resort on the Costa Brava approximately 100 kms north of Barcelona.

I visited Tenerife in December 1994 for two weeks. [...] We have cycled totally 1400 km, without getting bored. There are a lot of beautiful climbs. Tenerife is really an eldorado for mountain goats, without a flat kilometer.

If there is one single thing that made our trip to Spain worthwhile then it was the people. To put it simply they are the tops. Maybe because of the contrast from what we were used to, I do not know, but they do come across as warm, friendly, easy going people. This is especially true of small Spanish villages where everyday seems like a Sunday.

The report of a one-month, 3018km tour of Spain, beautifully illustrated.

I rode from Montpellier, France to Barcelona, Spain at the end of July and beginning of August. This description is of the day I crossed from France into Spain along the Mediterranean.

See also the Biking Gallery of photographs.

Includes Logistics, a Map, and reports of tours Barcelona-Valencia, the Pyrenees, Malaga-Alicante and Granada-Gibralter.

With its sunny climate, fantastic coasts and mountains, one really can't go wrong with a bicycle tour of Spain. Since 1993, I've made three trips there and this web page is a conglomeration of those adventures. Aside from a short tour through the Pyrenees, most of the cycling I've done has been along the coast -- from the French border all the way down to Gibralter [...] Cycling the Mediterranean coast is a lot like biking the famed Pacific Coast highway in the US -- great views, fantastic beaches, stunning headlands, and not much traffic. Moreover, there are plenty of interesting historical and cultural sites to visit along the way, such as ancient forts and castles, cathedrals, old fishing villages, and the Salvador Dali museum.

Welcome to the first "wired" human-powered (bicycle), land-bound circumnavigation of the Mediterranean Sea. The team have concluded their journey, but they are continuing to add reports to this site.

Tabular data and altitude profiles of mountain passes all over Europe.

Read the exciting story of the middle-aged couple who cycled over 6000 kilometres around Europe. Travelling from their home in southern England, they rode down the west coast of France before peddling on into Spain and Portugal - enduring the best and worst of Europe's weather! Their adventures are described here for you to enjoy, and maybe encourage you to do the same!