Biking Archives - Page 34 of 99

Malaga to Sabinillas Lifeday 25,315

Posted on November 17, 2016

A Lovely bendy bike path, not very practical but certainly better than nought

The day started very well with a Spanish breakfast at the cafe next door to The Zeus. Then I was on my way along the wonderful snaking cycle path behind the promenade in Malaga. All was bliss..

At the sports stadium the cycleway vered right, I needed to go straight on. The only problem it was an horrendously busy road leading to an even busier roundabout, I was amazed after all this time, Spain isn’t going to force me to ride on these roads? At the roundabout I was bemused and so was the prostitute (most Spanish roundabouts seem to have a resident worker) as I went round a couple of times. I bit the bullet and went over the bridge amidst the huge trucks! I made it only to find the exit I wanted was blocked so more messing about and eventually I arrived on the MA-21 and it’s traffic. I hugged the kerb and perimeter wire to the airport to try and avoid the trucks . After Fuengirola it got worse and became the A-7 🙁

Action was needed, so I had Google Maps plan a new route. This avoided the main road but proceeded to take me around estates built on the cliffs with incredibly steep hills leading to steps, obviously Google’s satellite resolution isn’t quite good enough yet 🙁 Later on it took me to the ocean’s edge expecting me to wade around 🙁 I gave up and returned to the traffic and the A-7

Lighting engineers are the same world over.

The problem with biking on urban motorways are the numerous slip roads a total nightmare with cars each side of you and then some nutter cutting you up in front. The other problem is that they leave a ‘footpath’ behind the barriers but the lighting clowns erect their posts dead centre making it impossible to steer around. Plus they suddenly end!

Just amazing that their premier tourist road has such appalling provision for cyclists, walkers and mopeds etc. I guess the EU money ran out.

Well the bridge is in Los Angeles, Spain

Anyway I survived to live and tell the tale. However, I will not be cycling South from Malaga ever again!

The Hotel Dona Luisa in San Luis Sabinillas is very pleasant almost on the beach, a very welcome sight after 66 miles, 2,900 feet of climbing at 11.6mph according to Strava.

The days pics are here.

Tomorrow I should make it to Gibraltar and the southernmost point of mainland Europe at Tarifa.

Motril Beach to Malaga – Living the dream day 25,314

Posted on November 16, 2016November 16, 2016

Living the dream I certainly am 🙂 Waking up, packing, having a toasted baguette covered in liquidised tomatoes and a long black coffee. Hoping on the bike in warm sunshine and away for another day in the saddle.

The day started as it usually does with a roller coaster of 400 foot+ hills then straight down to a beach and up again! rinse and repeat for 27 miles and you have your 1 mile of ascent 🙂

The road was quite busy with traffic since the coast is now getting built up, the greenhouses have been replaced with thousands of white houses all soaking up the sun on this the Costa del Sol. None of the places I went through took my fancy at all, just huge holiday towns.

The Acueducto del Águila (Eagle Aqueduct) at Nerja, is truly amazing to see, just think of all those bricklayers 🙂 there is its history here

Lots of cyclists out today including families, on the flat section near Malaga and I saw my first tourers, but going the other way 🙁 so no time for a chat.

I’m at the Hotel Zeus tonight in Malaga centre close to the rather posh train station. The WiFi doesnt quite make it to my room so I’m in the lobby listening to some weird Spanish comedy show.

Strava on the iPhone worked perfectly today, whether it was the recent iOS update or the maps.me recent track feature that was causingthe problems I don’t know 🙁

So I rode 59.3 miles and climbed 5,238 feet most of it in the first 25 miles. The average speed was 11.2mph, pulled down by all the traffic lights and stops in the town centres.

The pictures of the day are on Dropbox here

Aquadulce to Motril (El Varadero) – Lifeday 25,313

Posted on November 15, 2016

Another glorious day and a 600 foot hill climb to start with. However, today the North wind blew me along 🙂 still amazes me how much the wind helps against gravity.

I love Spanish roundabouts featuring sculptures and works of art. Todays had a very Moorish feel to them, the Moors were kicked out in 1492 apparently 🙂 The road quietened down after Adra and became a gorgeous coast road with lots of short climbs and swooping descents and a few tunnels. I couldn’t help thinking about the vast cost building it only to be redundant once the A-7 motorway was built. Anyway it makes a great cycle track 🙂 Also fascinating to see the sequence of bridges with the various road reconstructions, certainly pleased it’s all finished must have been hell during construction,

The other fascination for me was that there are no orange groves anymore, replaced with thousands of acres covered in mesh greenhouses growing tomatoes, peppers etc etc They have even terraced the hills with them. Exporting the Spanish sun in tomato paste 🙂

I arrived in Motril to find there is a ferry to Tangier here leaving at 4pm costing €24 for me and the bike. However, it arrives at 1am which is a strange hour to arrive in a new place. So I continued to my hotel.

I thought I was going to have a similar problem to last night 🙁 I think it’s my pronunciation of ‘reservation’ thats doing it. However, The Hotel Estrella Del Mar quickly sorted it out, for the price its good although I think what you pay for in more upmarket places are thicker walls & ceilings 🙂

Strava makes it 63.3 miles and 3,108 feet of ascent at 11.7mph

The Dropbox pics are here

track_2016-11-15-160819

Carboneras to Aquadulce – Lifeday 25,312

Posted on November 14, 2016November 14, 2016

First picture of me on the trip - thanks Cyclist Mag — First picture of me on the trip – thanks Cyclist Mag

The first 17 miles or so were pretty tortuous for me with seemingly a never ending climb to 900 feet made worse because I had forgotten to fill up my water bottles 🙁 Excellent scenery though, once you leave the cement works & power station behind in Carboneras, and quiet roads

Just after Fernan Perez I heard a group of cyclists behind me (first time on this trip) and unbelievably they were speaking English 🙂 It turned out it was a group from the Cyclists magazine in London out on a jolly with a local cyclists club. I had a very interesting chat with Pete Muir their Editor, they then all shot of on their uber lightweight bikes. I continued on up the hill that had a 10% sign on it, although t felt way steeper. Imagine my surprise as I started down the other side to find the group having a group shot at the Mirador Las Amatistas, they cooly invited me into the shot, so who knows I might make a guest appearance in Cyclists Mag 🙂

The day wore on a bit after that excitement but eventually a Repsol petrol station hoved into view so I could get a drink and fill the water bottle up, then it was on to Almeria where I stuck to the lovely cyclepath along the sea front so didn’t see the city at all. It was a bit of a shock to get on the exceptionally busy road out of town, compounded by the right lane I was in peeling of to a motorway thus making me cross it to get on the coast road, times like that make me realise why I like biking on my own!

The coast road has loads of tunnels 🙁 but no steep gradients so pretty good except for the traffic. I eventually found the Hotel Mirablau and its very miserable guy who refused to believe I had a booking, even after showing him the email from booking.com. Eventually I phoned booking.com where upon he miracolously found his printed email.

I didnt have much success with food in the evening either, with my first attempt turning into nouveau cuisine – tasty but very small dishes. My second attempt was worse as I failed to pick up on the Spanish word lomo – another word for bacon (loin) so the menu now has bacon, jamon and beicon, work that out.

Strava made it a 58.8 mile day with 2,895 feet of ascent all done at 11.2mph 🙁

The pictures on dropbox are here