Spain in October

27-07.-2006, 10:03 AM	#1
Doug with Dog Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3	Spain in October My wife and I are thinking of heading to Spain in October. Where would you suggest we ride. We are looking for one day circuts of about 60 to 80K. Right now we are open to any suggestions.

06-08.-2006, 04:42 AM	#2
Berlingoman Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Andalucia, Spain Posts: 5	Re: Spain in October Doug, I live in Andalucia, Southern Spain, slightly inland but not a million miles from Malaga. There is a huge variety of rides around here, be it road or track. My suggestion is bring your bikes and take your choice.

06-08.-2006, 07:56 PM	#3
nickin spain Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: olvera southern spain Posts: 3	Re: Spain in October I'll second that,i've recently moved down from Alicante area,i think i,ve found cycling heaven, minimal traffic [ if you don't mind the hills] + the mtbing is fantastic,our closest airport is Jerez. __________________ nick in olvera

06-08.-2006, 08:06 PM

HowardSteele

Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2006

Location: Tokai,CAPE TOWN,SA

Posts: 511

Re: Spain in October

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berlingoman

Doug,

I live in Andalucia, Southern Spain, slightly inland but not a million miles from Malaga. There is a huge variety of rides around here, be it road or track. My suggestion is bring your bikes and take your choice.

I've just returned from two weeks vacation,in sothern spain having not taken my mountain bike it was like a kid in a candy store with no money.

12-08.-2006, 02:45 AM	#5
blorg Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 10	Re: Spain in October I'm going to Valencia in October myself (meeting friends there) but thought I'd head over a bit early and cycle there from an alternative airport. My options are probably Madrid, Girona or Almeria - any opinions? Gradients, scenery, road type (e.g. smaller roads preferred.) Weather?

12-08.-2006, 03:10 AM	#6
Eden Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: WA State Posts: 1,270	Re: Spain in October I'll throw my plug in for Southern Spain too - the hubby and I did a two week tour around Andalucia a couple of years ago. It was terriffic. We were there in spring, but the weather was great, the scenery spectacular, the traffic minimal and polite and we had lots of fascinating things to see and do on our off days. One thing - when you are figuring out the distances you want to go take into account that it can be very, very windy. Some other good things to know - you can take your bike on the train. All the hotels we stayed in had an indoor place to lock the bikes up (very nice. If you use sports drinks / bars take them with you - you wont' find much of anything in the grocery stores. If you need to transport a bike from the airport and need to take a cab - the taxis are tiny - we needed one apiece and had to ride up front with the driver, bike in the back seat. We saw very few bike shops and those we did see were usually selling utility bikes along with scooters and chainsaws.

12-08.-2006, 04:18 AM	#7
blorg Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 10	Re: Spain in October Be a little careful regarding that advice on the train; been seven years since I did a long cycle in Spain but then at least you could only take your bike on certain local trains, not long distance. The single long-distance exception was the night trains where you were meant to stick the bike under your 2nd-class bunk (bikes not allowed in 1st, where there actually would be room for one or two!) The catch? The bike would not fit under the bunk. Like no bike would fit there, probably not even if it folded - there were two metal supports approximately a third of the way in so that the widest part was maybe three feet. This was well known to the guards on the train and other Spanish cycle tourists but apparently completely unknown to the people who sold you the tickets. The guards would threaten to throw you off, despite your bicycle ticket. Eventually if you stood your ground the guards would sigh and take the bikes into their cabin. I felt for them too, I saw their cabin (standard 1st class size, e.g. not huge by any means) and there simply was no room for the guard to sleep with four+ bikes in each one. Oh, and by the way - if it was a summer trip, I would suggest the northern coast, particularly Galicia. But in October you will certainly be better off cycling in the south of the country.

12-08.-2006, 04:27 AM

Eden

Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2005

Location: WA State

Posts: 1,270

Re: Spain in October

Quote:

Originally Posted by blorg

Be a little careful regarding that advice on the train; been seven years since I did a long cycle in Spain but then at least you could only take your bike on certain local trains, not long distance. The single long-distance exception was the night trains where you were meant to stick the bike under your 2nd-class bunk (bikes not allowed in 1st, where there actually would be room for one or two!) The catch? The bike would not fit under the bunk. Like no bike would fit there, probably not even if it folded - there were two metal supports approximately a third of the way in so that the widest part was maybe three feet.

This was well known to the guards on the train and other Spanish cycle tourists but apparently completely unknown to the people who sold you the tickets. The guards would threaten to throw you off, despite your bicycle ticket. Eventually if you stood your ground the guards would sigh and take the bikes into their cabin. I felt for them too, I saw their cabin (standard 1st class size, e.g. not huge by any means) and there simply was no room for the guard to sleep with four+ bikes in each one.

Oh, and by the way - if it was a summer trip, I would suggest the northern coast, particularly Galicia. But in October you will certainly be better off cycling in the south of the country.

good to know - we only did a local short hop - about an hour and just had to stand in the space between the cars with our bikes.

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