Let’s not look back on the weather we had here in Mallorca last year…it was so bad it’s probably best forgotten about and put in that small box at the back of the garage along with the out of date gels and the “bargains “ you got online ……..
Anyway, February here in Mallorca continues to provide pleasant surprises – moderate temperatures, blue skies, light winds, quiet roads and a totally chilled vibe, ideal for riding your bike and blowing off the cobwebs.
At Mallorca Cycling Tours we haven’t been idle ! The wise, brave or just plain lucky riders who have been with us over the past few days have been blessed with near perfect riding conditions.
Here’s a brief snapshot of what we’ve been up to during one of the weeks:
We were lucky to meet up with a well-travelled rider, Joaquin, who hails originally from Galicia in Spain, but now calls New York home. He quickly earned the nickname “Purrito” whilst here, displaying a love of the climbs!
Sunday was Joaquins first ride on the Island and Peter took him on an undulating loop around Petra, with some long sections of ‘undulating’! Petra is always a favourite, with it’s pretty water fountain and pretty scenery. The quiet lanes have more bikes than cars traversing them!
Monday saw more blue skies and great weather for riding so Stevie and Joaquin headed south towards the town of Alaro, taking in the valley of Campanet where the almond blossom is just starting to bud- another two weeks and it will look awesome. After some steady pedalling they reached Lloseta, before heading uphill and then dropping down to sleepy Alaro. Fortunately the café was wide awake and so were we after a couple of strong cafes con leche!. The return journey was via Santa Maria on level, smooth roads, hardly seeing another soul, before taking in the views of the bay of Pollenca on the coast road home.
Tuesday saw Peter ride out to the sanctuary on the top of Randa with Joaquin and Norman. Norman, was all the way from Sydney, Australia. In his own words he just wanted to “ride lots”. A perfect fit then! Another calm and temperate day and a chance for Joaquin to test his climbing legs again. We can report that they all passed! Returning home via the swooping descent towards Montuiri and then on to the traffic free lanes that we love here.
Wednesday, the group set off from the Port with Tracy keen to show off a new route out to the town of Costitx. We’ll keep it a secret just now, but it’s a wee cracker! Coffee in the square and then back to the Port via a rolling route in to the town of Muro.
Thursday welcomed a further couple of additional riders, Michel and Bos, from the Netherlands, who had requested that we show them the best of the island and given the topography of their home, some of Mallorca’s climbs. No problem! For Joaquin, St Valentine had called and he felt the call of romance more strongly than the overtures from the Siren of the road…. Anyway, the lucky few set off for the town of Petra via the rolling road to Manacor before swinging in to the hidden gem that is the Bosc valley. Everybody enjoyed the “sting in the tail” hairpin ascent out of the valley, before the rapid descent to Petra. Having refuelled, off we went again via Sineu before descending from Muro where Michel and Bos were a little perplexed by the amount of windmills on offer…
Friday saw the return of Joaquin and the group rolled out towards the base of the climb towards Lluc with one goal in mind…Sa Calobra. For so many, it’s a must do on the island, and not without good reason- 8kms of swooping descent, technical turns, spectacular scenery and goats!….Never, ever, forget about the goats – we think they are there to remind you to use the brakes occasionally….Wide smiles at the foot of the descent (as always) before the climb back up. There was a stellar cast of riders on the ascent, including Mark Cavendish! We could have caught him….honest! The route home incorporated the descent of Sa Battalla to Caimari, a mixture of high speed straights, hairpin bends and gloriously smooth roads, before turning towards the hilltop village of Moscari and once again sampling the delights of the Campanet valley.
Saturday saw more blue skies and with the weather set fair for the day we headed out to Santa Maria for a quick coffee stop before the main event – an ascent of the Coll de Honor, before descending in to the Orient valley and ascending to the Coll d’Orient. Even after a long day in the saddle and 6,500feet of climbing the previous day, the group were still moving well, although they definitely enjoyed the exhilarating descent towards Alaro. Home via quiet lanes with all agreeing that it had been a superb ride. Joaquin said his goodbyes to the group, with a promise to return.
Sunday was Michel and Bos’s last day on the camp and along with Norman we headed out to do another iconic route out to the cap de Formentor. It may only be 35 kms, but it manages to incorporate all the best aspects which riding in Mallorca can offer – long climbs, spectacular views, swooping descents and road surfaces that would not look out of place on a championship billiard table. It’s easy to understand why it’s a must do when you’re on the island. We were lucky- it was incredibly peaceful on the route and serves to remind why this is a great time of year to come and visit.
Thanks for reading and we sincerely hope that some of the above notes on the rides we’ve been doing have whetted your appetite for coming to Mallorca and experiencing the awesome routes and rides that are on offer.
We always strive to provide the best possible experiences, based on your needs and wants, and look forward to welcoming you to and showing you around the cycling paradise that is Mallorca.