kevmcd

I'm at the end of a project and as a reward to myself I am flying to Barcelona for 21 days starting Oct 25th.


There is not any planning behind this trip. I picked the destination because the tickets were amazingly affordable and it seemed like the weather there would be nice for bicycling this time of year. (I like cool weather with light traffic on the roads).


My vintage touring bike pushes the limits of airline oversize luggage requirements and Air France charges $150 each way from the US to transport a bike so I am renting a bike in Barcelona. I have gotten on in years and I don't ride many miles/km in a day. 50 miles is a big day for me now.


The first draft of my itinerary is


Fly to Barcelona and spend a couple days wandering around (I've never been there before)

Ferry to Alcudia and spend a couple nights. Maybe take a ride into the mountains.

Ride to Palma.

Spend a week in Palma and take Spanish classes.

Ferry to Valencia from Palma and spend a couple of days there.

Maybe head west along the coast for a day or two.

Take the train back to Barcelona with the bicycle and spend 2 or 3 more days in Barcelona. Maybe take a ride into the countryside.


Questions:

1) I am spending most of my time on Mallorca. Is that a good plan or am I missing out on a better opportunity given Barcelona as a starting and ending point?

2) I'm not planning to go to Soller. Is that a serious mistake? The ride through the mountains from Alcudia to Soller looks interesting but I am not sure I am up to the 1100m of climbing with a loaded bicycle and I am not sure if there are any services on this route. I would definitely do this if I was younger. If there are restaurants and stores and hotels every 5 for 10 miles then maybe I will do it.

3) Is it better to spend a week taking spanish classes in Palma or should I go to Valencia? Valencia looks like a very big city and that is why I am favoring Palma with no other information. Maybe the cultural attractions in Valencia would make it worth it?

4) I think I have at least 4 or 5 unassigned days. It looks like there are good rides going inland from Valencia, good rides going west along the coast from Valencia and good rides out of Barcelona. Any recommendations?

5) I would like to stay in youth hostels about half the time to save some money as well as to enjoy the company and it suits my style of travel. Are the youth hostels in Spain welcoming to old geezers on bicycles?


Comments or suggestions on any of the above welcomed.

raybo

I don't know if these will be useful to you but here are 4 links to information about bike touring in Mallorca.

Here is a link about day rides around Barcelona: https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussi...a-road-cycling

indyfabz

It’s kind of late, but BITD I got some good information regarding lodging from the Spanish National Tourist Office in NYC.

https://www.spain.info/en/outside/sp...united-states/

You might see if you can get your hands on a Rough Guide travel book. They have a lot of unbiased lodging information/ reviews.

kevmcd

Thanks,
The info on buses and trains looks useful. I hadn't considered taking the bus or train on Mallorca but that may make more of the island accessible.

kevmcd

I'll check the local library for the Rough Guide. From my limited internet surfing it looks like I am traveling during low season and if I have complaints about lodging it will be my own fault.

autonomy

Your trip sounds awesome regardless of how you will end up structuring it! I drove around half of Mallorca for 2 weeks in late August. Prices in Palma are lower for food and drink, Alcudia and Port de Alcudia are big with the German/British resort crowd and prices were higher there. Just for information. Cycling infrastructure was amazing, lots of serious roadies everywhere, many bike shops around especially in the northeast, and drivers are very courteous. Palma, as any large-ish city, didn't seem like fun for cycling. If you are going to be in Alcudia, definitely check out Platja de Sa Font de Sant Joan, it was my favorite beach.

2. Alcudia -> Soller depends which route you take. I'm looking at RWGPS, the more inland route (44.4mi, 3200ft=975m) would go through more towns and would be flatter, the mountainous route (41mi, 4866ft=1483m) would be tough (IMO) to do fully loaded and the resupply points are fewer, but there are some, though they may not be open in the off season.
Soller is a quaint little town with a nice square, pretty streets, gelateria - worth a visit, though I wouldn't rate missing it as a 'serious mistake'. If you go there, you might as well go to Port de Soller which has a really nice beach. The tourist train was a really fun experience and not too touristy (I do not like sightseeing buses and such). Or you could just ride there: Palma to Soller is 20mi 1700ft=518m. Port de Soller is 2 miles north via MA-11B with not much more climbing.

Out of Alcudia, Formentor is a very famous/popular place but might be too much of a ride

kevmcd

Thanks for the confirmation. The mountainous route looks really interesting but with the lack of services it is unlikely I will do it. Maybe a day ride one way and bus back to where ever I am staying.

I sometimes do spontaneous trips but this one is a "seat of the pants" stretch for me given how little I know about my destination and how far away it is. But since it is a tourist area I am sure they are used to dealing with naive visitors with a confused look on their face.

I will try to extract as much information as I can about Mallorca from the bike shop in Barcelona when I pick up my bike rental.