Cycle Touring & Fitness

The 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs in Spain

This is the list of what we believe are the 100 best road cycling climbs in Spain. The climbs have been chosen based on a number of factors, including: scenery, difficulty, cycling history, amount of traffic and road surface.

The list has evaluated all climbs on the mainland as well as those in the popular cycling holiday destinations of Mallorca and Tenerife. Click on the name of the climb to see the profile and more details, and let us know whether you agree with our choices in the comments.

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How to stay strong during a cycling holiday

A cycling tour can be a physically demanding holiday where even strong cyclists can struggle at times. However, there are certain steps to take to help you stay strong and get the most out of your cycling holiday. Here we look at ways that you can save energy, improve your fitness and ensure that you are riding as strongly at the end of the holiday as you were at the beginning.

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Training For A Cycling Holiday

A cycling holiday is supposed to be fun. It is a chance to experience fantastic scenery, discover a new culture and also to challenge yourself. If you are in decent shape, then a cycling holiday will probably not put you in any physical difficulty, allowing you to fully enjoy the trip.

However, if it has been a while since you have done much regular riding, or if you plan to undertake a more challenging holiday, a bit of training beforehand can help you to get the most out of your tour.

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Cycling Hills

We have just come back from our cycle tour to the Pyrenees, where we have obviously done our fair share of climbing hills.

A lot of cyclists do not like climbing hills, but we often find that once they have been shown proper technique they are transformed into the next Eddy Merckx or Tadej Pogacar - racing up even the steepest slopes.

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The Winds of Spain: A Cyclist's Guide

Very little can make us more dispirited on a cycle tour than battling a head wind all day. The slow going, the noise and the discomfort can sap the motivation of the most hardy rider.

Conversely, there is very little more exhilirated than being carried along by a tail wind; particularly on flatter or rolling routes. Wind, for good and for bad, is a part of cycling and we have to deal with it all at some point, but if offered the choice, you would take the tail wind, wouldn't you?

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How to Choose a Cycling Holiday

Many people like to book their cycling holidays through a tour operator. A good operator will take care of all the organisation: booking hotels, transporting luggage, arranging entry to local attractions, organising meals and generally making the holiday as enjoyable as possible.

However, when searching for an operator, it can be difficult to know what separates the very good from the average. Here we have compiled some of the key points that you may want to consider before booking your cycling holiday.

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Taking Bikes on Planes - The Best Airlines

Most airlines now accept bicycles on their planes; however, it can often turn into a surprisingly expensive and time consuming task. Each company requires you to do different things in order for them to accept your bike, and they charge a wide range of fees.

As a tour operator running cycling holidays in Spain, our customers often ask us for information about which airlines are the cheapest to carry a bike on. To make things easier for our customers and anybody else looking to take their bike on holiday with them, we have compiled a table below with the prices and conditions of many airlines.

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Taking Bikes on Spanish Trains

On our cycle tours cyclists often like to bring their own bike for comfort. However, if you plan to take your bike to Spain, on an organised tour or by yourself, it is useful to know which bikes allow trains on them.

For a cycling friendly country, like Spain, it is not as easy at it should be. Some trains allow bikes without restrictions, some allow bikes with special tickets or only at certain times, and some annoying ones only allow them packed away in your luggage.

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Road Bike or Hybrid for a Cycling Holiday?

Riders on our cycling holidays often ask for advice on which kind of bike would be best for them. Ultimately, it boils down to personal preference whether you prefer to ride a road bike or a hybrid. However, if you are unsure, there are several advantages and disadvantages with both types.

Here we look at some of the factors that may influence your decision on the kind of bike you should choose. From the terrain and distance that you will be covering, to how stylish you want to look - we give you the lowdown on bike choice.

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Which Pedals Are Best For Cycle Touring?

Deciding on the best type of pedals for a cycling holiday is largely a matter of personal preference. Unlike serious road cycling, where clipless pedals are the almost universal choice, touring cyclists use a variety of pedals depending on what they are most comfortable in.

However, if you are unsure which pedals to take on a cycle tour, we outline some of the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of pedals, with regards to cycling holidays.

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How to Make your Touring Bicycle Faster

As we get passed by some Lycra'd up roadie on a sleek 5kg racing machine, it can be hard for us cycle tourists not to feel a bit of envy and frustration. 'I would have caught him if it was not for my knobbly tires and ludicrously heavy Brooks' saddle', we tell ourselves.

We comfort ourselves with the fact that he is not carrying two spare inner tubes and a selection of spare t-shirts. We feel smug that we will soon be tucking into a delicious cheese and pickle sandwich, while he forces down another 'green apple' energy gel. Deep down, however, we really want to be able to go a bit faster as well.

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