First trip abroad to Lanzarote

gwillis

Just back from a weeks holiday to Lanzarote staying in Puerto Calero and boy was the riding fun. Did some great rides on my Bianchi which I decided to take after a mate loaned me his bikeboxalan case. The roads were super smooth and the car drivers very patient with me when I struggled with the wind howling from the north!!!. The highlightswas reaching 65mph from the national park towards Yazia............. great buzz and climbing the 26% hill upto Hemes. Only downside was on the check in at the airport to return home (ryan air btw) who charged me 80 euros as my bike box was 4 kilos over ..............

lucan

Without pics, it didn't happen.

Sounds like a good way to combine a holiday with cycling though.

gwillis

have a few on my blackberry which ill upload in the morning. I met a guy off here on a planet x which looked the dogs.... will sort it in the morning

RiderontheStorm

How much to transpot your bike to Lanzarote?

Gazzaputt

gwillis wrote:

Just back from a weeks holiday to Lanzarote staying in Puerto Calero and boy was the riding fun. Did some great rides on my Bianchi which I decided to take after a mate loaned me his bikeboxalan case. The roads were super smooth and the car drivers very patient with me when I struggled with the wind howling from the north!!!. The highlightswas reaching 65mph from the national park towards Yazia............. great buzz and climbing the 26% hill upto Hemes. Only downside was on the check in at the airport to return home (ryan air btw) who charged me 80 euros as my bike box was 4 kilos over ..............

:shock: 104kph!

Need to post the proof

gwillis

difficult to photograph yourself doing that speed when your hanging on for dear life. The road is steep down hill from the national park and the road very very good, the wind mainly comes from the north and on that day was giving it some. I peddled like the clappers then hung on . The cost worked out at £80 return, Ryan air didnt weigh the bike at Bristol but when we checked in on the return they weighed the case which came in at 24kilos . Ryan Air state in their terms that a bike can be upto 30kilos so now have to complain to them to obtain a refund as the girl on check in was the spawn of the devil.

gwillis

It was 59.65 mph not 65mpg :oops:

Trinafour

Just back from Costa Teguise checked out bike hire in prep for next trip won't risk taking my own bike and even more so after reading this as am forced to fly Ryanair too.

Ryanair check in at Lanzarote Airport is the pits. So strict on luggage even is only .5kg over.

gwillis

I have a contact in Puerto Calero who rents out bikes let me know if you want it

sherer

glad you enjoyed the riding. I think you mean Femes and not Hemes. Went up to there in a car but never on a bike. Great view from the top though. Looks tough so well done to make it there.

Do you mean the Timanfaya national park ? Rode there once but saw the massive long straight road and the wind that day was straight in my face I could barely keep going and even had to peddle downhill. Turned round and got blown up a hill !

Might take my bike or hire one again next time I am out there

gwillis

Sorry yes it was Femes..... great hill though around 26%.
The National park straight was the one

rake

a bit of weight over is no big deal for the individual. for the airline, if enough people do it (theyre very likely to with no fine) it will add tonnes to the plane. this affects takeoff limits, more fuel which adds more weight and expense.

gwillis

I agree but given all of our baggage was under and wasnt checked along with the check in girl refusing me the chance to remove a bag from inside I think we were treated harshly. I use discretion every day in my line of work and she had that opportunity also. She decided that she would play by the 'book' but the guidelines state I am allowed upto 30 kilos for a bike!!

I would rather drive to a major airport than fly with them again given the manner in which they treated passengers on board who were told to sit in certain seats then asked to move a further 3 times. They even threatened to cancel the flight as it was nearing its slot. The reason for the passengers being late onto the flight was the check in didnt open till 40 mins before and they had all waited for 2 hours to check in.

The service was very poor and far below what most would expect.

off for a quiet moment now to cool down

rake

make sure its a darkened room.

sherer

a bit OT but I think with ryanair the ethos is to make as much money as they can therefore if they can charge you extra for a bike they will

Gregamos

I'm not a fan of Ryanair either. I flew with them to Budapest this summer, they seem to have taken the low cost airline business profile and turned it into "ripping you off for absolutely everything"

at least you didn't fly with Delta, they charged me $300 one way to take my bike! (they didn't charge me on the return leg mind you, but still.)

Headhuunter

Easyjet are no better. I was delayed in Barcelona for nearly 5½ hours in July. We were given very little info on what was going on. There were no announcments, no apologies even though they admitted they had messed up the number of planes they were supposed to have in service that day.

One woman told us we could get a food voucher from "over there", waving her hand dismissively but it took us ages to track someone down who would actually give us a voucher and we were generally treated in a huffy way by staff as though we were something they'd scraped off their shoe. They gave us some leaflet outlining our rights which read like Eurolegal gobbledigook. When I asked staff what it meant they had no idea and generally fobbed us off.

As we landed in Gatwick at about 1 or 2am (supposed to be back round about 9pm) we were told my cabin staff that ground crew would get us taxis and other transport to get back home as trains were not running anymore to my ultimate destination. It took us ages to actually find ground staff, we eventually found someone in departures who sneered at us and told us she couldn't do anything for us, goodbye.

Not at all impressed. It wasn't even as if the flight was that cheap! From now on if major airlines are not significantly more I will give Ryanair and Easyjet a miss.

ozzzyosborn206

femes is a killer eh, did you ride the tabyasco and up the mirador aswell? some awesome riding to be had over there

gwillis

I was told about them but didnt get up that far

cougie

Never had a problem with Easyjet or Jet2 with my bike. Not tried Ryanair.

Swissair was the worst - not a cheap flight and they stung you for luggage too. I dont mind having cheap flights and then paying extra for the bike, but not paying twice.

All the luck of the draw though - just assume the worst and hope for the best.

If you go to Lanza - you can often get flights on the holiday planes = Thomson etc.

Trinafour

Ah the Ryanair fan club!!

Regardless of the flying I still fancy a cycle up to Mirador also not sure of the exact name of the area/ road but think it is south of Haria it a switch back zig zag up the hill !

nochekmate

I was informed by somebody in the business that all the extra charges are put together and shared out as staff bonuses - perhaps that may be why the desk staff are so officious!

Not sure whether or not this is true though.

gwillis

wouldnt suprise me , just trying to find the ceo's email address to inform him of the star employee Katie Alexandra he has working for him at Lanzarote Airport, who seems to think that treating people like something on the bottom of her shoe is the correct level of service to give .