Thoughts about Mallorca

neeb

Recently got back from a brilliant week in Mallorca. Did all of the best routes, Sa Calobra, Puig Major from Soller, Fomentor, Petra etc...

Some thoughts:

- Germans are a bit weird. They all have hairy legs, even the serious ones with club jerseys. What's up with that? Is it just that they don't bother shaving until summer proper, or is leg-shaving in general eschewed in Germany? Also, nearly every single one of them was riding a Cube. I was expecting at least a smattering of Foci and Canyons too, but Cubes seemed to be where it was at. I think they might all have been shape-changing aliens posing as German cyclists in preparation for an invasion of earth that is planned to begin in Mallorca.

- The locals are (in general, and with one or two very rare exceptions) incredibly bike friendly. At one point I was stopped at the side of a road just before a junction looking at map. A small HGV coming in the other direction stops, pulls up and the driver climbs out. Oh oh, I think - must be trouble... But the bloke has specifically stopped to offer help and directions! Wow! This is all the more amazing when you realise just how many cyclists there are in Mallorca and how easy it must be for drivers to get pissed-off with constantly having to look out for them.

- Related to the above - I did start to feel mildly guilty at various points for being part of such a massive hoard of invading cyclists. I wonder how it feels to be an aged local in somewhere like Petra and have your previously tranquil town square permanently overrun by noisy Yorkshiremen and Germans in Lycra. Perhaps it is a seasonal thing and hence more bearable (how many cyclists come in June => Nov. instead of December => May?).

- The only apparently Spanish / Mallorcan roadies I saw were in the Palma area on Sunday and they were without exception wearing white bib shorts (with legs shaved of course). I wonder if this is an intentional strategy to distinguish themselves from the Germans. It certainly works.

- Germans are crap climbers but much better at descending.

jibberjim

neeb wrote:

Also, nearly every single one of them was riding a Cube. I was expecting at least a smattering of Foci and Canyons too, but Cubes seemed to be where it was at.

I think it might be more common for Germans to hire bikes rather than take their own, and the Max Heurzler people all hire cubes.

cornerblock

jibberjim wrote:

neeb wrote:

Also, nearly every single one of them was riding a Cube. I was expecting at least a smattering of Foci and Canyons too, but Cubes seemed to be where it was at.

I think it might be more common for Germans to hire bikes rather than take their own, and the Max Heurzler people all hire cubes.

Cubism I think it's called in Spain.

Pokerface

The locals are sent letters every year from the local government reminding them to be kind to cyclists as they account for a massive amount of income to the island.

Fact.


I'm planning on moving there next winter to train. Spent a month there this year. Awesome place.

touchy

I spotted a few locals out riding last time i was there. You can tell them apart from the brits because they are still in full winter gear (arm warmers, leg warmers, gilets, overshoes) while i'm going around in an unzipped sleeveless top zig zagging up the road trying to catch as much shade as possible.

tlw1

Pokerface wrote:

The locals are sent letters every year from the local government reminding them to be kind to cyclists as they account for a massive amount of income to the island.

Fact.


I'm planning on moving there next winter to train. Spent a month there this year. Awesome place.

I can't believe you prefer it to the sunshine of the peaks!

neeb

touchy wrote:

I spotted a few locals out riding last time i was there. You can tell them apart from the brits because they are still in full winter gear (arm warmers, leg warmers, gilets, overshoes) while i'm going around in an unzipped sleeveless top zig zagging up the road trying to catch as much shade as possible.

Yes, most of the few I saw were wearing arm & leg warmers together with their white bib shorts. I was in a short sleeved jersey and thin short sleeved base layer. The only time I felt even slightly chilly was somewhere just past Lluc (coming up from Porto Pollensa) where the road is heavily shaded below north facing cliffs at some altitude. 15-17C is just perfect for cycling.

Pokerface

I also noticed that the locals were in full winter kit and I had short sleeves on, jersey open, etc.

I also noticed all the pro teams I saw were also pretty heavily kitted up (Trek-Leopard, HTC Columbia, Omega-Lotto, Radio Shack, etc).

My mate pointed out that the pros have such low body fat that they feel the cold a lot more than us fat plonkers!

Aggieboy

jibberjim wrote:

neeb wrote:

Also, nearly every single one of them was riding a Cube. I was expecting at least a smattering of Foci and Canyons too, but Cubes seemed to be where it was at.

I think it might be more common for Germans to hire bikes rather than take their own, and the Max Heurzler people all hire cubes.

There is a shop in Colonia Sant Jordi that rents Orbea bikes if anyone is down that way.

Casbar

I spoke to a few Germans while out there last.

They thought the English were weired . No Cubes and all shaven legs :-)

Anyway I loved the place. The roads, the climbs, the weather ....the friendly local drivers etc

Most of all I liked the fact that we could ride two abreast , without getting harrased by angry drivers. It was just the done thing.

Can't wait to go back., Germans and all !!!!!!!!!

Scrumple

2 weeks and counting...

mrushton

For the size of the island, you can get a lot of quality riding in a short time plus there are great bike shops/bike hire and people acknowledge that the ike is generating a lot of money in an area that relies on tourism. I'd like to try Marcel Wusts place but I do like Club Polensa since you get a lot of like minded people (cyclists,triathletes etc).

irezumi

The locals probably put up with the British cyclists as most other British tourists to the island are normally the type to visit Shagaluf!

So making the best of a bad situation by putting up with the lycra.

daviesee

4 weeks and counting 8)

larmurf

One week to Maritimo in Alcudia. First class hotel. Last year Max H shop across road tried to stick on a sports package to bike hire which would have doubled price. Thought it was a rip off, didn't like their attitude either. Went elsewhere.

4kicks

Unshaven Germans are because what you are seeing now are the holiday cyclists, german clubs all come Feb/March as their racing season has now started.

Its still too cold here to be in Summer clothing (22 degrees today):
Leg warmers come off today.
Booties and Armwarmers, end April
Theres a phrase in Mallorquin which says something like "take off clothing in April, bury in June"...

passed 53 cyclists on my trip up to Lluc today, and another 10 or so passed me. Rushour.

neeb

Its still too cold here to be in Summer clothing (22 degrees today):
Leg warmers come off today.
Booties and Armwarmers, end April
Theres a phrase in Mallorquin which says something like "take off clothing in April, bury in June"...

:shock:

My leg warmers usually come off above 10 or 11C, and arm warmers or long sleeved base layer around 13C... I only bother with booties when it's getting close to or below freezing! Certainly not necessary above 7 or 8C.

That said, the first night I arrived in Mallorca (16th March) and insisted in eating outdoors at night time in a restaurant, the owner thought I was mad. It was about 15C, perfectly comfortable. It'll probably be June before we get up to such balmy summer weather in Helsinki!

mrushton

I went at Christmas 2009 and a couple of Danish riders were in shorts and s/s jersies as the 12 deg was +vely balmy to them

TheStone

neeb wrote:

- Germans are a bit weird.

I found them really friendly, but they seemed to have a totally different attitude to cycling holiday than the brits. I'm not very good, but each ride was 150km+ and always included a fair bit of climbing, whereas the Germans (I met) tended to dress up in all the gear and go for a 20-30km ride each day.

On the climb up for Inca, I over took a massive German team (all in team kit with 3 matching busses) ..... I never overtake anyone above 1% incline!!

mrushton

Same in Italy but boy they take it seriously and when they get really involved everything has to match/be the best etc. A load of Brits hairing round in mismatched kit seems to bemuse them. I once got on the back of a Panzergroup in Italy and they popped spectacularly going up what I thought was a modest incline (less than 5%)

roryboy

daviesee wrote:

4 weeks and counting 8)

Aye, 4 for us also, coming from the frozen north to somewhere we might even be able to think about shorts !! bring it on. Just back from a trip on the Ardgour peninsula. strange but lovely place, head wind on the way out and head wind on the same road back ???
Watch out Daviesee for our club, glasgow nightingale on the Sa Calobra.

daviesee

roryboy wrote:

daviesee wrote:

4 weeks and counting 8)

Aye, 4 for us also, coming from the frozen north to somewhere we might even be able to think about shorts !! bring it on. Just back from a trip on the Ardgour peninsula. strange but lovely place, head wind on the way out and head wind on the same road back ???
Watch out Daviesee for our club, glasgow nightingale on the Sa Calobra.

We will be based in Pollensa. Dunfermline Cycle Club, blue & yellow colours but I don't have a club jersey as it would clash with the bike. Ooh, get me! :oops:
Looking forward to shorts and no jacket or gloves cycling 8)

roryboy

daviesee wrote:

roryboy wrote:

daviesee wrote:

4 weeks and counting 8)

Aye, 4 for us also, coming from the frozen north to somewhere we might even be able to think about shorts !! bring it on. Just back from a trip on the Ardgour peninsula. strange but lovely place, head wind on the way out and head wind on the same road back ???
Watch out Daviesee for our club, glasgow nightingale on the Sa Calobra.

We will be based in Pollensa. Dunfermline Cycle Club, blue & yellow colours but I don't have a club jersey as it would clash with the bike. Ooh, get me! :oops:
Looking forward to shorts and no jacket or gloves cycling 8)

What!!? You wont be wearing matching colours. Wait 'til you see us. I'll be on a red bike to match the sunburn and a few will be "peely wally" looking having not seen the sun for nigh on eight months. Seriously our colours are based on the belgian international shirt. Staying in peurto pollensa, and eating at Tolos at night or getting thrown out of Tolos at Night/Morning. I'll look out for you maybe even have a wee habble along the way.

daviesee

roryboy wrote:

What!!? You wont be wearing matching colours.

The majority will. I will be the odd one out and that fact will probably be raised. However, after a bad winter and a long period of illness I will probably be dropped off the back anyway :oops:

I probably wouldn't want to be all matching colours out of principle anyway as I have no illusions of grandeur being part of a race team and don't want to pretend that I am :shock:

A perfect example of my outlook to the trip is that I expect my recovery drink to be lager!

roryboy

daviesee wrote:

roryboy wrote:

What!!? You wont be wearing matching colours.

The majority will. I will be the odd one out and that fact will probably be raised. However, after a bad winter and a long period of illness I will probably be dropped off the back anyway :oops:

I probably wouldn't want to be all matching colours out of principle anyway as I have no illusions of grandeur being part of a race team and don't want to pretend that I am :shock:

A perfect example of my outlook to the trip is that I expect my recovery drink to be lager!

Mine's a dram davesee !!! See you at the bar at Tolos I'll have the cyclists suntan you'll spot me dead easy.

Leesykoi

I'll be the geezer cycling like billy no mates !!!!

Flying out on the 23rd April for a week at Club Pollentia with the missus, who doesn't cycle !!!!!

daviesee

Leesykoi wrote:

I'll be the geezer cycling like billy no mates !!!!

Flying out on the 23rd April for a week at Club Pollentia with the missus, who doesn't cycle !!!!!

It would appear that you will meet plenty others out there.

Pace and social skills aside.

plankton

I live in Spain and it's 24C today
Just thought I would share that