Mallorca

nax-ian

Two questions for you guys who have travelled over to Mallorca to do a bit of riding.
1. Which area do reccommend?
2. How is the standard ( and the maintenace ) of the rental bikes available over there?
Cheers guys any help appreciated.
Thinking of going over in March.

rickwiggans

We generally go to Porta Pollensa. Easy ride to the mountains, good access to the coastal routes. Hire bikes are excellent. We've used Procycle hire on the occasions we've not taken our own.

Ephgrave7

P Pollensa is main destination for Brit cyclists and is ideal base giving good choice of rides - mountain road to Soller is spectacular but if you want easier rides head south through Sa Pobla and onto plains; quiet well surfaced roads in general. P Pollensa bay is beautiful and near to Pollensa old town and the walled town of Alcudia - both worth a visit as is Sineu - probably the prettiest of the inland towns.

Procycle in P Pollenca has quality road bikes and is run by Brits but depending on when you go you should hire bike in advance as demand can be heavy. Other hire outfits there are v run-of-the-mill

Alternative base might be Can Picafort not far from Alcudia. Very slick and professional Swiss tour company - Max Hurzeler - has the largest of several outlets on the island there with huge number of Cube bikes for hire. Main base for German cyclists but also plenty of Brits there. http://www.bicycle-holidays.com/index.php?TPL=10051.

Warning:- if you go to P Pollensa you'll almost certainly want to ride to the lighthouse at the end of the Formentor
Peninsular. Spectacular when you get there but the road surface isn't the greatest though I've ridden worse in UK but there is a long unlit tunnel with deep concrete gullies at the side of the road. If you went into one of those it would ruin your holiday and your bike. When I did it with no lights I was fortunate that no cars were going through at the same time.

roryboy

Re the tunnel on the road to/from Formentor,its actually better when a car does appear as they have to put their lights on and if you're lucky enough to have it behind you, then the whole road is illuminated
If its in front of you then the drivers never fail to spot you and in my experience they always slow down and you can align yourself to pass easily to the right of the vehicle. The trip to the lighthouse is a cracking run with superb views, but watch as you arrive at the top, where road/parking rage is the norm with the hordes that drive out there.
Procycle are really helpful and they also organise a run midweek.

mingmong

rickwiggans wrote:

We generally go to Porta Pollensa. Easy ride to the mountains, good access to the coastal routes. Hire bikes are excellent. We've used Procycle hire on the occasions we've not taken our own.

Deffinately recommend Porta Pollensa and Procycle Hire. Take your pedals and shoes :-)

glasgowbhoy

Going to Port Soller in September for a family holoday. Planning a few early morning training rides and the roads out of Soller through the mountains look spectacular. Any rec's?

roryboy

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

Going to Port Soller in September for a family holoday. Planning a few early morning training rides and the roads out of Soller through the mountains look spectacular. Any rec's?

Glesgabhoy, you will find yourself situated in one of the best climbing areas with the Coll De Soller on your doorstep.
dont forget to take a wee tour round the villages of Fornalutx, Deja, and Valldemosa,
If you have the time, take a trip out to the orient valley, its magic for cycling and quite a challenge too.
Enjoy.

Solis

roryboy wrote:

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

Going to Port Soller in September for a family holoday. Planning a few early morning training rides and the roads out of Soller through the mountains look spectacular. Any rec's?

Glesgabhoy, you will find yourself situated in one of the best climbing areas with the Coll De Soller on your doorstep.
dont forget to take a wee tour round the villages of Fornalutx, Deja, and Valldemosa,
If you have the time, take a trip out to the orient valley, its magic for cycling and quite a challenge too.
Enjoy.

..... and could call in for a bit of "refreshment" at the bar at the top of the Coll, owned and run by a UK cyclist who will give you plenty of tips for cycling in the area.

thecm

Our annual pilgramage is to stay in Puerto Alcudia at the E end near the Marina. There is a Viva Tropic apartotel that has a smaller german cycle company operating there so off-season always has plenty of cyclists there and it has a bike garage and an indoor pool and gym too. Always take our own bikes but I think they hire there too. NE corner best to stay either here, Can Picafort or P Pollensa. Easy access to the mountains or the plains. Best rides? Puerto Alcudia - Can Picafort - Sa Pobla - Campanet - Caimari - Lluc (and a stop at the cafe at the monastery for a cafe con leche and the almond meringue pie!) then down to Pollensa; Out to Formentor and back; out to Puig Randa and back; Col de Soller from the south; Sa Calobra and the crazy road!; and the climb east out of Soller to Escorca (almost Pyrennean in stature), you cannot fail to enjoy yourself!

4kicks

The Alaro/Orient/Bunyola route is really cut up at the moment. Due to the "crisis" and the fact that the consell insular is about 20 million Euros overdrawn pretty much no roads are being repaired this year,
For an alternative route, why not do the "5 monastaries" - Santa Maria (Near Pollencañ down to Santa MArgalida (INCA), Monte-sion near Porreres then Randa and San Salvador near Manacor.

My favourite route here personally is Caimari to Mancor de la Valle to Lloseta then up to Alaro, and back either over Orient to Bunyola or follw the "cami des Raiguer" which is a track running past reads hotel to the west of the usual Santa Maria/ Inca road.
There is now another cycle hire in Pollenca, called Pollenca cycling, which has newer Kuota bikes (and also is a retul centre, fwiw)

roryboy

Yip: The monasteries have some amazing climbs to the top. One of them and i'm damned if i can remember which, has a framed
olympic cycling top on the wall along with some memorabilia of a local olympic cyclist.
They usually have great cafes with spectacular views. Oh roll on April 'til i'm back out on this fantastic island.

4kicks

Its probably Monte-Sion, Joan Llaneras is from Porreres
Raced against him. (Never beaten him!)

gsk82

I'm hoping to go again in march 2013 and was after taking my bike this time as i think its silly to pay 100quid to hire an ok bike when i can take me own for 80, as long as its practical.

Our group hired a little hyundai to get across the island this year (no bikes). What do people think is the best way to get a bike across to pollensa (without unpacking it and riding as i'd still need to get my box accross anyway)? hiring a van would cost 5 times as much as the hyundai.

nax-ian

Google something like' bike transport", an I'll bet there's big van-like cabs which'll accomodate a packed bike. As i'm sure you know mallorca is very bike friendly.
I'm jealous.

rc856

Hi folks,

Our club has just decided that our 2013 trip will be to Mallorca.
From reading this post only, are Pollensa and Port Soller the two best/main places to be based?
We would like the option of types of runs but not be far from hills.
By hills, are there some rolling runs and big, big hills?

Thanks,

Richie

nax-ian

I stayed in Pollensa last March I reckon it s THE place, got everthing you need route-wise and you've got our man "MallorcaJeff" to consult with, he's just down the road in Sa Pobla.
Post Soller would have the same start to every ride cos of it's location.

bigjim

What do people think is the best way to get a bike across to pollensa (without unpacking it and riding as i'd still need to get my box accross anyway)? hiring a van would cost 5 times as much as the hyundai.

Resort hopper will take you and the bike to your hotel. I paid £16 return this year without the bike. Evidently they have started charging for the bike. They don't for suitcases so it's probably just a scam. I don't bother taking my own bike any more. It's too much hassle and cost. The hire bikes are IMO perfectly good and there is a good choice and backup. Breakdown in the mountains on your own bike and you are on your own. 10 speed compact double 105 equipped for £90 was fine for me.

I like to stay in Alcudia as I think you have a bigger choice of outward and return journeys on rideouts than from Pollensa.

deswahriff

...lots of useful stuff here, thanks! Our club has just decided on Mallorca for our trip in May 2013...our plan is basically to cycle round the island over 4 days, starting and finishing at Palma, with a nice beach hotel every evening....looks like most of us will hire bikes too..

..rather looking forward to it!

deswahriff

..anyone been to any of these hotels, or any other recommendations? - must be able to accommodate 22 people...

D H Valparaiso Hotel, Cala Murada
Mar Calma Hotel, Puert Pollenca
Hotel Uyal, Puerto Pollenca
Hotel Apartmentos El Encinar, Valldemossa ( Soller)

cheers