Barcelona road cycling

davidwoodfield

Hi all

First time post for someone who is relatively new to the world of proper road cycling.

I've got the chance to go to Barcelona for a week at the start of November - my gf is going on business so I can get a free hotel room :-) Given she will be working all day (play that violin), I thought this would be a good chance for me to go and experience some of the cycling in the region.

I thought of day trips looping back into Barce, or doing a multi-day thing heading to Girona and possibly ending up in Andorra before turning back. However I do not know where to start to find good routes, know which roads are good, etc.

Can anyone help? Recommending resources, specific routes or itineraries, etc!?

For background:
- I will be there 4-5 days
- I am an intermediate level (have done 130km, 170km sportives and have a 200km day under my belt so can do the distance... climbing will be tough but I will enjoy the challenge)
- I will probably take my own bike

Thanks for your thoughts and help!

DW

FJS

Lots of possibilities. It's a great city for cycling to be based in.
- Montjuich for a quick lunch-time spin: nice views, great climbs and a good choice of roads very central in the city
- For an nice short ride climb Tibidabo mountain with amazing views on the outskirts of the city, and surprisingly empty roads on the other side. Up the Vallvidrera and down the San Cugat side works best. You could ride out further to Sant Cugat itself for a longer ride.
- Take a train to Vic or Sant Celoni and ride the Montseny national park. Great roads and scenery for a full day riding
- A train a bit further to Ripoll and you can ride the Pyrenees. The Col de Castellar de N'Hug and Coll de Merrolla are beautiful and quiet, the road via La Molina a decent one back to Ripoll, although a bit busier.
- A good loop from Girona (again easily reached by train) via Lloret de Mar, Sant Feliu and the Mare de Deu dels Angels.

I hear the Penedes are South of the city is nice too, but have not been there myself.
Barcelona is a sprawling city with ugly towerblock suburbs, and apart from the Tibidabo-side not the nicest to cycle out of. Taking a train to avoid the endless sprawl works fine

Peak Times

I did something similar in the Spring but only had time for a couple of rides, I thoroughly enjoyed the coast road from Pineda del Mar heading along the coast road to Sante Feliu, there is some good up and down and the views are superb. In November there will not be the hoards of tourists so the roads will be quiet.

The coastal road from Barcelona though to Pineda is not that inspiring and mostly flat.

Enjoy the tapas :-)