Ibiza / Menorca cycling

markhewitt1978

Been to Majorca four times now, so we are not going there for our next family holiday.

We are on the verge of booking a holiday for early May in Minorca. Probably staying in Cala en Bosc (South West corner of the island)

It'll mostly be a family holiday but I'd like to do what I did when I was in Mallorca can get a couple of 50ish mile rides in while I'm there.

Is there a decent place to hire a road bike from?

Are there many decent road routes? All the roads appear to stem from one main road which looks like a pain for making a circular route. I have spotted one climb up to a monastery type thing.

Mountain biking seems popular but I'm not really interested in that or going off road.

bernithebiker

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Been to Majorca four times now, so we are not going there for our next family holiday.

We are on the verge of booking a holiday for early May in Minorca. Probably staying in Cala en Bosc (South West corner of the island)

It'll mostly be a family holiday but I'd like to do what I did when I was in Mallorca can get a couple of 50ish mile rides in while I'm there.

Is there a decent place to hire a road bike from?

Are there many decent road routes? All the roads appear to stem from one main road which looks like a pain for making a circular route. I have spotted one climb up to a monastery type thing.

Mountain biking seems popular but I'm not really interested in that or going off road.

I have mates that live in Majorca and go to Menorca to 'chill axe'! i.e. get away from it all - it's much quieter and less developed than Majorca, with far fewer roads. As far as I can gather, it's good for MTB but not road biking (at least not in comparison to Majorca).

You can find quiet and unspoilt in Majorca, which is what I would do.

markhewitt1978

bernithebiker wrote:

You can find quiet and unspoilt in Majorca, which is what I would do.

Mate, I've been pushing to go back to Majorca again but it's a no go, especially as we've been there just in October! Again I'm not intending to do epic climbs or 100 mile rides just a tottle about for a bit to say I've done it

bernithebiker

markhewitt1978 wrote:

bernithebiker wrote:

You can find quiet and unspoilt in Majorca, which is what I would do.

Mate, I've been pushing to go back to Majorca again but it's a no go, especially as we've been there just in October! Again I'm not intending to do epic climbs or 100 mile rides just a tottle about for a bit to say I've done it

Don't give up yet!

Have you looked at Deia* / Esporles / Banyulufar area in the SW? Very beautiful, totally unspoilt, views over sea and sunsets, very quiet (maybe too quiet?), and not too far from Palma. Plus top cycling.

Try that on her!

*Michael Douglas has a place there with that Welsh bird.

flasher

Spent a few days cycling their last year, rented a BMC with Di2 and Zipps from A Roda in Alaoir, I think it was the owners personal bike though!

Great little proper bike shop, riding on the island is more geared towards off-road, but there are some lovely roads to be explored, much more rolling than the NE of Mallorca.

Keep off the main road as much as you can, and use the old main road, Camí den Kane (Kane Road), the only proper climb is up to the monastery at Monte Toro.

http://www.aroda.info/en/

markhewitt1978

Flasher wrote:

Spent a few days cycling their last year, rented a BMC with Di2 and Zipps from A Roda in Alaoir, I think it was the owners personal bike though!

Great little proper bike shop, riding on the island is more geared towards off-road, but there are some lovely roads to be explored, much more rolling than the NE of Mallorca.

Keep off the main road as much as you can, and use the old main road, Camí den Kane (Kane Road), the only proper climb is up to the monastery at Monte Toro.

http://www.aroda.info/en/

Thanks for the info. That's the trouble that I can see, that if I'm based in the South West to get anywhere outside the West side the Me-1 is literally the only road, and it doesn't look a very pleasant one at that.

flasher

Sorry never got down to that part of the Island, there are loads of small roads though, whether they would be road cycleable or not who knows, good luck

chieflordy

I stayed with my family in Cala en Bosc last September, I had every intention of hiring a road bike from these people http://www.velosjoan.com/index.php/en/ but injury meant I was unable to. They deliver to most of the hotels, one tip, in case you are staying at the Holiday Village Menorca (I'd recommend it!), it is listed by its 'real' name, Grupotel Turquesa Mar on the drop down.

From what I saw, there were still a good number of road cyclists out and about, although you are right the routes are fairly limited with no extensive coast road to allow for circular routes. I saw alot of cyclists on the Me-1 main road which wasn't busy at all then heading off left and right, the middle of the island is fairly hilly.

In my opinion there are enough cycling options for a few days riding in amongst a family holiday.

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Been to Majorca four times now, so we are not going there for our next family holiday.

We are on the verge of booking a holiday for early May in Minorca. Probably staying in Cala en Bosc (South West corner of the island)

It'll mostly be a family holiday but I'd like to do what I did when I was in Mallorca can get a couple of 50ish mile rides in while I'm there.

Is there a decent place to hire a road bike from?

Are there many decent road routes? All the roads appear to stem from one main road which looks like a pain for making a circular route. I have spotted one climb up to a monastery type thing.

Mountain biking seems popular but I'm not really interested in that or going off road.

markhewitt1978

chieflordy wrote:

I stayed with my family in Cala en Bosc last September,

Ah excellent! How did you find the resort in general? It's going to be myself and my wife with 3 year old daughter. We'll be going self-catering (even though all inclusive seems to be the thing in Menorca?) because we like eating out in different restaurants most nights.

I had every intention of hiring a road bike from these people http://www.velosjoan.com/index.php/en/ but injury meant I was unable to. They deliver to most of the hotels

They are based in Ciutadella right? So I could pick up the bike from there? We'll have a hire car so that's no problem.

, one tip, in case you are staying at the Holiday Village Menorca (I'd recommend it!), it is listed by its 'real' name, Grupotel Turquesa Mar on the drop down.

We were thinking of the Viva Menorca. We didn't see Holiday Village but I'll give it a look.

From what I saw, there were still a good number of road cyclists out and about, although you are right the routes are fairly limited with no extensive coast road to allow for circular routes. I saw alot of cyclists on the Me-1 main road which wasn't busy at all then heading off left and right, the middle of the island is fairly hilly.
In my opinion there are enough cycling options for a few days riding in amongst a family holiday.

Thanks. What I did last time we were away (in Mallorca), was a 40 mile ride one day, a pottering around the doors the next day then another 40 mile ride, so nothing massive. But I'd quite like to ride up to that monastery, which does mean tacking the Me-1 - although you say that won't be too bad?

markhewitt1978

Another option we've been looking at is Ibiza (going with a 3 year old so no clubbing for us!). Is that decent for cycling in mid-May time? A bit of a look at the map seems to suggest there's a nicer selection of roads than Menorca.

chieflordy

My daughter is 3 as well, she loved it, particularly playing around the pool in the hotel, it was a very good one, loads of slides and things, perfect for pre school age children. And as we went during term time that is exactly who it was packed with! Friendliest bar man in history too, always a big smile on his face, the kids all loved him.

We know people who stayed in Viva Menorca, it is just as nice, the pool there has the added advantage of a pirate ship for the kids to play in. It is slightly further walk from the beach though, Holiday Village was no more than 5 mins, Viva Menorca, maybe 10 mins.

Resort itself is very quiet, 4 or 5 big hotels, most were all inclusive so I don't think there is a huge choice of restaurants, there is a nice marina though that has a few I seem to remember. Of course with a hire car though you'll have no problem venturing further afield.

Beach is a nice sandy one, not huge though, maybe 200 meters wide, set in a cove. It will be fine in May (as it was in late Sept) but in the height of summer I imagine it could get very busy. Summer 2013 we stayed in Playa de Muro (Majorca) which was a much better beach in terms of size....huge.

Outside all of the hotels, there are these pedallo bike things you can hire for a 30 mins or an hour for the whole family, blimey, that thing was harder than an alpine col, wife glass cranking beside me and 3yr old in the back wanting more speed

Yes, Ciutadella is where they are based, coach from the airport went through it, must only be 10 mins up the road in a car. Most bike rides you'll probably head in that direction, then on to the Me-1. On the coach journey to/ from the airport we used that road, wife remarked to me how many cyclists there were using that road, like all of Menorca really it is fairly quiet, certainly nothing like that motorway type road heading up to the north west of Majorca, that I certainly wouldn't want to cycle on.

Re: Ibiza, I have not experience of cycling but hired a scooter there a few years back and roamed around the island, I think there is a bigger network of roads than Menorca, although you would want to stay off the main road from Ibiza town to San Antionio I reckon as that was quite a busy one.

markhewitt1978 wrote:

chieflordy wrote:

I stayed with my family in Cala en Bosc last September,

Ah excellent! How did you find the resort in general? It's going to be myself and my wife with 3 year old daughter. We'll be going self-catering (even though all inclusive seems to be the thing in Menorca?) because we like eating out in different restaurants most nights.

I had every intention of hiring a road bike from these people http://www.velosjoan.com/index.php/en/ but injury meant I was unable to. They deliver to most of the hotels

They are based in Ciutadella right? So I could pick up the bike from there? We'll have a hire car so that's no problem.

, one tip, in case you are staying at the Holiday Village Menorca (I'd recommend it!), it is listed by its 'real' name, Grupotel Turquesa Mar on the drop down.

We were thinking of the Viva Menorca. We didn't see Holiday Village but I'll give it a look.

From what I saw, there were still a good number of road cyclists out and about, although you are right the routes are fairly limited with no extensive coast road to allow for circular routes. I saw alot of cyclists on the Me-1 main road which wasn't busy at all then heading off left and right, the middle of the island is fairly hilly.
In my opinion there are enough cycling options for a few days riding in amongst a family holiday.

Thanks. What I did last time we were away (in Mallorca), was a 40 mile ride one day, a pottering around the doors the next day then another 40 mile ride, so nothing massive. But I'd quite like to ride up to that monastery, which does mean tacking the Me-1 - although you say that won't be too bad?

brettjmcc

Can I ask if anyone has recommendations for Ibiza then? I've found a few places through Google that do Cannondales etc.

I am going with the family in August to the west side (Cala Tarida) and want to ask if there are any recommended routes/hire places etc

Thanks
Brett

mallorcajeff

I used to live in mahon in menorca for four years. Go up monte torro (only mountain on the island 366 meters or there abouts i think? But very steep in places so a good work out, the road from fornells to mahon is one of the best on the island but you will find its like a tom and jerry cartoon fish skeleton all the roads go out and back from the main spine road running cuitadela mahon. Do not ride this road, in 10 years of living in the balearics its the most dangerous road i know the taxis are suicidal and its not a cliche. Also my other favourite ride would be from alaior take the back road south towards calen porter, check a left towards san climent (steak restaurant on your left called can bernat best steaks on the island) then go through sant climent and turn right take the back road round the airport to binibeca. Stop at johns bar (the smugglers) then ride back from there. And if you have a hire car watch for the few speed cameras on the main road especially the one in the middle of the is,and in mercadsl as the limit is so low you seel like your walking pace and the cameras work and the fines are big as spain is skint so watch how you go.
Cuitsdells well worth a walk round and watch the sun set behind the mountains of mallorca. Lovely ice cream shop on the main sq by the church too on the right in the high street.

More like wickers world on here than a cycling forum ;-)

Beautiful island and lovely people, miss it loads :-(

Rodrego Hernandez

brettjmcc wrote:

Can I ask if anyone has recommendations for Ibiza then? I've found a few places through Google that do Cannondales etc.

I am going with the family in August to the west side (Cala Tarida) and want to ask if there are any recommended routes/hire places etc

Thanks
Brett

It's good, like a mini-Majorca. It's an easy 4 hours to lap the island and nothing too troubling in the hill department but it is possible to ride a different route each day for a few days. Traffic is generally pretty good and the roads are in great condition too.

Bar Shaker

I've been to Ibiza a few times recently and always think it would be great riding there. There isn't the cycling infrastructure like Mallorca but the roads away from Bossa, San An and Old Town are very quiet. The only other place to avoid is the roads near Cala Compte, several of which are unmade.

Being less than 20 miles from Mallorca, the climate is identical.