Tenerife at Xmas - Advice please

jazgill

Hi All

Just looking for a bit of info. regarding cycling in Tenerife at Xmas. I've heard about the wind in the Canary islands and was wondering if this is likely to be an issue at that time of year. Also, would appreciate some advice on best part of the island to be based in for some decent rides. I will have a car so can head off to ride in other areas, rather than repeating large segments.

I understand that the temperature should be around 20-25c so ideal riding weather.

Any help much appreciated.
Jas

rafletcher

It's a windy place all year round...

https://weatherspark.com/averages/29190/12/Tenerife-Canarias-Spain

jazgill

Thanks for the prompt reply; may need to look elsewhere. Any suggestions ?
regards

banditvic

Gran Canaria much better for cycling if you can go there. If your going to the top its a lot cooler even when its nice down the bottom.

vortice

Canaries are windy year round, though it's a bit hit and miss. You can have 25mph winds for weeks on end but I've also known it be pretty calm for days on end too. I keep a bike at my parents in Tenerife and it's rare that I can't get out on the bike. Where we are in the south it seems to start to blow after 10am by which time you can be half way up Mount Teide.

I also spent 6 months working in Gran Canaria and I much prefer the riding there. The roads are better, fewer cars and it's more like a mountain range rather than one big volcano so it's a bit more interesting.

AK_jnr

Its an island. Of course its windy. So you wont go because of it? How sad.

sungod

wind is non-issue the vast majority of the time

you may get the odd day where it's too windy for fast descents, but otherwise nothing to worry about unless you're really light weight or lack handling skills

i've ridden lanzarote a lot, mostly on deeper rims (obermayers, which are not the greatest in crosswind), out of c. 150 days maybe 5 were too windy to ride

and it's not relentless, i just spent three weeks there, for two weeks there was hardly wind at all, 10-15kph at most, i was missing the wind as staying in the south i usually enjoy the tailwind on the return

in december there tends to be steady wind from nne, there may be the odd bad day, but otherwise ok, but what you may get is weeks of cloud and, if unlucky, rain and temperatures in the mid-high teens at sea level (colder as you climb), last december the rain was biblical, but it can also be warm, sunny and with a high uv index, it's very unpredictable

kayakerchris

I don't have the experience of some people on here but I have cycled 6-7 times in tenerife. Wind is a mixture of prevailing weather system and anabatic. I usually try to get out around 8.00am and do 2-3 hours on the days I am there. Get back to village El Medano about 11.30 in time for coffee on the promenade with family.

Bike hire is easy. Bike quality has gone up so they now have everything from basic Alu upto full carbon bling with Di2 and discs.

I really enjoy cycling in tenerife.

Gran Canaria is fine as well but I know it less well and did not enjoy it as much. Where I was it was just a climb fest to get anywhere.

jazgill

Many thanks all for your replies; just booked a week in Gran Canaria so will see how it goes.
regards
Jas

mugensi

The one thing to remember about Tenerife at Christmas time is that even though temperatures at sea level are in the low 20's, it can be in the low single figures at the base of Teide at that time of year even on bright clear sunny days and so you'd need to pack clothing appropriate for both warm and cold conditions if you plan a trip up there.

navrig2

I am not long back from Tenerife. Was there for a week and the only time we encountered wind was near the coast (between Los Cristianos and the airport). The roads between the motorway and the coast were horribly busy so we decided that we would avoid them and we cycled above the motorway and there was very little wind.

Go up to the north end of the island as the roads and scenery are lovely - no loops so it is generally out and back with plenty of climbing.

There also some great roads on the western side.

Overall the tarmac condition was good with some poor bits. The worst we encountered was between Vilaflor and Arona.

Here are the routes we did:

https://www.strava.com/activities/388363537

https://www.strava.com/activities/388363500

https://www.strava.com/activities/386824690

https://www.strava.com/activities/386824705

https://www.strava.com/activities/386824670

https://www.strava.com/activities/386824672

https://www.strava.com/activities/386824608

jazgill

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19710817#p19710817]Navrig2[/url] wrote:

I am not long back from Tenerife. Was there for a week and the only time we encountered wind was near the coast (between Los Cristianos and the airport). The roads between the motorway and the coast were horribly busy so we decided that we would avoid them and we cycled above the motorway and there was very little wind.

Go up to the north end of the island as the roads and scenery are lovely - no loops so it is generally out and back with plenty of climbing.

There also some great roads on the western side.

Overall the tarmac condition was good with some poor bits. The worst we encountered was between Vilaflor and Arona.

Here are the routes we did:

https://www.strava.com/activities/388363537

https://www.strava.com/activities/388363500

https://www.strava.com/activities/386824690

https://www.strava.com/activities/386824705

https://www.strava.com/activities/386824670

https://www.strava.com/activities/386824672

https://www.strava.com/activities/386824608

Many thanks

banditvic

Don't bother taking your own bike, just book one from Freemotion (you don't pay till you pick bike up).
You can go out with rides with them, but most punters are German.
The only real bad wind is if you go out of Maspalomas and head East along the coast.
So either go west to Mogan or head inland (that will be up then) then head East and back into Maspolomas westwards 30 mph with no effort.

sungod

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19710679#p19710679]jazgill[/url] wrote:

Many thanks all for your replies; just booked a week in Gran Canaria so will see how it goes.
regards
Jas

have fun

another thing to bear in mind is that if it is windy, the wind is usually lightest first thing and builds in the afternoon

so if you head out at sunrise you can do several hours ride and still be back in good time for solar noon (around 1300 utc in december) to have a beer and top up the tan by the pool

vortice

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19710947#p19710947]banditvic[/url] wrote:

Don't bother taking your own bike, just book one from Freemotion (you don't pay till you pick bike up).
You can go out with rides with them, but most punters are German.
The only real bad wind is if you go out of Maspalomas and head East along the coast.
So either go west to Mogan or head inland (that will be up then) then head East and back into Maspolomas westwards 30 mph with no effort.

Agree with using freemotion. Also, have a look at their website - you can download all their rides before you go.

http://www.free-motion.com/en/road-bike/road-riding-tours-gran-canaria/

sloppyschleckonds

Anyone got any routes for Gran Canaria?

TIA

vortice

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19736829#p19736829]SloppySchleckonds[/url] wrote:

Anyone got any routes for Gran Canaria?

TIA

See my post immediately above yours and click on the freemotion link.

durhamwasp

Just got back from Tenerife at the weekend, you can read our review/advice here https://snookcycling.wordpress.com/teide/

The highest temperature we saw was 23c, most days it was 19/20c. Still good for cycling, but very overcast and raininig at times. To be honest it was a little bit windy, but never enough to spoil the cycling.