Majorca Ma-13a Busy??

jerry3571

Hi,
Just asking, in a couple of months I'll be in Majorca in Pollenca for a week of fun and games. I'm about 14 stone and 5 foot 8 so a bit big for the mountains. There's a ride which is going from Andratx to Pollenca.
One route is 120 miles and full of lumps, the second is 70 miles and over 2500m of climbing. Being at the start of the season (despite early miles and a diet) I just fancy going on the old main road of the Ma-13a. A lot flatter route.
Just wondering what the traffic is like? Is it crazy busy on this route? Don't like lorries and busy roads.
Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

4kicks

Generally its not busy at all, apart from the bit where it becomes a dual carriageway as you come up through Inca. However, dont forget it doesn't start until Costix so a fair bit south of the Noth coast, and youll be weaving from side to side of the Motorway up some quite steep little ramps. Once you get Sough of Inca, there is a better route, Cami DÉs Ragiuer which is futher West of it and better, passing though Santa Maria
Also thyeve done a lot of road work near Es Pont DÍnca where the big Alcampo is so I doubt you can get across there if you were planning to do so, I normally start heading East off it around POrtol, after the Bauhaus, as opposed to going any further South on it.

jerry3571

Cheers for that. Getting from Andratx to Santa Maria is a bit of a headache. They say on the maps that it's private roads east of Calvia on the M1016. If it's no go then it's south to join the coastal roads down to Palmanova. Tricky stuff.

whoof

Once you get to Santa Maria del Cami there's a road that runs pretty much parallel to the Ma-13a that's flat well surfaced and very quiet. At the eastern end of Santa Maria turn south and then east again on the Carrer Baronia de Terrades which turns into the Cami de Muro. This runs through Biniagual and comes out at the ma-3500 a couple of kms SE of Inca. You can then head for Sa Pablo and then Polenca.
If you take a look on Google maps you should be able to see it.

jerry3571

Thanks for that. Good stuff.

gsk82

why do you want to ride to andraxt? it's not particularly interesting.

get yourself up the mountains. the climbs aren't very steep and aren't particularly long, and you'll get far better views than of the motorway and some motorwayside towns

jerry3571

I think that's the funny thing with Majorca is that you look at the mountains and think they're only 700m or a 1000m high but the actual climbing heights are from sea level in majorca. So in reality the Puig is the same amount of climbing as alpe d'huez. I think when I was in my twenties and 2.5 stone lighter then it would be no worries. Fat man on a bike!!





This is roughly the route. Not a flat bit of road in sight. :shock:
http://www.cyclinglocations.com/trofeo-andratx-2015/

bikergirl17

cannot compare puig to an alpe d'huez. I don't think the latter is particularly hard on its own - but it is still way steeper. There's so many gentler climbs to puig, although from where you are it is a longish ride - soller (either site) or orient (col d'honor).

jerry3571

I can't compare as I'm 2 stone heavier than when I did the alpe d'huez. ;-)

Kangars

whoof wrote:

Once you get to Santa Maria del Cami there's a road that runs pretty much parallel to the Ma-13a that's flat well surfaced and very quiet. At the eastern end of Santa Maria turn south and then east again on the Carrer Baronia de Terrades which turns into the Cami de Muro. This runs through Biniagual and comes out at the ma-3500 a couple of kms SE of Inca. You can then head for Sa Pablo and then Polenca.
If you take a look on Google maps you should be able to see it.

Cheers for this, we were going to come back by Ma13a back to Alcudia, but this way looks much better!

dylanfernley

bikergirl17 wrote:

cannot compare puig to an alpe d'huez. I don't think the latter is particularly hard on its own - but it is still way steeper. There's so many gentler climbs to puig, although from where you are it is a longish ride - soller (either site) or orient (col d'honor).

there is good reason that the pro teams use mallorca , obviously the climate helps , but the actual climbs are useful for training, sure they arent as intense as a series of alpine climbs but even so they provide good resistance....

markhewitt1978

dylanfernley wrote:

bikergirl17 wrote:

cannot compare puig to an alpe d'huez. I don't think the latter is particularly hard on its own - but it is still way steeper. There's so many gentler climbs to puig, although from where you are it is a longish ride - soller (either site) or orient (col d'honor).

there is good reason that the pro teams use mallorca , obviously the climate helps , but the actual climbs are useful for training, sure they arent as intense as a series of alpine climbs but even so they provide good resistance....

The climb up to the Puig from Port de Pollenca is still massively long when you compare it to pretty much anything in the UK. You just don't get that duration and length of climb.

In the UK I've ridden up to a similar height as the top of the Puig as Great Dun Fell is 2,778ft and the tunnel at the Puig is at 2,910ft. But Great Dun Fell is 4.6 miles long where as the climb up from Pollenca is more like 20 miles. And the Great Dun is the highest road in the UK, so about as good as you're going to get.

bigjim

The Ma-13a has a service road running alongside it for most of it's length and it's an eay ride. Can be a bit breezy though and the traffic noise can annoy, but it's no big deal and is well used by cyclists. There is IMO no such thing as a busy road in Mallorca when you compare to the UK. The climb from Pollensa is worth it for the views. You just need to get into a decent rhythm and enjoy it. There are no rules you know. You can stop for a breather or get off and push. I'm 6'2" and 14.5 stone and an old git and do both if I feel the need to. I'm past trying to prove anything.

markhewitt1978

bigjim wrote:

There is IMO no such thing as a busy road in Mallorca when you compare to the UK.

This is true. Unless you're looking at some of the busier areas around Palma. But even the 'main' roads in the East are still fairly quiet by UK standards.

bernithebiker

jerry3571 wrote:

Cheers for that. Getting from Andratx to Santa Maria is a bit of a headache. They say on the maps that it's private roads east of Calvia on the M1016. If it's no go then it's south to join the coastal roads down to Palmanova. Tricky stuff.

This is indeed the tricky bit. I assume the others would head NE up the climb towards the coast road, whereas you will need to head East towards Palma to get to Santa Maria. You can either take the coast road through Santa Ponsa, Magaluf, etc. but even that is a bit lumpy. Then skirt round Palma and strike for Santa Maria.

There are much nicer ways of doing it (through Calvia, over the Military climb, etc.) but all involve good size hills.