Majorca Average Speed

hepz

Hi there,

I'm off to Mallorca with my lady in a few weeks and want to do an early 6am ride just to have a taste of the roads that I've heard so much about.

https://www.strava.com/routes/927709

I've found this route which tickles my fancy, some real nice hills (not the most famous but I won't have time to get up to those) and I'm wondering what average speed I could expect for this kind of distance...

I do about 16mph averages quite easy around the hills of Yorkshire.
Obviously the hills in Majorca are much longer, but just wondering about an expected average?
My dad reckons it'll take me 7 hrs...

de_sisti

Just forget about averages and do the ride. From that, you'll have an average that you can peruse over
and possibly try to beat (if that takes your fancy). If you get too obsessed with averages whilst on holiday
your lady friend may get fed with you and restrict your (intended) intimate contact with her in the evenings.

hepz

haha I hear ya, but it's basically so I know what time I'll be back so we can make plans for the rest of the day...

k-dog

'bout lunchtime then I suppose. A Siesta then afternoon activities at 3?

mrb123

Won't be much different. It's hilly over there but never steep and the road surfaces are great. Just depends how offer you stop.

thistle_

If you set off at 6am then "lunchtime" seems a bit late, but it lets you stop for coffee/photos etc. without having to rush back.

sloppyschleckonds

Take some lights, light clothing & plenty of hydration tabs....

bigmitch41

3Hrs I recon, its a 60k ride, long climbs usually lead to long descents.

ugo.santalucia

It's a 25 metres of elevation per Km... I would average 20-22 km/h, you might do a bit better... probably a tad less than what you average in Yorkshire, assuming we are talking about the same Yorkshire, which can easily be 15-20 mt/km

svetty

4 hours should be plenty for that ride

fenix

I'm thinking 3 hours ish... but tell people to chill out if they're already pushing you for what time you'll be back next week when you're on holiday....

Sure you'll be slow on the uphills but you can always make some of that speed back up on the downhill. Never quite works out as fast as a flat ride though. Have fun.

banditvic

The coast road is one of my favourite rides on Majorca, don't worry about speed and time, just enjoy.

ProjectObject

You are on holiday. You shouldn't be worrying what time you get back. Stay out all day and enjoy.

pblakeney

Lunch? You could be back before they stop serving breakfast!
2-1/2 to 3 hours should do it comfortably.

First.Aspect

Depends if you want to stop and enjoy the views. Easily 23-24 kph ave when moving I reckon. We are about the same speed and I manage a 120km loop with 2500m climbing at 23kph. It nearly kills me, mind.

Enjoy.

hepz

thanks for the responses guys, I think 4 hours with a stop for some food and some pictures will be about right. Cannot wait! Definitely gonna organise a trip to Mallorca in early November!

super_davo

For what it's worth I do a similar average speed around very hilly rides in the peaks (ie south Yorkshire) and I did pretty much that exact route in March. It was part of a group and I had an extra 35 miles to get to and from my resort but average was 16.6 and it took around 5:45 for 95 miles in total. Subtract a bit of speed for riding solo, add a bit for riding a bit less distance and I reckon you'll be right at 16s - drafting didn't help much that day as was so savage the group broke up.
Beautiful but tough route, especially along the coastal road; always up and down and left and right and fantastic views of the sea and mountains.

ricey155

Interesting to know how you get on in that area of Mallorca, having done Porta Pollense this March, I fancy Antratx for a different scene.

slow up rapid down if it's anything like the north :-)

twist83

Myself and the other half did this exact loop last october. One of my favs. Loved it. Quite lumpy over there. You are faster than both of us. We took it stead and enjoyed the scenery. Averaged about 12mph. Link below to our exact ride.

https://www.strava.com/activities/734106032

mellex

IMO (as a Southerner), if you ride in Yorkshire you'll smash round Majorca. The road surfaces are a cyclists dream and you'll be covering ground far quicker and with noticeably less effort.

I did the White Rose Classic this year and I can promise you that it was far tougher than any ride I've done on the island.

poptart242

That climb out of Andratx is really easy as these things go (and usually has a tailwind), so you'll have a pretty decent start, and the climbs inland are fairly steady too. You'll be fine for 3 hours IMO. It's late on in the ride but there are some really nice cafés in Galilea at the top of the hill there - it'll be a little cooler at altitude too so worth a stop there if you've made decent time. The only climbing you've left after there is the short one out of Es Capdella, which you'll get done in well under 10 minutes! Great route.

bigmitch41

Do you guys bring your own bikes or hire out there? I'd love to do this one day!

mellex

BigMitch41 wrote:

Do you guys bring your own bikes or hire out there? I'd love to do this one day!

I hired from Pinarello Experience. Got the Marvel with a compact/28 cassette for £103 for the week. Bike was faultless, as was the service. Some companies charge you extra for inner tubes, saddlebags and pedals but all three were included in the price. They also give you a recovery card with an emergency contact number should anything go pear shaped.

Sure, I know this sounds like an advert but their attention to detail and level of service really did make hiring a pleasant experience.

AK_jnr

I've hired and taken my own bike. Had a bog standard Planet X pro carbon one year and it was fine. I have a bike box but only tend to take mine if I'm going for longer than a week or if I'm hiring a car

poptart242

Hired an Aeroad last year and an Ultimate this year in Paguera from RAD International, both were amazing. Only issue is they don't swap the brakes round to UK style (they're a German shop) so that led to a couple of fun moments on descents!