Gran Canaria - Give me your knowledge!

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  • peat
    peat Posts: 1,242
    Thanks backo. Your rides/routes pics look great!
  • hjghg5
    hjghg5 Posts: 97
    If that GCN video is the one where they try leche leche we were sitting on the next table as they filmed it. You can just about hear me laugh...

    My dad lives in GC so we go out a couple of times a year. We usually drive past the road closure and do an out and back up serenity but some friends got the ferry from Puerto Rico which worked well.

    The riding in the north is good but needs a car to get there.
  • gary_sparrow
    gary_sparrow Posts: 181
    How are the fires effecting things over there ? I’m heading over next week

    Staying Lopesan via del Conde in meloneras away from all that bit obviously I’ll be heading up the mountains
  • peat
    peat Posts: 1,242
    edited January 2020
    Right, the game is a'wheel. I'm going in March and very much looking forward to it.

    A nugget of extra good news is, that according to Strava, people seem to be riding the GC500 all the way to Playa Mogan again, making the Serenity loop a go'er!

    EDIT: Incorrect. It's only open as far as Taurito whereupon people are turning around.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    edited January 2020
    https://www.que.es/ciudades/canarias/mogan-y-el-gobierno-de-canarias-priorizan-la-circunvalacion-del-casco-del-municipio-y-el-tunel-de-taurito.html

    Seems to say it's not open, but yes, some people do look like they are finding a way through. Might be worth putting a comment on a strava activity and asking?
  • remylebeau
    remylebeau Posts: 8
    hello folks ... heading down in March for 9 days. current bike gearing is 52x36 + 12x28. I gather from the terrain, is my gearing is not enough. I believe my SRAP rear mech can accommodate a 30T cog ... thinking about putting on a 30T small front ring.

    Thoughts? ... recommendations?

    Cheers ... R
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,486
    50x30 is too big a jump. For smaller gearing you need either a compact chainset (assuming you can't simply change both rings) or a bigger cassette, or both. Remember to check the chain length once done.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • remylebeau
    remylebeau Posts: 8
    pblakeney said:

    50x30 is too big a jump. ...Remember to check the chain length once done.

    Ah, I meant 34T front ring. Don't think a 30T exist, nor will it fit my crank. On paper, a 28T cog is max for my SRAM etap rear mech, but know of folks that have used 30T cog. So, hope 34T front, 30T rear will suffice.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    remylebeau said:

    pblakeney said:

    50x30 is too big a jump. ...Remember to check the chain length once done.

    Ah, I meant 34T front ring. Don't think a 30T exist, nor will it fit my crank. On paper, a 28T cog is max for my SRAM etap rear mech, but know of folks that have used 30T cog. So, hope 34T front, 30T rear will suffice.
    remylebeau said:

    pblakeney said:

    50x30 is too big a jump. ...Remember to check the chain length once done.

    Ah, I meant 34T front ring. Don't think a 30T exist, nor will it fit my crank. On paper, a 28T cog is max for my SRAM etap rear mech, but know of folks that have used 30T cog. So, hope 34T front, 30T rear will suffice.
    Get the most you can, you'll appreciate it. I haven't done the most extreme climbs, and there are more than a few places I was glad the hire bikes are all 34x32.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,486
    remylebeau said:

    pblakeney said:

    50x30 is too big a jump. ...Remember to check the chain length once done.

    Ah, I meant 34T front ring. Don't think a 30T exist, nor will it fit my crank. On paper, a 28T cog is max for my SRAM etap rear mech, but know of folks that have used 30T cog. So, hope 34T front, 30T rear will suffice.
    Ah! And I got it wrong too by saying 50 when you have a 52.
    A 52x34 will still be too big a jump.
    I’d suggest a compact 50x34 and a cassette with either a 28 or 30 if it fits. Or man up. 😉
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • remylebeau
    remylebeau Posts: 8
    pblakeney said:


    A 52x34 will still be too big a jump ... Or man up. 😉

    yeah, 52x34 is not ideal but it will work ... "or man up", lol, that's what my daughter told me ;)
  • staggly
    staggly Posts: 6
    Going to GC in March 2022 and staying in Maspalomas. Really would like to do the Serenity Climb coming out of Morgan on GC200 but I know the GC500 road was/is impassable from Maspalomas. Looking at Strava heat maps look like people either:
    - use a ferry from Pureto (seem to go hourly)
    - go through the tunnel on the GC1 - sounds scary and illegal
    - walk the bike over the landslide, although saw that a wall has been built to prevent this now.
    - get a taxi transfer to Morgan.

    Anyone know the best way currently to get there? There are 8 of us heading out there.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    If you wanted an epic day you could do Soria, descend Serenity (it's a lovely descent) turn around, climb Serenity and carry on to Ayacata and down to Fataga. A full day with a lot of climbing.

    Not been for a few years, so can't say how easy it would be to get 8 bikes on the boat, but that would be the nicest way to do a loop.
  • staggly
    staggly Posts: 6
    Back from GC. Great place from a cycle holiday. Here's how are holiday turned out. We flew in from the UK and airbnb-ed a place in Maspalmos for the eight of us in March 2022. It was actually in Playa del Ingles. Was decent enough - a bit Brits abroad, but loads of restaurants, some dubious bars and good location for cycling in and out of.

    We got a taxi from airport takes about 20 mins on motorway. Rented bikes from free-motion - good bikes, slick process. We had no problems with bikes generally. Bikes had swapped over brakes compared to UK which took a little getting use to.

    Climbs to do:
    - Soria - climb up from coast road to restaurant in Soria
    - Serenity Climb - the best one. Lovely climb and descent on smooth roads with amazing views
    - Valley of Tears - a bit wild west, starts in the middle of no where and keeps going up at a unrelenting gradient. Climbing hard for +1 hour. Was brutal, road surface rubbish. I wouldn't descend it, but it's worth a effort up it.

    Morgan is lovely place with great harbour for starting point and coffee. We split into two groups, one cycling to morgan along coast, other got a taxi from Maspalamos.

    You can't cycle to Morgan easily .. some people go through the motor traffic tunnel which is short. Otherwise you can get there by ferry or taxi.

    San Nicholas was dead - we got there on a sunday, but not much going on and doesn't seem a great place to base yourself for a ride, I know GCN did but you're restricted on routes out.

    The weather is decent in the south and more rainy in the north, We all took Gillets and some took arm warmers for the descents. It can be -10C 1000m high up compared to the coast which is about 23C in March.

    Watch the wind! Can be calm one minute and a gale the next, particularly with deeper rim wheels. We got properly caught out over the GC-200 pass at Mirador de San Nicolas. We couldn't even cycle as the wind was blowing through a funnelled gap and we had to walk our bikes around the corner holding on to them as tight as possible to stop them blowing away - no joke!

    Coast road from Maspalomas towards Morgan can get a bit busy and early start is better for less traffic.

    Here are the routes we planned:

    https://www.strava.com/routes/2934073270993721026
    https://www.strava.com/routes/2934078020217654208
    https://www.strava.com/routes/2934377968803094960
    https://www.strava.com/routes/2934084358023467714

    Best descents are down Serenity Climb , down from Soria, from Ayacata down the GC-60

    Most annoying thing was not having early check in and late checkout in the AirBnB place. We arrived early but couldn't really use facilities until late. We had a 5 day holiday and cycled 4 of the five days, but reckon with early check in we could condense to a 4 day trip, although slightly constrained on flights to and from UK.

    We didn't make it right up to Pico de las Nieves, or out East to Agumies - next time!

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