Sierra Nevada Spain on a Road Bike

I don't know the area at all so am not that useful, but we went cycling in the Sierra de Gredos, West of Madrid in May last year and as a word of warning, it was SCORCHIO!!!!! Beware the heat!!!

The last 3km or so of the climb is on decent unsurfaced track, but the rest is tarmac, good below the ski resort, a bit bumpy above.
It is possible to ride a road bike to within 100m or so of the trig point on top.
The climb is about 2700m in 44km (just over 6%). Allow 4 or 5 hours to the top.
It is also possible to carry on over the top and down the other side
to Capilera, but this is a rough track in the upper reaches, and on a road bike you should have tyres as wide as possible (I used 28mm), and allow another 4 hours for the descent. Once over, you could return via Trevelez (overnight stop?) and the Puerto do la Ragua.


As ski resort implies snow, you may not be able to get to the top if you go too soon. It's been September when I've been there.

With long climbs, it's best to go for a steady rhythm that you can keep going for a long time, and not stop except at planned locations. Once you start stopping for a breather, you tend to find that it becomes a habit and the stops start to become quite frequent. I mostly stuck in 38x28 or 38x32 until I left the tarmac near the top, where I dropped onto the 24T granny.
I stopped for food/drinks at the cafe stall in the car park that's just below the "no cars" barrier half a mile or so after the parador.

With tyres, I used Conti TT2000 28 going up from the Capilera side, and Conti Gatorskin 28 going over from the Granada side to Capilera. For normal riding, I prefer the gator 28s to the same in 23 because I can have the pressure lower, which makes for more comfort, and it doesn't really make much difference in speed (as someone who doesn't race). The wider the tyres, the easier they are to handle on loose and rocky ground. If you are thinking of doing it, you should really find some unsurfaced tracks with loose gravel on to practice in the UK. Some people find the sensation of the wheels sliding sideays on the loose very offputting and end up walking or taking a different route.
It will depend largely on what your bike has clearance for.

Solo traverse:
Any official advice would be No.
It's very high up, and the weather can get very unpleasant even in summer when it's baking at the bottom.
There's 10-12km of little used track that hasn't had any motor vehicles other than bikes on it for 10 years or so, from the col to where the track comes out on the top of the ridge south from the peak of Mulhacen. From there down to Capilera, there's a weekend minibus service, and the road is much better (being rebuilt when I was last there).
If you did come a cropper, there are very few other folk going past. I've seen about half a dozen folk on each of my 2 crossings. Not sure what days of the week it was though (I think one was a Monday, as we'd arrived from England, then had a day at leisure (ride to top and back), then done the crossing.
In the end, it's your call. It is a jolly fine trip though. Just don't get so set on doing it that you set off in dodgy weather.

If you go for the up and back trip, it's a nicer climb if you go through Guejar Sierra, and then take the old main road (left at T when rejoining the major roads, rather then right then left). It does have pretty steep sections on the minor road.

In May, there may be snow stopping you getting to the top, and if you can, there may be blockages on the other side. You do get a fairly decent view of a lot of the track from the summit, which may help with decisions.

Last year's cycled Savilla to Malaga towards Cordoba on to Subbetica, Prigo de Cordoba then south to Iznajar, Loja, Antequera, Alora. some photos on www.seanoreilly.4t.com let me know if you want more info.

I cycled out of Seville eastwards last year and had a great trip to the Pyrenees
click on my sig line ( pedalpatagonia) and then the Europe link and then the pages Ubeda and Pyrenees for more of the route.

A great area was Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas, with the fortified town of Hornos.

I thought it was far better than the Luz , I was in Trafalgar and Cabo del Manos (??) that is in the european journal too.

Just don't go during the Week before Easter ( Semana Santa) the marching bands in every town village etc play about 5 times a day starting at about 5 am, so not much sleep

george

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