Benidorm next week! Help needed...

mzungu · December 2010

Off to Benidorm on early new year so please any info would be awesome! Never been before...

Any good bike hire? Is everything open OK? Best place to stay? Im looking to do looops/circuits 6 or 7 hours a day...

cheers in advance
dave

Italiano · December 2010

Benidorm/Calpe.

andymiller · December 2010

Hmm. Sorry, but it sounds to me like you're fantasizing. Winter is winter. It'll soon be over.

andymiller · December 2010

Hmm. Sorry, but it sounds to me like you're fantasizing. Winter is winter. It'll soon be over.

mercurykev · December 2010

I know someone who swears by this sport resort in Gran Canaria:

http://www.clublasanta.com/Welcome-5879.aspx

You can hire good carbon road bikes.

mzungu · December 2010

right this is not fantasy but reality.
Im off to Benidorm next sunday.
Anyone know any good bike hire? Im staying in Bednidorm central so I guessnthe next question aswell is where are the best routes? Id have to do loops to get back

your help would be awesome

Garrigou · December 2010

Probably worth trying Terry at CicloCostaBlanca.com

Highrisedrifter · December 2010

I spent a few years living out there when I was a child and my parents still live there in L'Alfas Del Pi, a little village just far enough from Benidorm that you can see it but not smell it!

Benidorm old town area nestles in the foothills of the Sierra Helada and although i've never cycled there, i'm sure there must be something worth having a look at. I know that people hike up into the Sierra so there must be something worth looking at. The mountain is about 500 metres high or thereabouts and is east of Benidorm between Benidorm and Albir.

There is excellent cycling up by La Nucia and L'Alfas Del Pi up in the 'mountains' there too. Both are villages just north of Benidorm and easily got to on bike as long as you avoid the Benidorm <-> Calpe road, which is a bloody deathtrap. There are quite a few backroads taking you from Benidorm to L'Alfas and from there to La Nucia and the hills. The whole area is sprawling and there are lots of offroad trails.

Can't help you about cycle hire though as I have my own bike out there (trials motorbike) and I use that whenever i'm out.

ColinJ · December 2010

I've seen snow on the mountains behind Benidorm at the end of March, but I've also heard of 20 degree days in January so you could be lucky, but you might not be.

The Tudons climb from Benidorm (via Finestrat is a nice route) goes up to 1,000 metres so it will probably be pretty cold up there at the moment. I got caught in freezing fog in March in shorts and it wasn't pleasant. If you can get over that, drop down then climb back over to Confrides and descend through Guadalest to Callosa or Polop.

The old coast road from Calpe to Javea isn't too bad. There are some nice roads in the Jalon valley which you get to via Benissa. If the weather is okay, climb the Col de rates and ride over to Tarbena, descend to Callosa.

Highrisedrifter · December 2010

I forgot about Col de Rates. Hard climb up but worth it for the view. Is that old restaurant still there at the top?

I remember it didn't have electricity when I was there last and everything was cooked over a wood fire. Good few years back though.

ColinJ · December 2010

Highrisedrifter wrote:

I forgot about Col de Rates. Hard climb up but worth it for the view. Is that old restaurant still there at the top?

I remember it didn't have electricity when I was there last and everything was cooked over a wood fire. Good few years back though.

It was in 2007 when I was last there. Their website is still up.

Highrisedrifter · December 2010

ColinJ wrote:

It was in 2007 when I was last there. Their website is still up.

Blimey, that brings back memories, thanks for posting the website, ColinJ. It was over a decade since I was there last but it doesn't appear to have changed much from what I can recollect.

The last time I was there we did the winding roads on motorcycles. The roads up and down either side of the mountain can be a deathtrap to an unwary cyclist though. The locals bomb around those corners.

bigjim · December 2010

That main coast road is well used by cycling teams so I assume it is relitavely safe. I've used it a few times and survived. Once you start heading inland in that area you are climbing and they are pretty hard climbs. I imagine there is better riding on the Torrievieca side of the Costa. It's a pain taking your own bike these days if only going for a week but there are not many bike hire shops in Benidorm. I only know of one that hires road bikes and it seems to be the only one open out of season. There was a decent one on Levante run by an English guy but he got shut down when they decided to "improve" the area. I'm also looking to escape for a week this month but torn between Benidorm [chill out, walking, maybe hire MTB with slicks] or Mallorca [Cycling hire road bike].

mzungu · December 2010

Ive managed to find a guy who's going to rent me a bike for the week. But torn between road and mtb? I want to climb hills but I also prefer the speed of a road bike...
Im really looking forward to it now - Benidorm seems ideal so Il let you know how I get on.
peace

bigjim · December 2010

Whose the guy renting the bike.? Would be handy to know.

Garryboy · December 2010

mzungu wrote:

Ive managed to find a guy who's going to rent me a bike for the week. But torn between road and mtb? I want to climb hills but I also prefer the speed of a road bike...
Im really looking forward to it now - Benidorm seems ideal so Il let you know how I get on.
peace

I'm heading there in feb so keen to know who and how much, would be road bike for me, Tarmac only!

mzungu · January 2011

Terry at
http://www.ciclocostablanca.com/bikehire.htm

seemed a good choice. But at the prices and distance (8km) away from Benidorm central I instead opted for

Peter at
WWW.hireitcostablanca.com

as it's 2km away and only like 40 euros for the week

I may change between mountain and road during the week too but not sure yet.
Il post when I get back.
hope you all survived last night

Garrigou · January 2011

Accepting that Terry is 52 euros dearer for the week, I'd always go for a specialist bike hire option ahead of a 'general hire' place. You just tend to get better bikes. In amongst the 'general hire' place's mobility scooters etc, the odd MTB they rent out might be a very minor part of what they do.

mzungu · January 2011

Its great over here in Benidorm. Weatehr is nice and warm and the rides are good fun, but hard going...
Im really into this loop where I get to altea and past calpe on the main road but I do it as light breaks so as to avoid the traffic as i´t gets bad eh...Then I head to benissa and down into javon before making my way to tarbena and the descent is fantastic. I cant believe how built up it is up there. The road then just follows on to Palop and la nucia. Im taking a break today to relax but Im going to have another go tomorrow. Áll in its about 80km and Im on the road for 8 getting back at about half 2. But I take breaks and Im a total novice Ive now realised... Im going to detour into guadalest aswell tomorrow as Ive heard it´s nice.

The bike is Ok. Pretty standard road bike but then Ive never been on a proper good one. Cyclists absolutely cain it past me but they look the proper job. I think Im slim, healthy, fairly fit andf young etc but these guys seem to have som e unbelievable fitness. It´s really inspiring. I have to push it up the col de rates for like 80 percent. Maybe it´s the bike or perhaps my technique but it´s tough.
peace and thanks for the original tip and later recomendations.

dave

ColinJ · January 2011

I'm glad you are having a good time Dave and I'm jealous!

By the way - if you turn right off the N-332 and descend into Calpe, you can take the much quieter coast road towards Javea. There is eventually a left turn off that for Benissa with a couple of lovely climbs and descents to tackle on the way. Going that way avoids a nasty stretch of the N-332 and a lot of traffic

Garryboy · January 2011

Sounds like a blast

Given I just got my bike mid December and one before that was a grifter I got for my 12th birthday! I'm not sure i'm confident enough to go out on these roads - I'm certainly not fit enough to do 80k and also no chance of getting time as going with wife and kids.

Maybe a couple of runs out to Calpe or just beyond I'd be happy with that.

Enjoy the break

mzungu · January 2011

cheers guys

yea im really pleased with how it´s gone for my first sort of cycling trip. Im gaining a lot of experience but I think this one´s easy because it´s all straight forward. The loop starts and ends at my place and is perfect distance and timing. I got a little Spanish route book that the pro´s use to get around and that´s where I got the route. Benidorm is absolutely ideal and it´s great being around the other cyclists and at this time of year it´s lovely out here.

I had another go at the col de rates and I did much better today, managed to cycle it all with a little break half way. I thought if all these old guys can do it then surely I can so I stripped myself down and had a little break before attacking it. I think I was a little overwhelmed the first time hehe. I may have another crack on this route Saturday so where did you recommend turning off on the n332 Colin J? Is it at the main sort of entry to Calpe? Also is it labelled to get back to Javea, presumably to Benissa?

I ate at Carben today aswell at La Nucia which was great, massive plates and a fantastic setting. Im here till Sunday so I think next time I may trim the trip down to 4 or 5 days and reallly maximise the time. I mean Benidorm is Ok but theres only so much you can take after the cycling

And garryboy you don´t need to be that confident man its really cycle friendly out here.

dave

ColinJ · January 2011

mzungu wrote:

I had another go at the col de rates and I did much better today, managed to cycle it all with a little break half way. I thought if all these old guys can do it then surely I can so I stripped myself down and had a little break before attacking it. I think I was a little overwhelmed the first time

I've never been superfit when I've tackled the Col de Rates so I've always struggled to go up at any speed.

On one training camp, all the other riders had climbed up ahead of me. They realised that I had been dropped and the ride leader Sid Barras came halfway back down the mountain to meet me and see if I was okay. I told him I was but it was best if he carried on with the rest of the group because I had decided to ride at my own pace. I knew the roads and had tools and spares so I'd be fine.

He said, "Okay, see you back at the hotel!" and shot off up the climb in the big ring. He was 54 at the time - I am not worthy! Mind you, he was UK national champion 3 times when he was younger...

mzungu wrote:

so where did you recommend turning off on the n332 Colin J? Is it at the main sort of entry to Calpe? Also is it labelled to get back to Javea, presumably to Benissa?

Once you've climbed up through the 2 tunnels and descend for a couple of km or so, there is a turn on your right leading down into Calpe itself.

Stay on that road through Calpe and you can follow it all the way to Moraira and then on to Javea via Benitachell. It's a nice undulating road which can be as hard or as easy as you want depending on how fast you ride it.

I've found the turn for Benissa on Google Streetview - you can't miss the junction about halfway between Calpe and Moraira. The turn for Benissa is on your left.

I really like that climb and the descent is fun too, followed by another little climb and descent to Benissa.

Garryboy · January 2011

Just got my hire sorted through Peter at hire-it in Benidorm, going out on 12th Feb - have hired it for four days..

He has been really helpful and rates are really good, also offered to get higher spec bike if I wanted (for a higher deposit and daily rate) but have gone for standard spec this time..

Benidorm next week! Help needed...

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