Lanzarote. Sunday 12 February and Monday 13 February.

Sunday 12 February, Mirador del Rio Ride

Today was a great day, sunny and clear with temperatures up to 22C. I decided on a long ride to visit Mirador del Rio again to the north of the Island.

As it was Sunday and traffic was light I took the main road up to Tias and then across to San Bartolome at 1000ft. Then a fast ride along the center of the Island to Teguise where I avoided the Sunday market crowds.

Then onwards and upwards along the Haria road to climb another 1000ft to 2000ft and then down the hairpinned descent to Haria. Then further north and another climb to the viewpoint at Mirador del Rio in the far north of the Island. There are 2 roads and I took the narrow windy backroad along the cliff edge with amazing views across to the Island of Graciosa. The Mirador del Rio is a viewing area and building built into the cliff face and the cafe has windows looking out over the view. This made a great place for lunch.

My return route took the other road down to the village of Ye and then a long descent back to sea level on the other coast at Arrieta. From here I took a fast route on the smooth surface of the new coast road with a good tail wind gradually climbing to 600ft and then down to Tahiche before another climb to San Bartolome and down to the coast at Playa Honda. Then back to base on the Prom/Cyclepath

63 miles for the day with 4400ft of climbing.

Edwin

Monday 13 February. New Roads ride.

Weather today was a little cooler at 18C with sunny spells and scattered cloud. I headed south to Uga and then up a dead-end road up a valley into the mountains to the little village of La Degollada. The locals don’t seem to want the uninitiated to find this as there were no signposts to it.

The road turned out to be a very smooth surface gradually climbing before rearing up to 17 or 18% coming into the village. Traffic was about a car every 5 minutes.

The road dead-ends just above the village and there is then a stony footpath. I took the bike a little way along the path and got some great views from the 1100ft height down to the volcanoes and lava flows in the El Golfo area.

After descending to Yaiza and Uga I took the road to La Geria which is the main wine growing region. The 3 miles to La Geria has deteriorated badly with the tarmac badly broken up and even the potholes seemed to have potholes. The road is currently a dead end to traffic as for the next few miles it was being renewed. I got round the barriers and cruised along the new tarmac encountering only a few cyclists coming the other way.

Then across on a backroad to La Asomada and a fast descent from 1200ft back to base.

28 miles for the day with 1800 ft of climbing.

Edwin

Lanzarote, Sunday 12 February. View from top of Haria Pass

Lanzarote, Sunday 12 February, view from ridge road leading to Mirador del Rio

Lanzarote, 13 February. Looking back down the valley from La Degollada

Lanzarote, Monday 13 February, View from path above La Degollada

SATURDAY 11 February 2006 - Ride to Heathers Cafe, Chichester Garden Centre
In conjunction with WSCC's Walks and Rides programe, a short easy paced ride was arranged for today, commencing from Bognor Library.

Six of us set out in fine, but cold, weather, the temperature hovering around 4 to 5 degrees under a sky that threatened much but kept us dry throughout the day.

Our route was as prescribed by the Walks and Runs book entry and took us around the back streets of Bognor, via the Arena, then along the Bognor-Chichester Cycle Track into Colworth, where we stopped to inspect the course of the old Arundel-Portsmouth canal. Proceeding via Woodhorn, Oving and Drayton, we had done about 8 miles by the time we reached our tea stop at Heathers Cafe.

Our return route was via Merston village, where the ducks were out in force, and Merston Lane also allowed us a glimpse of one of only 3 still surviving bridges across the Portsmouth-Arundel Canal, abandoned as long ago as 1856.
Proceeding across Park Farm and Parigo, where the gate seems to now be more often shut than open, we returned to Bognor Regis via Aldwick Green and the seafront, to end the rouute on a mileage just a couple of tenths short of 16 miles.


Graham

Lanzarote. Wednesday 8 February to Friday 10 February

Wednesday 8 February.

This week the wind direction switched round from the northerly which lasted all through January to a southerly and although warmer the wind was also a lot stronger. In the morning the wind was so strong that I decided not to go out on the bike. Later in the morning the wind eased off and I decided on a short ride. Temperature today reached 20C.

I rode up via lanes to the ridge at Conil at 1100ft and then across to Asomada and a short way along the ridge road before heading back on another lane via Tias. Mileage for the day was 16 with 1200ft of climb.

Thursday 9 February

Today weather was sunny on the coast but with cloud building up inland. Still quite a strong wind. Temperatures got up to 21C.

I headed out on the coast road and then the cyclepath with the wind behind me past the Airport to Playa Honda. Then inland and gradually uphill to San Bartolome with planes coming low over the road to land at the Airport. Avoiding the main road I made my way through a jumble of backstreets to the main ridge road towards Uga. After about 4 miles I turned off on a byroad to Asomada. A low cloud base was scudding across the ridges 50ft above the 1200ft pass. Then a long downhill run back into the sunshine on the coast.

23 miles for the day with 1300ft of climb.

Friday 10 February

Weather today was warm at 20C and sunny early and late but with clouds building up inland and one heavy shower.

I took a route out inland via Tias and San Bartolome and then across to the new road from Tahiche headed north. I then turned off on the backroad towards Teguise turning off this partway up the climb to take a winding lane coming out at Los Valles at the start of the climb towards Haria. I then turned back south to Teguise into the wind. Just before San Bartolome I could see heavy clouds building up ahead and the first light spots. I made it to the town square with a covered walkway and seats before a half hour deluge started.

With a strong wind weather changes quickly and soon after I got back to base people were out sunbathing by the pool.

40 miles for the day with 2200ft of climbing

Edwin

Lanzarote, Thursday 9 February. North East beach of Puerto del Carmen

Friday 10 February. Rain Lanzarote style

Lanzarote. Saturday 4 February to Monday 6 February

Saturday 4 February

Weather today was generally sunny with some scattered cloud and temperatures up to 20C. I bought a paper today and noticed maximum temperature in Bognor Regis yesterday was 0C. This confirmed my feelings that it was a very good idea to give winter a miss this year!

Today I decided to explore some little used lanes north east of Teguise. I headed over to Teguise with the usual climbs and stopped in the town square for a break and a snack. Just out of town on the route to Haria I turned off on a downhill backroad to Teseguite. Then onto an even quieter lane via El Mojon. The lane meandered down towards the coast with some steep drops above Guatiza.

I crossed over the New road and then into Guatiza. I then decided to take an untried dead-end road down to Los Cocoteros. This turned out to be an uninteresting little place which probably wasn’t worth descending 300ft and then climbing back up again.

I headed back on the old road to Tahiche. I rode 4 miles on the old road which runs alongside the new road to Tahiche and for that distance the traffic count was zero and 1 bicycle.

I headed on climbing nearly back to San Bartolome but then turned off to descend down to Playa Honda a small resort between Arrecife and the Airport. I stopped at a cafe on the prom to enjoy the warm early afternoon sunshine.

I headed back to base on the seafront cyclepath encountering the afternoon aircraft rush hour as the planes passed low over the cyclepath which at one point is only yards from the end of the runway.

Mileage for the day was 48 with 2800 ft of climb. I had gradually been increasing the mileages over the last few weeks and the week ending today was the first over 200 with 224.

Edwin

Sunday 5 February

Weather today was sunny in the morning but clouding over in the afternoon. Temperature got up to 19C.

Today I took a ride south to Playa Blanca first climbing to 780ft at Uga. I took the old road which runs adjacent to the new road with a good smooth surface but very little traffic. The road gradually descends over about 10 miles first over lava fields and then across open plains.

Just before Playa Blanca I decided to explore a back road which does a loop to the west of the town. I made my way to a lighthouse with views across to the hills of Fuerteventura. Near here is the start of a wide promenade which I cycled for 3 miles into Playa Blanca.

After lunch at a seafront restaurant I headed back on a more direct but vertically challenging route via Femes. The road climbs with an easy gradient to a roundabout at 800ft but then heads up a cliff with grades of 16 to 18% to climb another 400ft to Femes at 1200ft.

Mileage for the day was 41 with 2200ft of climb.

Edwin


Monday 6 February. Slavering hound ride.

Today there was a bright and sunny start and then more cloud by midday clearing mid afternoon. Temperatures reached 19C.

I climbed to the central plateau on quiet lanes via Tias and then another lane across the lava fields towards La Vegueta. Passing near a farmhouse 2 dogs spotted me and gave chase. The smaller one was fairly harmless looking but the bigger one looked like a cross between an Alsatian and the Hound of the Baskervilles with a fierce bark and slavering hungry look. I tried squirting it in the eyes with water from my water bottle but it paid this no attention. Luckily both dogs seemed content to bark fiercely and run alongside and made no attempt to bite. It was a good 500 yards before they gave up and went back home.

I continued descending to the other coast via Soo and Famara. I then had a long climb back up to the plateau near Teguise and then I descended to Playa Honda to stop for lunch at a cafe on the prom. I then returned to base on the cyclepath along the prom and past the Airport.

Mileage for the day was 42 with 2100ft of climb.

Edwin

Lanzarote. Saturday 4 February. Plane coming into land over cyclepath

Lanzarote. Sunday 5 February. Playa Blanca Prom

Lanzarote. Monday 6 February. Cycling towards Famara

Sunday 5 February
There were 14 riders at the start at Chichester Cross on a beautiful cold but sunny morning. We set off via Fishbourne for elevenses at Bosham where we were joined by two other riders Christine and Steve.

After a very relaxed elevenses we cycled through Chidham and then Prinsted eventually arriving at the Greenhouse Cafe for Lunch. After lunch we set off to Hillyers Garden Centre via Westbourne and Woodmancote, for afternoon tea. Riders came from as far afield as London, Shoreham and the Isle of Wight, and many thanks to them for their efforts, there were no punctures, and the only mechanical problem was Richard dropping a chain. It was a great day and thanks to everyone who participated.

Arthur.

Lanzarote. Thursday 2 February. Viewpoints Ride.
Today was a great biking day, light winds, sunny and clear with temperatures up to 20C. I decided on a long ride to visit some of the viewpoints to the north of the Island.

I took a back road up to Tias and then another back road to the main plateau road at Masdache. The traffic on both the back roads was very light averaging a car every 2 minutes. Then a fast ride along the centre of the Island to Teguise where I stopped in the square for a break and a snack from my Bar Bag.

Then onwards and upwards along the Haria road to climb another 1000ft to 2000ft. Just before the top I turned off on a side road to La Nieves which is a Church and a car park perched on the edge of 2000ft cliffs above the surf, pounding Famara beach far below. From here there is one of the best views in Lanzarote over the northern coastal plains and the distant volcanic peaks to the south. For some reason it is off the standard tourist trail so is fairly quiet and peaceful.

I continued to the top of the pass and then down the hairpinned descent to Haria. Then further north and another climb to the viewpoint at Mirador del Rio in the far north of the Island. There are 2 roads and I took the narrow windy backroad along the cliff edge with amazing views across to the Island of Graciosa. The Mirador del Rio is a viewing area and building built into the cliff face and the cafe has windows looking out over the view. This made a great place for lunch.

My return route took the other road down to the village of Ye and then a long descent back to sea level on the other coast at Arrieta. From here I took a fast route on the smooth surface of the new coast road gradually climbing to 600ft and then down to Tahiche before another climb to San Bartolome and down via Tias to base.

64 quality miles for the day with 4500ft of climbing.

Edwin