Lanzarote, Sunday 19 February. Guinate viewpoint

Lanzarote, Sunday 19 February. Multiple hairpins on the Haria Pass

Lanzarote, Wednesday 15 February and Thursday 16 February

Wednesday 15 February

Weather today was mainly cloudy in the morning clearing on the coast in the afternoon. Temperatures got to 19C.

I headed south west to Uga and then across the lava fields to the volcanoes of Timanfaya. Then back roads north east into the wind to San Bartolome. I then threaded my way through side streets to pick up a minor road down to the village of Guime which is a few miles north of the Airport. Then down an 18% grade beside a quarry. I wanted to avoid the motorway style LZ2 road from Arrecife so I took a dirt road through the industrial estate down to a road running parallel with the main road to the underpass down to Playa Honda.

Then along the prom/cyclepath round the edge of the airport with a stop for some entertainment watching planes coming in to land with their wheels probably no more than 50ft above the prom. The second plane picture below is with the camera on standard lens setting – no zoom.

36 miles for the mornings ride with 1400ft of climbing.

Edwin

Thursday 16 February

Weather today was clear early with cloud building up midmorning and clearing later. Temperatures got to 18C.

I headed north today on a longer ride. First lanes via Tias and Masdache and then across to Teguise and a stop for a break and snack from my barbag in the Square. Then onwards and upwards on the Haria road. Near the top I took a little side road which led up to the wind Turbines well placed near the top of the 2000ft climb.

Then down the hairpins and just before Haria I turned off on a quiet backroad winding its way down a valley towards the sea. Then back south on the new road with a welcome tail wind to Tastiche and then San Bartolome and down to Playa Honda and the prom/cyclepath back.

55 miles for the day with 3200ft of climbing.

Edwin

Lanzarote, Wednesday 15 February. Plane approaching cyclepath. Getting close

Lanzarote, Wednesday 15 February. Plane over Cyclepath. Very close

Lanzarote, Thursday 16 February. Wind Turbine

Lanzarote, Thursday 16 February. narrow lane from Haria to the coast

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