Tenerife
- Thread starter Glasgow44
- Start date
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
A friend used to ride up Teide about once a month. He lost count of how many people did the epic climb in skimpy cycling kit, never realising how severe the windchill can be on the long descent from altitude. His advice for that - carry arm and leg warmers plus a gilet.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I stayed in Playa de las Américas in the Gara Suites towards the north of the city. I wouldnt really want to be further south in the town for cycling not just because its all a hill but because it gets busy with traffic/ people and whilst I took my own bike the tour company used https://bikepointtenerife.com/ just round the corner and I visited a few times they've got a good set up. Destination wise its all uphill a lot of them long up Teide but that also means there's long descents and some sort of windproof would be recommended. Lol, I'm glad I packed UV armskins and a gilet and always wear long fingers (because of the chemo damage to them).
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I know what you mean but I wouldn't want to carry too much up the climb. I had a gilet and UV armskins (quite thin arm warmers more designed for sun protection) which are a great size for the pocket and I always wear long fingered gloves and have my shoe vents closed with my chemo damage and that was just about right, I doubt Id had wanted to carry leg warmers (although kneeskins and legskins were in the suitcase in case I got burnt 😂 ). I went up Teide 4 times and never had the urge to use them. Edit: IIRC the guide, who never had extra layers, was totally frozen one day when we descended through cold mist, you would have thought he'd have known better 😂
DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
No, but I can go one better having been to Elevenerife! …. I know, I know, but someone had to
taximan
senex crepitu iuvenis cordi esse
- Location
- Whitby North Yorkshire.
I hired a bike there way back when and my outstanding memory was being mugged in Santa Cruz & having the hire bike nicked along the little cash I had in my pocket
. Of course things may have changed since then.
. Of course things may have changed since then.
Sunny Portrush
Guru
- Location
- Musselburgh
I'm thinking of possibly going to Tenerife next year (after the schools go back at Easter) so will be following this thread for advice.
I did do a forum search but most of the previous threads are years out of date.
Never been to Tenerife so any advice well appreciated
I did do a forum search but most of the previous threads are years out of date.
Never been to Tenerife so any advice well appreciated
chrisleuty
Veteran
- Location
- Gatley near Manchester
I’d say that the descent to Guía de Isora with its long straight sections is worse for this compared to the twisty hairpins route to Vilaflor.
And don’t be fooled by the pretty layer of clouds clinging to the hillside. I had to cycle though this below Vilaflor and the temperature dropped by 10°C which was a shock to say the least.
Sunny Portrush
Guru
- Location
- Musselburgh
I'll take my overshoes then!
chrisleuty
Veteran
- Location
- Gatley near Manchester
Here are some thoughts on cycling in Tenerife based on my personal experience.
If you’re staying at one of the main resorts in the south of the island - Costa Adeje, Las Americas, Los Cristianos - they all merge into one and being v. busy, the roads can be a bit chaotic and navigation can be a problem if you’re not sure where you going. The TF-1 motorway runs through the area but there are roughly parallel roads that cyclists can use. Watch out where the intersections are because it’s not always obvious which road you should take. A few TF-1 junctions have No Cycling signs but most don’t and it’s easy to find yourself heading down a slip road.
Quite often you will have to cross from one side of the motorway to the other usually on a roundabout that might be above or below TF-1. The ones that are below have drainage grids at the low points which you’ll want to avoid (not always possible). There’ll then be a ramp up on the other side so get in gear, and you may need to change lanes too: Spanish drivers are better around cyclists than their British counterparts, but tourists have hire cars…
Once you’re out of the built up areas, the roads quickly get much quieter and drivers will wait patiently behind you before attempting a wide overtake. In general, the road surfaces are pretty smooth although I did get a pinch flat descending into Valle de San Lorenzo in March when I hit a very rough patch. [This was only the second puncture I have experienced in the Canaries, the first being about 3hrs prior to that. Having already used my spare tube, I was stuck so I called the rental shop (Bike Experience Tenerife) who came out to replace the tube and give me another spare - excellent service!]
If you’re heading up El Teide through Vilaflor, that’s pretty much the last chance to get water etc. so stock up there if you’re running low. There’s also a maintenance stand with tools if you need to fix something (pic below). Past Vilaflor, the road is mostly empty, with only the occasional car, coach and convoy of quad bikes. You’ll could well see more cyclists than vehicles.
If you’re planning a route and are tempted by a shorter option, remember that if it’s uphill it will likely be a lot steeper than the longer alternative, and there are some very steep roads in Tenerife, which are great if you like that kind of thing. [A particular favourite of mine is Camino La Fuente which runs from the aforementioned Valle de San Lorenzo over Roque de Jama rather than taking the much longer route via La Centinela.] The road surface might also be less well maintained than a main road so watch out if on a fast descent.
A trip to Masca (down the road in the pic below) is highly recommended. Unfortunately, it’s very popular with tourists and a fast descent is nigh on impossible with vehicles carefully taking the many hairpins, then getting stuck when a coach comes around the bend. A fast ascent is, of course, impossible!
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I liked Tenerife (I went not long after lockdown) but even an easier day still has a lot of climbing!
Sunny Portrush
Guru
- Location
- Musselburgh
I quite like climbing although I'm pretty slow at it.
Any recommendations on which town to stay in, it will probably be on the south coast but I don't want it to be like Blackpool abroad - probably not possible given the number of Brits that go there!
Any recommendations on which town to stay in, it will probably be on the south coast but I don't want it to be like Blackpool abroad - probably not possible given the number of Brits that go there!
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Thats good, I like climbs too and would go back because of that but I wouldn't want to give the wrong impression.
I stayed in Playa das Americas, it probably like all coastal resorts in Spain will be a bit beachy and full of Brits but I couldn't say 100% as I stayed in the Gara Suites (https://www.garasuites.com/) at the top of the town, which I was glad of as the town is hectic with traffic!