Barcelona bound for La Vuelta Feminina

Great news that the women's Tour of Spain starts in the idyllic capital of Catalunya

We don't know the full details of the route of the women’s Vuelta a España Feminina (Women's Tour of Spain) cycle race, but organisers have announced that the event will start from Barcelona. I'm quite excited to hear this.

Barcelona is a lovely city, for which I have fond memories. I did two trips to the Catalunyan capital last year - some 15 years after the last time I was there - and I really enjoyed it on both occasions. I couldn't help asking myself why I'd left it so long.

And what is there not to like about this place (aside from the recent hike in tourist tax!)? The architecture is beautiful, including and certainly not limited to the various Gaudi creations.

The city is a manageable size for a visitor, as opposed to my beloved though sprawling home city of London. So exploring the place on foot is perfectly doable. Of course, as I have a penchant for two wheels, I like to use a bicycle. Both times I was in Barcelona I hired one. I used a road bike, but there are plenty of places doing city bikes and also off-road bikes.

There is an extensive network of segregated cycle paths, and well-known places are waymarked. So it was easy enough for me to navigate my way around the town by bike. Of course the metro and bus service functioned well too and they were perfectly good and clean.

Barcelona, like other major cities around the world has its share of famous monuments - Sagrada Familia, Parc Guëll, Montjuic, and Tibidabo to name a few. However, where it really has the edge is being by the sea.

The Old Port and the Olympic Port have a lovely atmosphere and make for a pleasant stroll. There are also several beaches. The ones right in the heart of the city can get a little busy, but as you go out further towards El Poble Nou and further along towards Badalona you get lots of space and it's even more beautiful. On my first trip last year, which was in February, although it was very sunny, the temperature was a bit low for me to swim in the sea (I ain’t no Wim Hof!) but I did swim at the lovely heated outdoor pool at the Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta.

Back to the cycling: I hired a Canyon Endurace road bike from Terra Bike Tours and did a number of fun rides. After a whizz around the city, notably on the long cycle paths next to Avinguda Diagonal and Avinguda Meridiana, I went up the climb that is de rigueur in the city centre - Montjuic. It's Barcelona’s answer to Swains Lane (for London-based rides). It's probably not quite as steep as the infamous hill near London’s Highgate Cemetery, but it is equally popular, and is the site of many a cycling battle. Montjuic is regularly included in cycle races, including The Tour of Catalunya. It has been included in La Vuelta as recently as 2023, and will more than likely feature in next year's men's Tour de France Grand Départ.

I also cycled up to Tibidabo, a climb that is de rigueur on the outskirts of Barcelona, and at 512 is the highest point in the city. Its signature cathedral and tower are visible from various parts of Barcelona. Even though it was a Monday morning there were many cyclists out testing themselves on the climb, and then at the top we met up at the café in the fairground area or even went to the church and gave thanks to God for providing us with the strength needed to ride uphill for almost 10km from central Barcelona! 

Thereafter, I did rides out of town. I headed up the coast road towards Girona, and then turned inland to go up a few hills. Then on another day I took the train to Terrassa and did a ride to the historic monastery at Montserrat.

There are so many scenic places to ride, and these will be covered in another chapter. But in short, Barcelona and the surrounding area is lovely place to visit, and I highly recommend it for cycling.

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Operation Etape du Tour: April update

This month was about getting in bigger miles and bigger hills, notably when I returned to Barcelona and rode a few of the long climbs in Catalunya. I am feeling happier to have done some Alpine style climbs. I must also say that having a lighter bike with lower gears makes a difference to my bike riding experience, but sadly the UK weather doesn't want to play ball. The weather has been all over the place this year. It's still cold even in April, and days have been very wet and windy. So it was useful to spend some time somewhere warm.

I have two months to prepare for the Etape du Tour, which will be on July 7th. In the week before the big day I expect to be doing light rides just to keep things ticking over, rather than building on more miles. So for me, my end date is June 30th.

The road to Montserrat

I must say I am feeling more comfortable than I did at the same period a couple of years ago, when I was hoping to ride the Etape du Tour between Briançon and Alpe d'Huez. For a start I haven't had any injuries, which is always a bonus at my age. The fact that I have done a few rides in excess of 100km, and I've ridden alpine-style climbs abroad makes me feel like I'm on track with me training, and gives me more of a can-do attitude. I have also continued to go to Herne Hill Velodrome and to Regents Park to help with my speed work.

In mid-April I took myself to Barcelona for a mini training camp. It was easily done - flight from Gatwick to Barcelona, local bus from El Prat Llobregat airport into Plaza España and bus or metro to Gràcia, where my youth hostel was based.

Then it was less than a mile walk to Terra BikeTours, where I hired my road bike for the week. The place where I stayed, Casa Jam, had a terrace where I could leave the bike, and was in a secure area.

My first bike ride was around the city, which was just a pleasant early evening spin along the numerous cycle lanes. The following day, Friday, saw a late start to my cycling after I had spent the morning doing a walking tour around the city - I couldn't miss out on that given how sunny it was and how beautiful the architecture around the city is.

My afternoon train took me to Terrassa, from where I began my ride up into hills around Montserrat.  I hadn't expected to be out for a long time, but the ride was cut short due to a puncture and defective rim tape.

For Saturday the original plan had been to do a ride to Montseny and Turo de L'Home, one of the highest peaks in Catalunya outside of the Pyrenean area. But given the previous day's fail, I decided I had to return to Montserrat. 

That was a much more productive day, with a two long climbs - one from Terrassa to Coll d'Estenalles, a popular route with the locals. In fact there was a very popular café at the top. It reminded me of the National Trust café at Box Hill.

After a long descent to Manresa, I was then faced with a long demoralising climb up to Montserrat. Never have I been so happy to see a pile of rocks! They are the famous Montserrat rocks characteristic of the area. It was a tough old ride, and I stopped a couple of times for a breather and a snack. But I guess this is what I need. The boredom, the feeling of wondering when will I get there, the fatigue...these are all sentiments that I can say I know how to manage and more importantly, that I can keep in my mind that I will get there.

Glad to have made it to Montserrat

While in Barcelona I found out about a cycling group, the Barcelona Road Cycling Group that organises rides a few times a week - mid-week chain gangs of different levels and longer rides at weekends. They ride out to places that I have become familiar with, so that has been one discovery, and something which I plan to do next time I'm in Barcelona - that and to ride up Turo de L'Home.

My next mini test of where I am will be the Fred Whitton Challenge, a cyclosportive in the Lake District in early May. I like to hope that will show me too, that things are moving in the right direction fitnesswise. 

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Operation Etape du Tour: February update

Operation Etape du Tour: January update

Operation Etape du Tour: December update

Back to Barcelona for more cycling

Back to Barcelona for more cycling

My previous trip to Barcelona in February had been fun, but quite rushed. I barely skimmed the top in terms of bike rides. So I thought I would return there and do the place justice. My cycling holiday had a slightly frustrating start though.

My cycle route on Strava

Passeig de St Joan, Barcelona

On my arrival in the Catalonian capital the first thing that struck me was the weather. Just like on my previous trip in February, the sun was shining. The difference was the radiant heat accompanying it. The temperature was around 25°C - quite a contrast from the cool atmosphere in London where my journey had started. Furthermore, the temperatures were set to rise even more over the coming days.

After settling into my hostel in the Gràcia neighbourhood and completing some work for one of my clients, I walked down Passeig de St Joan to my new regular place, Terra Bike Tours to pick up my steed for the trip, a Canyon Endurace bike.

Then I did a customary pootle around the city, mainly taking in Avinguda Diagonal. I needed to return to the shop to make a couple of adjustments to the bike in terms of the saddle height and to change the saddle for a more comfortable one, though the staff were able to oblige. I enjoyed my ride around the city at this time as it was rush hour, and like in many cities around the world it is at this time of day that you see the cycling community in all its glory as the locals make their way home from work on two wheels.

Barcelona cycle commuters

The following day was saw me cycling in some lovely areas in the Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac just North of Barcelona, but it was a slightly frustrating ride that was abruptly truncated. 

As I had spent the morning walking around the neighbourhood among the tourists taking photos of the beautiful architecture and notably La Pedrera, I didn't start riding until the afternoon,  

La Pedrera

Close to where I was staying was Gràcia FGC suburban train station, from where I caught a train out to Terrassa. The plan would be to ride to Montserrat. 

Once out of Terrassa Estacio del Nord station and in the blazing heat on the high street, I followed the cycle path to the end of the town and continued on the road uphill.

Initially the road was busy, but once I had passed the roundabout for the motorway the road became practically devoid of vehicles and I was left to my own devices to tackle the 10km climb. It wasn't particularly hard, and was more of a undulating road than a full-on climb.

It was a nice Friday feeling to be among the oak and pine trees with all the aroma associated with this part of the world, as well as the peaks of the Montserrat mountain range to my left in the distance. I saw a few cyclists along the way, though I guess there would be far fewer folks who would take a Friday afternoon off from work to cycle, compared with the numbers who would be out on a weekend. This route I was probably more frequented by locals than by visitors, too.

On the road to Castellbell from Terrassa

After around 10km the road levelled off and I enjoyed a lovely be descent. It wasn't my first switchback descent of the year - I had done a few in February - but being the first one of this trip I wanted to take things easy.

Then just as I was really enjoying everything and thinking "nothing beats this" I heard a pop like a bursting balloon. 

I looked down and saw that I had a front wheel puncture. How did that happen? What the hell's going on?? The road was beautifully smooth with no débris on it at all. Yet the tyre had suddenly punctured. I'm just glad I'd been able to  hold my line as I was on a bendy descent at the time. This was a massive heartsink moment, but I had to keep my cool and just get on with remedying the problem.

Luckily, the place where the puncture happened was near a small settlement of houses and farms. So I was able to wheel the bike to a little driveway and sit on a sandstone rock, a characteristic feature of the area, to sort out the technical hitch.

A number of cyclists passed by, and a few of them asked if I was okay, to which I replied in the affirmative. Well, I thought I was fine. There were two problems to deal with. One of the spare inner tubes I had had a loose valve which snapped off when I was trying to pump up the tyre. That left me with only one spare inner tube, which would leave me feeling vulnerable as I would no longer have a spare. Furthermore, I discovered that the puncture had been from the inside of the wheel rim because a part of it was not fully covered by the rim tape. That would therefore leave me prone to another puncture. So I didn't feel confident about riding much more.

An old local guy, Pedro, who lived in the nearby village of Castellbell i el Vilar stopped to help me, as I realised I would need to call on extra strength to pump up the tyres to a good pressure! 

Monterrat peaks along the route where I was hoping to go

Pedro's old sinewy arms did just the trick in putting in enough air to give me the confidence to ride any further. He had lived in the area for over 40 years and knew the roads like the back of his hand. Riding up the local hills was probably just a little tootle for him, where for me it was a real outing which required a bit of effort. By the time we'd sorted everything it was almost 4pm, though I had begun to feel a bit more positive about continuing my ride. When I told him I was hoping to get to Montserrat he looked a little shocked and said, "Do you know what it's like to climb? It's much harder than what you've just ridden up. How strong are you?" I told him I was hoping to test myself out on the hill. "Well, try it but you won't get to the top before 6pm. And then if you are hoping to return to Barcelona you could be out all evening! Don't worry, it gets dark late around here!"

I realised that he had a point and there was no point in continuing. He reckoned that my tyre would be okay and the chance of getting a puncture would be low, though the issue was more to do with how long I was prepared to stay out riding. He said he could give me his phone number and if I got into difficulty he would drive up and collect me and take me to one of the nearby train stations. That was kind of him, but I decided it would be best to go straight to the train station and get back to Terra Bike Tours before they closed. I bid Pedro good bye and rolled down the hill to the train station at Castellbell i el Vilar where very handily the Barcelona-bound train was due 15 minutes later.

Back at Terra Bike Tours the mechanic sorted out the problem and was extremely apologetic, saying this had never happened before. He assured me that the bike would be fine. 

So, it was slightly annoying to have had to cut short my bike ride, but I felt confident that there's a lot of good will in these parts, and that made me feel positive about my ride for the following day.

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Operation Etape du Tour: February update

Training for the Etape du Tour has given me a greater motivation to ride my bike. I have firmer objectives when I ride, plus a stronger wish to incorporate bike riding into my travels. So this month I did some cycling in and around Barcelona.

Check out my route into the Parc Serralada Litoral on Strava

My training for the Etape du Tour is getting more and more sustained and I am finding myself more into the groove. At one point the idea of getting out on my bike regularly had been a conscious mental shift. There are moments when you almost have to remind yourself of the need to get out on the bike regularly. 

Parc Serralada Litoral, just outside Barcelona

It's not necessarily that I don't want to ride my bike or that I don't enjoy it. It's just that between working as a freelance writer and keeping those plates spinning, keeping fit for my other sports, practicing my musical instruments (flute and clarinet) to play with my different bands, and just literally keeping my house in order, it's easy for cycling to end up taking a back seat. 

When I say back seat, I don't mean not doing it all. I have ridden my bike consistently for the last 25 years, but there's a difference between training and just riding your bike - using the bike to commute around or pootling around the park, versus frequently riding the bike with a mission and hitting certain mileages or making sure you get in power and speed training.

Cycling is a time consuming activity. You can't really get a training benefit by going for a quick spin like you would when going out for a run. So it has meant the need for a mental shift in getting in at least two hours every couple of days to ride my bike. I must admit I also watch the weather forecast very closely so that those couple of hours coincide with decent weather. If I am going to be doing this much bike riding I should at least enjoy the experience! Of course in all of this I also do longer bike rides too, which also requires planning so that I can in the most useful and beneficial ride as part of my Etape du Tour training.

I recall when I prepared for the Etape du Tour in the early noughties I had fewer things on my plate than I do now as a middle-aged person with more life responsibilities. Back then, getting out on my bike at various times of the day was easily done. And so, for sure I've come to realise that fitting in lots of cycle training is easier said that done - especially for a multi-faceted person like myself.

What I also try to do is to incorporate cycling into any trips I do. The rides might not necessarily be as long as something I would do at home, but I having cycle training in my everyday life like brushing my teeth makes is what is more important when it comes to keep up the habit.

So, earlier this month when I decided to go on a birthday weekend to Barcelona it was a no-brainer to factor in some cycling. Folks tend to go to Girona a lot, and it is home to many of the professional cycle racers. With lots of hills to train on in Catalunya and a strong cycle culture and community in the centre of the town this area has become a bit of a draw. But don't forget there is Barcelona too.

It's a also lovely touristic area, so you can get in some good bike riding in the hills, get to the coast, and see lots of interesting cultural sites - the sort of way I'd want to treat myself on my birthday.

While in the Catalunyan capital I hired a road bike, a Canyon Endurace for a couple of days and did a few bike rides around the area. My first outing was a city tour which was quite flat. Then came a bit of climbing - Montjuic, and the big one in the area - Tibidabo. These rides were done during the week, and once the weekend came I decided to go further out.

Because I had to return the bike at lunchtime on Saturday, I didn't want to go too far out of the city. The ride I chose was to head out North-east from where I was staying, close to El Bon Pastor and Sant Andreu, and head for the local hills. 

By 8am I was out of the door and riding on the cycle path along the River Besos heading towards Badalona and the Catalunyan coast. Interestingly, just outside Sant Adria de Besos close to the train station, I saw groups of cyclists congregating, waiting for others before starting their group ride. It seems that this was a well-known meeting point for the various club cyclists - a bit like Crystal Palace Parade on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

I had an idea of where I would be going and followed the route I had chalked out from my map research. In these situations I tend to be flexible and do check out other new roads I see when on the  ground. So with so many cyclists out and about it was a no brainer to follow where they were going, and I found a nice quiet road, slightly inland from the coast that everyone was following. I didn't join any group, but I followed them at a distance, which was as much as I could do given my fitness level, then followed the many that also overtook me. They seemed a friendly bunch, and some gave an "hola" as they passed me. Perhaps on a future occasion after more bike rides I will properly join them.

We formed a long trail of riders along the coast and eventually joined a main road known as the N-11 which led towards Mataro and onwards to Girona. I followed in the wheel tracks as far as El Masnou and then turned inland to head towards Alella, while they all continued straight on. I don't know if they were going all the way to Girona, or if they might turn inland later on at Arenys de Mar, perhaps to tackle Montseny, one of the major climbs in the area. I wouldn't have minded continuing on and exploring the hills further along the road, but I was conscious of the need not to be late returning to the bike shop as they would be closing in the early afternoon.

My ride therefore took me up through Alella, a residential area. Then the houses became more sparse and the uphill switchbacks began as I entered into the regional area of outstanding natural beauty called the Parc de la Serralada Litoral. This was my first set of mountain-like roads since when I road up the col de Braus and col de Turini a couple of years ago.

Even though a fair bit of time had passed since that occasion, I still felt in my element taking on this climb. Many outings up the steep hills in my South London neighbourhood had set me up well to deal with uphill roads.

This road, up to Vallromanes only lasted three miles but it wasn't a neglible challenge and it properly switched on my climbing legs.

From here my ride took me to Montornes del Valles where this town seemed to be a cross-roads for cyclists riding through in various directions. I was definitely in club run territory. I could see why there'd be a lot of cyclists around as the roads were quiet, despite there being wide trunk roads nearby. My ride took me up more climbs then a another pleasant descent to Martorelles as I headed towards the Parc Serralada de Marina. 

Given that I was slightly in a rush to get through the ride and be back to Terra Bikes in central Barcelona in comfortable time, I didn't feel like stopping to take any photos. I know when I do this sort of thing it always cuts into the time. When I stop to take one photo I end up stopping five or six times and before I know it I have used up almost half an hour!

It has to be said though, that the weather was not really conducive to taking photos. Up in these Catalunyan hills it was a little bit grey and morose. The view of Barcelona and the coast in the distance looked impressive as they were bathed in sunshine, but I knew that I didn't have a good enough phone camera to properly capture that light in my snaps. So I just resolved to use my eyes as a human camera, and hopefully keep them in the views in my internal memory bank. I am sure I will be back before long and will take some actual photos on a future visit.

The final climb of the day went over La Conreria, a deserted area where there were just lots of trees a few fincas a livestock, plus a few trails. It wasn't a very well frequented road at all, and in fact when I took the left turn to go up it most of the other cyclists around went straight on. There had been no sign board indicating this climb. For a while I wondered if I was going the right way too. But after a about a kilometre a sign indicating Pomar and Tiana I knew I was going the right way. But why were there so few cyclists here? I wondered. Was there something I should have known? 

I felt pretty safe so I just carried on. There were very few cars and the views across the mini mountain range looked great, so I just focused on taking in and enjoying the landscape while I could. Soon came a very long fast descent back towards Badalona. Interestingly it was at this point that I saw more club riders - except that they were riding up the road. It seemed that riding up the road was the more common way of travelling through the area when leaving behind the semi-urban sprawl. I didn't mind going things a little differently.

This road then abruptly dumped me into a slightly industrialised area followed by the town centre in Badalona, which I picked through in order to reach the peace and tranquillity of the River Besos cycle path. I guess doing this ride in reverse would have meant getting the urbanised parts out of the way first and finishing the ride with a long ride along the coast, which probably does appear more attractive than starting on the coast and finishing with the anticlimax of a busy town centre on a Saturday lunchtime. Furthermore, I must say some of the roads through Badalona main drag were in poor condition - almost like Roman roads! I'll think twice before complaining about the misshapen surface on Anerley Hill!

Quick stop outside Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

After an enjoyable morning in the nearby hills around Barcelona it was time to bid my hire bike adios. Xavi with whom I had previously dealt with when I hired the bike from Terra Bike Tours was not in the shop, so I was served by an English guy who was quite friendly. Funnily enough we chatted to each other in Spanish for about 10 minutes before we realised we were both from Blighty! He mentioned the good rides to do in the area as well as a couple of hip cycling cafes nearby. My weekend cycling in Barcelona had been enjoyable - pity it was quite short and a little rushed. But it has given me even more reason to return to Barcelona for a more extensive cycling trip to this fantastic area. 

It has to be said that training for the Etape du Tour has given much more direction to my bike riding and I feel a renewed motivated to get out and ride in new places both in the UK and abroad. 

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Operation Etape du Tour: January update

Barcelona cycle ride: Part 2 - Up and over Montjuic and down to Port Vell