Tenerife vs. Gran Canria

[DarkWing]

Hello,
A little while back I asked where people thought I should do a 2-month training camp.

I'm now seriously considering Tenerife or Gran Canria.

Is there anyone who has been to both?

I'm interested in knowing if it's possible at all, to do any "flat" rides on either island?
Obviously there's plenty of climbing oppotunities, but somedays the training calls for long flat rides as well.


any info on these to islands will be greatly appreciated .

 

[bhilden]

I have ridden extensively on both islands. There is very little flat riding on Tenerife. The flatest riding on Gran Canaria is on the south and south east coasts of the island. One important thing to note if you do go to Gran Canaria, a lot of the lodging on the south side of the island is reserved for package tours so you just can't drive up to a hotel and get a room for the night. It is best to have a reservation before you leave.

BTW, the north, west and east sides of Gran Canaria are pretty up and down with some longish climbs even right by the coast. I think one of the reasons some teams go to Lanzarote, besides Club La Santa, is that there are some long stretches of relatively flat riding. The only negative is that since this island is closer to the coast of Africa it can be a lot windier which can make the riding difficult.

If you are looking for a good mix, you might want to try Mallorca.

Bruce

 

[KuotaKebel]

I agree with Bruce on Mallorca

Mallorca has all the ingredients for a extensive training holiday. On the south- and eastside there flat roads, on the Northwest side there is the steep climb to the Puy Mayor (?). The capital city excluded, the roads are all very quiet and excellent for training.

 

[SAM2010]

I've been to a few places but I agree on Mallorca, you have your choice of terrain, great roads and nice scenery with loads of bike outlets. Basing yourself in the north east, you can get long flat rides for base conditioning and then incorporate undulating roads and choice of hill lengths and gradients to enhance your developing condition. The bigger and longer hills are good to develop climbing strength and rhythm. All this in a relatively small area is a perfect cycling environment, you can match how you feel to where you ride and plan a schedule of progressive rides. This is probably why the place is so popular, also, you will always meet people to ride with. The island is geared for cycling and the village cafe's are great gathering places and welcoming. Many pro teams and riders go there pre season and these guys know what they're needing, which must be an endorsement. A detailed knowledge of the island or staying with the better organised cycling holiday operators means you can avoid main roads, not that they're busy, for most of a ride. These roads open a different aspect to the island and sharpen your skill levels as the narrow roads twist and turn. I think it’s got everything, as do many thousands of others.

 

[Ken Whelpdale - 3F Sports]

Go with Mallorca! It has great roads with flat, rolling and climbing opportunities. Plus, there are so many cyclist here that riding alone is only an option if you choose.

 

[DarkWing]

thanks for all your help.
I have something to think about now.

I was under the impression that there weren't that big mountains on Mallorca.

 

[SAM2010]

You have a good choice of climbs, no massive ones but great early season training types. All the monastries have climbs of between 3 & 6 km at 5 - 7% gradients, the most popular being Cura (Llucmajor) and Sant Salvador (Felanitx) which some of the pros use to prepare for Milan - San Remo. From the south side the climbs to Esporles, Valdemossa, Orient, Soller and Lluc (from Inca and Pollenca) are all 7 to 10km in length at between 7 - 10% gradient and the big one is Puig Major at 17km at about 6 - 7% average gradient. These are all good gradients to develop faster climbing speed. Sa Calobra is a cycling attraction climb, loads of hairpins and quite steep plus its location means it is always additional to climbing Puig Major, a tough day. The great thing is that with good road knowledge you can link good routes together using many of the climbs and they are different depending on which side you start them from. The roads in between the climbs can be tough so you can get good solid training rides. The mix of climbing and fast flat roads gives you the chance work at all aspects of your training, remember, all hill riding is not always the most productive training. Decending, although fun, does not have much fitness benefits!!

 

[Cycle Gran Canaria]

Gran Canaria of course

Hello,
A little while back I asked where people thought I should do a 2-month training camp.

I'm now seriously considering Tenerife or Gran Canria.

Is there anyone who has been to both?

I'm interested in knowing if it's possible at all, to do any "flat" rides on either island?
Obviously there's plenty of climbing oppotunities, but somedays the training calls for long flat rides as well.


any info on these to islands will be greatly appreciated .

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[Cycle Gran Canaria]

Gran Canaria of course

Well I would say this, but while Mallorca is close and has a nice mix of training routes, it is chocka from March on and you may find yourself in an other group or groups all day long. This can be a ****** if you're trying to keep with your own group.

Besides you can forget it before end of Feb, as it is too cold. GC has training weather all year round and at least 20 different routes with super quality roads.

Someone said that you can't arrive without booking??...well who would?

Gran Canaria has better roads and no urban sprawl to get through.
http://www.cyclegrancanaria.com/gran...challenge.aspx

 

[khardung la]

Well, by far Tenerife. It is quieter than GC and Mallorca, plus it is a destination for all the year (unlike Mallorca). It is far more beautiful than GC, since you can find both dense forest and deserts, plus it has the Teide....5 different ways to climb up to that wonderful national park, and the possibility of training at high altitude, including a fairly flat stretch in Las Canadas