In March I was already booked in to the annual trip to Mallorca with the local ladies cycling group I belong to – the Widger Spoke Easies (so called because the founder used to live at Broadwoodwidger, near Lifton).
This would be about the 3rd or 4th time I had been on this holiday and every year I intend to get fitter (i.e. bike ready) before I go, and every year I seem to run out of time beforehand. It is easy to blame the British weather, preventing many rides in the months before, but I have a perfectly good Watt bike in the garage….
The bike riding in Mallorca is so much more pleasant than at home. Whilst the road surfaces have deteriorated since we have been going, they are still marginally better than the UK. The big difference is the tolerance of the car drivers to biking in general, and the weather of course.
The usual plan is pick up the hire bikes (from the conveniently placed Heurzeler dealer situated within the grounds of the hotel, the ‘Port Blue Club Pollentia Resort & Spa’) and test them out by riding down the road for a short while to Port de Pollenca. In the past I have done this with the saddle already on the bike, before going back and asking them to change to the bike saddle I had brought with me.
I have always been impressed with the hire bikes, all set up to our body sizes quickly and efficiently, and saddles and pedals changed as appropriate. This year I had ordered the wrong bike, but was soon sorted out with a more appropriate model, albeit with Di2 gears. I had never used this electronic gear changing equipment before, but found I loved it after a week of changing gears effortlessly
I rode to Port de Pollenca with a couple of riders from our group (26 of us this year, all women – more manageable than the nearly 50 we had a couple of years ago). At the usual cafe stop (1919) there was a small group of the faster riders already there – they were just going to set off to do the ‘quick loop’ up to the roundabout near Pollenca Old Town, back to the outskirts of Alcudia, returning to the hotel. Not far they said, sensible pace. Mmmmmm, I was hanging off the back of the group, determind to keep up as best I could – not the usual there and back I had expected to do – a quick 17 miles at 14mph
In fact the biking went very well over the week – after this busy start on the Sunday I then did 26 miles on the Monday, albeit at a steadier 11mph, to the Caves de Campanet, at the end of the Fengar Valley, for coffee, and then back to Port de Pollenca for lunch. This is a fairly standard route on the Widger Mallorca holidays for some of us – enough to make you feel you have done a good ride, but not too many hills! And the Caesar salad at Cafe 1919 is the best I have ever had – it is becoming a ‘must have’ on these trips now
Tuesday was 42 miles, along the Fengar Valley to Campanet, on to Sa Pobla and Muro before lunch at Santa Margalida, before making our way home via the road parallel to the coast through Alcudia. At an average of 13mph this was a bit more challenging than the day before, but I was pleasantly surprised that I felt ok – my personal training sessions twice a week must be doing some good!
After a rest day on Wednesday I joined a group climbing up to Lluc from Campanet, and back down to Pollenca old town on Thursday. I had done this ride once before, years ago and hated it, but this time I took the climb slowly and found it ok. It is a long ascent up to a gas station at the top, winding up through many hairpins. It is a busy route, and many fitter riders do the route before going on to Sa Calobra, an infamous ride down to the coast and back up again, which I have never done and don’t feel the need to do in the future! After the gas station we rode down Coll de Femenia, which is a long ride down to Pollenca, navigating many switchbacks on the way. Many riders find the downhill worse (scarier?) then the uphill, but the roads were quiet on this day with very few fast riders whizzing past. Lunch in Pollenca old town was a joy, a goat’s cheese salad served in a huge wooden bowl
On the Friday a few of us rode back out to the Caves de Campanet for coffee, and actually looked around the caves. We have been using the cafe for years but never actually visited the caves, which were very impressive and well worth the visit. The cycle ride was a gentle there and back ride, and in fact my last one for the week. Although my PT sessions had helped build my strength, my lack of training on a bike meant that I was quite saddle sore and the ride on Friday was enough for me
On the Saturday I walked into Alcudia, had lots of coffee and did a bit of shopping, before working out the buses. I rode back past the hotel to Port de Pollenca so I could enjoy another Caesar salad, before completing 6 miles of walking for the day. I then had sore feet to add to the other sore bits.
After an early breakfast we travelled home on the Saturday, with everyone in agreement that the week had gone well. Unfortunately the weather had been quite changeable, with a very heavy shower on the Monday afternoon, and some light rain and winds making it feel cold on and off for the rest of the week. The snatches of sun we did have were very welcome but we have had warmer weeks in the past.
The hotel is well suited to cyclists with lots of other groups catered for at the same time. The spa looking over the bay is always a highlight – we were entitled to use it every day as part of the package for the week. I also enjoyed a yoga class on the Wednesday on my day off, and came back thinking I must investigate local yoga classes near home
