Mallorca Bike Tour - Day 2
by Will Wattles

The next day I headed off into the hinterlands. I started with coffee at Chantilly where I had a great little window seat and free wi-fi. I had to ride a pretty busy street to make my way out of the city. Cars were okay and I found enough signs to find C713. It is known as the old road as a motorway now parallels it which helps reduce the traffic.

I had no problems riding and was impressed when one car made a special effort to help me through a traffic circle. A bright sun soon displaced the few drops of rain falling as I left. Impressive mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana range reflected the light to my left as I climbed a gentle grade. I came though Santa Maria and thought to stop for lunch. I decided to continue on to Consell figuring I would make it before the black clouds ahead replaced the sun. I was wrong.

The head wind I had been riding into began to blow so hard I felt as if I weren't moving and rain started light and became heavy. Suddenly dark, wet, cold and wind engulfed me. As I pedaled through Consell I saw nothing open and watched as people at a flea market tried to fold tarps in the blustery weather. Already soaked I decided to push on to my destination the foothills village of Alaro.

I rolled into town and found a cafe where I got coffee and a sandwich in a modestly warm environment at the Cafe Alaro. After my repast I tried to get into my hotel, The C'an Tiu Ecological Hostal.

As when I arrived at the Hostal Brondo in Palma no one was there and I had to phone. This time I got no answer. It later turned out the proprietor's cell phone battery died. Several other wet cyclists stopped and knocked on the door. They didn't have reservations as I did and continued on to who knows where.

The sun came back out and to warm up I pedaled up a street unto the side of the mountain. The road soon turned very rough and I found myself in the country. Eventually I reached a gate and turned around to see a great view of the cluster of red-roofed masonry buildings that was Alaro.

Continuing up another narrow track consisting first of pavement and then of rocks set in sloppy concrete, I passed olive trees and terraced gardens. Eventually I reached the ebullient owner of the hotel and got into my room and dry clothes. I had a big meal at a very pleasant Italian restaurant called. O Sole Mio. I tucked into bed with two blankets and thought how a week ago being able to lie down and be warm were things I took for granted.

Mileage for the day: 22
Total trip miles: 81

Day 3 - Bike & Hike to Castell d' Alaro

More about Will Wattles... Will truly enjoys bicycle touring. Over the last decade, he's toured places such as Greece, Costa Rica, Malta, Chile and Venezuela. For more stories and photos from Will's previous bike trips, visit WillBike.com.

Labels: bike-tour, Mallorca, Montague-MX

Mallorca.

If you're originally from the UK or Germany, chances are that either you or someone you know has vacationed on this idyllic Mediterranean isle off the coast of Spain. In fact, over 20 million tourists visited there last year; however, only a small number were Americans. What do the Europeans know that we don't? You're about to find out.

Several days ago, Will Wattles (a psychology professor from Francis Marion University with a deep love for bicycling) wrote that he would be spending his semester break touring Mallorca via the Montague MX full size folding mountain bike that he had purchased in September on RideTHISbike.com. Will offered to share highlights of his solo, unassisted bike tour as well as comments on the performance of the bike. Following is his first entry.

Mallorca Via Folding Mountain Bike
by Will Wattles

Settling In
I packed my Montague folding mountain bike in the original box. My bike and bag were lost so I took a city bus to Palma de Mallorca the main city on the island. The bike arrived late the next day late and, the box and bike were in fine condition. The airline delivered it to my hotel, Hostal Borondo, in the old city. Borondo is a narrow pedestrian alley off Born Avenue. I paid 35 euros a night for a tiny room with a shared bath in a great location. I was so excited when the bike came that I put it together and took off for a ride even though it was well after dark.

I pedaled down Born Avenue (not its exact name the streets have Catalan names that are too hard for me to remember.) about half a mile to the waterfront where I got on the bike route that runs along the shore. I pedaled along with my lights flashing under the moonlight with the Mediterranean on my right and passing an occasional jogger or cyclist.

The First Full Day
The next morning I took off to the west on the same path with palm trees and fancy hotels on my right and a marina full of million-dollar yachts on my left. The bike lane ended and I took to the road. Driving the world over seems to bring out the worst in people, however the motorists on Mallorca have been pretty good. The roads are often narrow with no shoulder as was the case as I headed through Portales Nous where I stopped for breakfast toast and eggs at a restaurant named for Fred Flintstone. As I pedaled past the resort communities of Palmanova and Magaluf I came upon a pedestrian/bikeway. Sometimes the road is faster but in this case I found them quite welcome. A few hills made me work harder and I enjoyed some great views of houses built on the side of cliffs with severe drop-offs into the sea. I followed the bike route to Santa Ponca. Wooden bike route signs gave mileage (actually kilometers) to the next town, At places I found a map mounted on a kiosk showing bike routes both on and off road around the island. I saw a visitor information center in Santa Ponca and went in to see if I could get one of those maps. The woman was very helpful and gave me an old version of the map and several other local maps.

The separate trail ended at Santa Ponca and, I took the road through a series of traffic circles toward Calvia. I crossed over a motorway and after a while a wooden sign directed me to the right down a one-lane paved road. At one point I saw a mountain village to my left lit up by the sun as if it were a celestial spotlight. The pavement ran out and I was glad to be on a mountain bike as I rode though groves of trees maybe carob maybe almond. At one point I stopped to look at a herd of sheep and heard only dozens of bells on the sheep, the bleats of young lambs and maybe some wind. In Calvia I got some juice and bread in a market and took a break in a park with a intriguing history of the city on a mural on the wall. I continued on over a significant climb made manageable by a series of switchbacks that kept the grade moderate. After having the road to myself I hit city traffic for a few miles back to the city. I rode 48 miles that first day and saw many riders on road bikes and mountain bikes.

The Second Full Day

More about Will Wattles... Will truly enjoys bicycle touring. Over the last decade, he's toured places such as Greece, Costa Rica, Malta, Chile and Venezuela. For more stories and photos from Will's previous bike trips, visit WillBike.com.

Labels: bike-tour, Mallorca, Montague-MX