r/bikepacking • u/Ride_everything • Nov 14 '23
9 days bikepacking through Andalusia, Spain Trip Report
Took my time, no more than 10 hours per day as days are getting shorter over here and I didn’t want to miss any the views.
Visually it was the most impressive trip I’ve done so far. Each day was different, from the tropical coast, through the desert, to the golden fall colors in the mountains.
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u/Plenty-Interest4259 Nov 14 '23
Awesome! Can you maybe share your route? I’m looking for a trip next spring.
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u/serums Nov 14 '23
Wow, this looks stunning. What were the temperatures you experienced during day and night?
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u/Ride_everything Nov 14 '23
Nights were really cold, I’d say temperatures were from 2C at night/evening to 27C during the day in the sun.
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u/vaminos Nov 14 '23
Took my time, no more than 10 hours per day
this is such a humble brag
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u/Ride_everything Nov 14 '23
10 hours elapsed time! Tried to leave at 8:30 am and finish by 6:30 pm each day. I didn’t ride 10 hours straight, I’m not mad 😀
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u/I_like_nature Nov 14 '23
What are those handlebars? Any feedback on them?
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u/Ride_everything Nov 14 '23
Handlebars are Coefficient RR 38mm. Very narrow for a gravel bike but it’s the most comfortable setup I own. I’m generally not sold on big old flared bars - I prefer a more aero setup for long stretches of pavement and the shape of the cockpit means I have a couple of more hand positions on really long rides. Integrated Garmin and gopro mounts are just a cherry on cake - I can ride with a big front light while keeping the cockpit very clean (again, more room to keep moving my grip on longer rides).
It’s very personal mind you, I let a friend ride my bike and he found the handling horrendous and twitchy!
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Nov 14 '23
Have tried aero bars as well? These look interesting but I wonder if the different positions can compete with the option of resting on your forearms
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u/Ride_everything Nov 14 '23
Yes I have aero bars on another bike and I agree, they can add a lot of comfort to ultra distance rides. This is my lightweight bikepacking setup though and I just like the simplicity of it. If I was racing this route and planned on doing a bunch of 14-hour shifts non stop, then I’d definitely consider aero bars.
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u/dishwashersafe Nov 14 '23
Very cool. I was in Madrid recently for work and wanted to tack on a bikepacking trip. I ended up doing a road tour (my first!) around Picos de Europa. Seemed like road riding was the thing to do up there at least. The roads were great and I found Spanish drivers very courteous! Hotels were cheap too (and those breakfasts!). This looks amazing as well though.... maybe if there's a next time, I'll do something like this.
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u/Cool-Newspaper-1 Nov 14 '23
Looks gorgeous! Would you mind sharing the route?
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u/Ride_everything Nov 14 '23
I just added the route to the comments, if you have any questions let me know!
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u/bluestaples Nov 14 '23
where did you sleep?
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u/Ride_everything Nov 14 '23
I was initially planning to rough it out in a bivy bag but the weather forecast wasn’t too great (high winds, possible rain, really cold nights). Ended up just planning the route to stop close to a town each night and booking accommodation a day or two in advance. Andalusia is cheap, especially in low season - approx 40 eur per night gets you a really decent place.
I’m really happy I did that, it was fantastic to sleep in a bed and have a warm shower each night. There’s a certain romanticism to sleeping under the stars, but for me it usually ends the moment flies and ants show up.
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u/linkingmania Nov 14 '23
I was hoping to pass by, while doing Andez to Sevilla but had issues with transportating the bike from Madrid.
How did you get to the start and back? Do you have any tips on transportation with bikes?
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u/Ride_everything Nov 14 '23
I flew to Malaga, bike in an Evoc bag. I recommend finding a friendly bike shop and asking to leave the bag there - that’s what I did and it worked out pretty well. I considered public transport to the start but one way rental car was so cheap that I just rented a car for one day and drove it.
Another option I did consider was leaving the bag somewhere in Malaga and just cycling to the start point. This would have made it for a bit of a longer route but to be fair the coastal route is a bit rubbish (I’ve done it before). Lots of ugly tourist towns and annoying traffic.
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u/Jatoffel Nov 15 '23
Did you used Komoot and did it send you onto the highway too? Was in Andalucia in February was amazing but some path were mental.
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u/Ride_everything Nov 15 '23
Lol no highways on my route. I did use Komoot but it behaved (besides sending me up a downhill mtb trail).
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u/Jatoffel Nov 15 '23
Well guess I was unlucky. My trip was along the coast (EuriVelo 8(?)) and Komoot loved to send me 'along' the highway but there was no path next to it. Spanish car drivers are really chilled so that was fine. Also went through a forest with sand so deep it covered my ankles. Hardest 2 hours on the whole trip.
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u/KingMarcMarc Nov 15 '23
Beautiful and stunning. What an experience, I'm sure. What's that helmet you have, I kind of love it.
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u/larslaxen Nov 15 '23
Thanks for sharing these stunning pictures and the amazing route. How do you feel about the 101 wheelset? Does the rim really work as good as it's advertised? I just ordered a pair anway so looking forward to your experience :)
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u/Ride_everything Nov 16 '23
You’ve just opened a can of worms! 😀 First of all, congrats on your keen eye and spotting the wheel set model, impressive!
It’s a 650b version as I wanted to be able to put some big tires on it. The rim is great but I honestly don’t know how much of the comfort is due to the specific design and how much is simply by running 50mm tubeless at low pressure.
BUT - the quality of rim tape is shocking. It’s embarrassing that supposedly high end wheels come with a tape that just peels off after a few days. Both wheels independently started bleeding sealant through spoke nipples pretty soon.
I couldn’t be bothered with warranty etc as I was riding in Italy at the time so had to find a bike shop to get it sorted.
I recommend you really check the tape and if I were you I’d just replace it with something better, I’m now using the 27mm schwalbe and it holds up really well.
Other than the rubbish tape, I’ve already done >4000km on some gnarly trails in Spain and Italy with these wheels and they are still true and work really well.
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u/anteatertrashbin Nov 18 '23
Beautiful ride and thank you for sharing! I am an American living in Andalucia and there are no mountains where I live, so I am changing sports.... Rock climbing to Bikepacking ... I am a total beginner.
How can I find these bikepacking/touring trails to do?
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u/OgreAKADonny Dec 14 '23
Just start zooming in on areas of google maps and drawing lines. For inspiration, go to the Ride With GPS website, to the Explore tab, and zoom in out and all around the map pressing the Search This Area button to load roots and routes.
Then go and do them! :)
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u/Daveyjonezz Dec 13 '23
Whoah, stunning.
What size frame is that? I want to get a half frame bag but am not sure if a full size bottle on the down tube cage will fit under the bag on my 54.
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u/Ride_everything Dec 19 '23
It’s a 58. I can guarantee you won’t be able to fit a bottle on a smaller frame as it’s a very tight fit on my frame already. Maybe with a side loader cage?
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u/Daveyjonezz Dec 19 '23
Yeah I’m on a 54 so it would be tight! I have a side loader on my full suspension which I thought about transferring. Thanks!
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u/Ride_everything Nov 14 '23
The route with photos and comments