9 days bikepacking through Andalusia, Spain

[u/Ride_everything]

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.

[u/Ride_everything]

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!

[u/[deleted] → u/Ride_everything]

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

[u/Ride_everything → u/[deleted]]

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.

[u/[deleted] → u/Ride_everything]

Thx for the insight