A Cyclist's Life in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Here is a nice route via Guía de Isora, Chio and Arguayo, leaving from Abama.

The Masca route via Tamaimo and Santiago del Teide, also leaving from Abama. Return via Buenavista del Norte, Garachico, El Tanque & Erjos. Note the location of the start of the El Tanque climb.

A much shorter loop maybe for the first/last day or else a «recovery ride».

You can also travel up the road directly opposite Abama and then link up with TF465. They’re not connected on google maps, but with a bicycle you can do it.

Tags: Ride the Volcano!, The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Here’s a unique map we recently found hidden on the Cabildo website. It’s a traffic density map of Tenerife showing the average number of cars per day on each road (numbers marked in bold). The red figures indicate the percentage of «heavy vehicles» (I expect that means ones weighing in greater than 3,500 kg MMA (maximum authorised mass). It’s in pdf format and can be downloaded by clicking on the thumbnail image to the left…

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Hello, I would like to rent a bike for three days, but have still a few questions in mind:

1. what if e.g. one week before my renting starts there is a rain forecast for my rental days, is there a possibility to change days or cancel without cost – what’s your policy on this?
2. my current bike has a sloping frame (Specialized Roubaix) size 56. Virtual top tube length 56,5cm (+11cm stem) and effective seat tube 56cm. Would you have the 56cm Pro-Lite Cumeo Rival or Ultegra available?
3. Ok to change my own saddle on the bike?
4. would there be any open group rides organized that I could join?

Hello,

To answer your questions:

1) Most people do not cancel due to the weather. Will your airline or hotel refund your holiday because of rain? It is just a case of luck with the weather. If you don’t want to commit & reserve a bike, you will almost
certainly miss out during christmas time.

2) We only have a 56cm Pro Lite bike available on the 12th & 13th of December, for 2 days (shimano ultegra, compact cranks). Otherwise if you want a bike for three days, there is a 58cm leader 730R road bike
available…

3) Yes that is definitely okay. You can attach any of your own equipment to the bikes. GPS, make handlebar adjustments, etc.

4) We have stopped doing group rides and focus on bike hire. The best thing is to contact a bike club, or have a look at Tags: The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Hi Leslie,

Around 3 years ago you gave me invaluable info for my journey to Tenerife…this year I’m again heading to Playa Amaricas with my family…

Im doing3 routes…

I’m going up to Satiago Del Teide…then down to Masca…onto Buena Vista Norte then up the hairpins at Garachico and back over the Erjos Pass back to Santiago Del Teide and back through Chip to Las amaricas…I’ve done this in reverse the last time (swine of a climb out of Masca) so know I can get water in stretegic places..

I’m also doing Teide from San Miguel…up through Granadillo and onto the TF21 up to Vilaflor…to Boca Tauce…

Water is the thing thats worrying me…Will I get water in the Las Canadas Crater at the cable car?

My 3rd outing is the most worrying….

Im gonna get dropped off at Guimar by Taxi…then onto Arafo and up the TF523 to Teide…I’ll be heading passed Azana through the Las Canadas crater back down thru Vilaflor to Las Americas…water is worrying me! Will I get water at El Portillo?….is there nowhere else to refuel between Arafo and El Portillo?…its pretty worring me…especially in August heat…

Any help you can offer would be truly appreciated..

Many thanks,

Richard

Hello Richard,

Yep, I’m pretty sure I remember you, from bikeradar forums, right? To answer your questions:

Looks like you know what you’re doing with the Erjos/Masca loop… like you say, it is a difficult one if you do it in reverse!

> Water is the thing thats worrying me…Will I get water in the Las Canadas Crater at the cable car?

Yes you can get water at the base of the cable car; I’m pretty sure there is a restaurant there but I never take much notice as I always bypass it. Before you reach that, you will arrive at a small hotel with restaurant & café called «El Parador». That’s a few kilometres (1 or 2?) before the base of Mt. Teide.

You can also get water in Vilaflor on the way up- that’s the last reliable water source before reaching El Parador.

> Im gonna get dropped off at Guimar by Taxi…then onto Arafo and up the TF523 to Teide…I’ll be heading passed Azana through the Las Canadas crater back down thru Vilaflor to Las Americas…water is worrying me! Will I get water at El Portillo?….is there nowhere else to refuel between Arafo and El Portillo?…its pretty worring me…especially in August heat…

That sounds like a great route and I think you will be rewarded in planning it!

You will definitely get water in both Arafo and then in El Portillo. A few kilometres past El Portillo there are two more restaurant-cafés either side of the road. Then you’ll go past El Parador again (th emost expensive of the lot). Besides those three places (and maybe the base of Mt Teide), you won’t find anywhere else that I’m aware of to refuel between Arafo & Vilaflor. There is one place along road TF24 somewhere but I can’t remember if it’s after the Arafo junction or not… I’ve just tried in vain to find out but I’ve already spent a good 20 minutes searching with no results. It’s like a lodge log cabin thing and I’m pretty sure it’s
closer to La Esperanza.

I would make sure you bring two 750ml bottles (Decathlon even sell 1L versions) or else do like we do in OZ and get a camelback and/or two bottles which hang off the back of your seat like you see in the triathlons…

Currently in Australia (Sydney) on a business trip for vertebrae components so I’m not around to make any phonecalls for you regarding the location of that other unknown restaurant, etc. won’t be back until mid-August & I’m looking forward to tackling all those roads once again…

One more thing: There’s another log-cabin style bar at the top of the climb coming out of Vilaflor [called «Las Lajas»]. It’s on the left, just at the crest of the climb, pretty much right below the treeline. If you start veering to the right and then back down left and down into Boca Tauce (a 200m descent), you’ve past it. I’m not sure of the opening times and it is $$$.

Hope that helps,

Thanks,
Leslie

Tags: The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Good evening,

I’m a keen mountain biker and road cyclist and wish to get some rides in while visiting Tenerife. Was planning on being there in Oct and Dec, will the weather be good enough for the rides you mention on your website?

Also if are the mountain bike trails easy to follow if I was to cycle alone?

Many thanks,

James Young

Hello,

Yes, the weather will be cooler obviously but still rideable. In fact the December-April period is our busiest time – most of our clients who rent bikes come down from Northern Europe to cycle here then & escape their own Winter.

It will be colder up the mountain, so you will likely need arm & leg warmers. It’s a good idea to bring a thin windshell jacket + gloves for the December visit too! Check out our Weather & info page for more info about the climate…

The mountain trails are not all that easy to follow as they aren’t really marked. But all you really have to do is point your bike downhill in the direction of the sea, and you can’t go too far wrong.

The best map is the Kompass 233, available here.

On the road it is completely different – all roads are clearly signposted with a TF designation.
Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Leslie

Tags: The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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There are many apartments and villas in Tenerife – needless to say- but not all of them are what they say they are. So after 5 years of delivering bikes all over Tenerife and having seen a lot of different properties ourselves in the flesh, we decided to write this list of what we consider as the best apartments, rural houses & private villas. We’ve included links as some of these places are not easy to find online otherwise. Here’s the link to the top ten hotels in Tenerife.

1. Villa Preciosa

This is without a doubt one of the most exclusive villas in Tenerife and also has a long heritage. Villa Preciosa has recently been totally renovated and the attention to detail is amazing. Here you can relax in your very own private bar, pool (heated if you desire), and surrounds. Even the bathrooms exude luxury!

2. Casa La Abejera

The owner is your typical Mr Fixit, so everything works. It’s a very cute little house which has a charming rustic theme. Worth mentioning that the owners are into recycling & ecological gardening.

3. Casablanca Apartments

consistently has the highest tripadvisor ratings of any property in Tenerife, regardless of location or status. It’s also the only place I know of with dedicated locked bicycle storage room, meaning no ‘normal’ luggage is allowed! Well done!!

4. Jardin de la Paz

This place probably has the best vantage point on the island, located atop a true 300m cliff with views out over neighbouring island La Palma and the Atlantic ocean.

5. Aparthotel Riu Adeje Although it seems a little fake, it’s still one of the best apartments in Las Americas (it’s usually resort hotel accommodation in Las Americas) – NOTE: now called «Family Isabel»
6. Playa de las Roques

Located in a very secluded spot in La Romantica, Los Relejos; nevertheless, it’s right on the coast and is a great place to stay if you’re looking for peace and quiet.

7. Villa Caya An authentic rural house located in an ideal spot for cycle-training in the North of Tenerife.
8. Hollywood Mirage

Located in Los Cristianos, it’s just like the website shows…

9. Apartamentos Villa Mandi

Also located in Los Cristianos, it is clean and well-maintained.

Tags: Inspiration., Island Life, That's Business, The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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There has been an «Extreme wind risk» issued by the spanish medioambiente site for Tenerife on Monday the 29th of November 2010. I.e. tomorrow!

There are also simultaneous «rain» and «coastal» risk alerts. The maximum gust of wind is predicted to be 170 km/h, with a 40%-70% probability. So yes, this is a serious weather alert folks…

There are three (four?) alert levels:

No Risk  Risk  Important Risk  Extreme Risk.

It’s normal for there to be a few sub-tropical storms in the Canary Islands, especially at the start of Winter. This happens when snow is dumped on the peak of Mt Teide. The main danger for all road users are gale force winds, which can cause trees, branches and rocks to fall onto the road surface or vehicles themselves. The chances of this provoking other accidents is greater than normal, due to reduced visibility around blind corners, etc. Cars, trucks and buses may then swerve to avoid obstacles. Therefore, it’s highly reccommended that you don’t cycle at this time, especially above 1000 masl where the wind level is always esculated.

Last year a whole bunch of pine trees (hundreds!) fell down in the area called «chanajiga» in the North of Tenerife. That landscape is still scarred today by strong winds such as these. Anyway, the good news for tourists is that the weather forecast for Tuesday is much improved, with just the «rain» risk currently in place.

Tags: Island Life, News Reel, Ride the Volcano!, The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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We’ve been to enough hotels in the past 5 years to know which ones stand out above the rest. Here’s the link to the top ten villas & apartments in Tenerife.

Rather than list all the hotels that we don’t recommend, here’s my personal list of favourite places to stay on the island:

1. Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque Resort. For me it’s like entering fairytale land where everything is perfect. Time and time again, they’ve proven to me that they know how to run a hotel with unrivaled professionalism.
2. Abama Golf and Spa Resort. It’s an isolated hotel on located right by the coast, surrounded by banana plantations. Every time I arrive at Abama they offer a good welcome. The decor is classy without going over the top. If I wanted a 5 star holiday in the South of Tenerife, this is probably where I’d pay to stay.
3. Barcelo Santiago. This is a spot which probably takes the record for repeat clients; guests keep coming back here year after year. It’s a small, cosy resort located in Los Gigantes. It’s quite affordable & has a great buffet breakfast. Not to be confused with Barcelo Varadero in Puerto Santiago. We have stayed there. Don’t miss out on the breakfast!/li>
4. Hotel Alhambra. This is a much smaller hotel located close to the old town of La Orotava. Every room is different and the hotel itself is quite unique.
5. Roca Nivaria. A cut above the majority of resorts in Las Americas. This one is located in Playa Paraíso.
6. La Quinta Roja, a cosy, understated hotel in the charming old seaside port town called Garachico.
7. Hotel Gran Melia Palacio de Isora. This is renowned as the top hotel in Tenerife, but personally I’d rather stay at Abama or El Duque.
8. Hotel Riu Garoe. A newly constructed resort in Puerto de la Cruz. This hotel has effectively managed to push Hotel Botannico off this top ten list, because the facilities are newer and they are less pretentious.
9. Europe Villa Cortés. Possibly the best hotel to choose if you’re looking to stay in the heart of Las Americas.
10. Hotel El Nogal. A beautiful rustic hotel in a quiet spot in La Escalona, not far from Vilafor.
11. Hotel Rural El Patio. This is where we jokingly say we’d like to retire to… like an estate house. I am not sure how you get to stay in the main building though.

Tags: Island Life, The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Hi,

Very informative website you have.

Planning a road cycling trip in France, Spain and Canaries for Aug/Sept 2011.
We are 3 couples who are serious riders, who have ridden most all the Cols of note in France, the last couple of years.

For the best cycling experience for one week in the Canaries, would you have any recommendations on where (city/island) to stay for the best cycling?

Appreciate any advice you might have for us.

Best Regards,
Larry

Hello,

It’s really hard for me to say what are the best locations to stay. I think you would be very limited by spending only 1 week in the whole Canary Islands. It might be best to choose two islands at most.

Here is my list of «top 10 climbs in Tenerife». Depending on what you are seeking out, you can choose your location based on that…

Personally, as far as Tenerife is concerned, I wouldn’t miss the main climbs to Mt Teide (all but the western approach), Masca & Anaga. La Gomera is a great little island I’ve always been meaning to explore by bike. I’m sure La Palma and Gran Canaria also have some rides which are not to be missed…

Thanks,
Leslie

www.Tenerife-Training.net | Pro bike hire
www.vertebr.ae | Precision braking & shifting

Tags: The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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…I have small hands and a quite weak grip, so please make sure that the brakes of the bike grips good and that the break levers run easy with no effort!
Otherwise i will not make it down the mounatins!…

Hello,

Yes we have just the bike for you!
It is a 48cm Vitus shuffle ladies bike just been built up a few days ago, photo attached.

It features a compact crankset (in small size 165mm with 34/50T chainrings), low-range cassette (12-27t), full carbon fork, 10 speed components.

The good thing about this bike is that it has narrow, compact reach handlebars, and we have also reduced the reach of the levers for small hands (they’re the new carbon ultegra shifters). Possibly the best thing about this bike is that we have equipped it with our own brand of compressionless cable housing called «vertebrae», so although the brake levers don’t have much travel, you definitely won’t run out of brakes. (normally f you reduce the reach of brake levers, they will hit the handlebars when you apply them hard)

The brakes are also very easy to apply, because all your hand force goes into working the brake calipers, not compressing the brake lines… have a look at our link below for further info…

We can also mount a short (50mm) stem, ladies saddle and zero-setback seatpost if you prefer.

I’ve reserved this bike for you over your requested dates… total price is 85 Euros including delivery & all necessary equipment. The small merida is also available & will have an upgraded compact crankset, but the Vitus is a much nicer bike, especially with the brakes & gears…

Very much looking forward to your reply,

Thanks very much,
Leslie

www.Tenerife-Training.net | Pro bike hire
www.vertebr.ae | Precision braking & shifting

Tags: Learning Curve, The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Hallo,

mein Freund und ich möchten im Dezember Rennradurlaub auf Teneriffa machen. Wir möchten dann gerne zwei Rennräder bei Ihnen mieten. Können Sie uns eventuell ein günstiges Hotel empfehlen, das auch über einen Radkeller verfügt?

Für eine baldige Antwort wäre ich dankbar!

Martin Jeitner

Hello!

I would try the following:

* casablanca apartments
* puerto palace
* florasol
* masaru
* orotava palace
* turquesa playa
* chimisay

other hotels might be cheaper but maybe don’t have the same quality…

What sizes of bikes are you interested in renting?

Thanks,
Leslie

www.Tenerife-Training.net | Pro bike hire
www.vertebr.ae | Precision braking & shifting

Tags: The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Dear Dr. Brown,

I just read your exciting blog on climbing and thought I’d ask some advice.

I used to ride a Bianchi Torino but I moved on to a Kona PhD. The components of the Kona are far superior to the heavier Bianchi. Nevertheless, the heavier, inferior
bike climbs with vastly more ease than the Kona. When I have asked cycling experts, most of them spoke of cycling position or dismissed my claims as «in my mind.» I
would rather conclude the opposite: I expected the new sexy bike to make climbing a cinch. While it is subjective to a degree, I experimented using both bikes to climb
the same steep hills and found that the difference was phenomenal. I asked yet another cycling expert/friend and he concurred that it could be the gear ratios. So
naturally, I thought I’d show you the specs of my Kona and ask whether taking your advice and switching to a 53/39/30 chainring would make a significant difference.

Here are the specs: http://www.cyclerscafe.com/AroundTownBikes/Kona/PHD.aspx.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Sincerely,

Jerry Piven

Hello,

It definitely makes a huge difference.
I’m a bit confused because the photo of the Kona already shows a triple… what gearing does your older bianchi have?

You could try installing an 11-28T cassette, which is easier because you won’t have to but a new crankset, front derailleur & possibly shiftlevers. 11-28T should work with a standard rear derailleur, if not, it’s still less investment than a triple setup (just a long cage rear derailleur is required, and possibly a longer chain. Then if that doesn’t make a difference, have a look at installing a compact crankset as well. Don’t do it the other way around, because changing the rear sprockets makes more of a difference than the front gears.

With all our bikes, we are moving in this direction: 34/50T or even 33/50T front chainrings, 12-27 or 11-28T cassette – merely because it’s the most flexible and economical setup.

Thanks,
Leslie

www.Tenerife-Training.net | Pro bike hire
www.vertebr.ae | Precision braking & shifting

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1. Your brake levers easily hit the handlebars, consequently you’re not stopping like you’re supposed to.
2. You don’t have the power to skid either wheel.
3. You start smelling that all too familiar smell of burnt brake pads.
4. You have to do a virtual panic stop just to enable you to slow down.
5. You’ve warped your disc rotors, and they stay warped no matter what you try and do to straighten them.
6. You get hand fatigue on long descents.
7. You want to be able to brake with one or two fingers, so you can maintain control of your bike properly.
8. Your current braking system has all the requisite symptoms of bipolar disorder (it’s either «on» or «off» and there’s no inbetween).
9. Riding in the rain has become an unthinkable activity.
10. You want to be faster, braking for each corner at the last possible moment.

Tags: Ride the Volcano!, Sales Pitch, The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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1] La Esperanza РIza̱a
There are several approaches to the centre of the island, and this Eastern one has the best combination of road surface, length, spectacular views and the least amount of traffic.

2] Barroso – Aguamansa – El Portillo – Mt. Teide
The road around Aguamansa has just been resurfaced this year; dare I say it but the TF21 approach from the North of the Island this has now become a world-class climb. It’s often a few degrees cooler than the Southern approach, which is great in the hot Summer months. It’s also sheltered quite from the wind (compared to Arico for example).

3] Granadilla – Vilaflor – Mt. Teide
Lots of cycle-tourists will already know this route as many are based in Las Americas or Los Cristianos and therefore it’s the most convenient climb. It has lots of smooth sweeping bends past Vilaflor, which make for some fast descending.

4] Almáciga – Taganana – Pico del Inglés
This ride is highly recommended. It’s steeper than the others, but the topography is truly amazing.

5] Arafo РIza̱a
Choose this route if you’ve aready explored some roads in Tenerife & you’re looking for a Sunny approach to the top of Tenerife.

6] Buenavista – Masca – Santiago del Teide
A top-ten list wouldn’t be complete without including a ride to Masca. Prepare yourself for the last 5km, because the road out of Masca climbs 450 metres in only 3.4km, giving an average gradient of over 13%

7] Afur РPico del Ingl̩s
One of my favourites simply because it’s more isolated than other climbs.

8] Los Silos – Tierra del Trigo – El Tanque – Erjos
The first part of this road is brutal. It literally zig-zags up the side of a cliff face. From afar, you wouldn’t think a road like this is even possible. If you’re looking for your new HR_max, you won’t be disappointed.

9] Los Gigantes – Tamaimo – Santiago del Teide – Las Llanadas
This road is one of the steeper ascents in the South of Tenerife, so make sure you choose the right gearing.

10] Batan de Abajao РPico del Ingl̩s
Another personal favourite, but not easy to get to.

Tags: Ride the Volcano!, The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Dear Leslie,

I am travelling to Los Gigantes in mid-August and am interested in doing some cycling during my 10 day stay. I have only recently got back into cycling from being a child and currently commute daily to work within London – so the thought of having some open space cycling is very inviting! My enquiry is what you think would be available to me given my location and relative lack of experience. I really like the thought of a full day’s cycling around the volcano tracks as the pictures look incredible – and am not overly keen on the thought of hairpin alpine like extreme hills.

Thanks for your help,

Katy

Hi,

If you’re talking about MTBing, the best thing would be to head to Chinyero / Arenas Negras. There are lots of offroad tracks around there…

The main climb to get there is tough, so I would consider alternative arrangements (taxi, bus, hire car)

Thanks,
Les

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Yes, we can now finally accept credit cards wherever there is mobile phone coverage in Tenerife (most places on the island except Teide National Park). So you can pay directly with your Visa or Mastercard when the bike is delivered. Bike reservation deposits are also more easily paid via this method (you can either telephone or email your card details to us). Other convenient forms of payment are IBAN bank transfer, paypal and Euros cash.

Tags: News Reel, The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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If you can’t be bothered reading this, the short answer is ‘no’.

Inititally, all I did was guided road rides leaving straight from the hotel, but from the very beginning most of our potential customers had something different in mind (meaning they wanted to be picked up, taken on a shorter ride and dropped off at the hotel – not so much about the training but more of a sight-seeing tour for the wealthier folk). For a while I started to do a few guided MTB rides in my spare time (which I also enjoyed doing moreso than onroad), but I think we have greater competition in that area; that alone was never enough to pay all the bills. There’s technically even more chance for offroad accidents due to the steep descents invloved.

Basically we have had to look at who we are, what we are about and where we want to take the business in future. [Read more →]

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I’m planning a road biking trip to Tenerife with a couple of friends. In your opinion, what would be a best town to stay in regarding the available cycling routes?

Hello,

* Well Los Gigantes is a nice, small resort but the road & MTB rides are pretty limited around there. The road condition up to Mt Teide from the Western side is not the best – it really needs resurfacing. The road to Tamaimo and Santiago del Teide is generally steeper than a lot of the other road climbs in Tenerife.
* From Los Cristianos you have the Southern approach to Las Cañadas. For example you can also you can ride from Granadilla to Arafo, a flatter but still ‘undulating’ route. Having said that, you either love or hate the Las Americas resort.
* From Santa Cruz you are very close to Anaga & La Esperanza (a good starting point for the climb to Teide from the Eastern side)
* And last but not least, there are several climbs close to Puerto de la Cruz / La Orotava valley region. For me this is the best region!

Thanks,
Leslie

www.Tenerife-Training.net | Pro bike hire
www.vertebr.ae | Precision braking & shifting

+34 605 56 2020 (mobile)
+34 622 22 7262 (mobile 2)

Tags: The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Hi-

I am so excited I found your site and service. I will be traveling to Tenerife for a work conference on 1/27 and want to do some serious riding and exploring from around 1/29-2/1.

I am not certain whether I want to go roadie (my preference) or offroad (because the terrain looks unbelievable). At this point it looks like I’ll be traveling solo. I ride a 54 cm in road and 16/medium for offroad.

Can you give me some insight that will help me make a decision about road v. offroad rental? For road riding, I love hills and epic routes. For offroad, although I am in very good shape and enjoy hills, my technical mt. bike skills are not at the same level, so I guess I’d be looking for more cross-country type routes.

I am really looking fwd to it…. not into laying on the beach or shopping, and I most definitely want to spend my vacation riding.

Pls let me know your thoughts as soon as possible, as I want to make sure there will be a bike available.

Many thanks.
/erin kenneally

Thanks,

Well I am both a MTBer and a roadie so I know all about these kinds of «decisions decisions».

The road climb to Teide is definitely an epic route, preferably starting from either La Orotava in the North, La Eperanza in the East or Granadilla de Abona in the South. Where else can you climb constantly from a sea level resort to 2300m (7000 feet) in one ride???!

The bummer with road bikes seems to be traffic around the coastal resorts. However, the local drivers here are extremely considerate when overtaking etc.

To make your descision that much harder, some of the firetrails that criss-cross the upper La Orotava valley are probably the flattest roads (either on or offroad) to be found on the whole island. They are connected by a series of perpendicular «downhill runs». Yes it is possible to get 1 bus to drop you off at the base of Mt Teide so you can ride back down various ways—

There are no jumps and things of that nature. The main obstacles are rocky volcanic boulders and further down, slippery pine needles… so it’s easy for your font tyre to lose its line if you brake and corner at the same time.

Getting back to the road bikes… our road bikes cost basically twice the MTBs because they don’t seem to get abused as much. So we have a beautiful new Pro Lite 54.5cm Cuneo road bike (or 2); one has just been built up last week with the new Ultegra carbon levers! It’s so new I haven’t even had a chance to photograph it yet.

Hope that is of some help.
-Leslie

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Hi Leslie

If you have the time would very much appreciate your advice. My wife, myself and very young son are coming to Tenerife from Feb 27 until Mar 6. I’ll be training up for a cyclosportif in France so will be very keen to ride whilst there. I actually do quite a lot of road cycling (I have a Cervelo Soloist ­it’s either a 56 or 68 cm) and mountain biking (I ride a lapierre x-control 510 51 cm).

I know very little about Teneriffe and would welcome your views on a good area to stay ­ my wife wants sun but I really don’t want to be near any trashy resorts (I have heard that part of the island has a few of these).

I’d also look to rent a bike ­ I’d appreciate your advice here also. Although the sportif is on the road if you think Tenerife mountain biking outweighs the road cycling I’d be happy to do that. Just want to keep the legs kicking over. And of course do you have anything available for that time (I also have a friend coming who will be looking for something
commensurate ­ he’s the same size as me).

Chrs

Ian Edwards

Hello Ian,

I’d be happy to offer some advice on places/locations to stay.

Firstly, if you don’t want to stay near a trashy resort, stay away from
Los Cristianos & Las Americas. There is another side of Tenerife…

Have a look at places like Barcelo Varadero in Los Gigantes, Riu Garoe in
Puerto de la Cruz. Give me some further info & we can narrow things down a
lot. Do you want to stay in a hotel, apartment or quiet villa? What about
beach access, or you don’t care? Proximity to restaurants?

Well now’s an ideal time to start thinking about the bike reservations, as
the best bikes always get snapped up first. We already have some bookings
around then… MTBs are always more fun, but then if you’re like me, you
tend to get lazy and just go downhill more. If you’re serious about
training, I’d go with a road bike, but that’s just me.

I take it you are both around 180cm tall?
Looking forward to your reply,

Thanks,
Leslie

Tags: The Bike Guru by Dr. Leslie Brown
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