A Cyclist's Life in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Im really starting to admire this place [Tenerife] compared to Northern Ireland where im from in terms how cyclists are treated on the road. Ive give a few examples of what is regular at home.

Being passed by articulated lorries with less than 60 cms of room, on a corner because they cannot be bothered to slow down and wait 20 seconds till the road opens up a bit. I was that annoyed i rang the haulage company and got a lecture about how long it takes for lorries to accelerate again after slowing down for cyclists that should not be on road… and the multitude of gear changes and breaking required for a lorry to wait.. behind.

Ive been passed by mad drivers in very small cars with very loud exhausts at speeds of excess of 100kph on single lane roads.

Ive had drivers in white vans throw bottles at me, shouting tosser.
Many times ive had drivers ahead of me at busy junctions without their indicators on.

Many drivers will also wait for ages getting onto a junction while im behind breathing their lovely disel fumes while they are fixing their hair or playing with their phone.

We do have cycle lanes in some towns, and as a rule i dont use em, because pedestians walking their dogs and children are playing there (they just divide the pavement into 2) and then you have to use a pedestrian crossing to cross a road.

and yet, for 3 months solid before the weather just got totally appauling i cycled the 11km to work and back 5 days a week. I picked one day in the week were id go all out and max my speed treating it like a time trial. Then a longer club run of 50-60km on sunday. I started with a hybrid bike and switched to my ridley one in sept.

cya later

Hey mate glad to hear from ya!

I must say that I really look forward to your latest ride reports… I’ve been pretty busy organising all the bookings lately.

Yes, I’m glad you notice that drivers are extremely patient here in the Canary Islands. In 3 years of riding in Tenerife I’ve never had a problem. Amazing! But I do always try to get out of other vehicle’s paths wherever possible.

You might be interested in reading this article about why car drivers treat cyclists with a lot of respect here (it’s quite long, but it explains a lot).

They’re even nicer in Holland and other places I’m told… and probably any European country like Denmark, France, etc with a strong cycling culture. I have a had a few Germans and Finnish tell me that the car drivers are nicer here than where they live.

Back in Australia where I used to live, I’ve even had firecrackers thrown at me! (más…)

Tags: The Bike Guru // 1 Comment »

Hi,

I hope you can help with some info and links. I want to know how possible it is to make a trip to Tenerife for a mountain bike trip in February.

I have never been to the Canary islands before so am a bit ignorant. Are there any specialist tour operators for mtb trips?
Any help would be cool.

Regards

Hello,

Yes of course… Tenerife is a fantastic place for mountainbiking; the best place for MTB is probably in the North. Generally the mountainbike trails are wide, rocky and hilly. We can arrange guided MTB tours from Puerto de la Cruz for you… mostly descending through the La Orotova valley (because riding offroad inside Mt. Teide national park is prohibited).

We can also arrange mountainbike hire… we have some great quality bikes in many sizes & they can be delivered anywhere in Tenerife (there is a minimum of 3 days’ rental for delivery to the South). Delivery to Puerto de la Cruz area is free…

If you are interested, please get back to me with the following information:
-your accommodation details
-will you bring your own bike & equipment or do need to rent a MTB from us?

One last thing, February is one of the busiest months for bike rentals, so you will need to book early…
Looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks very much
-Leslie

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We provide these rental bicycles in order for cyclists to explore & train on the many roads & tracks in Tenerife. We take pride in the high quality of all our bikes – please take care of them and they will take care of you! Above all else we hope you enjoy cycling in Tenerife! We endeavour to provide the best possible service. We’re proud to say that 99% of our exisiting clients are extremely happy. Nevertheless, we recognise that sometimes things can go wrong (accidents), hence the following terms and conditions:

GENERAL CONDITIONS:
Our bicycles are not to be thrown around, purposely skidded, jumped or otherwise abused. No silly stunts, etc. Our bicycles are always cleaned, prepared & checked before they are rented out. It’s common courtesy to return them in the same state (I.e. clean and functioning, especially after prolonged use in the rain). You must endeavour to return each bicycle in the same condition in which it was lent to you. If it is not returned in the same state, with all tools and equipment, you are likely to be charged. Upon their return, bicycle(s) will be inspected & any damage assessed. If the bicycle does not meet our expectations, you will be held liable for cleaning and/or any repairs necessary (see table below).

OPTIONAL INSURANCE:
At the time of rental, you may select from one of three insurance options: «no insurance», where you will held liable for all potential damage incurred to the bicycle; «€100 excess option», where you will only be held liable up to the value of the deposit (€1 per day surcharge); and «zero excess» where you are covered for all possible bicycle damage (available for an additional €2/day). Note that this insurance coverage is limited to bicycle damage only. Unfortunately we cannot insure bicycles for theft (see the section on theft prevention below). Personal injury, death and third persons are also exluded from our optional insurance policy.

-UNINSURED BIKES–

WHAT WE COVER:
Damage caused by normal wear and tear. This is limited to the following components:

• spokes broken due to metal fatigue
• normal tyre, chain and cassette wear
• replacement brake pads, gear and brake cables

WHAT WE DO NOT COVER:
Replacement innertubes, tyres worn out by skidding on tarmac, missing tools, any other damage caused that is obviously your fault (for example stripped bolt threads, breakages caused by faulty/attempted repairs). You will be charged a cleaning fee of €2 if a bike is returned soaked in sweat and/or energy drink mixtures. Minor or major scratches (even if they are unintentional), metal fatigue (if it breaks, you are the one to pay). Broken shiftlevers caused by hamfisted operation. Cracked or broken frames. Bent rims or wheels that cannot be trued on the spot. Bicycle theft or loss. Here is a list of components and their associated replacement costs:

• Entire bike lost or stolen: €700 for rigid MTBs and €1200 for road or full suspension bikes
• Replacement frame: €400
• Road shiftlevers: €150
• MTB shiftlevers: €50
• Carbon fork: €100
• Suspension fork: €200
• Wheel: €100
• Tyre: €20
• Seatpost: €20
• Saddle: €30
• Pump: €15
• Inner tube: €5
• Multitool misplaced or dropped €5
• Cleaning fee: €2
• additional parts not listed here will be charged at current retail prices

ROAD BIKE CLEANING SURCHARGE:
Whenever you go to a gymnasium (for example) you bring a towel & wipe the machine down after use. Same goes for our bikes! Sweat and other electrolytes are a direct cause of premature corrosion. Apart from that, there’s the issue of hygene. It’s also jut plain nice to ride a clean bike. We always supply clean bikes.

However we reserve the right to charge a €2 cleaning fee per bike (for road bikes; MTBs will remain exempt as getting dirty is and integral part of mountainbiking). The best & cheapest method to clean a bike is using mild soapy water applied to a cotton cloth, sponge or else a soft paper towel. If you deem yourself above cleaning your own sweat (i.e. you’re at a conference, meeting, don’t want to get dirty, can’t be bothered, etc) that’s fine, but you must pay us for the privilege.

MECHANICAL SUPPORT:
Tenerife is a fairly large island, so we don’t offer an «emergency pickup» service. Should something go wrong with one of our rental bikes, it is up to YOU to find your own way back to your hotel. Just like your local bike shop or bicycle manufacturer, no we don’t reimburse you for this journey! However, we recognise that mechanical failure is an inconvenience, not some kind of opportunity for profit that some businesses seem to think it is. If you believe a bike is unfit to ride for obvious safety reasons, the best course of action is to stop riding the bike and inform us as soon as possible (preferably by telephone not email).

We do our best to fix things promptly, either the same day or else overnight if that is not possible. Note that practically all bikeshops in Tenerife are closed Sundays and only open half day Saturday. These are our official hours: 9:00am – 1:00pm; 3:00pm – 8:00pm, GMT. (Monday – Saturday). Sms text messages are welcome between 8:00am and 10:00pm, 7 days a week.

We believe that bikes should run silently. However, some noises are extremely difficult to isolate or duplicate and then rectify quickly (eg: noises caused by cranksets, bottom brackets headsets and disc brakes). If the bike is rideable and you can live with it, the best option is to let us know before the end of the rental period so we can address the issue for the next customer.

Faulty rental bikes will be either repaired or replaced at our discretion. 90% of the time we have spare bikes in all sizes ready to go but during peak periods it’s impossible to have a backup bike available for every rider.

THEFT PREVENTION:
Bikes should be stored either in the room of your hotel/apartment or in a secure luggage room using the lock provided- under no circumstances are the bikes to be left un-locked outside when unattended!! A lock never offers 100% theft protection. The best deterrrent is to stay close to the bike at all times when you go out. We request that you do not leave bikes in cars overnight. Never leave a bicycle (locked or unlocked) in a public place, especially if it is visible from the street & definitely never at night time. That means bikes are not to be left on exposed balconies, for example. These simple measures drastically reduce the risk of opportunistic theft.

We ask for a security deposit to increase awareness & prevent theft, it’s not intended to rip you off. However, should a bicycle be lost or stolen, you will be liable for the current value of the bike written in the Tenerife-Training rental contract (not the replacement value, which is much more). Your security deposit will not be refunded and you will need to pay the difference. Therefore it’s up to YOU to ensure the bike doesn’t get stolen!

SPECIAL/OTHER CONDITIONS:
All bookings are subject to availability. We will only use your personal details in connection with your Booking arrangements. Some people ask the impossible of us, hence the following statement: if a rental bike is unavailable due to unforeseen damage or theft, we will not be held liable for all or part of your holiday expenses; the most we can offer is a full or partial refund of the original deposit! We go out of our way to offer polite & friendly service; however we also reserve the right to refuse service to any individual who shows rude, obnoxious or agressive behaviour.

REFUND POLICY:
Refunds are possible if a bike does not meet your expectations, minus any delivery charges. However, we do not offer refunds if it is a case of you simply «change your mind» at the last minute. Nor do we offer refunds for unused days during the rental period, for example due to bad weather.

ACCIDENTS:
Bicycle riders are inherently vulnerable road users; riding in a foreign country in extreme terrain is a risky activity. We do advise you to take out a comprehensive medical travel insurance policy that are available from any travel agent in your home country. Spain does has a reciprocal health agreement with most EU countries, including the UK. However, if you are found to be the cause of an accident, remember that you could potentially be liable for all resulting accident damage. At the time of writing, third party insurance for cyclists is not compulsory (not even for Spanish citizens), so just remember to take it easy! If you’re still reading this, know that most accidents we do see are the due to the rider’s own fault and no other vehicles are involved. It is often people misjudging corner speed and freaking out with the front and/or rear brake.

Tags: That's Business // 2 Comments »

Hi, Leslie thanks for the initial feedback.

We were thinking of renting a car (big enough) to get the bikes in so we can easily get to the sites to do some mountain biking, although my partner had a severe skiing accident and hence should really just bike on forest rough track, volcano trails etc but not really «pure and dure» off road with all the shocks that come with it (the injury – the knee ligaments (cross ligament torn) and the rest (knee) in good stable rehabilitation building up muscle and strengthening the side ligaments. – hence I was almost contemplating for a triathlon bike ! although we just want to have some exercise to see the «paysage». Anyway, that is were we are currently with our thoughts.

We are thinking to check in to : Gran Melia Palacio de Isora en Alcala so we can have all the exercise and possibly some comfort as well. First time in Tenerife, so we are just taking our bearings………..Possibly you can recommend a good hotel accommodation close to the mountain biking areas…………..on the web site I did see your indicated routes.

We are both about 1.72 cm tall and would need a medium frame.

Also, we were thinking possibly to make outing to Gomera and take the bikes with us !

Some thoughts appreciate your input as to where would be the best location to find accommodation to be close to the mountain biking actions. If we have the car to transport the bikes, perhaps that is not so much an issue. What do you think ?

Yes we would need two bikes from March 22 to 26 – 5 days.

Unusual, Dr. Leslie renting bikes………………are you working on your next book ?

keep smiling –

Hello Carmen,

Nice to hear from you again…

Gran Melia Palacio de Isora is certainly a grand hotel, but I don’t think it is in the best location for cycling trips. It is an isolated hotel away from all the resorts. It is similar to the Abama hotel in that respect, so have a look at that one too if that is what you are looking for: http://www.abamahotelresort.com/ (it has less cement outside and is greener than the Palacio de Isora). What’s the difference between the two hotels? It’s like the people who own Abama said «Let’s create a nice 5 star hotel» whereas the people who own the Palacio de Isora said «Let’s show people what we can do with all our money». That’s just my opinion…

Personally I think the best mountainbiking is in the North of Tenerife. It’s more scenic & there are more tracks to explore.

For instance, there are about 5 flat roads that cross the La Orotava valley & it is mostly sheltered by the trees so it doesn’t get too hot. These are simple tracks with just a few small rocks and they won’t present any problems for your partner. Of course there are also other roads which have a greater difficulty level…

The only problem with taking the car is that you need to do a loop to go back to the starting point where the car is … this sometimes means lots of climbing is involved if you don’t plan it well (unless you are lucky enough to have someone drop you off and pick you up again). (más…)

Tags: The Bike Guru // Add Comment »

I will be in Tenerife north between 20 to 30 July and would like to hire a mountain bike during this time. What cycling trips will you have available during this time and how much would they be? What locations would they be in, what grade and for how long?

The offorad cycling trips depend on the fitness of the other riders, but I can say that normally they are about 40km long and mostly «downhill». We almost always start from 2000m altitude and head back down to sealevel over that sort of distance. The routes are mainly firetrails, with some rocks. Maximum ascent is usually 300 metres or so. We usually complete the rides in 2 to 3 hours.

Where we go is not set in concrete, and really depends on the day. For example if some riders find some parts too steep, too rocky, too easy, or the weather changes, we will alter the route right there and then. None of the rides are what I’d call «freeride» (so there are no big jumps or dropoffs).

To do the guided MTB rides, we request that you stay in either La Orotava or the Puerto de la Cruz resort area. We also have numerous MTBs available to rent, no problem.

Thanks very much,

Leslie.

Tags: The Bike Guru // Add Comment »

Is it possible to arrange a guided mountain bike tour for 1 or 2 days? Road biking is pretty easy to do on our own, but we have found that with mountain biking it is nice to have some time with people that know the terrain.

Yes I offer guided MTB rides also, provided that you are staying in Puerto de la Cruz; these will cost an additional ~€35 each day per person.

Normally we catch the bus up to 2000m altitude, and start the MTB rides from there so the majority is going down… it is a special bus capable of taking a lot of bikes, but on public holidays & weekends, it is packed with downhillers!! If we don’t take the bus, someone has to go back up to the top to collect the vehicle, or I need to get another driver, and it isn’t so good for the environment either.

Metting point: Puerto de la Cruz bus station.
Departure time: usually 8:30am weekdays, 8:15am weekends.

If you are staying in one of the resorts in the south (Las Americas / Los Cristianos / Golf del Sur / Los Gigantes etc), then I can contact another MTB guide for you. It is more convenient for us if you can stay somewhere in the North of Tenerife, because otherwise we have to charge a small delivery fee to cover the cost of taking bikes to the South of Tenerife.

Anyway, I’m happy to advise you on different routes you can take on the other days you have the rental bikes… I also have some good maps to show you the MTB routes, but like you said it is preferable to do the rides with someone that knows the trails.

Thanks,
-Leslie.

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Do you know of any good cycling shops out there, I couldn’t find any last time I was there, I really like exteondo clothing I think it’s spanish but its really hard to find over here, so was hoping to pick some up in tenerife.

Yes there are several decent bike shops on the island. The most noteworthy are:

– Gofis bici in La Longuera / El Toscal (road & MTBs). This is the one I go to most often!
– Bicistar in Puerto de la Cruz (road & MTBs)
– Bicicletas Gil in La Laguna (road & MTBs)
– Vadabici in La Laguna (mainly mountainbikes)
– Bicisport in Los Cristianos (mainly road bikes)
– Bike Point in El Medano (focus is on MTBs)

Have a look here for the exact street addresses & contact details.

Tags: The Bike Guru // 2 Comments »

Hello good day from Amsterdam!

I am planning a trip to your island and I would like to know if you have large framesets (racebike) for hire. I am 1.96 cm and use frames of 65 cm. Do you offer this kind of sizes as rental bike ?

Looking forward hearing from you soon,

We have become well aware of just how tall some cyclists are, especially from the Netherlands and Germany!
The largest bike we have measures 65cm from centre-top. It is certainly big enough to fit you! Actually you might be interested to know that the tallest client so far had a height of 203cm!!

Tags: The Bike Guru // 1 Comment »

The directions to the hostal seem a bit confusing. I’ve got to get to la Orotava somehow from the South airport, I’m not too sure how long that will take, maybe an hour or so? add another hour to get out of the airport, probably add another hour or two for getting lost…….

Well I can help you with the arrival. At least I hope this clears things up.

Option 1)
Direct from TFS to El Puerto de la Cruz. Titsa bus 340 is a direct service from TFS airport which also stops at TFN onroute Journey time is approximately 1 hour, depending on how crazy the bus driver is. Yes it’s convenient, but there are only 4 daily services which leave TFS airport at the following times: 09:45, 14:00, 20:00 and 23:30 [last time I checked when I wrote this].

Then there are a fair few regular lines that go from El Puerto de la Cruz to La Orotava. Numbers 101, 350, 352, 353 and 345 are the most common. The most you’ll have to wait in Puerto de la Cruz bus station is 30 minutes. Or you can catch the taxi from El Puerto to La Orotava for about €10-12.

Option 2)
Transfer at Santa Cruz. The bus 341 goes directly from TFS to Santa Cruz. It leaves TFS at 15:50, 16:50, 17:30, 18:30, 19:30…. then from Santa Cruz, you have a another choice: go direct to La Orotava (101, 107 & 108), OR go to El Puerto de la Cruz (102 or the 103 «without stopping»). Once in El Puerto de la Cruz, see above on how to get to La Orotava. The 101 bus from Santa Cruz, while interesting, goes via the old road, and stops at every little town along the way (and there are many). It’s the equivalent of an «all stations» train. While it’s a great way of getting to know how to avoid the busy TF5 freeway, I think after your journey, I’d give it a miss & wait for one of the other buses… cross your fingers and hope for the 103! Both the 107 and 108 lines also stop at TFN airport on the way to La Orotava.

It all depends if you like to be on the move or sit around twiddling your thumbs waiting for buses… generally they are on time or running 5-10 minutes late, but they always show up. Not like sydney trains which seem to get cancelled all the time. Hehehe.

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Do you deliver and collect bikes from Torviscus, as I am staying there next week and would like to hire a 56cm road for a day.

Is not usually practical for us to deliver a bike just for just one day since it’s quite a drive over there to the South and back. It means we’d have to either stay in the South until you’re finished with the bike, or else make 4 trips of almost 1.5 hours each. For that reason, we normally request 3 days minimum bike hire.

Most people that do decide to rent from us for 1 day come and hire a bike from La Orotava… for instance, there’s a great climb to the volcano crater just from where we’re located (with ~1850m ascent) that many people do starting right outside our place. They then they return it later in the day on the way back down. Once again, it’s best if you can schedule that, as I’d need to send you some arrival instructions.

Keep in mind that sometimes it is possible to arrange a days’ hire if we happen to be over in the direction over two consecutive days… best to check with us via e-mail in any case.

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Dear Sir/Madam

I am going to stay at Costa Adeje Gran Hotel from Saturday 8th to Friday 14th, and I wondering if your company can help me with hiring two bikes?

Best Regards

Yes we can definitely rent you 2 bikes. Please provide your current frame sizes, heights, and whether you prefer to hire road or MTBs.

Alternatively, you can reserve our rental bikes here.

Do you requre hotel delivery & pickup? (we are located in the North but we are happy to arrange it for you)

Thanks,
Leslie

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Hi Leslie!

We aro so sorry
We should put off our arrival till summer because its a crisis here
my friend lost work
so…its changed all our plans
but i hope we will do smth to change the situation and make it better for ourselves
thanks a lot for your efforts
and hope to visit Tenerife in summer or next year!

Hello,

Don’t worry – there is a crisis all over the world … it’s global … for example one of the weeks in January I had just one bicycle rented! Normally I have 5-10 or more bikes rented then, if not more. Luckily last month [February] was okay.

My Spanish partner also worked for Iberia and her work contract expired early and is now unemployed. Unfortunately she isn’t entitled to unemployment benefits because she hasn’t worked more than 365 days… incredible! Where I am from -Australia- the goverment automatically helps us when we don’t have enough work.

Anyway, that’s one of the reasons I sent the last newsletter – it’s times like these that we have to work harder than ever, especially if individuals & businesses want to survive. Instead of complaining about the crisis and wondering about why the economic situation is the way it is, I always try to maintain a positive, optimistic attitude for the future and keep working to find new clients. I’ve found that it certainly helps if you have clearly identifiable and reachable goal.

Thanks for your email & hope to see you one day in the future training in Tenerife!

-Leslie

Tags: Inspiration., That's Business, The Bike Guru // Add Comment »

I’m pleased to announce that the Vertebrae Components website has been revamped! I wanted to keep the simplicity of the original webpage and also make it easier to navigate & update.

I don’t want the new website to be associated with a blog, because it isn’t one. It’s an online shop. I chose a very simple 1-column design template; I think what gives most blogs away is the sidebar with the blogroll in it. I also removed several things like search windows, RSS feeds, etc. The vertebrae-components webpage is essentially written page-by-page, not one post on top of the other.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you notice any bugs with the new layout or have any suggestions about how to make it more professional…

Tags: News Reel, Sales Pitch, That's Business // Add Comment »

Dear Sirs,

We are an Italian travel operator focused on sport. Please could you send us as soon as possible offers on bike training camp in 2009?

Thanks cooperation

We are not planning any cycle training camps yet for 2009.
Most of our business concerns pro-quality road and mountainbike hire.

We can of course offer discounts for large groups of cyclists hiring bikes…

Thanks,
Leslie.

[cyclists are of course welcome to express their interest in Tenerife training camps using the comments function below]

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Having never been to Tenerife, we would appreciate any guidance on places to stay – we prefer to stay away from booming nightlife but would like reasonable access to a beach and some good places to eat.

The best place to stay is probably Puerto de la Cruz. Puerto de la Cruz is not like ugly Las Americas. It’s a more upmarket resort aimed at German & Scandinavian toursists. There are two beaches within El Puerto, and several better black beaches within easy cycling distance from there. I’d suggest the quieter «El Botannico» region of El Puerto to stay.

Garachico is a very tiny little town with just one or two places to stay (Quinta Roja), and a tiny tiny beach. Mainly tourists pass through there but don’t stay more than a day… there are also a bunch of traditional houses but they are generally not close to any beaches or restaurants.

Thanks very much for your enquiry,

Tags: The Bike Guru // 2 Comments »

What we would hope to do is a mix of road and mtb. Would it be feasible to rotate the bikes?

Swapping bikes is also okay with me – provided you stay close by or are prepared to drop the bike(s) back here yourself. Otherwise it will likely incur an additional delivery charge…

Tags: The Bike Guru // Add Comment »

Hello Leslie,

I can use your reservation form of course, but I have to know little more about possibilities. So I am pleased if you can give me your answers for the following questions.

Do you think that I could find suitable routes for three days (or even more if I like)? And so that the starting and finishing point is my own hotel Barcelo Varadero at Los Gigantes?

I have seen and planned your easier routes from PdlCruz to Teno and El Tanque or something like that. Is it possible to cycle from Los Gigantes via TF454 to Santa Barbara or somenthing? And what about TF47 to Adeje?

I am willing to have a pleasant trips for appr. 4 to 6 (more if necessary) hours per day?

And I am not a pro cyclist, anyway I have had road bicycle (with pedals) 8 years, but just a hobby. The total climbing is new matter for me, that is one reason to be so curious.

Thanks,

Hello,

Yes I think you will find some inteteresting routes for 3 days…

Firstly, I would cycle from Los Gigantes first to Santiago del Teide, then Masca, El Palmar valley, Buenavista, Garachico, El Tanque, Erjos and back to Los Gigantes. Click here for the route map. Another way past Santiago del Teide is via Los Llanos and La Vega.

Road TF-47 is OK but generally busy with traffic. There are several loops you can do around Adeje / Guía de Isora initially via TF47. I would ride to up to Chio via Playa San Juan, Guia de Isora and return via Arguayo and Tamaimo.

Although it is very scenic, the road TF38 to Mt Teide is quite bumpy… I think most people don’t enjoy riding down that road. It would be much better on a MTB / hybrid. Also the side roads to Teno Alto and Punta de Teno are interesting + scenic…

Thanks very much!

Leslie.

Tags: The Bike Guru // Add Comment »

To whom it may concern,
I was wondering if you have a women road bike for me to rent while I am in Tenerife. I am only 5 feet height and I think I am only comfortable for a 17.5″ frame. if you have a bike that fits me, please let me know. Thank you very much.

Hello,

Yes we do have 1 extra small 46cm road bike available. We also now have a 14″ MTB. Both bikes are a great fit for people 5’0″ – 5’5″ tall. I.e. women and children.

They have an alloy frame, alloy rims & good components. The most important thing is that they are XXXS size, with an ultra-short stem, so I know either one will fit you well. I’m not sure of the exact geometry … I can go and measure them if you like and get the exact top tube lengths. Plus they’ve both only been used once before!

Tags: The Bike Guru // Add Comment »

This device is exquisitely CNC machined. I refer to it as a ‘device’ to convey a greater sense of the intricacy of its construction. It’s as much a work of art and engineering as it is a derailleur.

Replaceable parts:
Firstly, it’s completely rebuildable. The inner and outer link plates are removeable as are the pulley cages and upper / lower link knuckles. The pivots are held in place by tiny grubs screws. Allen head bolts are used throughout – even the High (H) and Low (L) derailleur limit screws utilise allen key fasteners!

Materials & overall finish:
Secondly, both the derailleur body and hardware are CNC machined 7075-T6 aluminium. The pivots are made of 6Al 4V Titanium. There is no side play whatsoever in the parallelogram link mechanism. In fact I can’t see the pivots ever becoming sloppy (unlike my SRAM X7 rear derailleur which is only a year old). I reckon this derailleur will just about be breaking in when other units are wearing out… So yes, this derailleur is built to last. Overall, you can tell that the body is precision machined. There are no burrs and the anodisation process is perfect.

How does it perform?
I’ve been using it exclusively with Vertebrae ceramic housing and I have not been disappointed. The only modification I needed to do was apply some loctite to the barrel adjuster threads. I also wrapped plumber’s teflon tape around the H and L limit screws to stop them vibrating loose. That was 6 months ago. Since then, I haven’t touched it. Shifting is flawless.

The bottom line:
I hope mine lasts the next 10 or 20 years and I think it probably will. The only down side is the exclusivity; these are not easy to get hold of because almost nobody sells them. They’re definitely not cheap but then they aren’t as expensive as the new campagnolo super record derailleurs sold by online retailers…

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I am staying in Las Americas during the week. I wont have a bike with me. I would like find some guided/group road rides about 3-4 hours steady winter pace, I usually ride with one of the foreign owned companies and I not checked the web for years. It would be nice to ride with a group I can understand.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Hello,

Well we can certainly supply you with a quality road rental bike + equipment, but group rides are not happening at the moment.

Regarding group rides, may I suggest you try the following:

1) Look at the following list of bike clubs in Tenerife and the Canary Islands. There are a few cycling clubs located in the South of Tenerife, such as Chaveña Cycle Club in Granadilla de Abona and Club Ciclista Chineje near Guía de Isora. You can then contact them directly for further info about group rides…

2) Failing that, consider joining the forum to post a question about meeting other cyclists here (just ask for help if you’d like to sign up).

3) Post a comment below with your intentions, in the hopes that other cyclists read it and respond.

Do please get back to me regarding your bike sizing + equipment needs. It’s best if you fill out the bike hire reservation form for that.

Thanks very much & happy cycling!

Les.

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