I’m currently in sunny Majorca and have hired a road bike for Sunday and am looking for a nice 40km ish route. I’ll be riding at 7 am to about 11am before it gets too hot but wouldn’t mind taking in a half decent climb. Can anyone suggest a nice route? I’m based in Puerto Pollensa.

I was considering going up Formentor first to get myself warmed up but have no idea if it is a tough climb or not.
Cheers.

What about heading west on the main road, then up the hill to Lluc, left at the big junction, down the awesome hairpins and back to the coast along the back road through Calmari and Campanet. About 60km – the climb up is longish but not too hard and it should still be cool, and the ride back could be a blast.

If you like it steeper, do it the other way round, up the hairpins from Calmari (but it’ll be hotter by then).

Did both at Easter – lovely place for road biking.

The ride to Formentor is ok, but its just there and back and spme of the road surface is pretty poor.
Pid’s route is much better, bit of a short classic either way you do it.

Thanks guys, I looked at the Lluc loop and it looks perfect. I’ve been off the road bike for a whole so looking forward to getting back in the saddle.

Very envious…have a great ride!

Very envious…have a great ride!

+1

Isn’t the lluc loop a bit longer than 40k though?

I’d head east through Alcudia and then head south (inland) and then back via Pollensa.

Exactly wot Pid suggested. I prefer to ride it clockwise
as the climb up from Caimari is lovely (and probably a bit more sheltered from the sun) and the decent from the
Garage to Pollensa is faaaaaasssst! :0)

If you do Formentor choose a day without too much wind. It can get a bit hairy on some of the exposed corners. BTW the cafe at the end is VERY expensive!

I agree, do the Llux loop clockwise.41 miles according to record of my route back in April. 2.5 hours

Cheers guys. Staying in Puerta Pollensa with girlfriend’s family next summer. That’s at least one escape plan hatched.

Did the ride from Puerto Pollensa to sa calobra last year, omg ****’ epic!

Geoff, yes, it’s a bit longer than I’d originally planned. The distance isn’t necessarily the issue, it’s getting back before it gets too hot, or at least getting any climbing over with before it gets too hot. I guess I’ve got a 2 to 2.5 hr window so if I do it clockwise as long as I can get upto Lluc before then, then it’s all downhill home. I’ll check out your alternate route too. Cheers.

the hardest bits of the climb upto Luc are suprisingly shady.

and after only 30k it’s downhill all* the way back to Polenca

(*mostly…)

Out there in a couple of weeks so I’ll subscribe to this now. Anyone got gpx files to share??

You might want to consider the ‘Tollos’ rides. There are rides from his restaurant on the front everyday throughout the year, starting early in the summer to avoid the heat.
Ask the man himself, he’s the short, slightly tubby one who looks like
he’s about to burst, he’s manically busy.

The road to Formentor is a great ride about 13 miles each way and scenic well worth doing from Puerto Pollensa go earlier start at 6 back by 10 when the family crawl out of bed

Are you hiring from Pro Cycle Hire? Pick the bike up at tea time the night before,, should be enough time to ride out to Formentor and back (great ride). Then the route that pid suggested. Think I’d do it the other way if I was there again (was out there in April), climb up from Caimari as it’s mostly in the trees, in fact I think it’s all in the trees, then past Lluc and descend all the way back to Pollensa.

Fookin’ excellent. Will be back there next April for yet more.

Will be back there next April for yet more.

+1

Think I might too,,,, +1

Petrieboy have a look here
http://www.gpsies.com

+1 for the Formentor route – it’s a stunner! Hugely envious. See below:

From Pollenca old town, head out along the valley towards Campanet, Moscari then the Lluc climb and back along the Ma-10. Quality.

Another one that’s quite fun is to work your way inland down the plain towards Buger, and just south of that is the Ermita Santa Magdalena that sits atop a little lump with great hairpin bends to ride up to it.

You could also head out past Alcudia old town onto the headland there where there’s a church you can ride to (again up some hairpins) called Victoria – possibly a little hotel up there too? You can’t get all the way out along the headland as I think it’s military land, but it’s a nice quiet ride that doesn’t take long from Port de Pollenca. You can also come back through the salt marshes too.

The Lluc route (up to the Col de sa Batalla) really is a classic. Just set off early and if you do it clockwise, you’ll only get baked once you’re beyond Lluc on the Ma-10. The climb is relatively well shaded and it’s a nice run down the plain before you start it. 40mph on the descent into Pollenca should cool you down 🙂

Oh – most importantly – +1 for Pro Cycle Hire – top shop, Bruce’s team will sort you with anything you need and get their map that shows routes that are coded by traffic volume. It’s brilliant.

Great pics. Yes, I’m using Pro Cycle hire. Really impressed with the service considering I’ve not planned this and havn’t brought any of my own kit, so I’m renting it all and buying some shorts as I could do with a spare pair anyway. Seems like I’m spoiled for choice.

+1 for Bruce and the team at Pro Cycle Hire.

The first time I used them was 2yrs ago. I joined one of their shop rides, 100km out to Petra and back. Was great, despite puncturing after 15km the guys from the shop fixed it for me then towed me back to the group for the next 15km.

Can’t wait till next year, I’ve got some great routes banked. Top of the list is the ride out to Sa Calobra again (a must do ride!), then out to Soller via Orient and Bunnyola (spelling!), over the climb to Soller (coz you can’t ride though the tunnel!) and back via Puig Major (a great climb!). Puerto Pollensa is da bomb!

We managed 5 nights in a 4* star hotel, half board, flights and car hire for £210!

Add in cycle hire and you’re still under £300.

Can you tell I’ve been drinking?!

Anyhoo, roll on next year!

Hi wobbliscott, I’m there for a week in October and quite fancy hiring a road bike for a day. Did you hire shoes or take your own? I don’t see any mention of shoe hire on the site?

Not sure if they do shoes Gary_M, I’ve always taken mine (and my pedals).

They do have a range of pedals though so you ‘probably’ won’t need them.

Oops double post

Ahhh boo hoo I just landed from 2 weeks in porto pollensa at 2am this morning :'(

Got 4 great rides in

Cap de Formentor lighthouse. Perfect route for the 1st ride.

Lluc monestary up via campanet and down into pollensa.

Sa Calobra straight there from PP up the col du feminia to Lluc

Amazing place, very sad to be home. Enjoy.

4th ride was pp campanet lloseta benissalem sa pobla alcudia and back to pp. Pretty flat but tricky to navigate between lloseta and benissalem. I had been heading for santa maria but ended up in benissalem instead.

All, thanks for your help and advice. I needed up riding to cap de Formentor and a loop upto Alcudia. 60km and just over 5,000ft of climbing in all. Had a great ride. I didn’t hire my bike from Pro cycling as I said before, it was from 2 Go Cycling, just round the corner from Pro Cycling, though I bought a pair of shorts from them and they seemed like a nice couple and a very professional setup. I’d use either.

Gary, I brought nothing of my own as I wasn’t planning a ride so I did hire shoes and helmet. They weren’t high spec and felt a bit funky like you’re wearing someone else’s underpants, but they did the trick. Only cost 3 euros to hire. The bike was great, a Planet X with SRAM Red so better than my bike at home.