Planning a winter break road cycling & relaxing. We’ve been to Gran Canaria a few times, so think of a change like Lanzarote but I heard its windy all the time. Going around February maybe.

Anyone been who can tell me how bad the wind is with regards to effecting enjoying some cycling?

It can be pretty lively! I’ve stayed in Costa Teguise a couple of times and theres pretty much a headwind to contend with all the time. Thankfully it’s on the way out if you’re heading north to the interesting stuff, so you generally get a nice push on the way home. I certainly wouldn’t let it put you off. I think the northern part of Lanza is a cracking place to ride a bike. Some nice hills that are challenging but not as tough as GC. Volcanoes, attractive little villages, surprisingly green.

Did a week end of Feb with road biking when surf was shite, staying in Arrifana in the north. Don’t recall wind being a big deal but maybe I was lucky. Smaller hills than GC but better, emptier roads, far fewer and more laid back drivers, and peletons all over the place…

…in fact all it lacks is decent mountain biking

Only had 2 days riding there but can’t recall the wind being anything significant…like above though, could just have been lucky

I went last February and it was breezy but no different to the UK at present. Warm air, smooth tarmac and lack of traffic more than compensate though. Itching to get back there.

I was there in March a few years ago. Weather worse than usual apparently. Was staying in the south of the island. Hired a road bike, managed 8mph North, then 40mph south on the same fairly flat road. You can guess the wind direction!

It isn’t always windy, and it tends to be worse in the summer. It isn’t enough to put me off (every year for the last 6 years) There is no doubt that it can be a bit breezy, but it certainly isn’t guaranteed.

Thanks for the replies.

Where would be a good base to access the best riding, preferably on the coast?

I was there last April – pleasant weather and wind wasn’t too bad , short sleeve weather !

Wind got gusty at times, thankfully behind me…managed 52mph was a bit erm scary! 😬

Costa teguise was where I stayed and you’re close for some nice roads and routes .

i hired from evolution bikes. Helpful and friendly – I’m not affiliated to them either.

We were there in early November cycling and it was pretty breezy most days. The ride out of Playa Blanca was a block headwind for 5 miles every day (10-12mph riding speed!!). It wasn’t so strong as to feel dangerous but it did make for some tough riding at times (and fast on the way back!).

Some nice routes out from Playa Blanca to be had and some reasonably priced villas as well.

Have been many times. The wind isn’t that strong but when it picks up it’s relentless. Not gusty like it is here just a constant 20 mph northerly all day, for several days, any time of year.

imo February is probably one of the worst times to go. The place has cooled down and it’s quite often grey as if it’s going to rain but it never does. Although it’s usually 16-17 degrees a 4.5 hour flight is a long way for some fairly meh conditions. Southern Spain is half the distance and only slightly more meh

I’d prefer Southern Spain but goggling the weather shows 12 degrees average. Doesn’t bother me so much as its cheaper & only a couple hours on the plane but wife likes to lay in the Sun after biking.

was there in Feb. One day was so windy, 9.5 stone of me was suffering. There’s a good photo of me tucked, clinging to the wheel 0.00347cm in front. But other days were no more gusty than a gusty Edinburgh. Stayed on that town nearest the airport, South East. One can ride the length of the island and back fine in a day. Plan routes cos staying South has a taily on the way out but then a headwind on the way back, when knackered. V v quiet roads and good hills

I am in valencia its 21degrees today and no wind at all.  It can get windy on the coast.  Goes dark at 6pm.  Pretty good temps for winter, you need a sunny spot though its damp in the shade.

It can be windy. Have a look at Tenerife and La Palma (the island) too if you like climbing!

I went in April about 10 years ago, stayed in La Santa. It was good, it was windy, I’d not want to do lots of long rides on my own. The weather was really nice, but there weren’t that many roads, after a week and c300 miles I’d done most of them that weren’t urban/dual carriageways. Some nice climbs though.

In Fuerteventura  ( an island named after its strong winds) I found the wind was neither as strong or gusty as back home in the UK plus Canary island winds are usually deliciously warm and never had that annoying habit of changing direction that ends up with riding into a head-wind for the whole of a circular route.

Majorca?

Been there a few times and it’s hard to beat for Winter/Spring cycling.

Wont Majorca be a bit cold in Feb?

I went there in the last week of February this year.  Expect it to be windy.  We had a couple of calmer days, but most days were very windy.  Temperature was pretty much perfect for cycling, but the headwinds made it really tough going at times.  There’s some nice riding, and I enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t head back there as a cycling destination (or non-cycling destination come to that!).

I’d definitely rule out Majorca in Feb due risk of  cold: Last Feb:

https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com/news/local/2018/02/03/50797/snow-closes-roads-majorca.html

As with all these things you are taking a chance. Feb wouldn’t be my first choice of date for Lanza. But it is what you compare it with. It is likely to be warm, rather than hot. It might be a bit grey & there is a chance of rain. But if you are looking to go somewhere to ride a bike in Feb then the Canaries are  a good choice (Tenerife is obvs an option but it is much more alpine in chracter & I suspect there is a risk of snow on Teide).  Other alternatives are a lot colder or much further away.

in fact all it lacks is decent mountain biking

Really ?
I was at Lanzerote on holiday there and went on a half a day tour with hired MTB and guides.
It looked really good until I came off off on a super slippy volcanic gravel corner and the guides insisted they cut the ride short and head back.
Was gutted I couldn’t complete the whole circuit but what little I did was good apart from the crash.
Scenic, flowy, no gates, no mud and some tech. Seemed great compared to returning to the UK in mid Winter and riding Ramsbottom to Cragg & Lee Quarry the week after.

Got back from lanzarote today 🙁 .. stayed in playa blanca in the south , fairly windy the whole week , but didnt stop me renting a fat bikes for a bit to play in the national park , great fun 🙂

Mallorca can be hit and miss in March, so less likely to be warm in Feb.

Also quite windy at times, good training though if that’s what you’re there for!

Wind can be strong at times but never really too much of an issue, the triathletes still seem to run deep rim front aero wheels in the winds , which I would not recommend and why do they use them for training too !!! ?
Been a lot over the years, last year we flew to Lanzerote and based our selves there for a few days then Toured across to Furventura and did some riding over there too, its easy to cross on the Ferry, before returning to Lanzerote to fly home, me and the Mrs one pannier each , packing light is easy. as its pretty warm, although I carried both of them!!
Just be patient in a head wind, at least it will be a warm one!! Have fun the roads are generally pretty good, but some of the back roads have rough bits in places, some interesting places too see, which I finally did this year as in previous years the peleton did not stop except at a café!! Great place for cycle training, not mega long routes but enough for pre season training and a dip in the pool afterwards is brilliant.

It’s windy, that’s what we remember about our trip. Two weeks of it. It’s pretty constant from what I remember. Plan the rides to get the most out of route – nothing like flying down Fire Mountain past cars, then realising if you come off, the sides of the roads are lined with cheese graters.

You’ll also cover the Island very quickly as it’s not big. Mallorca is better – not ridden there, but been in the mountains.

I was at Lanzerote on holiday there and went on a half a day tour with hired MTB and guides. <…> Scenic, flowy, no gates, no mud and some tech.

Interesting. Where was this?

I had a look online and didn’t find much (bumply looking xc race on youtube). I asked in a couple of hire places about routes and one (could have been Evolution, Costa Teguise anyway) guy summed it up saying that roadbikers tended to be surprised how good it was, mountain bikers disappointed as it was mainly landrover tracks along the coast.

Next time, I will take tyres I could use on gravel/rougher terrain/sand.
This would open up so many more options.
We live in Scotland so exposed stretches of road in the wind probably makes me more tolerant, but its all good training!!

I had a look online and didn’t find much (bumply looking xc race on youtube). I asked in a couple of hire places about routes and one (could have been Evolution, Costa Teguise anyway) guy summed it up saying that roadbikers tended to be surprised how good it was, mountain bikers disappointed as it was mainly landrover tracks along the coast.

I did a couple of MTB rides around the mountains in the SE above Playa Blanca, think I got the routes off gpsies. You could gain height on the road, with the road out of playa Blanca rising to a very steep pitch IIRC. Decent I thought, hot as balls, rocky as hell with not a blade of grass to be seen – plenty of technical stuff but I didn’t get too involved as I was on my own [recall one crazy traverse with the death penalty for failure].
Agree though that it didn’t seem like a MTB destination, but there was enough stuff there to get a some decent rides if you were on a normal holiday, or to break up a road-riding trip.

Been to Lanzarote 3 times in the last 18 months (mate has a place there), hired a road bike when I was there in April this year… He did say the winds died down the day after I left, but it was brutal whilst I was there! Yeah, it’s not gusty like in the UK, but constant strong winds that mean 10mph in one direction is as much as you can manage, and 35-40mph the other direction is cruising speed, were gruelling! Also meant that any of the descents were pretty hairy, as it was pretty constant crosswinds on any of them.

After the first day doing 50 miles (and about 1800m of climbing!) I trimmed my suggested route for the 2nd day down somewhat. I still bailed early on that, and for the last 2 days, I just did a flat ride up and down the coast (from where I was staying in Puerto Del Carmen up to Costa Teguise and back).

Got back from La Santa at the weekend. It was 25 degrees every day, got a nice tan and plenty of riding in. yes it’s windy but not unbearably so, just a kind of permanent breeze. Crosswinds give you pause for thought at 40mph down a mountain, but mountains almost always have these. As someone else said though, cheese grater rocks either side do make you think! The climbs are epic and every hill has a slightly bigger hill at the top that you can’t see until you get there.
If you like swimming La Santa has 3 proper pools too amongst other facilities.