Off to Mallorca in june, staying east if Sa Poble, at hotel near Parc Natural de S’Albufera de Mallorca

This is a family holiday, not a biking one, but I’d like to try a sneak a early road ride in if I can.

So, is there a good hire place local? Whats the cost of a decent road bike hire (I’d like to try Di2 or etap) and what would a decent route be? I’m thinking on the road at 6am, back by 9ish

Do hire shops do pick up / drop of the bike?

ProCycleHire in Peurto de pollenca. Always get bikes from them and they do deliver I believe.

Watch out for mozzies around that parc, if you’re on road then probably outrun them.

Lighthouse trip would fit your timings but cafe probably not open at 7:30

Managed to squeeze two great rides into a family holiday last year.

Google Maps says 115km to Sa Calobra and back, if you’re comfortable with that sort of distance I’d definitely recommend, the Sa Calobra road is busy with other cyclists (and the occasional bus…) but I loved it felt like a mini cycling festival. Incredible road too.

Edit: oops sorry, didn’t see the 6am-9am stipulation!

As stated Pro Cycle hire is good – used them for Ironman Mallorca, as it was easier and cheaper than taking by own bike on the plane. It’s around £30 a day for something reasonable; more if you want something fancy.

JP

thanks for the tips will look up the hire place.

115km is in range but the time requirement will likely enter potential wife grief zone, which is fair enough! maybe I could start at 5.

I’ve stayed near there and used Huerzeler Bicycle Holidays in Muro/Alcudia who were excellent. I picked up though so not sure about delivery.

My m8 regurly does this riding family holiday and it works well.

If you go early morning yo miss the bus loads Of riders on sa Colobra
He always hires from Pinarello Experience in Puerto Pollensa.

Agreed on the Sa Colobra descent / climb being ‘congested’. 0500 would be a great time to ride it. There is a gorge climb up to a petrol station whose name escapes thats pretty epic too.

Does anyone have a gpx or link to Strava activity I could take a look at?

I did this a couple of years ago. I took my own bike but my brother hired from a place in Soller. Good service and not too pricey.

We were based outside Pollensa and did the Lighthouse ride, a big inland loop and a few shorter up to the col and back rides.

Riding early morning before the tourist traffic was very much the right thing to do.

It all worked out nicely as a family holiday with biking on the side.

Pollenca would be the place to hire from but your obvious problem is that they won’t be open at 5 or 6am, which means picking bike up the day before. Anyway, there’s a great little loop (about 60km) from Pollenca that heads out on flat backroads to Campanet, Moscari to Selva, turn right (uphill) to Lluc then right again down a brilliant (and v fast) descent to Pollenca. That’s presuming you can’t get away for longer. But if you did find time you could extend to Sa Calobra. Easy to start / finish at your place near Sa Pobla too – the good thing about Mallorca is that there are relatively few roads (ie there’s just one main road through the mountains so it’s hard to go wrong.

Exactly what corroded says. The back route through Campanet up Col Sa Batalla to the petrol station near the Lluc turnoff and then back down Col Sa Femina fast running back into Pollensa is magic!
Otherwise a round trip to the Formentor lighthouse is quick and a great morning ride that’ll not take too long but is a worthy ride!

Done this a few times, the Formentor lighthouse and the loop up to Lluc described above are my go to early morning rides, out between 6 & 7, back by 8 or 9. Formentor in particular is best at that time as the traffic later is horrific.

Procycle Hire are good but last twice I’ve used Mallorca Bike Hire and been impressed. Bikes have been better condition, set up UK brakes by default, and they deliver direct to your accomodation.

I’d try nplus1bicycles – based in Puerto Pollensa but he delivers. Really beautiful steel Independent Fabrications frames built up with high end kit. Come with a selection of stems so you can get the fit just right, plus all the tools you’ll need if you get a flat.

I had (paid for, no trade discounts!) a bike from him and it was a real treat to ride – more interesting than hiring a carbon trek or whatever.

Wish I’d known about N+1 before hiring an utterly hateful Roubaix last year! Might have to go back again.

Just doing our research for this year, has anyone ridden these two little beauties??

Port des Canonge

Climb to Es Verger nr Esporles

Pinarello Experience in Puerto Pollensa

I’ve used these guys three times and always had a good experience with reasonable prices.

Roads to Luc Monastery and Formentor Lighthouse are superb. Great rides and enjoyable scenery. However the ride to Sa Colabra was better – but longer and you may not have time. Either way riding a bike in sunshine cannot be bad – enjoy the holiday!

13thfloormonk

Port des canonge, i wouldn’t bother unless you want to tick it off the list. Descent far too slow, corners every where as in pic, unless you are on an MTB and can straightline it 😉 Nothing at the bottom of note, very quiet road tho. Port Valldemossa, a bit further along north is a better descent/ climb but busier.
Cant help on the Esporles one

I did this a couple of years ago. We stayed near Magaluf and i hired a car for a couple of days. Day 1 we drove up as a family to Sa Calobra to go on the beach and for me to check my route. Day 2 I drove up on my own and stopped at a hire company. I cant remember the name of the company but i hired a mid range carbon Colnago which was horrible. I parked at a cycling cafe near Luc a few miles along from Sa calobra. Rode along to Sa Calobra, Down and back up then back along to the shop. I then carried on past the shop down a long descent to a village where I turned around and climbed back up to where I parked. I only did around 40 miles which was enough in 32deg heat.
It was a lot of effort hiring the car and driving across the whole island but well worth it.

I’ve driven up to Es Verger but not cycled. It’s really rough, narrow and more like a farm track. Not fun in a car but the shoulder of slow-roasted lamb was very worth it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to ride up.

Yup for Formentor lighthouse, a glorious ride and easily doable in your time window.
However, you’d be mental not to tick off Sa Calobra, personally I’d just do it and suck up the marital pain for being late.

Walk to these guys and avoid the hassle of going to Pollenca etc

https://www.huerzeler.com/en/radsportstationen/alcudia-sued-muro

My wife was great, she understands ‘Bucket List’ mentality so I just bigged up the Sa Calobra as one of Europe’s 10 best climbs or some such magazine headline sounding nonsense. In fairness, I talk about it more than the Alp d’Huez for some reason, so by that measure it’s worth it.

Canny1, thanks for that, I was just attracted to Canonge by the novelty factor of the road, so many hairpins so close (like a mini Lacets de Montvernier), but the Valldemossa descent looks spectacular!

Corroded, think the appeal is of a lesser known ‘big climb’ on the island (see ‘Bucket list’ above… 😆 )

Makes part of a good loop so why not…