Never fear...we've got gear!

Buying gear for cycling trips is one of those things which seem to divide cycle tourists.

On the one hand, there's a way of thinking which dictates that, to be a REAL cycle tourist, one should only travel with the bare minimum of equipment, camping in bushes on the side of the road, cooking all of one's own meals and trying to get in as many kilometres as possible every day.

On the other hand, there's the school of thinking that says, "Look, we're already working hard enough as it is: where's the virtue of making it even more difficult? What's wrong with having a portable espresso maker, a good-quality sleeping bag, a tent that lasts more than a year?"

It's not my job to declare which point of view is the right one -- each has its good points and its bad points -- and let's be honest: Unless you're the protagonist of Ron McClarty's "The Memory of Running", you're not likely to up and leave home with your bike and precious little else. If you're looking to invest in new gear, check out the Trans-Iberian Tuck Shop, on the side bar of both the Spanish Cyclepaths (http://spanish-cyclepaths.blogspot.com/) and Trans-Iberian Express blogs.

Through the Tuck Shop, I'm working to put together a good selection of lightweight, affordable, useful cycle touring gear that will last for ages. All of the proceeds from the Tuck Shop will go to defray costs associated with developing and promoting the Trans-Iberian Express Route, and thanks to the buying power of Amazon.com, the prices of the items are very competitive.

And I'd be delighted to receive requests and suggestions. If there's a product that you're interested in, let me know - and let me know if you've tried any of these products and they haven't worked for you.

Seven weeks to go!

Someone once said that a plan, a dream, really isn't a plan until you start getting people on board to help you. I really don't remember where I heard that. But yesterday I got over one of the big obstacles that was mentally keeping me from saying, "Yes! I am DOING this!"

I finally told my course coordinator yesterday that I needed time off between Easter and May, and, God bless her, she was fine with that. I don't know why I was sweating it so much: but the second thing I thought of, when I got the prize, was, "Oh my God -- what am I going to tell Alexis?" I'd just started new classes; I didn't really have ANY idea that I had a shot at the SALOMON WOMEN WILL prize, so I thought I was going to have a relatively normal autumn and winter, just getting away for weekends here and there.

And the new bike comes this weekend, too - a flaming red Orbea Arama.

Now all I have to do is keep the publicity up -- and wait six and a half more weeks before I can go to the Basque Country!

Trying to find time

Not everybody has the chance to take a month and do nothing but cycle. If The Trans-Iberian Express is your first cycling trip, and you’re not sure what part of the trip would be the best for you, consider your abilities and strengths on a bicycle:

Don’t have a lot of time? The two middle weekends – April 4th through 6th and April 11th through 13th – will be going through areas which are accessible by trains. The first weekend in April will follow the Tajuña River valley from Sigüenza to Morata de Tajuña; the second, we’ll be heading through the southern end of Quijote country into Andalusia.

Not a big fan of hills? The terrain in Spain is not mainly plains: this is one of Europe’s most mountainous countries. For those who prefer plains, the section between Toledo and Valdepeñas is relatively flat without being monotonous, passing through vineyards and wildlife sanctuaries under great blue-bowl skies. Another section to consider is the stretch going between Jaén and Osuna, in Andalusia. After a small climb on the Vía Verde del Aceite, it’s all downhill for two hundred kilometres on one of Spain’s longest rail trails.

Or, on the other hand, do you love hills? There’s a reason why some of Spain’s best cyclists come from the Basque Country – the weather is generally mild, the hills are challenging without being murderous and there’s a deep-rooted cycling culture that’s the envy of cyclists living in other parts of the peninsula. While our route going inland from San Sebastian follows the Plazaola Rail Trail, the Basque Country is criss-crossed with secondary highways that provide stimulating, challenging riding.

A change in the south

After taking a look at some maps (and as usual, more maps and even more maps), I've decided to tweak the route a bit during the final days going through Andalusia. Originally, we were going to go through Arcos de la Frontera and head down through Medina Sidonia. But, after a bit of reflection, I realized that that presents a couple of problems:
a) It'd mean having to take the A393 regional highway, which is pretty enough, but which can't really be recommended, due to heavy traffic and non-existent shoulder to ride on.
b) We wouldn't get to see Ronda!
So the route's changed a bit. Instead of doing the entire Vía Verde de la Sierra on Sunday, April 20th, we'll backtrack a little bit so that we can head to Setenil de las Bodegas, so that we can visit Acinipo, the Roman settlement that essentially served as the first Ronda. From there, we'll take some back roads and country paths in to the north end of Ronda.

The next day, Monday 21 April, will be a rest day, which will allow participants to take part in some sightseeing, get caught up on e-mail and get some shopping done for the next couple of days.

If you've never had the opportunity to visit Ronda, you're in for a treat: it's one of the most atmospheric cities in Spain! And if you want to stretch your legs even more, go for it: you can take a bus up to Grazalema and bike around the north end of the park, and meet us in Alcalá de los Gazules on Wednesday, April 23rd.

This essentially gets us into Tarifa one day later, on Friday the 25th of April, but it's worth it in order to avoid traffic and to enjoy the fabulous views to be had from the south end of the Alcorconales Regional Park.

IMPORTANT NEWS: Accommodation

Confirmation time!

As previously mentioned here on the blog, youth hostels are going to make up a big part of the places where we're going to stay on the Trans-Iberian. During the first week, the plan is to spend the two nights previous to starting the Trans-Iberian in the Juan Sebastian Elcano youth hostel in Irún. The next night, we'll be staying in one of the four youth hostels in the city of San Sebastian.

Demand for the hostels will be high, given that we'll be there during a holiday week, so I need to make the reservations for our places fairly shortly. If you're planning on taking part in the Trans-Iberian during the first week of the trip (Sunday, March 23rd to Saturday, March 29th), please let me know before Friday, January 18th, so that I can include you in the reservation. You'll still be able to take part in the Trans-Iberian, but I won't be able to guarantee that there will be space for you in the youth hostel!