Cycling around Mijas, Spain

07Lapierre · 10-07-2014 9:09am #1

Anyone familiar with Mijas in Spain?

http://www.andalucia.com/mijas/home.htm

I'm heading over there in a few weeks and looking for some cycling routes in the area...any suggestions?

(Road cycling, not MTB'ing)

cheers

ford2600 · 10-07-2014 9:25am

Before I cycled but I visited the white mountain villages about 10 years ago. Would make for nice cycling country if you like heat.
Stay away from coast and you'll find quite roads.

Report back!

onimpulse · 10-07-2014 10:38am

I was there a few years ago, unfortunately I was injured and couldn't cycle at the time but was very jealous of all the cyclists I saw. Can't give you routes but if you head inland it's quite hilly and the roads are quiet, perfect for cycling. As far as I remember there were a lot of cyclists around so it shouldn't be that difficult to find a bike hire shop perhaps and ask there?

neris · 10-07-2014 12:21pm

Are you staying in mijas pueblo? Mijas is also an area abit like the county/city council areas here. Havent cycled round the costa but if you go up into the hills and dont go off the main roads you,ll be able to track back on yourself. The 2012 (i think) vuelta route from marbella to malaga isnt too far away. Its nice and lumpy down there along the whole coast

07Lapierre · 10-07-2014 1:52pm

neris wrote: »

Are you staying in mijas pueblo? Mijas is also an area abit like the county/city council areas here. Havent cycled round the costa but if you go up into the hills and dont go off the main roads you,ll be able to track back on yourself. The 2012 (i think) vuelta route from marbella to malaga isnt too far away. Its nice and lumpy down there along the whole coast

Yes were're in Mijas town (Pueblo). I've been looking on Google maps and most of the roads leading up into the mountains appear to be "dead ends" and the road surface doesn't look great either.

Example: http://goo.gl/maps/wZStc

I was looking at the "Loop" from Mijas along the A-387 towards "Al haurin el Grande" and onto the the coast via "Alhaurin de la torre", but it looks like there could be a lot of traffic? Anyone cycled these roads?

http://goo.gl/maps/AS817

nilhg · 10-07-2014 2:08pm

No experience of that area but when I go to a new area my first port of call is Strava's activity search, here you go for Mijas

The heatmap is quite useful too

neris · 10-07-2014 2:23pm

you could take the road down to Fuengirola and then the A7053 back up to the junction with the A387. However there is no flat section on it. Be down quickly and then climbing back. You could also go down to Fuengirola and take the A7 westward towards Marbella however thats the equivilant of cycling on a dual carriageway but flatter

del_boy13 · 10-07-2014 2:34pm

Hi

I have been to that part of Spain a good bit. I would avoid the coast road if at all possible its busy, fast and crashes are fairly frequent.

From Mijas pueblo you can head towards Coin and loop over to Alhaurin El Grande. The hills from the coast inland are fairly severe but once you are up onto the plateau it levels out a little. The busier roads inland are well surfaced some of the minor roads are pretty decent but can be slower to be repaired if they have been chewed up by floods.

Ditto the suggestion on Strava routes as it will give you a good idea of climbing etc. Not sure about bike rental but its not too far to Funegirola and Buenalmadena. Definitely bike rental in Marbella and Rhonda if you are going that far.

Enjoy

TheTubes · 10-07-2014 3:31pm

I havent done much cycling there but am planning on doing this loop up to Ronda when there in Aug for a Vuelta stage:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5277103

If I had more time I'd love to rent a car and try this climb:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/9488163/Pico-de-Veleta-cycling-Europes-highest-road.html

07Lapierre · 10-07-2014 3:39pm

Thanks for the replies..so inland and uphill seems to be the preferred routes..or what about this?

http://www.strava.com/routes/594181

I'm bringing my own bike, so don't need bike rental.

07Lapierre · 10-07-2014 3:50pm

TheTubes wrote: »

I havent done much cycling there but am planning on doing this loop up to Ronda when there in Aug for a Vuelta stage:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5277103

If I had more time I'd love to rent a car and try this climb:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/9488163/Pico-de-Veleta-cycling-Europes-highest-road.html

Fair play..150klm route with over 7000 meters elevation! :eek: Good Man!

I had spins of 2-3 hours with a couple of hundred meters climbing as "Optional"..but thanks for the suggestion.

07Lapierre · 10-07-2014 4:11pm

del_boy13 wrote: »

Hi

I have been to that part of Spain a good bit. I would avoid the coast road if at all possible its busy, fast and crashes are fairly frequent.

From Mijas pueblo you can head towards Coin and loop over to Alhaurin El Grande. The hills from the coast inland are fairly severe but once you are up onto the plateau it levels out a little. The busier roads inland are well surfaced some of the minor roads are pretty decent but can be slower to be repaired if they have been chewed up by floods.

Ditto the suggestion on Strava routes as it will give you a good idea of climbing etc. Not sure about bike rental but its not too far to Funegirola and Buenalmadena. Definitely bike rental in Marbella and Rhonda if you are going that far.

Enjoy

Thanks Del_boy... any good bike shops you know of in Marbella?

del_boy13 · 10-07-2014 4:30pm

I have called into Bike Station Marbella before and liked the look of it.

I have been able to borrow a bike the couple of times I was out when I was over there but if I had to rent a bike I would go to Marbella as there is a bigger selection there because of the link to Rhonda which is a popular training spin in the winter for some people. Alas not me (damn kids and job etc).

One word of warning is that it gets hot there in August and without the breeze from the coast in the hills it can get pretty stiffling, I have seen it go from the high 20's on the coast to mid 30's in the space of a few kilometres.

neris · 10-07-2014 4:45pm

Mightnt be the bike shop your after but heres a Decathalon in Fuengirola aswell

neris · 10-07-2014 4:51pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

Thanks for the replies..so inland and uphill seems to be the preferred routes..or what about this?

http://www.strava.com/routes/594181

I'm bringing my own bike, so don't need bike rental.

Theres a handy place to start just up the road a few meters from the start on that map. Theres a big shopping centre called La Canada there where you could get dropped off and youll avoid having to drive through Marbella

07Lapierre · 10-07-2014 5:14pm

del_boy13 wrote: »

I have called into Bike Station Marbella before and liked the look of it.

I have been able to borrow a bike the couple of times I was out when I was over there but if I had to rent a bike I would go to Marbella as there is a bigger selection there because of the link to Rhonda which is a popular training spin in the winter for some people. Alas not me (damn kids and job etc).

One word of warning is that it gets hot there in August and without the breeze from the coast in the hills it can get pretty stiffling, I have seen it go from the high 20's on the coast to mid 30's in the space of a few kilometres.

Yeah I've been to Spain in August before and I know what you mean. I was planning on leaving each morning around 7am and getting back around 12 or 1 at the latest. (then spend the afternoon by the pool recovering

)

Thanks for all the replies..I'll study Strava this evening and see what I can come up with.

another world · 02-12-2014 2:18pm

07Lapierre, can you recommend any routes from Mijas from when you were over there? I'm going over in February and hoping to get a day or two on the bike.

Idleater · 02-12-2014 2:22pm

I'm just back from there. I cycled up to the masts (Google maps Street view or you'll just see them) and around that mountain.
If you look at strava you can see some routes by people. There are a lot of mountain bikers so some routes might not be suitable for road bikes.

nilhg · 02-12-2014 2:35pm

I was in Torremolinos back at the end of Oct/early Nov, once you get away from the coastal strip there is some great cycling roads over there.

Probably my favourite day was this

http://www.strava.com/activities/213878281

Got lost on the last day and found the secret passage to Mijas,

http://www.strava.com/segments/6902295

After that the grind up the masts didn't seem too bad.

http://www.strava.com/activities/215023913/

another world · 04-12-2014 10:15am

Thanks for those route ideas. The one to/from Torremolinos looks great.

07Lapierre · 04-12-2014 2:13pm

another world wrote: »

07Lapierre, can you recommend any routes from Mijas from when you were over there? I'm going over in February and hoping to get a day or two on the bike.

I didn't stray too far from MiJas. This is the route I did most frequently...

https://www.strava.com/activities/177903460

It's HILLY so beware..

07Lapierre · 04-12-2014 6:14pm

nilhg wrote: »

Got lost on the last day and found the secret passage to Mijas,

http://www.strava.com/segments/6902295

/

Here's my feable attempt!

(My only excuse is my lowest gear was a 39x25)

http://www.strava.com/activities/177907068

nilhg · 04-12-2014 8:30pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

Here's my feable attempt!
(My only excuse is my lowest gear was a 39x25)

http://www.strava.com/activities/177907068

You went left where I went right

I can't really imagine going anywhere over there on a 39x25, I realised on the first big drag that I only had a 34x25 instead of the 28 I was expecting, it wasn't a pleasant experience till I adapted a bit, the generally good road surfaces do make a difference though, seems to take some of the sting out of the gradients.

OP, if you get a chance try to come down the A7053 from the roundabout between Mijas and Coin, lovely descent.

http://www.strava.com/segments/4118005

Idleater · 04-12-2014 10:59pm

nilhg wrote: »

I can't really imagine going anywhere over there on a 39x25

I got up to the masts on 38x25.

I don't mind pushing squares though.

Cycling around Mijas, Spain

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