Riding a mountain bike on Gran Canaria means facing conditions that have little in common with the forests and trails back home. We know the island and our rental bikes, and we see time and again where guests overestimate what they are used to from home. So here is an honest overview: what is different, and what should you bring with you?
No maintained trails and hardly any soft forest soil
Well-kept forest and fire roads of the kind you are used to from home do not exist on our island. Nobody maintains the trails, and because of the sparse vegetation there is almost nowhere soft topsoil with flowy trails. Sharp-edged scree fields, cactus needles and, after rare downpours, deeply washed-out gullies can turn up even on tracks that are for the most part easy to ride.
Minimum requirements: changing a tube and off-road experience
An off-road tour therefore requires the ability to change an inner tube if necessary and a minimum of off-road experience. In concrete terms that means, for example:
- Keep the pedal cranks horizontal when rolling and cornering.
- Do not hit rocks with the rear derailleur.
- Brake with fine control using both brakes, not only the rear brake.
- Shift ahead of steep sections instead of changing five gears at once at the last moment and then snapping the chain with a powerful stomp on the pedals.
Our offer is aimed at experienced riders
Please bear in mind: our offer is aimed at experienced riders, not at beginners who want to try out new riding experiences in holiday mood. For the same reason we deliberately do not offer full-suspension downhill bikes. Gravel bikes are not suitable for off-road riding either; you will find more about this in our guide to gravel and road cycling.
Taking care of your rental bike
Taking care of the rental bike is required on a mountain bike too. Damaging the bike by accident or through lack of knowledge is not included in the rental price. This includes, for example, scratches, bottom-outs and jumps. How we handle off-road use, and when you save one price level by riding on asphalt only, is explained on our page Hardtail Mountainbikes hire.
For tour planning we recommend our tour suggestions, for example the mountain bike routes around Las Palmas. Our terms and conditions are available online.