Riding a road bike or gravel bike on Gran Canaria means facing conditions that have little in common with Central Europe. We know the island, and when servicing our rental bikes we see time and again where guests struggle or put themselves and the equipment at risk. So here is an honest overview: what is different, and which habits from home should you rethink?
Mountains, not flatlands: fitness and riding technique
There are hardly any flat routes on Gran Canaria. The most attractive routes all lead into the mountainous centre of the island, with at least 500 metres of climbing and some very steep ascents and descents. What is needed is therefore not only a minimum level of fitness but also the right riding technique. Our road bikes and gravel bikes have climbing-friendly gearing for this: 50/34 at the front and 11–34 at the rear on the road bikes, and an even smaller 46/30 on the gravel bikes.
Brakes: use both the front and the rear brake
On long, steep descents the braking has to be shared between both brakes, with the front brake providing most of the stopping power. If you are used to braking only with the rear brake out of caution, you are de facto not fit to ride on Gran Canaria. It puts you at risk and damages the equipment: the rear brake overheats, and full stops with a locked rear wheel lead to crashes. The tyre can also be worn down to the fabric layer and ruined. We see exactly this misuse when servicing our bikes, again and again.
Nature: cacti, volcanic gravel and punctures
The Canarian landscape is less forgiving than the one you are used to at home. Prickly pear needles are scattered everywhere, and sharp volcanic gravel often adds to the hazards on gravel tracks. Being able to repair a flat tyre is therefore a minimum requirement, unless you would like to pay for a taxi home. A spare tube, tyre levers and an emergency pump are included in our rental price.
For the same reason, gravel bikes are not suitable for extensive off-road riding. For off-road trails, please always choose a mountain bike.
Traffic: more relaxed than you might think
Something positive: the vast majority of our guests report that Canarian drivers overtake with great consideration and the required minimum distance. So there is no need to be afraid of the country roads. There are, however, no cycle paths outside built-up areas, so you share the road with car traffic.
Planning tours: better with local knowledge
Instead of planning tours yourself on an abstract map without local knowledge, we invite you to study our collection of tours, partly here on the website and partly on Komoot. We know the island very well and know where riding is worthwhile and which sights you can take in along the way. Our tour suggestions, for example the road bike tour Vegueta – Pino Santo – Teror, and our map of the main road bike routes from Las Palmas are a good starting point.
Strava and many other route portals also contain individual training routes from locals, which are often less interesting for visitors. In our experience, Google Maps is rather unsuitable for cycling routes on Gran Canaria and often suggests nonsensical routes. It is better to use specialist cycling apps.
Taking care of your rental bike
Please always treat the rental bike properly and with care. This means, for example:
- Do not lay the bike down or lean it against a house wall, as the frame will get scratched.
- Do not stack bikes roughly and unprotected in a car.
- Do not ride over kerbs.
- Do not risk detours on gravel tracks.
You will find more about equipment, prices and availability on our page Road Bike rental in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Our terms and conditions are available online.