Author Topic: Madeira?  (Read 3435 times)

Martin

Madeira?
« on: 27 October, 2016, 11:23:52 am »
anyone been road cycling there? Information is very hard to come by; one of the few rides I've found (and not ridden by the look of it)

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/6969197

climbing figure looks ridiculously high! but google streetview of the roads looks rideable

Dave_C

  • Trying to get rid of my belly... and failing!
Re: Madeira?
« Reply #1 on: 27 October, 2016, 11:48:29 am »
Have you tried looking for Strava Heat maps?

I hear they do good cake! [joke]
Edit...
Looks like plenty of rides from the heat map.
@DaveCrampton < wot a twit.
http://veloviewer.com/athlete/421683/

Re: Madeira?
« Reply #2 on: 27 October, 2016, 01:14:28 pm »
Climbing figure is entirely plausible - Madeira is ridiculously hilly!
I've been there a couple of times, and will be going again shortly, but haven't ridden, and wouldn't fancy it (I'm not built for climbing!).
There were a few roadies around Funchal, where it's relatively flat, and I saw three when I got off the bus at Poiso (the highest point on your route) for a long day's walk, but I suspect they had arrived there by motorised transport!

Re: Madeira?
« Reply #3 on: 27 October, 2016, 03:10:26 pm »
Madeira is I think part of the remains of the rim of a volcanic crater. As such it's topography is similar to a knife edge. There are guided rides there I think (ISTR a magazine article in the last 6 months or so, but not the actual publication), but essentially it's up, then back down. Also a lot is through tunnels.  The majority of cycling appears to be off-road.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Madeira?
« Reply #4 on: 27 October, 2016, 03:27:49 pm »
Some bus routes (not many, and just in the Funchal municipal area, I think) have provision to carry up to two bikes, so someone who's both lazy (me) and fearless (not me) could have effortless fun riding the bus up the stupendous hills and burning their brakes out on the descent. There are plenty of 25% hills, some of which maintain steep profiles for a hell of a long way.
http://www.horariosdofunchal.pt/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=587&Itemid=356
http://www.civitas.eu/content/bus-and-bike-0

Martin

Re: Madeira?
« Reply #5 on: 01 November, 2016, 09:26:18 pm »
Have you tried looking for Strava Heat maps?
Looks like plenty of rides from the heat map.

yes I found that but you cannot actually click on the map to find any routes;

a bit of Google Streetviewing shows some well surfaced roads but the surface looks pretty poor / pitted for road tyres

Re: Madeira?
« Reply #6 on: 09 November, 2016, 05:04:56 pm »
Climbing figure is entirely plausible - Madeira is ridiculously hilly!
I've been there a couple of times, and will be going again shortly, but haven't ridden, and wouldn't fancy it (I'm not built for climbing!).
There were a few roadies around Funchal, where it's relatively flat, and I saw three when I got off the bus at Poiso (the highest point on your route) for a long day's walk, but I suspect they had arrived there by motorised transport!




From wot I ave urd as well it ain't flat so da fink yooo shd ride it wif fixed

Snakehips

  • Twixt London and leafy Surrey
Re: Madeira?
« Reply #7 on: 09 November, 2016, 08:32:38 pm »
I was looking at this recently. I found a thread from a few years ago on Bikeradar  http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12547234

The comments about the quality of the roads are probably out of date (they've probably found a load of money from somewhere to do them up since then) but the comment   ' .....  but I had to abandon one route out of Funchal after three miles of straight 1:8. '  seems a little off-putting.
An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?

Oaky

  • ACME Fire Safety Officer
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Re: Madeira?
« Reply #8 on: 10 November, 2016, 12:37:23 am »
Just saw this and couldn't resist adding the following useful contribution: http://www.notanothercycleroute.site/madeira
You are in a maze of twisty flat droves, all alike.

85.4 miles from Marsh Gibbon

Audax Club Mid-Essex Fire Safety Officer
http://acme.bike

Speshact

  • Charlie
Re: Madeira?
« Reply #9 on: 13 November, 2016, 08:26:40 pm »
there is a cycle route, including some segregation, through Funchal - enabling a small element of local cycling should you wish to pootle in the town (the bus service is good too!)

Re: Madeira?
« Reply #10 on: 10 January, 2017, 01:08:47 pm »
I'm just back from a holiday in Madeira - I have to confess that I did no cycling, and nothing like the amount of walking I had intended to do, thanks to a very painful achilles tendon. First thing to mention is that I noticed about 5 times as many roadies than I did on my last visit, 3 years ago. Not just along the main roads in Funchal (Estrada Monumental, Avenida do Infante, Avenida do Mar), but also on the stiff climbs up to Monte and Camacha, for example.
According to the friendly guy in Freeride Madeira (http://freeridemadeira.com/), a change in legislation accorded greater protection to cyclists, and it certainly seemed that drivers treat cyclists with great respect. He has a couple of well maintained road bikes for hire at 30 euros per day, 25 euros a day if hired for 3 days or more. Very handily placed for the main hotel area in the Lido area, and notable for a Schwalbe coin operated inner tube dispenser just outside the shop! This business is mainly about mountain biking, however, and offers an impressive range of packages from single day tours to complete off-road holidays.
E-bike Madeira (http://ebikemadeira.com/index.html), despite the name, has more road bikes for hire, slightly cheaper than Freeride. The owner, Jorma Talas, told me he started out two years ago with the intention of concentrating on electric bikes, hence the name, but due to requests from customers has moved more and more to hiring road bikes - mostly Specialised Allez, with a choice of SPD or toeclip pedals. If you use more exotic pedals, bring them with you and he'll fit them. Very helpful; he'll suggest suitable routes, print off a map, and even go through tricky sections with you on Google Streetview. Apparently free carriage of bikes on buses is more widely available than I appreciated; he said that you can get to 1400 metres for 3 euros. This probably explains the three very fresh looking roadies at Poiso who I mentioned in an earlier post! He also said that Rui Costa is a frequent visitor to the island to practice his descending.
Madeira is spectacularly beautiful - I'll be back!

Martin

Re: Madeira?
« Reply #11 on: 19 January, 2017, 01:47:33 pm »
thanks for the advice; as it happens a broken elbow 5 weeks ago has left me very unfit having not ridden since and I don't much fancy the hills after such a long break; so it will also be walking for me  :)

Martin

Re: Madeira?
« Reply #12 on: 04 February, 2017, 11:21:00 pm »
I was looking at this recently. I found a thread from a few years ago on Bikeradar  http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12547234

The comments about the quality of the roads are probably out of date (they've probably found a load of money from somewhere to do them up since then) but the comment   ' .....  but I had to abandon one route out of Funchal after three miles of straight 1:8. '  seems a little off-putting.

and indeed it's correct! it was hard enough in 1st gear in a 1.2L Fiat Panda; saw about 6 bikes all week all but one on the seafront in Funchal, the other one was in Monte (which also has a cable car to give you an idea!)

the roads are variable too quite holey if you manage to get to the centre of the island

go levada walking instead probably more useful training (with numerous steps up and down)