North West Spain Advice

OK, understand. I don't have such a document made up, it's all in my head, but I will consider making one. I have to think about it...

I'll have a think on it and be in touch.....

I agree that when answering many of the “Tell me how to do my holiday” type requests, the basics (time available, mileage expectations, road expectations and the like) are the key components, often overlooked by the bods asking for help. You sometimes have to drag the information out of them.

When doing your guide, I’d consider limiting it to the basics, just as the magazines and guide books do. For example, just do:

My 10 (or whatever) best roads. This could be just that ‘special’ 20 mile stretch from A to B or say a day’s ride

My 10 (or whatever) best seven day holidays

Between the two you’ll have done enough.

Have a look at how RiDE magazine do theirs or how ALPENTOURER magazine do theirs. Punters like maps, which are easy enough to create in Google maps. They like them as it saves them making the effort of searching where Porta de Toro is. Failing that, they love pre-made GPS files, easy to create and store on Dropbox. Add in any hotels, cafes and views. Job done.
 
:thumb2

Give me a bit of time and I'll come up with something.

do leave some space for people to do some thinking. Sadly, thinking is becoming unfashionable . Like politics, travel seems to be reverting back to the fashions of the 19th century. Many people seem to want to go on a Grand Tour ticking off points of interest from someone else's list. I do approve of the Grand Tour tradition of taking an attractive young man as a companion, though.
 
do leave some space for people to do some thinking. Sadly, thinking is becoming unfashionable . Like politics, travel seems to be reverting back to the fashions of the 19th century. Many people seem to want to go on a Grand Tour ticking off points of interest from someone else's list. I do approve of the Grand Tour tradition of taking an attractive young man as a companion, though.

I wish you luck with that, Wessie.

I will likely follow Wapping's advice and keep it less wordy and more factual. Perhaps for the Spring I will have something ready.
 
do leave some space for people to do some thinking. Sadly, thinking is becoming unfashionable . Like politics, travel seems to be reverting back to the fashions of the 19th century. Many people seem to want to go on a Grand Tour ticking off points of interest from someone else's list. I do approve of the Grand Tour tradition of taking an attractive young man as a companion, though.

You can take me as a companion, if you're paying. I'm not young, and I've never been attractive. Can I bring my wife?
 
Westride, indeed. As I said, I'm still very much learning. Extremadura (Plasencia) and La Alberca (south eastern Castille) are part of an area I have yet to explore on my bike. I must confess that I had to look them up. I have been around the area many, many moons ago in the car when I was working for my dad but my area was more the norhtern half of Spain. It is an area I very much want to explore and, yes, part of the charm of that part of Spain is it's timelessness, for sure.

Yes, you must definitely check out the western end of the Sistema Central, the roads around sierras de Gredos and the Peña de Francia are amazing!

franca-portugal.jpg


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I stopped for a new tyre at Plasencia and must admit to not tinking about using it as a base - I was caping - but it's a lovely city and really well placed for long days out riding 'lite'.

Regs

Simon
 
Wapping/Richard

Tried sending you a message but your inbox is too full. If you can, let me know when you've emptied it a bit or furnish me via a PM with a private email.

Cheers, Fred
 
OK, understand. I don't have such a document made up, it's all in my head, but I will consider making one. I have to think about how best to structure it so that it's easy to read and refer to, but I will do one eventually. Will it have the ability to be edited form time to time?

You see, when I get petitions from UKGS'ers to recommend routes and good places to visit and stay (just had one) I usually tailor it because I generally know the distances involved and in many cases, having experienced the rides I know what is realistic. I don't plan it for them as such, but I do need to know times, timescales, the type of riding they like to do; long days, short days, spoke, looping. However, I do realise that your idea might be less work (although I do enjoy it anyway) in the long run and then just get people to PM me if they have any questions.

I'll have a think on it and be in touch.....

For those that might have seen this post, here’s some news.

Enginerelight has been kind enough to share with me a draft of typical route that he can recommend in northern Spain. As a first stab it’s pretty good, I’m happy to say, with just some work to do to tidy it up and get some hotlinks to work a bit better. With a bit of polishing, I think it could well be excellent. I am happy to take on the ‘editing’ role but it really is his project and work.

At the moment he’s creating it in a Word document, which I think he’d like to change into something more ‘solid’ but still electronic, like maybe Adobe. I don’t think it needs to be up to publishing standard but I’m going to see if I can play around a bit with it to see what might work, too. Given that my IT graphics skills are at about zero, it’ll be a fun learning curve. If anyone has any ideas on what might work, sing up. I use a Mac, so maybe there’s something in there that’ll work? What would be nice perhaps would be to create a simple electronic ‘book’ that people could download, without all the pages jumbling up and any hotlinks vanishing.

Anyway, thanks to Enginerelight for having a stab at it. It’s not an easy thing to do, so well done for starting!

Richard
 
For those that might have seen this post, here’s some news.

Enginerelight has been kind enough to share with me a draft of typical route that he can recommend in northern Spain. As a first stab it’s pretty good, I’m happy to say, with just some work to do to tidy it up and get some hotlinks to work a bit better. With a bit of polishing, I think it could well be excellent. I am happy to take on the ‘editing’ role but it really is his project and work.

At the moment he’s creating it in a Word document, which I think he’d like to change into something more ‘solid’ but still electronic, like maybe Adobe. I don’t think it needs to be up to publishing standard but I’m going to see if I can play around a bit with it to see what might work, too. Given that my IT graphics skills are at about zero, it’ll be a fun learning curve. If anyone has any ideas on what might work, sing up. I use a Mac, so maybe there’s something in there that’ll work? What would be nice perhaps would be to create a simple electronic ‘book’ that people could download, without all the pages jumbling up and any hotlinks vanishing.

Anyway, thanks to Enginerelight for having a stab at it. It’s not an easy thing to do, so well done for starting!

Richard

I can lend you some crayons and a nearly new Etch-a-Sketch.
 
You might try the Don Feliz Hotel in Rioseco. A really lovely old fashioned hotel and they let me park outside the front door . You'll see where if you google street view it. About 70 km from Riano but took some back roads through stunning scenery and rarely visited rural villages.
My top tip when route planning is to use a Michelin Map. They're cheap and scenic roads are green edged...however not scenic roads are so marked. Just enjoy the ride.
 
Thanks, Wapping. Unexpected kind words from you.:D (only joking)

The idea is to make it easy to read which in the past I have made, perhaps, too wordy.

Forgive me for hijacking your thread like this but I'm hoping you will benefit from the endeavour. Wapping, if you feel a separate thread is required, then please feel free.

A couple of issues:

1) The links to Google maps where I have (initially) planned the route for ilustration purposes seem to change (not always) when they are passed on or downloaded (created on Word). I use a MAC also but have an official version of Office on it. They (GM refs) won't be used other than for people to get a more detailed look at the route should they wish to zoom in or check the type of road for themselves in satelite/street views.

2) I have the .gpx's for every one created and shared using TT MyDrive route planner but I can't embed them into a word document. I am going to try on a PDF when I get a moment and that will have to be done from scratch rather than copied and pasted from Word. That will be route 4.

So far I have managed 3 (on Word) but they take time. Planning them isn't what takes the time depending on the route in question, because I know the routes well, but some have to be meticulously checked because, as you know, planning software has a mind of its own. What takes the time is trying to remember the other bits of information included such as: why go, where to stay, what to see/do, cautions as well as other information relevant to a varying degree on what type of riding you prefer.

3) Was wondering if anyone can answer this question: Why does my TT My Drive planning software show different names for the same road as Google Maps? This has impeded me from adding the roads sequentially in the brief. e.g. The road that goes through Fonsagrada on Google is the LU530 but on TT it's the LU106?!?! I know it doesn't matter for the .gpx file.

I shall be writing to TT to discover this type of discrepancy.



Wapping is my proof reader at the moment and between us I think we might come up with something you all might find useful and be able to email me if you have any quesions. He too has had some excellent input such as lnks to relevant youtube videos so that you can see the roads from a biker POV, as well as relevant websites.

Mostly, we don't think this sort of link is going to give any problems, it's just the Google Maps links that are the problem.

Any input greatly received.
 
just a few places worth a visit in no particular order:-

Segovia - old town, much to see. stay in the old town it self. We used hotel don felipe, it has underground parking
Avila - old walled city
Guadalupe - discovered this small town in the hills. Great Ride in. We stayed in the parador. might be a bit to far south?
Monforte de Lemos. Great town, stay in the parador that over looks the town. great views and they let us park the bikes right under our bedroom window.
Santiago is a must. plenty of hotels to choose from. Use the A14 from Oviedo thru Lugo and the twisty roads to Santiago

If you research the castles of spain on google you can visit them on your route. Worth a visit some of them ie Coca Castle, Castle La Mota, Cuéllar Castle, Iglesia de San Martín
Leon - Lovely city

Parador hotels can be reasonable, If you become an Amigo member you get discounted parking and two free drinks
 
MUMi, The Asturian mining museum at El Entrego near Oviedo is worth a look. The closure of the pits in this area was as strongly felt as in the UK. In addition there are many old pits left in the area, Some in beautiful rural valleys with great riding roads. One such is the Turón Valley, along it we came upon an old mine with a poignant story. During the Civil War, Fascists had dumped many Republican dead down a pit which is now something of a shrine. Such a sad story in such a lovely place.

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You might try the Don Feliz Hotel in Rioseco. A really lovely old fashioned hotel and they let me park outside the front door . You'll see where if you google street view it. About 70 km from Riano but took some back roads through stunning scenery and rarely visited rural villages.
My top tip when route planning is to use a Michelin Map. They're cheap and scenic roads are green edged...however not scenic roads are so marked. Just enjoy the ride.

This is how I like to route plan. The Michelin maps with the scenic route sections highlighted in green have been faultless in my experience. I particularly like the really minor roads which few people, other than locals, use. They are no good for scratching, but perfect for a two-up bimble with the wife at a slow pace. We also favour the Casa Rurale accommodation in the middle of nowhere. They are usually in beautiful locations and characterful/rustic and great value. I do always make a point of going through one place of reasonable size each day to find a shop to pick up some tinnies for the evening as most are so remote they have no bars etc within walking distance. I need my beer. Once you go to NW Spain it will probably be your favourite bit of Spain. We didn’t enjoy Santiago so much. After spending the preceeding week chilling in beautiful remote countryside we found it a bit too much like home!
 
You might try the Don Feliz Hotel in Rioseco. A really lovely old fashioned hotel and they let me park outside the front door . You'll see where if you google street view it. About 70 km from Riano but took some back roads through stunning scenery and rarely visited rural villages.
My top tip when route planning is to use a Michelin Map. They're cheap and scenic roads are green edged...however not scenic roads are so marked. Just enjoy the ride.

You can also use the ViaMichelin app/website for route planning. These include the green scenic routes as well as the usual fuel stations and roadworks etc
 


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