Sa Calobra
Bike
20 Nov 2019
Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, is a mecca for cyclists and I’d been keen to check the place out for a while to check out the smooth asphalt for myself.
After a quick flight from Gatwick to Palma where I picked up a rental bike, I was on the road quickly and easily. The whole island is set up for cyclists so unless it’s peak season, there’s no real need to book or sort things out in advance, there are plenty of options and everything is geared up with cyclists in mind.
The 312 is a 312km loop (surprise surprise) of the island, super well known amongst road cyclists as being a big, tough event. I planned to fly out to the island and ride the route solo and unsupported, rather than taking part in the summer event, but the weather took a pretty horrendous turn and I seemingly had the annual rainfall over the weekend I was there. I didn’t take my wet weather riding kit as it’s usually mild and sunny, so I decided to do a few shorter rides and explore the island in stages, rather than all in one go. Being an island, albeit sheltered in the med, the weather does change quickly, and I found some sunny spells in between the showers and sometimes sharp downpours.
I based myself in Palma, and rode out to cover different areas of the island. I spent each morning in La Molienda cafe which was a nice starting point for rides after coffee and breakfast.
Puig Major is the highest point in Mallorca at 1436m, and sits in the Tramuntana mountain range which extends down the northwest shoulder of the island. Sa Calobra is the mountain road climb on the island targeted most by cyclists, which also forms part of this mountain range, but is unique as it’s a harbour access road, so runs down to the sea and is a dead-end. This is good for cyclists as it means the road isn’t used for races or events and has the benefit of having very little traffic on. This is the climb you read about everywhere and was made famous as Bradley Wiggins’ training climb in the lead-up to his Tour de France win, and so subsequently many amateur and professional cyclists head here to give the climb a go.
As it was a wet November day the smooth roads were slippy and the restaurants at the bottom were shut up and no-one was around, and as I shivered down the descent I was thinking about the long climb back up and looking forward to it warming me up. Coming back up, the climb is 9.9km long and averages just below 9% throughout, with no significant ramps or steep sections, the biggest being 12.9%, and tops out at 728m. A lot of rugged mountain rock and sweeping narrow roads though gives the climb character, its official name being Coll dels Reis.
My favourite pass on the island was actually the Col de Soller. The switchbacks were nicely spaced and at a gradient that didn’t require too much breaking, although it was also very wet and I could feel the tyres slipping in the corners so was forced to take it very easy. This would be an incredible descent on a dry day. The tarmac on the island was the smoothest I’ve ever seen, it’s so fast and shiny but has zero grip when not dry so becomes the most treacherous. I had a number of close calls, losing my back wheel around corners, so had to take the descents painfully slow. This was frustrating as I’d come here to bomb around and hurtle down mountains, but ended up going slower than ever.
I also headed over to the east of the island, and up the Sant Salvador climb. This side of the island is flatter and so has wider roads, which worked out safer in the wet.
In between the showers, I managed a few photos, none of which really do the sweeping coastal roads and deep blue sea here justice. This is one of the most picturesque places I’ve been to and I look forward to heading back at some point to give the full 312 ride a go.
Further info
Useful links: Roads to Ride: Sa Calobra, Cyclist magazine’s Mallorca write-up, Cafe du Cycliste Mallorca riding guide, Cyclist magazine’s 312 event guide, Soigneur’s Mallorca trip write-up, Ride with GPS Mallorca ride report.
Short films: The Col Collective: Sa Calobra.
Related reading:
- Mountain Higher, Daniel Friebe & Peter Golding
- Mountains - Epic Cycling Climbs, Michael Blann
- Higher Calling: Road Cycling’s Obsession with the Mountains, Max Leonard
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Bike
26 June 2021