Bikes, Bikes and More Bikes

Bikes, Bikes and More Bikes

I have never seen so many cyclists in one place in my life. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say we saw more cyclists today than cars. It’s not just because Mallorca is one of the top destinations for cyclists in the world, but, in part, because tomorrow in the Mallorca 312. A 312 km GranFond most of which is in the mountains on the western and northern side of the island. From the languages being spoken by cyclists in restaurants and on the streets, most of Europe and Americas will be represented.

As we watched and drove by hundreds and hundreds of cyclists, I observed they seem to be clustered in cycling tribes. There are the “we’re cool ‘cause we all wear the same jersey tribe”; the “we’re super cool ‘cause we all wear the same kit tribe”; and the “were all individuals ‘cause we wear different jerseys tribe”. There are of course those who prefer not to belong to any tribe or have simply dropped their friends along the road somewhere.

When we weren’t counting cyclists or driving on the most narrow and curvy mountain road I’ve ever seen on the way to Saller, we were underground.  Yes, below the surface of the earth. Jonathan had found these amazing caves for us to explore.  We even got to ride in a Spanish version of a gondola in an underground lake. Strange.

Tomorrow is our last free day before starting the camp. I will admit my error in a past post and save myself from future embarrassment. There will be some climbing over the next week. On day two for example, we’ll climb about 3,000 m. On the bright side, we have all day to do it.