miguelmarcos

Hi, everyone. My name is Miguel. I live in Madrid, Spain. I cycle around the city mostly though I've done one bike tour, in Alsace, France a few years ago. Madrid is a pretty nasty cycling city right now. It's a combination of lack of respect from many drivers and lack of bike friendly infrastructure. There are a lot of people here who think it's crazy to cycle around town.

I'm currently working on a plan to take off a few months in the next couple of years and, among other things, do a bike tour in Japan and perhaps some other countries. I'd like to do this with a Brompton to avoid the dreaded bike box packing and unpacking syndrome.

I'm a big advocate for cycling in cities and reducing private auto use (buses, taxis, delivery trucks are OK).

cyclezealot

A nephew once lived out in Boadilla del Monte.. We foolishly took our bikes.. Agreed. Cycling in Madrid was not a top choice... Why. Barcelona is so much more advanced for the bike culture.. Japan. Is that not equally non-bike friendly . Certainly congested.. Good luck.. Don't know. I Barcelona, I once rode a folder for the weekend. Two days, I could not get used to that small wheel diameter. Just did not feel like a real bike.. For touring , I like the feel of a real steel frame with heavy gage spokes.

jeffml1

I'll be spending 11 days in Alcala de Hermanes in April. I was wondering about your experience biking in that area. I'm planning to take my folding Dahon to cycle the area during the day. Any places you know in that area to cycle?

miguelmarcos

Hi, Jeff. I assume you mean Alcala de Henares. I haven't biked around there area myself but I'm pretty sure there's some good biking around there. It's just outside Madrid, kind of like saying Westchester or Yonkers and New York City. I'll touch base with some colleagues and post back.

jeffml1

Thanks. That's right, Alcala de Henares. Are you familiar with the Vias Verdes? One of the tracks appears to be nearby.

miguelmarcos

Here's the map tool for Vias Verdes: https://mapas.viasverdes.com/.

The only route near Madrid/Alcalá de Henares is in the area of Arganda del Rey. Under 'Localización' choose Madrid (Comunidad de) and look for the thick green line southeast of Madrid. Alcalá de Henares, where you're staying, is a bit to the northeast, about 15-20km. There's a road between Alcalá and Arganda, the M300 but I'm not sure how safe or not it is. The Vias Verdes are generally pretty good and scenic, they're old train tracks that have been paved over.

jeffml1

Thanks for the link. I'm planning to go bike it for a couple of days. Waiting for my plane now.

madbici

Hi Miguel,

Nice to find someone else mad enough to cycle in Madrid! I commute daily from Orcasitas to Ortega y Gasset over a very carefully planned route - some great stretches but daily white-knuckle moments. Know what I mean?

Saludos,

Keith

hendrick81

Welcome to bikeforums...Madrid must be a nice place to ride around...

baltguy

Madrid is probably my favorite city. I've visited there often and love its tascas, parks and museums. But I've found it a city built for walking, not for biking. It's not a place where you want to do a lot of heavy breathing. The air pollution alone would probably kill you if the traffic didn't.