Five Tips to Help You Conquer Sa Calobra in 2024!
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- čas přidán 24. 03. 2024
- Join me as I ride from Playa de Muro to Sa Calobra and back and I give you five tips to help make sure you conquer Sa Calobra, one of the most iconic climbs in Majorca in 2024.
Strava Ride Link.
/ strava - Sport
My previous experience was that most car traffic and almost all coaches are aiming for lunch and an hour on the beach in the village, so they drive down from abut 11-12 and drive back up 2-4, so i always aimed in the past to start my climb around noon to 1230. Will be back in a few months and will see if that old knowledge still holds true 😅
And my pacing plans are the same on all hills, especially unknown ones; start conservatively and increase effort as you near the top if you find yourself with any to spare.
Hi Ken, thanks for commenting, some good points raised. Hope you have a good time when there 👍🚴
I did Sa Colabra last year, and I did it 31st Oct so was cooler and much quieter regards other cyclists and buses etc. Agree on fatigue just getting there, I rode from Port Pollensa and went via Sa Batalla so by time at base of Sa Colabra I'd ridden something like 37 miles and 3800ft which was like a good usual ride! Even once conquered Sa Colabra have to get back to hotel. A tough day out for sure but so rewarding. I also stopped twice on way to refuel and made sure plenty to drink. Biggest thing aside from fueling is go at own pace, unless a top pro you will get passed by lots of other riders so just ignore and keep to what you can sustain. Being tempted to follow someone is route to disaster!
Hi Steve, thanks for commenting. I suppose there is no easy way to do Sa Calobra..but like me you did the 'harder method'. Well done, it's rewarding and certainly a tough accomplishment 💪🚴👍
At last a really straight forward sensible guide which loads should follow, one point that would top it is the timing of the descent/climb, I believe that the buses run between certain times(cant recall the actual times) so in theory you can descend,stop,wait, then climb out while the buses are at the bottom.
Enjoy your ride with the Wheelers and keep the guide videos coming, I am back out in April so keeping me wanting for some Sun.
Mark, thanks for commenting and your remarks. Im grateful. Good point about the buses. Have a great time in April. Where on the island are you staying if you dont mind me asking?
Staying in Port Pollensa at the Hotel Uyal had looked at Alcudia and again your reviews great but could not better the price.@@LivandTrekGoCycling
I'm here for the first time this week- Saturday did a leg stretcher from Pollensa to Alcudia and up to La Victoria, Sunday did Cap formentor and took on the extra 150m or so climb from the Coll de Creueta, Monday did Coll de Femenia , down Sa Batalla and up to the top of Santa Magdalena, Tuesday did up Sa Batalla and down Femenia, today had a rest and tomorrow(having done Femenia) I booked the shuttle to the Repsol garage to do Sa Calobra.... It shaves off 30km and 700m and depending how things go I may have the time(bike due back 5pm) and legs to get up to Puig Major which still makes the day 1500m not 2000m just doing Pollensa to SC and back via Femenia... Hopefully I can go back via Sa Batalla again as it's more scenic too.... Hardest bit was staying off the bike today, it's tough sometimes to recognise creeping fatigue and ease up when on holiday you just want to go and do stuff everyday....did a 10km walk on the flat Pollensa promenade instead!!
Hi Barry, thanks for commenting. Blimey that's a lot of cycling and it sounds like you've had a whale of a time. I'm out there next week...how's the weather been for you?
@@LivandTrekGoCycling Been excellent, one day of brief showers, but it's looking good tomorrow 21-23c just light winds from the south in the morning(hopefully a wee breeze in the face on the way up!). It's quite busy think this is peak season beginning (and English schools half term this week). I structured the week to psyche myself up for this!! Hope the weather gods smile on you too!! (Bit concerned reading the comments that I may be going up when the lunchtime buses are coming down though.... On Sa Batalla yesterday me and some German fella had to dismount on a hairpin, I climbed on a "castellated" wall to allow the bus coming down to get through there was zero room to pass!!)
Be really careful of the buses on Sa Calobra. Take plenty of nutrition to refuel, don't run out of liquids and most of all...have a great time, enjoy it 🚴
Great video, I’m planning my 1st trip to Majorca in September on the back of watching a few of you video also staying at one of the Hotels you’ve show. Really looking forward to in. To much flat here in the UAE.
Wayne, thanks for commenting and thank you for the compliment. I hope you have a great time when you get there. Sept is a good time to go...warm weather. Ride safe 🚴👍😎
Thanks for the tips I’m making my first trip to the island at the end of April and Sa Colobra is definitely on the list. Oh and congrats on the pb
Ian, thanks for commenting and for the congrats on the pb. I sincerely hope you have a great time on the island for your first trip in April. It really is a mecca for cyclists. Sa Calobra is a hard climb but I don't know any epic or iconic climb which isn't hard. Safe riding 👍
Congrats on you PB 1:01,
Thanks for your tips, as I’m taking shuttle up to the garage to save my legs,
A flat ride out to Petra and a ride to the lighthouse.
Maybe another year I will feel confident enough to take on the full climb from alcudia.
Thanks for tip on climbing sa colobra, slow and steady and get to the top…. Fingers crossed.
Thank you. I was a tad surprised about the PB. Petra is a nice ride, we've done that a couple of times and even found emus on the route back to the hotel...they feature in one of our videos from last year, quite surprised to find them in someone's garden 😆. Enjoy your Sa Calobra descent but keep an eye out on the vehicles 🚴👍
Excellent thank you.........I'm looking forward to my first ascent on the 7th May 2024😅
Thanks for commenting Chris. Hopefully May will mean guaranteed good weather...warm. Sa Calobra will probably be much busier for you in May than when I was there. Have a great time and ride safe 🚴👍
Hi Pete. I have come across to your channel after watching The Wheelers recent bollocks video, and this your first video that I have watched.
Well done on your ride and PB up Sa Calobra. We came back from Mallorca a week ago, and stayed close to where you stayed, so I will be borrowing your route for when we next go to that area as I have not yet done Sa Colobra.
Your 5 tips I would say are tips that could or should be applied to any long ride anywhere really. All good. In addition, I would add go at your own pace and don't take unnecessary risks. Take it easy on the corners. The aim is to finish in a good enough condition to not be missing skin after a fall or even worse.
I have just subscribed and looking through some of your others videos. Thanks Pete from Duncan.
Hi Duncan, thanks for commenting and especially for subscribing. I have also subscribed to you and intend to have a look through your videos 👍. Sa Calobra is a tough ride, especially in the warmer months and especially when ridden there to and from your hotel. Let me know how you get on when you've done it 🚴😎
I'd just like to add that solo riding in busier destinations like this is awkward on hill pacing- that "do I pass them? What if they catch me up and pass me again? are they local- do they know better than to go faster here?" etc stuff gets in your head and it makes it hard to get into what would be your own rhythm...On Sunday- 4 Spaniards passed me going down Coll de Creueta(me -solo- more concerned with safety)...hit the flatter section and I caught them, easily in my zone, and wanted to pass them... But from doing Cap Formentor (on virtual RGT!!) I knew the next hills/tunnel were approaching.. so I held off... turns out they couldn't drop me on the climbs and I was in a slightly too comfortable zone but on unknown roads I just stayed behind them!! Then yesterday the climb out of Caimari is steeper, flattens, and steepens to Coll de Sa Batalla and had 3 people gunning it past me on the lower stages who had peaked by the end of the easier section.... I'd built into that (knowing it from descending the day before) lower part easy and wound it up on the flatter stage with some left in the tank to really push it up the last hairpins after the parking viewpoint and passed all 3 of them plus 2 others!!!! Tomorrow on SC I'm just going to do my own thing - watched Ed Laveracks 24 minute video (should have put it on x0.25 or x0.5 to make it realistic lol !!!) which has really helped give me an insight into profile changes at what elevation as I'll just have HR, Cadence and elevation on screen!!!
I find the biggest thing which has negatively affected me on climbs whilst there is the heat. It's clear from what you write, you know what you're doing. It's a great experience...be sensible but enjoy it. Let me know what you thought of it after completion 🚴👍
@@LivandTrekGoCycling Will do!
@@LivandTrekGoCycling Hi again.... well, the shuttle was brilliant and well worth it (got off from the Repsol at 8:40am) A few folk(myself include!) with jangled nerves, took it easy to Coll dels Reis and just went down slowly and took photos, didn't hang about at the bottom for too long as wanted to get up while there were still shadows to hide in and met no coaches whatsoever on the ascent(or descent), but from there back to Lluc there were loads so timed it good it seems, and one of your commenters had it spot on it seems- get the tourists there for lunch! As for the climb out, I'm really pleased with how it went and literally stunned to do it in 50m30s.... I'm nearly 56, 84(i think, not lost any in the last week lol!)kg and just 1m70cm (think maybe Andre Greipels legs grafted to Jocky Wilsons torso lol) so pretty pleased, the shadows helped, as did the profile with some shallower gradients to help and the occasional light breeze, and my altitude calculations were spot on so I knew exactly when the tough bit was coming....after the 270 degree turn I just tried to hold the high cadence to the summit..... Job done, chuffed to bits!!! www.strava.com/activities/11531805039
Hi, you did well, great to hear and it sounds like you had a good experience. You did really well avoiding the coaches. I'll make sure to give your Strava ride some well deserved #kudos 💪🚴😎
@@LivandTrekGoCycling Thanks Pete, met a good few folk today too, some from the shuttle and others just along the route, a day to remember for sure! It's a bit nerdy but interesting to see who you can find on Strava from todays efforts and find their times....not always what you may assume either- going by kit/looks etc...!!
Thanks for this video. What is the general practice for locking (or not?) one's bike when stopping at a cafe? The orange juice stand is wide open but at the bottom, is there an etiquette for bringing bikes into the cafes?
Hi, thanks for commenting. Of all the times I've cycled in Mallorca and stopped at a cafe, I've never locked my bike up outside. The weather is usually warm enough to sit out outside and many cafes have bike stands outside where you just hang your bike. I always try to keep it in view but I always make sure I take my Garmin head unit off the bike to put in my back pocket when I'm at a cafe. I don't know of any cafes where you can take your bike inside 👍
Super helpful - thanks! As a group, it's not an issue but I haven't yet worked up the nerve to stop at a cafe solo. Happy cycling!@@LivandTrekGoCycling
Enjoying ur videos Pete, which route did you prefer this one or the reverse one you did twice 😎🚴♂️👍
Hi Terry...possibly the first two as the climb up the Col de Sa Batalla is nice but the descent down the Col de Femenia is brilliant. Thanks for commenting 🚴👍
Flying out to Mallorca tomorrow & this video has been really helpful! Thank you!
Thank you for commenting. Glad to hear it's been helpful. Have a great time 😀
I plan on going to Mallorca in October. How should I train for this ride?
Hi William, thanks for commenting. That's a good question and I suppose much of it depends on your current level of fitness. It's a difficult question to answer but I suppose the simplest answer I can give is this....I wasn't quick up the climb, taking about 60mins to do it from the bottom to the top. As such...I would try and increase your fitness as much as possible but find a local hill which has an gradient of 6-8 percent and ride it...for 60 mins.
Add electric motor.
Ha, true..I'd be faster up if I had one. Thanks for commenting 👍
I thought they had made it one way?
Hi Owen, Thanks for commenting. It is as far as I know but there is a small loop at the bottom at the Port where you exit and begin the climb back up/out.
Could have done the climb before you finished watching these tips 😅
Hi Karl, thanks for commenting. I'm assuming you've done the climb and done it faster than 43 mins...which is the video length?