Girona, Spain [Archive] - The Paceline Forum

jerome

08-06-2011, 01:15 AM

Hello
I am planing a trip in Spain and I am looking at Girona near Barcelona in September.

Is there anybody who already have been there ?
How are the rides ?
Road ?
MTB ?

Best ones or place you might have been ?

Rental places, hotels, restaurants to look at ?

Thank you for your help.
I will make you an extensive report when I will be back.

Best

ultraman6970

08-06-2011, 05:21 AM

Never rode a bike there but is a nice place... hope you know catalan, in barcelona area they refuse to speak spanish, identity issues, understandable.

Good luck.

dumbod

08-06-2011, 07:17 AM

Girona is really beautiful and the riding is excellent. Depending on which way you go, you can ride flat (relatively) toward the beach or you can climb into the mountains. A climb to the cemetery on Montjuic will (1) give you a great panoramic of the city and (2) rip your lungs out Jim.

Can't really help you out on the eating. There is a large central square on the other side of the river from the old town (take the bridge designed by Eiffel) the name of which I've forgotten. It's lined with tapas restaurants. Go sit, eat, drink and watch the people in the square. There's also great gelato all over the city. My favorite was just south of the tourist office that sits on the east bank of the river in the old town.

BTW, I speak neither Spanish nor Catalan and didn't have a problem.

Rueda Tropical

08-06-2011, 07:51 AM

bluekudu

08-06-2011, 12:18 PM

I think there might be to loop into Cedeques on the coast , though this might be better to do from Figueres. (If when in either place, check out Dali museum in Fig, Dali home in Ced) I rode north after the climb out of Cedeques the plan being to make it all the way to Figueres, but bad weather forced us onto the train at some point. I've been told the riding is better towards the Pyrenees and I think you can find a video of Tom Danielson training on beautiful roads in that direction. Marty Jemison (http://www.martyjemison.com/) has always been very responsive to questions I've had about that area even though we've never met. You might want to drop him a line.

The Costa Brava north of Lloret del Mar is spectacular, and it looks like a loop from Girona is possible.

Enjoy and certainly learn a little Catalan before you go. As mentioned above, locals prefer that language to Spanish.

SEABREEZE

08-06-2011, 12:57 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlZE1P10KNY&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNcpaLltY5o&feature=related

bluekudu

08-06-2011, 02:24 PM

Some routes posted on mapmyride.com as well

jerome

08-07-2011, 01:40 AM

Never had an issue speaking Castilian Spanish in any of the Catalan regions from Valencia to Barcelona in cities or really small towns. People were very friendly, patient and helpful and the food and wine was great in all the parts of Spain I've been in.

I speak spanish but not catalan, I would like to improve my spanish their.
Where did you stay ?
Have you spotted mountain bikers ?
a great bike shop to recommend to get advice and so on ?

thank you

jerome

08-07-2011, 01:42 AM

Thank you to everybody.

Also have you seen mtb there ?
a great bakeshop to go for advice and if necessary help ?

thank you

PS: you are all welcome in Cassis and Luberon will be happy to help, I will be your safe heaven and I do repair and advising for nothing.

Rueda Tropical

08-07-2011, 01:15 PM

I speak spanish but not catalan, I would like to improve my spanish their.
Where did you stay ?
Have you spotted mountain bikers ?
a great bike shop to recommend to get advice and so on ?

thank you

Didn't do any biking - was traveling with my wife and daughter over Christmas holidays. In Catalan speaking regions we visited friends outside of Valencia in Burriana and Vila Real and stayed for a while in Barcelona. Had a great time there and in Madrid and Sevilla as well. Great country.

adampaiva

11-07-2017, 12:56 PM

piggybacking on this thread. I'm going over thanksgiving to stay at my cousin's house in the tiny village of Madremanya, which is just east of Girona. I will be there for 8 days and with my bicycle, and girlfriend. I've been before and had a bicycle and did some amazing riding, though I'm more fit this time and also now have the benefit of a Garmin for routing.

Looking to do 2 - 3 big epic day rides on my own and then a few easier/shorter rides to food/touristy stuff with the girlfriend. The bike will have Challenge Strada Bianca tires, so a little bit (or a lot bit) of dirt and gravel is more than welcome.

I'm already browsing around ridewithgps and Strava but any specific route suggestions, or climbs to tackle? Absence of traffic and beautiful scenery get weighed more heavily than ripping my lungs out on a climb, but I do want a challenge as well.

sandyrs

11-07-2017, 01:04 PM

Robert Gesink and many other pros live/train around there, so his Strava should have plenty of options. https://www.strava.com/pros/1216273

pdonk

11-07-2017, 01:10 PM

Try the service course girona - owned by Chritian Meier, ex pro tour rider.
https://theservicecoursegirona.com/

They organize trips and rents high end bikes, sure they can point you in the right direction for mountain biking as well.

Also try his la fabrica coffee shop

http://lafabrica.cc/

While, I've never been to either of these, I have known Christian since he was an aspiring junior from middle of nowhere New Brunswick. He has always been a good guy.

adampaiva

11-07-2017, 01:23 PM

thanks! Both good suggestions. Service Course has some pretty ballin rental bikes (which is what we're going to do for my gf on the days she wants to ride)
And Gesink's strava feed looks to have a bunch of stuff to browse through.

dumbod

11-08-2017, 07:11 AM

Check out BikeBreaks in Placa de Mercaders near the center of the old "Juic" part of the city. They rent bikes and run day trips - not fancy but serviceable. The cool part is that they are a consignment shop where the local pros (of which there are MANY) sell a lot of their old kit. Be prepared though, unless you're tiny, none of the pro stuff is going to fit. And La Fabrica is definitely worth a visit or two; particularly in the late morning. It's where a lot of the local pros hang out after their morning training ride.

polyhistoric

11-08-2017, 08:55 AM

I can't recommend La Fabrica enough - Christian is very humble/approachable and the coffee/food was incredible.

Service Course sets a new high bar for what a shop can be - they offer full rental packages, and can even arrange accommodation. I was not able to manage time for a ride while there.

If you have time, get over to Costa Brava - we spent time in Begur - so lovely and the beaches are pretty killer.

Clancy

11-08-2017, 09:28 AM

Has anyone tried using this as a base for riding? I believe they are set up to offer lodging for individuals and the facilities look pretty outstanding.

http://carsierranevada.com/?lang=en

adampaiva

11-08-2017, 12:21 PM

Reading all this and exploring around maps I already regret not making my trip 2 weeks longer

donalrey

11-08-2017, 12:55 PM

Girona is beautiful! I've done quite a bit of riding there and it's amazing. Everything you need to know can be found in this website - routes, food, etc...

https://ourgirona.com/

This is not quite in Girona and not on that website but it's definitely my favorite climb out of Girona.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/24210099
(https://ridewithgps.com/routes/24210099)
Enjoy!

radsmd

11-08-2017, 06:07 PM

Was thinking about doing the Rapha Travel trip to Girona, but Sevice Course looks very interesting. Seems to be a similar level of service and type of riding. Also similar prices.

radsmd

11-08-2017, 06:09 PM

My biggest concern right now is the civil unrest in Catalonia. Should be more clear how it will affect tourism and safety with time.

572cv

11-08-2017, 07:21 PM

We stayed in Girona about 8 years ago. Rented an apartment in the hotel where Postal used to stay. The hotel was family run, very bike friendly. The riding was wonderful, and the city has a lot of good touristing. The market is great. If you have a little kitchen, you can find terrific eats there. This is the only place in the Spanish speaking world where I could, with my marginal spanish, actually understand people. That was wonderful.

I guess one could say I have fond memories of Girona. We went from there up to the Pyrenees Orientale in France, the northern end of ancient Catalonia. Great riding up there too.

JanG

11-09-2017, 10:59 AM

I spent a very enjoyable week in Girona in June 2016 with a small group. We rented bikes from BikeBreaks and were happy with the Cannondale Synapses they had in their rental fleet and with their service. Their size range accommodated me with a 61cm frame as well as two of the women in our group who needed the smallest frame available (50cm?). We stayed at the Hotel Ciutat de Girona which was reasonably priced, in a great location, and had an enclosed and secured bike area in the parking garage.

As expected, the riding was fabulous. We had the advantage of local knowledge within the group but I think it would be hard to go wrong anywhere in the area. I particularly enjoyed 1.) a ride which eventually took us up to St. Hilari via Angles, and 2.) a ride to Tosso de Mar then up the coast a bit before climbing inland again.

TDot

11-09-2017, 04:32 PM

Agreed: although you might be politely reminded of the local tongue,
I've never had any issues with speaking Spanish in Catalunya. By all accounts,
Girona is a super duper base to set out on epic rides. I'm totally envious.
I hope you share your experiences!

Never had an issue speaking Castilian Spanish in any of the Catalan regions from Valencia to Barcelona in cities or really small towns. People were very friendly, patient and helpful and the food and wine was great in all the parts of Spain I've been in.

Mr. Pink

11-09-2017, 04:36 PM

Mr. Pink

11-09-2017, 04:38 PM

My biggest concern right now is the civil unrest in Catalonia. Should be more clear how it will affect tourism and safety with time.

What civil unrest? Their "leader" ran. The streets are empty. Non issue.

VoyTirando

11-09-2017, 07:38 PM

Have biked some around Girona, and have spent a couple weeks every summer in Catalonia. My wife is Catalan, and strongly pro-independence. I highly recommend trying to grab food in Peretallada, a small town with amazing restaurants. If you can go, try Candelaria.

As to civil unrest, go without any fear: the Catalan people are the best in the world: passionate about their beliefs but kind to strangers. As to the president, he certainly did not flee. To the commenter who said Puigdemont ran away, I suggest you try the BBC for a more accurate portrayal of the situation over there.

The only danger of going is that you may not want to come back.

adampaiva

11-29-2017, 08:20 AM

It was a good trip. Wish it was 2 or 3 weeks instead of 1. Spain is lovely. Got in two good mixed surface rides to myself, one including a pretty good crash descending at a hairpin turn, plus 3 shorter easier rides with the girlfriend. Riding is primo, snacks were delicious, wine cheap and excellent. Temps are perfect in late November during the day for riding, but gets semi cold at night, and shorter days compared to summer. I wouldn't mind spending every thanksgiving here.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4575/38713273001_dcd7588c2c_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4533/38614263791_9d9390200d_c.jpg

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https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4554/37825744025_ee9936c267_c.jpg

adampaiva

11-29-2017, 08:26 AM

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Fiertetimestwo

11-29-2017, 05:36 PM

Brilliant pictures!Looks fantastic.

laupsi

11-29-2017, 08:29 PM

[QUOTE=adampaiva;2259007]piggybacking on this thread. I'm going over thanksgiving to stay at my cousin's house in the tiny village of Madremanya, which is just east of Girona. I will be there for 8 days and with my bicycle, and girlfriend. I've been before and had a bicycle and did some amazing riding, though I'm more fit this time and also now have the benefit of a Garmin for routing.

Looking to do 2 - 3 big epic day rides on my own and then a few easier/shorter rides to food/touristy stuff with the girlfriend. The bike will have Challenge Strada Bianca tires, so a little bit (or a lot bit) of dirt and gravel is more than welcome.

I'm already browsing around ridewithgps and Strava but any specific route suggestions, or climbs to tackle? Absence of traffic and beautiful scenery get weighed more heavily than ripping my lungs out on a climb, but I do want a challenge as well.[/QUOTE

Madremanya is a delightful little spot. Have a place near there in St Antoni, Calonge and visit Madremanya whenever we’re out there. Just Lovely, and for riding, it’s about as pleasant a place as one could find! Enjoy!!! Just get on your bike and start riding. You’ll find loads of other cyclists and awesome roads/climbs in just about any direction. David Delacruz lives out that way as well.