A Cyclist’s Life in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Alberto Contador, winner of this season’s Giro de Italia and Vuelta a España confirmed his continuation with team Astana next season alongside his American team mate Lance Armstrong. Contador assured that the Astana team will prepare in Tenerife at the end of November 2008.

“I’ve been analysing the diferent situations and thinking about alternatives since half way through the Vuelta and after meeting with my director, Johan Bruyneel, and having spoken of the last few months, we have resolved whatever type of tension between us”, said Contador.

“We have already spoken about what my schedule will be in the next season and consequently, I can affirm that I will be in team Astana next year”, added the spanish rider. “I have taken the decision to keep going because I think that it’s more certain, since I can count on a great group of trusting men around me who have done their best with me in each race and that should permit me to keep fighting for victory with the best guarantee”, explained Contador.

The arrival of Armstrong has been the main cause of friction. “I think that everything is going to perform much better than what it appeared to in the beginning. If each one of have our own agenda there won’t be any type of problem or inconvenience. For me it’s a pleasure to coincide within the same team as a great racer who I’ve always admired”, he said. “It’s also true that I am ambitious and when he established that he wanted to win his 8th tour, I thought that co-existence would be complicated, but I think that with a good team management there won’t be problems in France. For the rest of the year, it doesn’t inconvenience me”, he continued.

Alberto Contador is still finalysing his race calendar for the next season. What seems decided is that he will race the Tour in the biggest three weejs. “My idea is to race only in the Tour at 100%, because this year it’s hard for me to recover from the strength of the Giro and the Vuelta”, he assured. Contador still hasn’t spoken directly with Armstrong. “We have a training camp in Tenerife at the end of November and there we will speak with our directors to avoid any type of arguments, because perhaps there has been an excessive expectation with all this, even though it is understandable”, he said. [Read more →]

Tags: Island Life, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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I think I have an idea of what road riders seek.

What they are looking for more than anything is to be as far away from civilisation as possible (just like mountainbikers), but with the knowledge that if they need anything, they can have access to it. That might mean that extra water, mechanical backup, etc is only a phone call away. It’s kind of impossible, but there you have it. [Read more →]

Tags: Ride the Volcano!, Learning Curve by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Hello blog readers,

You might have noticed that I haven’t written many new articles in the past fortnight. That’s because I’ve been working behind the scenes on a few new simultaneous projects. One of them is called “www.bikenode.com“, a new global cycling links directory. It took almost a full day to crete the Bike Node logo… hehehe. Anyway-

The aim is to make it “the fastest growing cycling link directory for the global cycling community”. The idea is to help generate exposure for us little guys. Whatever. But the good news is that I am now taking link submissions. So please feel free to add any appropriate cycling-related links to “http://www.bikenode.com”. It’s easy & it’s free!

There are still a few features I’d like to add, such as an email confirmation of link submissions, an info page, and an easy way for you to add reciprocal links with & without the Bike Node logo (to encourage activity within the directory, reciprocal links are not mandatory but are HIGHLY appreciated).

If you want a bit of extra exposure, a featured listing (highlighted & placed at the top of each category) costs a one-time fee of only 5$ and will result in more traffic to your site. I’ll also ensure that links are added to the directory in a timely manner if you choose a paid link.

If you feel that an appropriate category isn’t listed in the directory yet, you can also suggest new categories for the directory by commenting below.

Thanks,
Les

Tags: Spoke Bed, News Reel, That's Business, Sales Pitch, Ride the Volcano!, Learning Curve by Dr. Leslie Brown
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The main road TF21 to Las Cañadas is currently receiving an upgrade around the Aguamansa region, for a distance of approximately 300 metres. That brief section is currently not sealed. I feel obliged to point out that beyond the cafe’s in Aguamansa, the road to Mt Teide resumes as normal (just in case cyclists think that the horrible road surface continues the whole way up). It is possible to bypass around the workzone, but it is not marked as an official detour. [Read more →]

Tags: News Reel, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Many famous names in professional cycling come to Tenerife, including Lance Armstrong, Marco Pantani and Miguel Indurain. A longer list of professional cyclists that have trained in Tenerife can be seen here.

Tenerife is one of the seven Canary Islands, a volcanic island chain belonging to Spain. Tenerife is located in the Atlantic ocean, about 250km off the African coastline (Western Sahara).

Tenerife, the world’s third largest island volcano, is an ideal training destination for serious cyclists as there are several continuous 2300 metre (7000 ft) ascents which commence from sea level. Mt Teide, rising to 3718m can often be seen rising above the surrounding terrain.

Many professional cyclists choose to train in Tenerife during the winter season when the rest of Europe experiences much cold temperatures. The Canary Islands are generally regarded as the Sothern-most part of Europe; Tenerife’s local climate is obviously a lot milder than what the European mainland experiences, even despite the mountains. So much so, cycling in Tenerife is possible all year round.

Professional cycle training camps are often based at Las Cañadas in the centre of Tenerife. El Parador, the only hotel allowed within the entire El Teide National Park, is located at an altitude of 2100m. From here, cyclists are able to become accustomed to high-altitude training within the surrounding volcanic crater; the elevation in this region always exceeds 2000 m.

Tags: Island Life, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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The most important thing to remember if you haven’t ever cycled in mountainous terrain is APPROPRIATE GEARING. I can’t stress that enough. The best gearing for climbing are the following options:

1) 53/39/30 chainring with 12-25 cassette

2) 50/34 chainring with 12-28 cassette

3) 53/39 with 12-32 cassette

All of these choices provide what I call “the magic 1.2 low gear ratio” which will be perfect for climbs ranging from 5 - 10 or even up to [Read more →]

Tags: Ride the Volcano!, Learning Curve by Dr. Leslie Brown
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I must admit that I’ve overlooked the needs of triathletes lately. In many respects, Tenerife would be an ideal location for European triathletes looking for triathlon training zones. Apart from several swimming pools & gymnasiums around the local resorts, there are many ocean swimming spots dotted around the coast. We have great weather all year round, and don’t forget the legendary 2300m climb to the base of Mt Teide!

I have one medium/large triathlon frameset which I could either rent out as a triathlon bike or sell. This has dedicated tri geometry, 650c wheels and could be equipped with a set of time-trial aerobars.

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Tags: Sales Pitch, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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I recently wrote an article about the steepest street in the world, Calle Monroy. So after diligently studying the countour maps provided by Google Maps, I decided to take a look for myself, IN PERSON (no one ever does that these days!) I wanted to observe the entire street to judge it for myself, compare it with the other steep streets in the region, and of course take some photos.

I’d previously explored this region in 2006 and came across a sign which warned of a 30% grade! Despite the maze-like network of tiny roads and streets, I managed to find the same sign again; it appears at the top of the adjacent steet, “La Calzada”. The top section of this street is so incredibly steep that concrete is used to seal this road instead of bitumen or tarmac. Note that there are grooves moulded into the concrete in a chevron pattern to aid in the traction of vehicles going up or down this terrible slope.

I’ll confess that I did not even attempt to climb this street. I know it is well beyond my current capability. Not only that, but it can be dangerous: if you fail an attempt, you will inevitably fall of and slide backwards down the incredibly steep slope… it’s hard enough to stop with good brakes as it is. On the opposite side of the road, a small shrine stands as a rememberance to someone who died here. So I decided wisely to approach it from the top and decend the whole length of Monroy St instead. Even so, I have thoughtfully provided some free advice for tackling hills with 20%, 30% and even 40% gradients (see below). [Read more →]

Tags: Ride the Volcano!, Learning Curve by Dr. Leslie Brown
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The guiness book of records states that Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand is the steepest street in the world. According to the figures, the Baldwin St is 359m in length (horizontal measurement) with a total elevation gain of ~80m.  The plaque states that “over the 161.2 metre length of the top section, it climbs a vertical height of 47.22 metres, which is an average gradient of 1 in 3.4.1. On its steepest section, the gradient is 1 in 2.86. However, there is some dispute over this as only 6m out of the total street length at the steepest gradient.

I’ve seen Baldwin Street in the flesh and was somehwat disappointed - in fact the first part is almost flat! It then ramps up considerably towards the top section. Hence, the average gradient of the entire street is more like 1 in 4.375. That’s the trouble with New Zealand - they tend to exaggerate a lot. So I would like to challenge that record today by making yet another claim for the worlds steepest street:

After scouring over online topographic contour maps, I have chosen Calle Monroy in the district of Santa Ursula, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. I do not possess a global positioning system (GPS) to accurately gauge its gradient. Nevertheless, we can estimate that the length of this street from the data provided by Google maps. Monroy Street descends from 638 to 430 metres in a length of only 740 metres. Therefore, the average gradient over the entire street is 28.1% (a slope of 1 in 3.56) compared to Baldwin Street with an average gradient of only ~22.3%.

Besides, the photo to the left shows that the steepest part of the road has a slope with a ~40% gradient (caculated by the pixel method)! Now until some bright spark can come up with another street with a steeper average gradient, which can be confirmed, I’m going out on a limb and labelling Monroy Street the “steepest street in the world”, albeit unoffcially! Or if you prefer: “the street with the highest average gradient”. But I think the first one is more correct.

Oh and as far as I am concerned, taking slope readings only on the very steepest parts of the same street is cheating. If that were the case, I’d claim the inside portion of this street. Measured over a few centimetres, the gradient is technically about 80% over the length of one particular piece of aggregate!! Hell, you could probably even find a patch of tarmac with a slope greater than 100% on if you used a micrometer. Obviously, that’s not at all fair. For this reason alone, I challenge people to take the average slope over the whole length of the street. Take the reading from the very beginning to the very end of the same street, don’t leave any sections out, and neither can you add two or more street sections together. Also, I think it should be compulsory that the street has to have a name recognised by the local council…

If you take the entire length of the street and then determine the average gradient the way I propose, Monroy Street (Calle Monroy) appears to come out as the winner. This street does not have any flat parts; it is the steepest continuous grade sealed street with public access that I am aware of, also plainly visible in Google Maps.

OTHER CANDIDATES:

One other very steep street that I spotted also resides in the district of Santa Ursula. This particular street, which includes Calle Los Tosqueras for most of its length, descends from 1012 to 348 metres in a length of 2.5km, although the top section is not paved. Furthermore, Calle Los Tosqueras diverts horizontally while the steeper adjoining street has a different and as yet unknown name.

However, the neighbouring zones of La Corujera and Toscas de Ana María also provide many other possible candidates for the world’s steepest street. Camino el Monte, Calle La Calzada, Calle Las Turcas, Calle Los Castaños, Camino Los Pajales and Camino La Banderola are all noteworthy, boasting average gradients close to or exceeding 25% slope. Other extremely steep streets in the North of Tenerife worth a mention are Calle Argentina in Icod de Los Vinos and last but not least: Camino de Chasna in La Orotava.

Tags: Island Life, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Sorry for the lousy cartoon - it was the only semi-decent one I could find about bicycle races. Anyway, I’ve just uploaded the Canary Islands cycle racing events calender for 2008; It is written in Spanish & you can download it HERE in pdf format.

Tags: News Reel, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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That’s right, if you are a past or future customer of www.Tenerife-Training.net, we’d love to see photos of you cycling in Tenerife! Please send us your photos via e-mail to this address: cycling@tenerife-training.net. All image file formats are acceptable. The bigger the image, the better. If you have many photos, please send them as a zip archive. Once approved, the best photos will be selected & displayed on our guestbook page. We’re thinking about offering free bike days for the best photo submissions. The second prize could be a free T-shirt or something…

Tags: Sales Pitch, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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I’d really appreciate it if a few of you cyclists could take the time to fill in this brief one-page survey. It will only take 3-5 minutes of your time, and will help us improve our bicycle hire & tours service. We don’t ask for any personal information & your answers are kept strictly confidential.

The aim of the survey is to:

1. Receive feedback about future potential hire bikes + rental equipment and the level of quality that customers expect or desire.
2. Evaluate the website’s effectiveness in displaying information
3. Find ways to improve the website.
4. Devise ways to significantly increase our web traffic and hence our exposure by effective marketing.
5. To acertain your future level of interest with regards to cycling and training events in Tenerife.

Here’s your chance to have your say! 
Thanks,
The management.

Tags: News Reel, That's Business, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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If you have a bicycle with disc brakes, you’ll soon find there are many possible choices for the rotor sizes. From a tiny 5″ all the way to a whopping 9″! The next time you need to replace a rotor, consider the following points.

Advantages of bigger disc rotors:

• Larger disc rotors obviously give much more power than smaller rotors.
• For the same braking effort, larger rotors will run cooler than smaller rotors, reducing the phenomenon known as brake fade.
• Larger rotors will last longer than smaller rotors, as there is more metal present in the brake track circumference.
• In my experience with steep descents here in Tenerife, where brake overheating is a real problem, larger rotors will also improve the wear life of the pads themselves (especially organic pads), as they don’t tend to overheat as much.

Disadvantages of bigger disc rotors:

• Each time you step up the size of the rotor, you add a considerable amount of rotational weight to your bike.
• Another down side of big rotors is that they tend to be a bit ‘grabby’ (meaning on-off-on-off braking performance)
• Contrary to what you might think, large disc brake rotors are more prone to warping than small rotors.
• The bigger disc rotors are therefore harder to keep centred & hence can become quite noisy even when pedaling along without applying the brakes. [Read more →]

  Tags: Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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As cyclists are exposed to the elements whenever we go for a ride, it’s vital that we possess some sort of weather prediction strategy. It is no fun being dressed inapprpriately and then freezing later on through inadequate knowledge & planning.

Here I’m going to attempt to demonstrate the ways in which local Canarian people are able to predict the local weather patterns reasonably well. Note that these observations are based from La Orotava, in the North of Tenerife:

• General overcast conditions (stratus cloud cover) almost never produces rain, especially if you can see patches of blue sky directly above.
• Clouds creeping over Mt Teide & Las Canadas from a Southerly direction (the mountain range behind Puerto de la Cruz) is not a good sign. When it is accompanied by heavy wind, together these are the attributes of a big storm - especially if the clouds are dark. Expect rain, lightning & snow above 2000m, and even heavier winds to come! Everyone is advised to stay out of Las Cañadas during a storm; the winds make it very dangerous. Don’t even think about cycling up there during a storm! Better to stay indoors - the conditions will usually improve within 24 hours. There are usually only a handful of heavy storms per year, most often occurring in the Winter season.
• If you can see reflections of the clouds in the sea towards the North, and consistent/continous cumulus clouds rising above the ocean, then it is probably going to rain within a few hours.
• If you can clearly see the island of La Palma from Tenerife, some say that rain is assured. (I’m yet to be convinced of this)
• If there is dust in the air, a calima is present. Expect elevated temperatures during day and reduced temperatures at night. This phenomonen usually lasts 2-3 days but sometimes as long as one week. There will normally be a temperature inversion, meaning that the higher you go up the slopes of Mt Teide, the hotter it gets. Las Cañadas is particularly hot during a calima.
• ‘White horses’ on the ocean and large waves breaking on the shore obviously means that it is (or will soon be) windy; this is often visible from 5 or more kilometres away!
• Puerto de la Cruz is always sunnier than the rest of the La Orotava valley as the coastline juts out beyond the reach of the “sea of clouds”.

From personal observation, it seems that the weather slips into one of three weather patterns:

1. Normal - overcast, but no rain. (telltale sign = stratus clouds between 1000-1500m)
2. Calima - unusually hot and dry with no clouds present. (telltale sign = presence of dust suspension in the atmosphere, no clouds)
3. Stormy - wind, rain, fog, snow, lightning. (telltale sign = heavy wind + cumulus clouds above 2000m)

I guess you could say that the periodic alternation between these three states is a normal chaotic weather pattern. Whenever there are 2 or more of these weather states present at the same time, that’s when the weather appears to be acting strangely. I could be wrong but the calima & storm weather patterns appear to be mutually exclusive.

Tags: Island Life, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Thanks for stopping by… now why not sign my online visitor guestbook & add a photo of yourself?

Tags: Island Life, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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This a great tasting refreshing drink commonly available here in Spain. It’s almost identical in flavour to Staminade, another refreshing (Australian) drink that has been popular since the 1970’s.

It’s really good because it’s not only cheap, but it actually quenches your thirst, unlike those hyper-sweetened gatorade & powerade sports drinks available on the market. It is sold “flat”, i.e. it’s not a bubbly drink and contains no CO₂ gases. For the first time in history, the citrus orange flavour tastes superior to the lemon version. Although this product is not specifically aimed at athletes, it should be…

Anyway, I started drinking this a few weeks ago whenever I feel dehydrated; on a particularly hot day, I recall that one of my local relatives here in Tenerife ordered it in a traditional spanish bar. Judging purely by the label, it’s not something I would have ordered, especially knowing what some drinks taste like. Next time you’re at a roadside bar on a hot day in Tenerife, you might like to try it!

Tags: Spoke Bed, Island Life, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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It’s recently become apparant by simple observation (& also looking at brake pad wear patterns) that many cyclists use the wrong braking technique for steep descents (>10%) here in Tenerife. For maximum braking effect when travelling in a straight line, you only really need to use the front brake. Using only the rear brake is a recipe for disaster because the rear wheel will eventually skid and you could possibly lose control -you react by jamming on the front brake as your only last remaining alternative and that’s what gets you into trouble.

• Don’t be afraid to use the front brake - due to the distribution of weight, it’s by far the most effective of the two brakes.
• It is best to use the front brake for stopping, and the rear brake for “speed modulation”. 
• Never apruptly apply the front brake while taking a corner, or the front wheel can slide out.
• The trick is to lean back over the seat as the declining road gets steeper so that you won’t go over the handlebars.
• With disc brakes, It is said that organic disc brake pads provide better modulation, but their heat tolerance is extremely poor. Sometimes they’re gone within only about 5 downhill rides!!
• A better alternative which I use exclusively are sintered metallic brake pads. They are harder than organic pads and thus will cause a faster wear rate of the disc rotor, but that’s the price you pay for improved braking performance! They are also no more expensive than regular organic pads. Using these, you can descend 2km of 10-20% slopes with 6″ discs and not have to worry about brake pad life or overheating problems.

Tags: Ride the Volcano!, Learning Curve by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Tags: Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Les has just purchased 6 new aero framesets from Leader bikes for the new road rental bicycle fleet here in Tenerife. These bikes are available in a wide range of sizes from a tiny 46cm (50cm centre-top) all the way through to a whopping 61cm (50cm centre-top)! While they look like a time trial frame, they have traditional road racing bicycle geometry.

We’re very proud to partner with Leader bikes in 2008.

Tags: Spoke Bed, News Reel, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Almost every week I’m inspired something. This week I’m inspired by Rosemary Crane of the United Kingdom. Back in September ‘06, we rode together for one whole week, all over Tenerife. She’s the only cyclist who I can confirm has ascended over 10,000 vertical metres in less than a week of riding. She also takes the honour of being the first client to cycle with www.Tenerife-Training.net!

Rosemary is a self-confessed cyclo-tourist addict. She’s been everywhere from the French Alps to the Himalayas, and never fails to take a bike with her. Pictured here is her and with her beloved DeRosa road racing bicycle at a place called “Casas de la Cumbre” (Houses of the Peak), in the Anaga Mountains. She says it’s the best way to see a foreign country…

Here’s what she had to say via e-mail afterwards:

THANK YOU for all the brilliant rides and for being so patient with such an old woman and I hope it wasnt as bad as you thought it might be having to spend 5 days with a grandmother and that you did not hate it too much having to go so much more slowly than you like to go …… the ride to Taganana was lovley as they all were a brill selection all different and yet all with their esoteric attractions. So many people just go to Playa de las Americas and that is ablout the only place I did not see and never want to. I feel sure I saw all the best parts. — Rosemary Crane, 62. September 2006.

And seeing how she was the first ever client, I had to get her to sign my personal guestbook on her latest return visit:

I have had such a BRILLIANT 5 days cycling with “Tenerife Training” been up & down such spectacular hills + enjoyed scenery that 99% of visitors to Tenerife never see. Leslie, you have been amazing. So kind and considerate… to an old grandmother cycling fanatic. THANKS — à bientôt or hasta luego

— Rosemary

Despite the arduous terrain here, she never complained, not once. Not even when the grades reached 10% or more! Rose, honestly, it’s been a pleasure riding with you. Have a great christmas, and I wish you all the best in 2008. Also, thanks because you’re an inspiration to us all!

—Les.

Tags: Island Life, Ride the Volcano!, Inspiration. by Dr. Leslie Brown
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www.Tenerife-Training.net now caters for extra small riders! We’ve recently purchased some 16″ extra-small MTBs. These can be easily converted from a WSD hybrid style of bike (pictured below) to a conventional cross-country MTB.

Amornrat “Meow” Vatanatumrak of USA now takes the record for the shortest www.Tenerife-Training.net client, measuring 5′0″ (152cm). The previous record holder was Elena Lazkano of país vasco (Spain), who stood 5′1″ (155).

Link to the tallest client so far

Tags: News Reel, That's Business, Sales Pitch, Ride the Volcano!, Inspiration. by Dr. Leslie Brown
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1. To provide the most reliable, professional-quality bicycle hire service which accommodates for all manner of cycling enthusiasts and their associated needs on the island of Tenerife.
2. To provide an accurate, well-organised source of information about all aspects of cycling in the Canary Islands.
3. To effectively & courteously communicate with all of our potential clients.
4. To take advantage of the unique combination of Tenerife’s fantastic climate & mountainous terrain for physical training purposes.
5. To minimise our impact on the environment by saving energy, reducing waste, reusing, repairing & ultimately recycling materials wherever possible
6. To support the local Canarian culture whenever we have the choice. We firmly believe that “small is beautiful” We endeavour to show these principles to all visitors.
7. To inspire people the world over; if you can cycle here, you can do almost anything.
8. To demostrate to other businesses that you don’t have to be big, you just have to think big.
9. The ultimate goal of www.Tenerife-Training.net is to be known by the entire worldwide cycling community.
10. To demonstrate the superior efficiency of the humble bicycle whilst encouraging cycling as a simultaneous form of transport and exercise to everyone else.

Tags: Island Life, News Reel, That's Business, Sales Pitch, Ride the Volcano!, Inspiration. by Dr. Leslie Brown
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That’s right. This giant german man who stand 2.03m (6′8″) tall, rented one of our XL Mrazek BOH Road bikes just yesterday. The day before, he test-rode an XL 22″ sized Decathlon MTB, but found the seatpost was still ~5cm too short.

So when this road bike became available the following day (effectively 60cm center-center; 62cm center-top), I set the pro road seatpost to the maximum allowed height “safety height” mark, which resulted in a saddle to center-bottom-bracket measurement of a whopping 96cm. He attempted to straddle the bike and said “Ahh, you got me!” and we lowered the seatpost a few more cm to make it fit correctly…

Mathias Lohse of Germany (2.03m / 6′8″) now snatches the previous height record from Andrea Delcuratoro of Italy (1.93cm / 6′4″). Congratulations Mathias, and we hope to have some extra-long cranks available for our rental bikes in future.

 Link to the shortest client so far

Tags: News Reel, That's Business, Sales Pitch, Ride the Volcano!, Inspiration. by Dr. Leslie Brown
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1. If you have your own blog or website, providing any incoming links is always an enormously big help. Links to the homepage are preffered.
2. Simply tell other people about us! 
3. Watch my cycling in Tenerife videos & share them among your cycling buddies. 
4. Subscribe to my newsletter here!
5. Make a comment anywhere on this blog.
6. Sign up to the Cycling in the Canary Islands Forum and discuss anything about cycling.
7. Sign the Guestbook; add your photo + location!
8. Become my friend on myspace.
9. Vote for my blog on blogtoplist!
10. Rate my blog on the blogcatalogue!
11. Add any of these www.Tenerife-Training.net pages to your list of favourites (internet browser, technorati, etc)
12. Your suggestions are welcomed, and your support is much appreciated.

Tags: Island Life, News Reel, That's Business, Sales Pitch, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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I stole this from www.ciclismotenerife.net, but it gives you some exposure to the local cycling scene:

C.D. ACHINECH

C.C. TALAVERA

C.C. ONCEDIENTES

C.C. NIKO-MOTOBIKE

C.C. BALLESTER

C.C. A-NARANJO

C.C. SPORTING NAVA

CC.A-ALVAREZ

C.C. CICLO 2000

C.C. CHAVEÑA

Escuelas de Ciclismo de las provincias de Tenerife, Gran Canaria y La Palma

C.C. Escuela BENTOR

C.C. Escuela TAORO

C.C. Escuela IRUENE

 Team Xerox!

Tags: Island Life, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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I’m sure you can think of a few reasons not to hire a rental bike in Tenerife, but here are 16 legimate reasons you should:

1. Reduce your carbon footprint!! Assuming you take an extra 15kg of bicycle equipment (bike + case) as checked-on luggage, you’ll save between 100~200kg of CO₂ emissions for a typical return journey (LGW - TFS is 5800km). To emphasise how much greenhouse gas this represents, 100kg of CO₂ gas occupies 50,930 litres at standard atmospheric pressure!! My calculation is based from various sources, statistics and news sources. 
2. We have all sizes available, and can offer a custom fit service.  
3. Our bikes are very well maintained, and also provide low-range gearing suited to mountainous terrain. 
4. Save € by not paying any excess baggage fees for the additional weight of your sporting equipment!
5. Save $ by not having to buy a dedicated bike case!
6. It’s obvioulsy more convenient to travel around without a loaded bulky bike case plus all that cycling equipment.
7. There’s no risk of being refused check-in at the airport through carrying too much luggage.
8. There’s also zero risk of airport ground-crew damaging your own bike during transport if you leave it at home.
9. Neither do you need to worry about someone stealing your own highly-prized expensive wonderbike while on holiday!  
10. There’s no need to spend ages packing your own bike, hence more time to ride on the first and last day!
11. Should anything go wrong with one of our bikes, we obviously provide free servicing, free spare parts and/or a replacement bike!
12. We offer a refund for each day that you aren’t able to ride due to mechanical failure.
13. There’s no need to clean the bike afterwards. Let us worry about it!
14. Your own super-light weight bike may not actually be as reliable as one of ours.
15. Make it seem more like a “family holiday” & gain bonus points with your spouse!
16. Help support our green eco-friendly business and the local economy.

Tags: That's Business, Sales Pitch, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Introducing the new www.Tenerife-Training.net forum!
I hope you can take a look, sign up & post something:

The NEW Cycling Tenerife Forum is HERE!

It’s primarily dedicated to local Canarian cyclists, but it does have an English forum section. I’m hoping to grow a small community of local bike riders. Hopefully with a bit of work it’ll be a successful place where we can all chat about bicycles.

Tags: News Reel, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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It takes a lot of time communicating the bike hire & equipment needs of my clients. Normally it takes between 3 & 5 emails to finally confirm everything -for example- the size of the type & size of bicycle they want to rent, thier name, contact number, height, the name + location of their hotel or apartment, dates of stay, dates of bike hire, number of days of bike rental, and any other questions they may have.

On my sister’s advice, I decided to create an online bicycle hire reservation form for specifying everything online, but like every new task, it always takes longer than you think. It’s a typical revenge effect: Setting up any automated system in the hopes of saving time, initially requires even more time to be invested!! It also sometimes requires further human involvement, to keep it in check!

The main glitch was that I wasn’t getting sent any data at all!! But there were lots of other bugs to fix too. This has taken hours and hoursto sort out (I had to learn new html form tags & some php code), so I hope this will eventually save some time. It’s now finally up and running…

Online bicycle hire reservation form now available here!

Tags: News Reel, That's Business, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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The best and worst maps of Tenerife:

Tags: Island Life, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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You may recognise some of these roads; a few of these images were used to make the slide film header for this blog…

Tags: Island Life, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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The first step in creating my online business was to start with a good quality website. I improved the content by taking spectacular photos, providing free information, maps, bike routes, altitude profiles & even filming several good quality cycling videos.

Despite advertising all this with google adwords, posting countless links on cycling forums, and creating numerous in-links from cycling holiday directories, it still was not receiving many visitors (between 30-50 per day). Moreover, web visitors do not always equate to cutomers! So I paid for one magazine advertisement in cyclingweekly.co.uk which I turned out to be a complete waste of £100.

Obviously, the only way to get any internet business to work is to increase web traffic. The first thing any online shop needs is a good website design, preferably with interesting content and something to sell. But www.Tenerife-Training.net was still not receiving the level of exposure required to generate sufficent income.

Clearly something was not working. The idea of selling any product is effective & appropriate marketing. If no one knows you exist, how can you suceed? I realised that my niche is incredibly small & it would be extemely difficult. I knew I needed to target hard-core cyclists, and cyclo-tourists who have the most probablity of hiring a bike when they come to train & tour this island. How could I reach them all?

[Read more →]

Tags: That's Business, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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I know it’s probably too late for everyone, but I’ve uploaded the 2007 cycle racing events calender. It is in pdf format & you can download it HERE. I’ll be sure to upload the 2008 calender of cycling events asap.

Tags: Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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We really had fun making this. A special thanks to Iván - I couldn’t have done it without you man!

Tags: Island Life, News Reel, That's Business, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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Tags: News Reel, Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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I am currently “testing the waters” in regards to organising an annual, single-day amateur bicycle challenge event some time late in 2008:

The “Teide Extreme Climbing Competition”, a sealevel - 2300m climb over a distance of 35 km!

I’d like to ascertain the level of interest before pursuing this idea any further. Please express your interest in this event by casting your vote in the poll below. The Exact Date is also yet to be decided… a vote on that would also be appreciated. Tell your friends & stay tuned!

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Tags: Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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1. Head for the hills - there’s no cheating yourself here, because you can’t draft behind other riders, and it forces you to keep pedalling continuously. This is our philosophy.
2. Get your cycling equipment ready the night before - so you have no excuses in the morning not to go. That way, you feel extra guilty if you sleep in, and you won’t miss all-important weekend training sessions due to “general morning laziness”.
3. Become an “instant fixer” - don’t procrastinate & delay any bicycle repairs. Fix it ASAP, because a broken bike gives you one more reason not to go for the next ride.
4. Increase your mileage to improve endurance - for example: rather than go for daily 1 hour rides, go for a 2 hour ride every other day, or 3 - 4 hour ride twice a week. This also eliminates a lot of wasted preparation time.
5. Get out quick before you change your mind - clouds looming overhead? Computer not working? Cycling jersey still in the wash? Pacing & wondering whether to go or not? If so, you’re procrastinating. Don’t think, act! Just go already, even if the conditions aren’t ideal! Even if it rains, once you’re wet, you can’t get any wetter. Provided that your habitual bike position doesn’t change, if you make the time to ride, you will get fitter & you will enjoy cycling more… with plain old tap water or with sports drinks; with or without knowing the distance you’ve travelled or the current speed you’re doing; wet or dry.
6. Go for a short ride - we all have other important commitments besides cycling. If you don’t have time for a long 3 - 5 hour ride, don’t obsess over not being able to go. I.e. don’t suffer from “all or nothing syndrome”. Go for an hour. Go for 20 minutes. Its still better than nothing! If you’re really serious, treat it as a “rest or recovery day”.
7. Ride to work - exercise while you commute. Also great for the environment; no further explanation necessary.
8. Join a bike club - the commitment to meet with other cyclists at a specified time and date helps your motivation level. You’re less likely to bail out of a training session, because you let other people down as well as yourself.
9. Don’t set unrealistic goals - because when you fail to reach them, you’ll lose motivation to continue with your training plan. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you skip a day or a week or even a month. Even professional cyclists need rest periods. And lastly, remember that half the fun of excercising is feeling the gradual improvement in your own fitness level. If you haven’t ridden for a looong time, there’s only one way to go, and that’s to be fitter. Maintain positive thinking.
10. Don’t be a slave; embrace change! - this applies to heart rate monitors, cycle-computers, training schedules, ride routines, clothing, food, etc. We’re all humans, we’re all fallible. All routines eventually become boring and “samey”, and then they fail. Hence change is the key. Plan a new ride once in a while.

“Ride your bike. Ride your bike. Ride Your bike.” - Fausto Copi

Tags: Ride the Volcano!, Learning Curve by Dr. Leslie Brown
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1. The mountains are higher in Tenerife than Mallorca (the roads here go up to 2300m, Mt Teide is 3700m)
2. Tenerife is much warmer in the winter months than Mallorca (January, February, March) so you can start your on-bike training earlier in the season.
3. Tenerife has no flat roads, forcing you to train harder.
4. Tenerife is where all the professional pro-tour cyclists do their pro cycle-training camps.
5. You’re sick of all the beginner cyclists /café-poser cyclist culture in Mallorca
6. You’re a loner, and you’re sick at the sight of all the other cyclists in Majorca!
7. You prefer to end a day’s ride on a black volcanic sand beach than an off-white coloured one.
8. You’ve already cycled through all the roads in Mallorca and cycle lanes in the surrounding Balearic Islands.
9. You don’t know how to pronounce “Mallorca”
10. There are no decent offroad down-hill runs in Mallorca!

Tags: Ride the Volcano! by Dr. Leslie Brown
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1. You only ever seem to wear out two gears in your rear sprocket: the 25T and the 12T.
2. You realise that you need to replace your brake pads again, but you only changed them less than 6 months ago.
3. The only other bike frames you see are one of the following brands: Orbea, Decathlon, Giant, Scott, Specialised, diTec or Goka.
4. You’re riding within a 10km radius of the Parador Hotel at Altitude and you see professional cycling teams training for the Tour de France.
5. You’re climbing somewhere and people start cheering you and yelling “VENGA!” on the side of the roads.
6. You’ve climbed 1000m already, you can see the Atlantic ocean, and there’s still 1300m to go.
7. You suddenly have to manouvre around a goat-herd.
8. You’ve only cycled 100km at the end of the day, but you feel like you’ve cycled twice that amount.
9. You’re cycling through La Orotava, and some crazy guy in thongs starts chasing you to hand out a www.Tenerife-Training.net business card.
10. You see hard-core downhill bikes in every bike shop which actually get used for more than street-curb-jumping.

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