On your bike!
Looking for your next big Barcelona adventure? See the city on two wheels! This alternative way of visiting and having a good time is getting more and more popular. Moreover it is healthy, practical and fun.
From Mont Juic to the Olympic Port
Visiting Barcelona by bike is a great idea if you are in the city just for a few days and you want to see the most important landmarks. In this case, the best option would be to go on a ride organized by a bike (bicycle) hiring agency. There are many bike agencies in Barcelona and they offer tours for groups and individuals. The Barcelona tours usually last three or four hours and run through Parc de la Ciutadella, Rambles, Gothic Quater to Port Vell and Barcelonetta. You can also go from Montjuic to the Olimpic Port or visit Barcelona center and see the Gaudi architecture.
Bike hiring agencies
If you are a resident in Barcelona and still don’t have your own bike you can rent it from a bike hiring agency. Agencies rent bicycles by hours, days or weeks and prices are modified accordingly. If you decide to buy your own bike, big hipermarkets such as Carrefour and Al Campo sell them at reasonable prices starting at 100 euros. Instead of buying a new model you can take advantage of the second hand shops.
Bike lanes in BCN
The cyclist can take advantage of over a hundred kilometres of bike lanes in Barcelona. If you are a beginner in the world of cycling it would be better if you start by following one of the main bike lanes in the city but be prepared for the traffic jams. The main lane is at Diagonal, but it is very busy on weekdays. If you ride down Diagonal from Maria Cristina metro station at the weekend it can be really nice and relaxing. Going down the avenue you can visit some exhibitions or simply have a snack. If you want to see some of Barcelona's modernistic heritage you should turn to Enric Granados street. When you reach Consell de Cent turn left and then go to Plaça de les Glòries to look at the Torre Agbar.
Cycling at night
It is a good idea to cycle in Barcelona at night. It's really exciting to admire Barcelona's unique architecture in twilight when there is no more traffic in the streets. You can have a pleasant dinner somewhere outdoors, than have a drink and listen to the music in a different setting. When you feel like changing the atmosphere and going to dancing you just get on your bike and go. At the end of the night you don't worry anymore about finding a taxi or waiting for the first train.
Taking your bike on public transport
You can also use a bike in conjunction with other modes of transport to cover longer distances in Barcelona and Catalonia. If you are take metro be aware that there are certain hours to take bikes on trains. During the working days it is permitted from 5am to 6.30am, from 9.30 am to 4.30pm and then from 8.30pm until the closing time. On weekends and public holidays, as well as during all July and August, you can travel on the underground with your bike all day. Remember to carry your vehicle at the ends of the carriages and on Line 2 there are special areas for bikes. If you take Montjuïc funicular railway there are no time limitations. On Rodalies suburban lines from Monday to Friday bicycles can be carried until 3pm and the rest of the week for the whole day but only as long as the train is not full. In this case it is up to the guard and you might be asked to get off.
Parking spaces for bikes
The Barcelona City Council tries to promote cycling as an alternative form of transport to the car and motorbike. Presently 30,000 people use the bicycle as a regular mean of transport in Barcelona but there’s still a lack of parking areas for cyclists in the city. There are two main types of parking. The first one is at street level with currently 3,250 parking spaces, the other are underground car parks with space for 300 bicycles. The parking spaces are normally rented for a reasonably price that is about 11 euro a month and a daily basis for 1.20 euro.
Bike security
Although cycling has many advantages like keeping you in a good shape, being ecological, saving money and time, as it is faster than moving by car, and being simply fun there are also some problems you need to be aware of. The biggest one is thefts. Remember to always lock your vehicle, even if you are leaving it for a few moments. For a thief it is enough that you turn your back. The best idea is to lock your bicycle to something permanently fastened to the ground. Try to use two locks, one lock for each wheel and fixed to the frame. Try to park your bike in places where there are a lot of people. Side streets are charming but not for leaving your bike on its own. And one more thing: helmets in Barcelona are not obligatory but you`d be a lot safer with one.
Further afield
Do not forget there are really many great places to go around Catalonia as well. Delta de l'Ebre, county of Ripollès, Val de Zafán located in the Terra Alta or a route from Olot to Girona are great ideas to spend approximately three hours of pedalling in a pleasant green environment. To get to these areas with a bike you can travel by regional trains first but you should know a permit is required for a group of more than five vehicles travelling together in a train. You can obtain it at Sants Station. If you don't have your own bike then sign up with a bike agency. These organised tours usually include transport of people and rented bicycles, typical meal in a visited area and sometimes a cultural excursion or other amusement activity.
Cycle path routes
So have a nice ride! The cycling path guide can be consulted on the website http://www.bcn.es/bicicleta/pdf/mapabici.pdf
More than just a Bicycle
Over 50,000 people are estimated to use a bicycle for getting around Barcelona, according to a recent study by the Consell de la Joventut del Ajuntament, and this number is constantly growing. Small wonder when you consider the obvious benefits to the environment, as well as the physical advantages of getting regular exercise, and financial benefits of being cheaper than a monthly metro card (not to mention anything on 4 wheels…)
Gone are the days when a bike was just a bike, aside from the standard city and mountain bikes some new trends have been sweeping Europe’s larger cities – most notably the folding bike, closely followed by the electronic bike and the occasional Segway™.
FOLDING BIKES The folding bike’s distinctive small wheels and long poles which bring the handlebars and saddle to a normal height might not make it the most aesthetically pleasing item on the road, but it is undoubtedly one of the most practical. If you get tired or have a longer distance to cover, bikes fold up in about 15 seconds and can easily be taken on the metro or in a cab. Restaurants and bars usually allow you to store them under a table, hostels and hotels can accommodate them, and they can be left in storage lockers with the bulky bags in most museums or galleries.
CITY BIKES/ THEFT City bikes have a more classic and robust feel to them, and can be bought new or second hand. The Consell de la Joventut del Ajuntament’s study revealed that 70% of bike owners prefer to get a cheap but sturdy second hand bike which is less likely to attract theft than a brand new one. This comes as no surprise since an estimated quarter of bicycle owners have at some point been victims of theft. Nevertheless, with some basic security advice as outlined by Ben Francis of Drop Bikes in Barcelona, the odds of hanging onto your bike can firmly be stacked in your favour.
“You’ve got to lock the bike properly with locks on each wheel,” he confirms. “It’s well worth investing in a good quality D-lock and attaching that from the back wheel to something that won’t move, and a second lock through the front wheel. Taking the saddle with you is also a good idea.” Keeping a bike serviced is also of paramount importance; it’s a machine that needs maintenance and will break or may cause an accident otherwise. With a little care a bike can last many years. Servicing a bike costs about €25, and this includes having the brakes, wheels and oil checked.
ELECTRIC BIKES Although currently more popular with tourists than residents, electric bicycles offer the best of both worlds; the efficiency of a bike with a little help from a battery operated motor. The main difference between an electric bicycle and a moped is that the motor on the former can run when the rider is pedalling. For those who want to achieve a decent speed whilst pedalling leisurely, this has got to be the way forward! An average battery lasts around 8 hours whilst pedalling, and 3 to 4 hours without. It is recharged with a charger connected to an electric plug, like a mobile phone. Children under the age of 14 are not legally allowed to ride electric bikes.
BMX/ FREESTYLE Barcelona’s street and skate scene counts with it some large crews of BMX and freestyle stunt bike enthusiasts, who use the urban architecture as one giant playground. Favourite spots include the BMX race track in Horta, the skate park in Marbella beach, and the Premia de Dalt BMX track which also has dirt jumps, a trial area, and a new skate park. Sam Francis of Drop Bikes has been living in Barcelona for 2 years, and offers a few suggestions for anyone wanting to hook up with this crowd and get involved. “The easiest way is to go to your local bike shop, and ask about activities or gatherings, or just go to the bike tracks, the people are always very welcoming and try to help and give advice to beginners. Also, every Friday at 9.30pm at the end of Via Laietana there’s usually 15 to 30 riders, of all levels and ages, there you’ll be able to pick up the basics and meet interesting and different people.”
SEGWAY Last but not least, that strange two wheeled electrically powered transporter that seems to be lifted straight out of a Futurama cartoon, the Segway™. Step onto the platform and its “dynamic stabilisation” mechanism will respond to a combination of the manually operated steering control and the rider’s body movements. Lean slightly forward and the Segway™ advances, lean backwards for reverse. If only such a mechanism was incorporated into cars, reverse parking would be a nightmare of the past… Since a Segway™ costs about €4,600, the best way give this a go is with an organised tour. Barcelona Glides offers a 2 hour tour with some interesting historical insights around areas such as the Born, the Gothic Quarter and of course Barceloneta.
BIKE SAFETY If the first important element of safety on the roads is ensuring that your bike is in good condition, the second must be to know and respect the rules of the road (even when it seems that nobody else does.) The most frequent response from motorists who have an accident with a cyclist is that they didn’t see them, so being visible with a bright jacket and reflector pads by night is also of paramount importance. Bearing these basic points in mind, all that remains is to choose your two wheels and get on yer bike!
For further information/ sales/ rentals:
Drop Bikes: Mountain bike, BMX, FreeRide, Folding bikes and bike tours.
Address: C/ Roca, 26 bajos (off Rambla) Tel: 93 183 5291
Web: www.drop-bikes.com
Cost per day: from €18
Bike Rental Barcelona: Electric bikes
Address: C/ Mallorca, 371 and C/ Enric Granados, 61. Tel: 93 451 1553
Web: www.beb.com.es
Cost per day: €20
Barcelona Glides: Segway Tours
Address: Baixada del Caçador, Local nº2 Tel: 932 689 536
Web: www.spainglides.com
Cost per 2hr tour: €60 |
Accommodation
