Mallorca 2019

Last week 50 Kendal Cycle Club members went to the Spanish island of Mallorca for a week of cycling, sunshine, coffee, cake, more cycling, swimming and laughter. One of the toughest days of the trip was the Mallorca coast to coast ride, an 80 mile cycle from Port d’Andratx on the west coast to Alcudia on the east. The route hugs the coast, climbing up and down through Spanish villages before ascending the longest climb on the island, 9 miles of uphill to the top of the Puig Mejor.

Club member Ruth Walton said, “I am often frustrated at an assumption that slow riders don’t enjoy longer, harder, hillier rides so the way this was planned was excellent for me – just get dropped off and ride home! I really enjoyed it, felt relaxed and confident on the route, happily rode at my own pace and I was pretty chuffed and reassured that I found it well within my capabilities.”

Adam Higgins said that his highlight of the trip was the infamous Sa Calobra climb. “Last year I was 19 stone and it took me 1 hour 38 minutes to ride up it. In the last 12 months I have lost 4 1/2 stone and my goal this year was to do it in under 1 hour and I surprised myself by doing it in just under 48 minutes.”

Throughout the week club members rode in small groups with some days longer than others. Some people enjoyed riding to a café for some Spanish cake and coffee while others wanted to push their limits covering long distances over the hills.

Trip organiser Ben Dowman said, “this trip is about club members coming together to ride on some fantastic roads and share time on a beautiful sunny island, some to challenge themselves and others to take a more leisurely approach. It’s not just about cycling, people also went swimming, running, rock climbing and sightseeing during the week and there was plenty of cake and coffee consumed”.

Club member Will Hall said, “the week has given me time to meet new members of the club and get to know people better. It has knitted our club more closely together and made it stronger, physically and metaphorically. Our club started three years ago and it gave me an enormous sense of community to look down the table at evening meal and see 50 members sharing their stories from the day and planning the following one.”

Kendal Cycle Club is an award winning club, affiliated to British Cycling and is open to all cyclists. As well as the annual Mallorca trip the club offers regular group rides for a range of abilities, coaching for children, women’s specific rides, training for competition and challenge events and helps people improve their fitness.