Biking in the Algarve (long)

Just got back from a very pleasant week biking around the Algarve.

(At this point, anyone who isn't interested in my tedious ramblings
about the holiday should kill the thread....)

Arrived at Faro last Saturday to me met by someone from the bike hire
company. They bundled us into the company van and took us out to their
shop in Albufeira where we were presented with a slightly scuffed and
high-ish mileage CB500 in zit yellow with gay purple bits. Things were
not looking good at this point - however, given the lack of
alternatives, we loaded up the throwovers and tank back and set off for
the small fishing village of Cabanas at the eastern end of the Algarve.

Initial impressions of the CB were that it really didn't like the weight
of 2 people and thier luggage, but it went well enough for the Portugese
roads and the engine was actually quite nice - reasonable amounts of
torque and a nice engine note around the mid range.

Arriving at Cabanas, we collected the keys for our apartment and managed
to find our way to it - things have changed massively since we last went
there, with several roads not marked on the map. The apartment, however,
was excellent - loads of space, 2 bedrooms and 2 balconies. The rest of
the day was spent catching up on sleep as a result of a 6am flight from
Heathrow.

Day one of riding consisted of a short-ish blat down the N125 (Most
dangerous road in Europe, apparently), turning right at Villa Real de
San Antonio and up the N122, branching off to Alcoutim. Initially, the
N122 was a nice, wide well surfaced road due to European funding,
however, after about 10kms, it reverted to the badly surfaced, twisty
climb up into the hills I'd remembered. Never done it before on a bike,
and it was great fun once I got into the swing of things - even managed
to scrape a peg once or twice (not deliberately, I add). After the
obligatory pics of us and the bike at Alcoutim, we moved on taking the
tediously straight and boring roman road to Martim Longo before letting
my GPS do it's stuff and finding some totally remote and unmapped roads
back to the apartment.

Day two started with the grin-inducing N122, then the straight bit,
before I found some more twisties to take us via Mertola to Beja. For
anyone visiting Portugal, I really wouldn't bother with Beja - it's like
the Manchester of southern Europe, however, Mertola is a wonderful
little old town in up in the hills and definitely worth a visit. Coming
back via the motorway down to Faro, the heavens opened and we spent the
next 80kms riding in the sort of rain that instantly floods roads and
reduces visibility to 50m or so.

Day three - try and dry bike kit.

After the rain of day 2 were were reluctant to venture too far from the
apartment - so the fourth and fifth days were spent pottering along the
coast between Tavira (with it's old castle, city walls and 37 churches)
and Vila Real. There's some lovely, untouched little villages along this
stretch of the Algarve, which makes a nice contrast with the frankly
tacky western Algarve with it's tower block hotels and casinos.

However, we didn't wuss out of the riding completely, especially when we
found a stretch of new road that started in the middle of nowhere. I've
studied maps, looked at the GPS and _still_ can't find any reference to
it. Whatever the reason for it, it was a lovely, 20km or so length of
undulating twisty climb up into the hills around Martim Longo. It ended
as abruptly as it started, leaving us to find our way back using the
network of uncharted roads between hamlets in the Baixo Guardiana region
of Portugal.

Day six was spent wandering around Tavira, with the final day taking in
a slighly dull visit to the Western algarve resorts and finally a quick
photoshoot at the Algarve stadium near Faro before dropping off the bike
back at the airport.

Things of interest during the week were the huge number of aging
Portuguese fishermen blatting around on pre-revolution built shite old 2
strokes. [1], food and beer was both cheap and of superb quality -
whoever found that pork and clams made an excellent dish deserves some
sort of reward, and Sagres beer rocks. Especially at 1 euro for a 400ml
glass.

In summary - I'd do it all again, only next time I'll take the Transalp
offered by the rental company. Several times we reached the end of the
tarmac and would have liked to have gone further, but a CB500 on a
mixture of Pirelli MT75 and Macadam wasn't the bike to do it.

I can definitely recommend Almotos of Albufeira for bike hire - their
bikes may be a little scuffed, but they're in excellent mechanical
condition and they're cheap (200 euros for a week on the CB, which was
significantly cheaper than anyone else). Next time we do it, we'll be
crossing over the boarder and exploring a bit of Spain, though.

[1]
http://www.italiancar.co.uk/Algarve04/images/DSCN0249.jpg
http://www.italiancar.co.uk/Algarve04/images/DSCN0286.jpg
http://www.italiancar.co.uk/Algarve04/images/DSCN0287.jpg

 

That's a sweet piece of kit.

 

Stuff like that was everywhere - usually loaded up with buckets of clams
or crates of fruit. All piloted by old blokes in piss-pot plastic
helmets.

 

I took my leathers with me last time I went to Portugal thinking I'd hire a
bike. [1] It was too hot and looking at that I'm glad I didn't

 

At times it was very hot. But I didn't take full leathers - just
combats, Cat boots and my all weather jacket with the lining taken out.

We really enjoyed having the bike out there - didn't do huge mileage on
it, but it was a great way to get about and see bits of the Algarve we
didn't bother with when we hired a car out there.

All depends on what you want from a holiday - I can't stand lying around
on a beach or sitting around outside cafes all day, so, fo us, it was a
great holiday, even if the write-up sounds a bit dull.

 

I didn't know you'd taken Sweller and TOG along as well.

 

Heh.

Those pics were taken specifically for the benefit of said posters

 

Covet

 

And very much appreciated they were too.

 

Envy[/QUOTE]

Why do you envy this?

But covet this, given that they're the same bike, from different
angles?

--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/KH500A8/TS250C
|_\_____/_| ..73063../..16589.../..3180./.19406
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4 PM#5
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11 WG*
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4
'^'

 

Yes yes yes, all very nice I'm sure.

But where are the pics of the topless Portugese babes?

 

Heh.

Didn't go near a proper 'tourist' beach all week. I'm rather proud of
that.

 

SteveH was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

AOL to that.

You heathen - drinking *beer* in Portugal.

Try Seville for a start - we staid in the same area in Portugal
earlier this year and Seville is a nice day trip.

Mind ewe, the rental company is going to hit you with an additional
fee if you want to take the cage or bike out of Portugal into Spain.

 

The Older Gentleman was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

You sir, are sick

 

Why not? - we did have an evening or two on the wine, but I much prefer
beer. Sagres is great stuff, doesn't give me any sort of hangover at
all.

Where did you stay? - I'm always looking for alternative places to stay
around there, having done Cabanas twice now.

Depends on the extra cost, really. I'd happily pay a little extra to do
it, especially as it's just too far to take our own bike.

 

I can't remember when I last got so excited over a CZ and a BSA thing.

 

*Proud*

 

I think I'll stick with apartments. Certainly if I'm staying in one
place for a week. Place we rented was superb - 2 bedrooms (handy when
drying out bike kit) and very well equipped kitchen (so much so I even
stayed in and did some cooking - inspired by the relative quality of the
fresh produce out there compared with the shite we get in the UK).

Ouch. That's a bit steep. Mind, with the location we were in, it's
possible to spend a good few days in Spain, popping over and back each
day.

 

And port. Don't forget port.

 

True. I don't drink port, plus if you're going to drink the local stuff,
then you should only really drink Port up north.