In Sao Mantinho on the way back to Sao Vicente on my humble steed.
Discussion
That looks like a nice bike, I'm on a silly little thing. I've only just replaced a broken saddle that I've been putting up with for 2 years, just to give you an idea of how ramshackle my life is lol.
Well, it wasn't really that expensive. But I need something to get around. The walk to the main town in Sao Vicente is about an hour. Now I will be down in 15 and back in 30.
I am struggling a bit with the idea of what is the best economic option, slowly doing up parts of an old bike or buying a cheap brand new one or a cheap 2nd hand one (which may end up also having more problems lol).
It's a bit of a gamble but ultimately cheaper and more enjoyable than public transport:)
yeah, i prefer bicycles, my favourite, bikes and trains
both very cost efficient and both disappearing from local government planning
That's a nice hybrid, do you commute often with your bike or just like the comfort for riding distance?
I'm thinking about getting one here soon.
It's a "trekking" bike I think, road and gravel and ok a bit on trail but hardtail. It's 15.5kg 27.5k wheels, 2" wide, one of the few in the price range - 250€ that didn't have those stupid hybrid wheels, they have proper medium tread over the center. V brakes and I got two spaces because I am gonna kill them on the downhill... Yeah, rockrider brand, from Decathlon
Nothing comfortable about riding on this island... Mostly too steep to pedal up and often seriously dangerous to roll down. There reasonable slopes on the snakey road up to my place so it's gonna be good exercise.
Are Madeiran roads bike friendly?
You’re one brave man 🫡
It's fine if you are alert. Off the main tracks on a Sunday afternoon it's as quiet as a graveyard here in Camara dos Lobos... Was a cat totally passed out sleeping in the middle of the road as I was walking up the hill...
But yes, you have to be careful, and the slopes are intense off the main drags. Gonna be slow going until I get to Ribeira de Brava at least. No shortcuts. Only short way is the highway which is no bicycles.
If Iit’s not busy then it’s the slopes and the edges, I haven’t biked there but maybe it’s fine in some places
well, i would say best to stick to the coastal roads, in any case, they are the flattest and most interesting, unfortunately they have decomissioned some in favor of tunnel paths and you can't even walk through them ffs like why?
my biggest hate in this island is the whole car thing, and they almost drive as bad as italians
i just don't understand why they didn't consider that maybe they should actual usable footpaths here and there, half the time the only place they put a footpath is on a 15' grade that they then plant trees in the middle of them so two people walking beside each other have to form single file every 50 metres, what the fuck is wrong with these urban planners, i mean, if i had any say in what they get paid they'd get paid nothing and go home let's find some actual urban designer lol
I saw some of the roads that go through the tunnel and the old roads that’s between the mountain and the sea, I’d say it’s good that they closed some of the old ones, cause there’s some rocks on the old roads and they definitely looked like they came down from the mountains
yeah, on the old road to Ponta Delgada two sections fell into the sea too, but they were fixing them