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Spain trip
- Thread starter Brian P
- Start date
Priller
Well-known member
Looks absolutely astonishing. Can't imagine it being even better. I'd ask if this was you, but wrong BMW:
Spanish road engineers obviously never got the memo about blasting and infill that the MTO works with. Either that or the asphalt companies have them in their pockets, as the roads go around the geography instead of through like is done here. Bless them all...
Spanish road engineers obviously never got the memo about blasting and infill that the MTO works with. Either that or the asphalt companies have them in their pockets, as the roads go around the geography instead of through like is done here. Bless them all...
Google Maps
Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.es
Priller
Well-known member
I don't type 'LOL' as a general rule, but clicking that route literally made me laugh out loud. I would imagine the F800GT is a pretty decent companion as long as the springs aren't too squishy...
Google Maps
Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
It's soft, but it's not like I'm dragging knee pucks around every corner. I am, after all, riding solo a quarter of the way around the world from home.
The short ride here reminded me why I like the F800 series for trips like this (except the GS which I have no use for). They're light, the steering is accurate, the riding position is all-day comfortable. Compared to the big touring bikes, I have to pare down what I bring with me (My laptop bag won't fit anywhere, the laptop itself just barely fits in the top case) but it's worth it to not be carting excess weight.
The short ride here reminded me why I like the F800 series for trips like this (except the GS which I have no use for). They're light, the steering is accurate, the riding position is all-day comfortable. Compared to the big touring bikes, I have to pare down what I bring with me (My laptop bag won't fit anywhere, the laptop itself just barely fits in the top case) but it's worth it to not be carting excess weight.
Priller
Well-known member
I looked at a Ducati Supersport briefly when we were planning a potential Mugello trip for next year. It seemed an ideal compromise for that sort of touring, but I've heard a few horror stories of people thinking they've rented something lovely and exotic only to be handed the keys to a shagged out F650GS on arrival (and any complaints are dismissed with a shrug).
Day two (first real riding day). I did more or less the route posted above, and it was great! Slow... you can't cover ground fast on these roads. Ronda turned out to be a busy tourist trap with nowhere to park. I'm at a hotel just outside Ronda and there is hardly anyone around. If you want a picture of the big old bridge in Ronda, look it up, because I couldn't get one. Rode across it (twice) but, nowhere to stop. On a related note, Garmin sucks, to the point that I think they should just give up and put Google Maps on their devices. The touch screen sucks (and is slow and unresponsive). It can't find anything. Maybe it's a problem with Spanish addresses, I don't know.
Route plan for day three. Google Maps
Priller
Well-known member
Looked up the bridge(s), can see why the tourism. Definitely spectacular.
And yes, Garmin does suck, relatively speaking. Went to a wedding recently in Calgary, and the venue was near the massive construction as part of the ring road highway expansion. Anyone routing with a dedicated GPS was late, as almost every road in the area had been redirected, while those with Google Maps arrived with no issue. That said, I've struggled with Google in Italy occasionally, as the address system isn't always super accurate. I'm assuming the same applies in Spain...
First half looks great before you drop into the valley. Also, you are passing the track and appear to be routing towards a soccer stadium. Should be fun either way!
The thing that has sucked in the past about Google Maps is the phone app not wanting to accept customised route planning. In the interest of having a quick way to check the route plan for today, might as well write the route numbers somewhere ...
A374 towards Ronda
MA7401 right
MA8401 left
A373 straight ahead (not the left turn)
A372 right
CA9104 left
A2300 straight ahead
A384 left
A382 straight ahead (motorway)
A2005 straight ahead (motorway ends entering Jerez)
Av Rata Verdu
Av Chema Rodriguez and it's 150 m ahead on right
... and I slept in, and had better get going.
A374 towards Ronda
MA7401 right
MA8401 left
A373 straight ahead (not the left turn)
A372 right
CA9104 left
A2300 straight ahead
A384 left
A382 straight ahead (motorway)
A2005 straight ahead (motorway ends entering Jerez)
Av Rata Verdu
Av Chema Rodriguez and it's 150 m ahead on right
... and I slept in, and had better get going.
Priller
Well-known member
Yeah, I've never been able to work around that with Google Maps. It's all about getting you to your destination the fastest way, scenic route be damned. I've tried setting waypoints on a computer and sharing the route to my phone, but it's a fiddle to get it to move on to the next waypoint when you arrive at one, and it's just as likely to erase the whole route.
My current compromise is using Calimoto for route planning on a computer and then routing on my phone, then having the option to jump over to Google if it gets a road wrong or if I need to find the closest gas station (which is pretty regularly on a Tuono)...
I'm checked into the B&B Hotel in Jerez, and the bike has been lightened for the next few days ... side bags removed. I'm leaving the top case on because, (a) it's kinda handy, (b) I can't reliably remove and install it ... BMW's keylock for the top case is infuriating.
I ended up with a little more distance covered than originally planned, because I got lost in Ubrique. The town is a maze of narrow one-way streets and there's no direct route for the main road through town ... which is understandable, because of the surrounding landscape. Initially I missed seeing a "no entry" sign and got several metres up into a one-way street the wrong way before realising what had happened. Then when trying to recover from that, the GPS sent me towards a road that the "policia" had blocked off. Then when recovering from that, I spotted A-373 on the GPS and dutifully followed it out of town ... which turned out to be back the way I had come in ... part of the problem here was that the GPS was desparately trying to get me to turn around and take a shorter route. But, this was fine, because the section of A-373 back to the next junction which had a building that I recognised as having just come from there ... is not terrible. LOL
A-372 and CA-9104 are incredible scenic routes.
You cannot ride fast on these roads. There's no center-line marking, the width isn't what North American road planners would consider to be a two-lane road, there's no breakdown lanes or shoulders, and there's stuff (be it buildings, trees, rock-faces, or the rocks lining the drop-off to a valley below) right up to the side of the road. Most right-hand turns are blind, and there could be a car, truck, or bus coming the other way ... these roads are how commercial goods get to these towns, generally there is no other way. Best hug the right edge of the road and keep your speed very much within sanity.
Truth be told, I was happy that the last 20-ish km into Jerez was 120 km/h motorway. I'm beat.
I ended up with a little more distance covered than originally planned, because I got lost in Ubrique. The town is a maze of narrow one-way streets and there's no direct route for the main road through town ... which is understandable, because of the surrounding landscape. Initially I missed seeing a "no entry" sign and got several metres up into a one-way street the wrong way before realising what had happened. Then when trying to recover from that, the GPS sent me towards a road that the "policia" had blocked off. Then when recovering from that, I spotted A-373 on the GPS and dutifully followed it out of town ... which turned out to be back the way I had come in ... part of the problem here was that the GPS was desparately trying to get me to turn around and take a shorter route. But, this was fine, because the section of A-373 back to the next junction which had a building that I recognised as having just come from there ... is not terrible. LOL
A-372 and CA-9104 are incredible scenic routes.
You cannot ride fast on these roads. There's no center-line marking, the width isn't what North American road planners would consider to be a two-lane road, there's no breakdown lanes or shoulders, and there's stuff (be it buildings, trees, rock-faces, or the rocks lining the drop-off to a valley below) right up to the side of the road. Most right-hand turns are blind, and there could be a car, truck, or bus coming the other way ... these roads are how commercial goods get to these towns, generally there is no other way. Best hug the right edge of the road and keep your speed very much within sanity.
Truth be told, I was happy that the last 20-ish km into Jerez was 120 km/h motorway. I'm beat.
One other thing ... local weather update. Current conditions in Jerez 29 and partly cloudy (it was cooler up in the mountains). Thunderstorms were in the forecast for this afternoon, and threatened but did not happen (i have not been rained on yet). Still in the forecast (90% POP 5-10mm) for tonight. The next few days - which cover the World Superbike event - look to be sunny to partly cloudy, 26 - 29 C. Monday (for the ride back to Malaga) a mix of sun and clouds. 31 C. I can handle that.
In Barcelona, there's rain forecast for Wed 29th (a day set aside for exploring Barcelona, but not riding) and after that - clear and mid-twenties. If it stays like that, I am fine with not having to take out my rainsuit. Of course I brought the rainsuit, so that it wouldn't rain.
I'm going for a walk ... find something to eat ... go exploring a little.
In Barcelona, there's rain forecast for Wed 29th (a day set aside for exploring Barcelona, but not riding) and after that - clear and mid-twenties. If it stays like that, I am fine with not having to take out my rainsuit. Of course I brought the rainsuit, so that it wouldn't rain.
I'm going for a walk ... find something to eat ... go exploring a little.
lies, NOT available.
Try it again now. I just made the album public.
Little bit of planning to do while the weather decides whether it's going to be a clear or rainy evening. It's clear here, but with dark clouds floating around, and apparently it's raining in Seville (about 50 km north).
Saturday and Sunday are a given - Circuito de Jerez. Tomorrow is the question. I'd like to go to the track at some point and check in to make sure I have the right paperwork and see if they need the actual piece of paper ticket and proof of vaccination, or whether the digital copy on my phone will do. I'm thinking that I will skip the FP1's in the morning and be there for FP2 of WorldSSP300 at 14:15 through WorldSBK at 16:00 - 16:45. It's 9 km (11 minutes) from here to the track.
It's 112 km, time predicted to be 1 h 24 min, to get to Gibraltar and the route is simple, after first getting out of town generally to the southeast. A-381 to A-7 motorway to CA-34 which leads to Gibraltar passport control. The thing that is a bit of an uncertainty due to the way things generally are right now ... is passport control. The whole of Gibraltar is about 4 km north to south. Not sure that's worth the potential aggravation.
The other choice is Tarifa, 121 km and 1 h 26 min. Same route except the other direction on the A-7 motorway and then N-340 to Tarifa. What's so special about Tarifa (aside from not needing to go through passport control to get there from here)? It's the southernmost point in Europe, and it's about 15 km across the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa from there. (Less distance than from Gibraltar.) It might be within sight on a clear day.
Saturday and Sunday are a given - Circuito de Jerez. Tomorrow is the question. I'd like to go to the track at some point and check in to make sure I have the right paperwork and see if they need the actual piece of paper ticket and proof of vaccination, or whether the digital copy on my phone will do. I'm thinking that I will skip the FP1's in the morning and be there for FP2 of WorldSSP300 at 14:15 through WorldSBK at 16:00 - 16:45. It's 9 km (11 minutes) from here to the track.
It's 112 km, time predicted to be 1 h 24 min, to get to Gibraltar and the route is simple, after first getting out of town generally to the southeast. A-381 to A-7 motorway to CA-34 which leads to Gibraltar passport control. The thing that is a bit of an uncertainty due to the way things generally are right now ... is passport control. The whole of Gibraltar is about 4 km north to south. Not sure that's worth the potential aggravation.
The other choice is Tarifa, 121 km and 1 h 26 min. Same route except the other direction on the A-7 motorway and then N-340 to Tarifa. What's so special about Tarifa (aside from not needing to go through passport control to get there from here)? It's the southernmost point in Europe, and it's about 15 km across the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa from there. (Less distance than from Gibraltar.) It might be within sight on a clear day.
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