Back Door Birding

Categoría: Biking

  • Rio Velez

    Rio Velez

    I had briefly stopped here on my way back from a coastal spin on Wednesday, and made a note to come back with the camera. The birds I was most interested in photographing were a pair of Red-rumped swallows which were flying under the iron bridge and scraping up mud from the river bed with…

  • Sierra del Norte

    Sierra del Norte

    A proper treat today, as Álvaro offered to drive us and the bikes up and over the mountains above Málaga, to a village called Villanueva del Rosario. Close to the spring of the River Guadalhorce and snuggled in to the back of the Sierra. I have mentioned the village previously as one of my top…

  • Utopia Gravel 110kms Baza, Granada 27th April 2024

    Utopia Gravel 110kms Baza, Granada 27th April 2024

    My first dabble into official off-road biking, I won’t say racing, that will be for other folk. I had ridden a similar distance off-road some time back, but the prospect of the event looming has had me on edge for a few days. Victor Lucas took care of the arrangements, including ferrying me to and…

  • A trip to the beach and a hill climb

    A trip to the beach and a hill climb

    More fine weather means a contented dog and a slightly stiff author! We had a four hour walk on Sunday, sandwiched by two trips up the same mountain on the road bikes. Today was the ideal day for a walk down the beach to the marina at El Candado. I even remembered to charge up…

  • Recyclo Saturday Social Rides

    Recyclo Saturday Social Rides

    Over many years working in the bike business here in Southern Spain, the social side of it has been a mainstay ever since our venture started, and our favorite day of the week is Saturday, when we get together with friends and anyone who happens to be around at the time, and go for a…

  • Who’s Boss!

    Who’s Boss!

    I’m celebrating a brilliant bike rider who took on the best yesterday and basically blew them all away. Reminiscent of Bradley Wiggins in his pomp, Jonas Vingegaard, won his first Tour de France Time Trial and probably put enough time into his rival, Tadej Pogacar, to take the Yellow Jersey on Sunday in Paris. He…

  • A bike ride to remember

    A bike ride to remember

    An early start on Sunday as the forecast is set to boiling for the coming few days. I arranged to meet my friend and guide for the day, Mr Gravel Málaga, Victor Lucas. Victor has lived in the area for a good few years, and has unrivalled knowledge of off-road cycling around the province. He…

  • La Reina

    La Reina

    Or Puerto del Leon officially, is a mountain pass who’s starting point is five minutes from our flat. According to the wonderful resource which is http://www.altimetrias.com, the most comprehensive and lovingly curated web page dedicated to Spanish (and beyond) mountain passes, the length of the climb is 16.2kms or 10 miles. It tops out at…

  • My other green space

    Leaving the flat via the front door and navigating through a rather complex set of traffic lights, we find ourselves in Málaga’s park. This tract of reclaimed land (Málaga’s coast used to be roughly where our block of flats is) is now the main thoroughfare from West to East and has an astonishing 11 lanes,…