Sun, sea, sand and glorious gravel tracks
Traditionally Lanzarote is known for hosting a challenging Ironman race and a popular destination for winter sun. But with gravel’s rise in popularity more and more people are enjoying the fantastic gravel roads that Lanzarote has to offer. Normally I bring my road bike or MTB out to Lanzarote for early winter training. But I get bored quickly on the road bike and there isn’t quite the level of technical riding I’d like to make my MTB worthwhile bringing. However, it does make it pretty perfect for som gravel adventures.
So what did I think? Once you’ve reminded yourself on riding through sand, there isn’t much standing in the way of having a great time on your gravel bike in Lanzarote! It allowed a few new takes and viewpoints of the island, and over the years I’ve found it has got busier with cars on the road, so a welcome relief to turn of the main roads and onto some fun gravel trails.
Mixing the quieter road and the gravel makes for a great way to see the island, as the island is quite small, it adds a nice level of variation into a block of training.
I used 38mm panaracer gravel kings on my Crux and found this to be a great mix of speed on the road and grip off road. The Crux was a bit brutal on the washboard gravel and something bigger in the tyre department may have helped, I also very much missed my cush core inserts and there are a few rocky sections where I could feel all the impacts!
I would wholeheartedly recommend bringing your gravel bike to Lanzarote, it’s given my a new enjoyment for riding on the island.
If you would like to get stronger and fitter on your gravel bike, please get in touch below.
