Valencia - taking to the trail

After a few days sight-seeing in Valencia, Chris and I headed out of town to the hills just south of the city, where we had hired a villa.  I had been in touch with David Warrington from Mountain Biking Valencia - http://mountainbikingvalencia.com - and booked us a day trip, along with a bit of a lesson in off-road mountain biking.

Rather intimidating hills in the background!

After 3 days of unexpectedly cold and rainy weather in the city, we were a bit doubtful about the success of the day, given that we were prepared for warm weather cycling!  Luckily we had a bit of an improvement in the weather on the day we were going out, and even a hint of blue sky.  We met up with David in La Drova - a pretty little village about 20 minutes drive from the coast, surrounded by spectacular hills - at 9:30, where the bikes were ready and waiting for us.

We set off along rural roads and dirt tracks through fragrant orange groves and rolling farmland, always prepared for the next climb thanks to Dave's timely warnings.  The route was lovely - virtually no traffic, undulating roads, some of the climbs quite long, but all steady and achievable without having to get off, although I did have to hit some nice light gears to get up them!

Orange groves as far as the eye can see - and Chris

When we hit the first trail section of the ride, we had a lesson in technique to help us control the bike over the steeper parts of the route.  Ladies take note - correct stance when descending a trail is legs apart!  With your knees set wider and your elbows in, you have much better stability and control over the bike when you are out of the saddle.  Apparently women tend to do the opposite - knees together and elbows out.  I proved this to be true and had to concentrate to get it right.  On the steep ascents we were advised to stay in the saddle but take the body weight forward, resisting the temptation to stand up as this reduces stability.  Once I had the hang of this it did give me a lot more confidence to tackle sections of the trail that I wouldn't have done before - I felt much more in control of the bike and could start to relax and really enjoy it.

At the top of the trail - ready to go down (hoping not to end up in the river)

It was amazing to cycle through the narrow streets of the old town in Xativa

We stopped in a beautiful town called Xativa, which is overlooked from the hilltop by a fabulous castle.  After a cycle through the narrow streets of the old town we stopped in the sunny town square to eat our lunch and enjoy a spot of more typical Spanish weather.

Cycling all morning, then stopping for lunch and getting back in the saddle for another few hours of cycling was a good test of how my training had been going so far.  I was really pleased to be able to get back on the bike without any wincing - those spin classes are definitely starting to pay off!

Our route back was a mix of road and trail again but always through beautiful countryside.  The miles slipped by almost without us noticing.  We had another section of trail to negotiate in the afternoon and we were both pleased to be able to show off our new techniques on the more challenging sections of trail without any mishaps!

A pause on the picturesque trail just before tackling the final climb to La Drova

Dave had warned us that the last section of the ride was a climb for about 4km, with one tough km to start, then easing off to a steady climb.  We stopped off for a snack at the bottom - always a good idea!  As we inched up the hill I could feel the muscles in my legs and backside burning, but was determined to get to the top without getting off, and I did.  I don't think I looked too good when I got there - 60km of reasonably challenging terrain were taking their toll.  The last few km to La Drova were tough as I was tired, but Dave kindly counted down the distance for me to keep me going, and I gritted my teeth and kept pedalling!

Dave (Mountain Biking Valencia)

We all arrived back in once piece - a few scratches, scrapes and aches, but nothing serious.  We were tired but exhilarated - first all day cycle under my belt, and new skills learnt as well.

Dave had told us that he used to cycle in The Peak District before he moved over to Spain, so I had taken my map with me and he pointed out some good routes where we can take to the trail in the UK, so we are now looking forward to trying them as well.

It was a great day and I would highly recommend it if you are in the Valencia region.  It doesn't matter whether you are a beginner or more experienced, as Dave will tailor the route to be challenging or relaxing as you choose, and you can be sure that it will be an excellent route on quiet roads or beautiful trail.  You can find out more on the following websites

http://naturetrailspain.com

http://mountainbikingvalencia.com