CyclistDiscover the rich heritage of the Madrid RegionNot far from the bustling streets of the Spanish capital Madrid lies a network of cycling routes that has something for everyone.Across the 8,022 km2 of the region, CiclaMadrid offers a variety of routes that showcase the regions rich cultural and natural heritage. Theres no better way to experience the Community of Madrid Regions diverse landscapes, gastronomy and culture than by bike.Whether you want to follow in the footsteps of Spanish royals at San Lorenzo de El Escorial or mountaineer your way up to the top of Mount Abantos, theres more cycling than meets the eye in the Madrid Region of Spain.The Gran TourA route suitable for Vuelta champions, the 420km Gran Tour route lassos around Madrid to take in all the sights and sounds of the region. Broken up into 17 stages, it loops from Aranjuez via Alcal de Henares and San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Along the parcours, the Gran Tour brushes past the towering Sierra Norte, Sierra Guadarrama and Sierra Oeste mountain chains while avoiding the busier roads of Madrid itself and the tough slopes of the regions peaks.And with each stage only around 20-30km in length, the Gran Tour really is suited to riders of all ages and abilities its an ideal opportunity for the whole family to ride together and soak up the scenery. Plus, its flat profile makes it accessible for all cycling abilities and bike types.Photo: CiclaMadridCiclaMadrids Gran Tour offers a unique experience for cycling tourism lovers to explore the natural beauty and rich historical heritage of the Madrid Region. San Lorenzo de El Escorial, with its imposing Monastery and natural surroundings, is one of the most outstanding destinations on this route.Fit for a kingTo the north of Madrid lies the UNESCO World Heritage site of El Escorial, the former seat of the Spanish royal family. Under the backdrop of the Sierra de Guadarrama, this royal complex is centred around the grand El Escorial monastery overseen by King Philip II of Spain.The palaces Royal Library is a must-see with its fresco paintings that date back to the Spanish Renaissance. Connecting with Madrids natural side, the gardens of the Casita del Prncipe allow visitors to take in the flora and fauna of Madrids royals.Valmayor Reservoir one of Madrids largest reservoirs is within touching distance from the palace. With its array of watersports and bird-watching spots, the reservoir also proposes a network of biking and hiking trails around the water.If you want to reach San Lorenzo de El Escorial in style, you can take the historic Philip II train from Prncipe Po station in central Madrid. The heritage train line uses 20th-century trains with an elegant interior that harks back to 1940s Spain. The old carriages are also fitted with bike storage during summer.Looking for more miles in the legs? San Lorenzo de El Escorial is only 50km north of Madrids central Plaza Mayor. This way, you can tick off some natural sites including Casa de Campo, Madrids largest public park, and the Guadarrama River Regional Park.Photo: CiclaMadridOn the wild sideSan Lorenzo de El Escorial is an ideal place to base yourself in the Madrid Region. Over the course of a single weekend, its possible to take in the city centre of Madrid, the royal palaces of El Escorial and a mountain escape. For the latter, Mount Abantos sits just behind the town. Its a well-trodden ascent for cyclists, even featuring in the Vuelta a Espaa on several occasions.CiclaMadrid suggests taking a 40km loop up into the wilderness of Mount Abantos. This should be easily achievable in an afternoon. From the top of the 1,753m tall mountain, you can catch views across the region as well as nearby Castile and Lon.At the summit, riders and hikers alike are greeted with the Valle de los Cados monument. The memorial, which translates to the Valley of the Fallen in English, was built to honour perished soldiers from the Spanish Civil War.For mountain bikers, theres a wide selection of downhill tracks perfect for an adrenaline-pumping return to San Lorenzo de El Escorial. If you do not want to brave the trip on two wheels, the GR10 hiking route also navigates its way around the climb.Escape the rush of the cityWhile the city of Madrid has plenty to explore, the wider region around it offers a quieter side to life. With an extensive public transport network across the region, it is easy to escape the city within an hour by bus or train.To get off the beaten track and clock up some altitude, the Madrid Region also presents some routes into the mountains of Sierra de Guadarrama and Sierra Norte with a number of tougher uphill rides.Despite its landlocked location, this Madrid Region also boasts some of the countrys most unique beaches. The San Juan Reservoir near San Martn de Valdeiglesias in the Sierra Oeste is a great place to find them. Kayaking and fishing are also popular in spots such as the nearby Pelayos de la Presa. For beginners of paddle sports, the calm waters will be ideal for getting to grips with the sport.Photo: CiclaMadridImportant pilgrimage routes also crisscross this part of Spain, none bigger than the Camino de Santiago de Compostella which crosses the Madrid Region in some parts. The CiclaMadrid network allows cyclists to join some of this legendary route. Along with the pilgrims making the long journey north, the Camino de Madrid and the Camino Mendocino also share the path of CiclaMadrid bike routes.Soak up the best lifestyleDotted around the route of the Gran Tour, the Villas de Madrid are a collective of villages that showcase the untapped culture of the Madrid region.The towns are unique in their own way, varying in landscape, local offerings and architecture. They include San Martn de Valdeiglesias in the west which hosts the historic Castillo de la Coracera, the wine-making town of Chinchn in the south, and Manzanares el Real with its lakeside castle nestled in the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park.These Villas poised on the rural outskirts of the capital welcome visitors to bask in the authentic central Spanish way of life. During summer, the villages throw cultural festivities and events to celebrate the local community, including Chinchns summer-long Noches de Verano music festival.These villages are also the perfect place to enjoy local specialities such as the garlic-heavy Castilian soup and veal from the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. Along the route of the Gran Tour, Aranjuez has a strong strawberry-making tradition, or for something a little more indulgent, the Madrid Region has an abundance of cheesemakers and chocolatiers.Emulating the taste of King Philip II, winemaking has a strong foothold in the region. Tempranillo and Garnacha are the most common wines around Madrid, with vineyards scattered around the capital. El Molar vineyards can be found to the northeast, Arganda to the south, Gran Tour stop-off San Martn de Valdeiglesias in the west with its historic terroir, and Navalcarnero in the southwest.Theres no better way to take in the Madrid way of life in all its diversity than by bike. With CiclaMadrids variety of routes of all levels, its truly possible to ride at your own pace and immerse yourself in what the locals claim to be the worlds best lifestyle. Find out more about the Madrid Region at the Community of Madrid websiteThe post Discover the rich heritage of the Madrid Region appeared first on Cyclist.

Exclusive interview: We chat with Puck Pieterse about the 2024 UCI Cross Country Mountain Bike World Championships, the Tour de France and her remaining goals for the season.

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After realizing that Rene Herse tires are named after passes, ridges, and climbs one can go ride, Henley Phillips put together route around the beautiful Pacific Northwest that linked together as many passes as he could squeeze into a short bikepacking trip. Find his engaging story of connecting six varied passes and some takeaways on what it means to be a "good rider" here...The post The Rene Herse Pass Tour appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

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Custom Belgian steel bike builder Jaegher has a couple of all-new Typhoon off-road drop bar bikes that channel both gravel AND mountain bike vibes to take your next adventure further. Stretching out from their fast road and gravel models, the Jaegher Typhoon drops in with up to 2.4 tires and the option for a suspension fork, while keeping quick-handling gravel geometry to eliminate any limitation of where your next tour will go confidence, comfort & control whether youre riding through alpine mountain trails or navigating ultra-dusty washboard roadsJaegher FL-X/S Typhoon custom steel dropbar off-road bikes(Photos/Jaegher)Jaegher is now building bikes engineered to tackle any terrain. Built around modern MTB-sized tires, a suspension fork option, and gravel geometry, these are a pair of handmade European steel bikes ready for ultra-distance racing and exploring the backcountry on bikepacking trips with your friends. The idea was to combine the rugged capability of a mountain bike with the speed and efficiency of a gravel bike.Jaegher created a name for themselves by building beautiful high-performance stainless steel XCr bikes in Belgium, but they also offer frames in premium steel too, depending on how you want to ride them. For the new drop-bar adventure bike, pick either the stiffer stainless FL-X Typhoon for a race-ready setup or the more springy classic steel FL-S Typhoon for extra compliance and maximum ride comfort.The JAEGHER TYPHOON: FL-X Typhoon and FL-S Typhoon are more than just bikesthey are the ultimate tools for conquering the most challenging terrains. Whether youre a seasoned racer or an adventurous bikepacker, these models offer unmatched versatility, performance, and durability.Tech detailsTIG-welded by hand in Flanders from triple-butted Columbus Spirit steel or XCr stainless steelUDH, universal derailleur hanger for T-type transmission compatibilitymax 29 x 2.4 (700 x 61mm) tire clearance, min 2/50mm recommended1x mechanical or electronic shifting, with asymmetric chainstay yoke & Boost chainline for big chainringsconventional internal routing (entering the downtube) for rear brake and optional mechanical rear derailleurT47 threaded bottom bracketsemi-integrated 1.125-1.5 headset in straight 44mm headtubestandard 3x bottle cage mounts including 3-pack anything cage mount under the downtube, or additionally an optional toptube bag mountheavy-duty rear rack mountsBoost thru-axles standard 15110/12x148mm or optional non-Boost 12100/12x142mmyour choice of 27.2 or 31.6mm seatpostyour choice of flat mount or post mount rear brakeyour choice of carbon adventure fork, or up to 120mm suspension forkframe weights of ~1800gJaegher Typhoon Pricing, availability & optionsLike the rest of their bikes, the new Jaegher Typhoon drop-bar adventure bike is 100% Bespoke, made-to-order for each cyclist in Belgium. That generally means a ton of options, and premium prices to match. And generally a 2-3 month lead time after your fit is dialed in, whether you order direct from Jaegher or through one of their dealers. Plus, the bikes generally come with simple standard paint jobs, with many color options developed to highlight stainless steel construction. But creative and artistic custom designs are always a popular option in ceramic or wet paint, for an additional cost.The standard Columbus Spirit triple-butted steel Jaegher FL-S Typhoon frameset starts at 5000 with custom geometry, that then including a carbon Columbus Futura Adventure fork and standard paint work. The stainless steel Columbus XCr triple-butted Jaegher FL-X Typhoon frameset is a bit more at 5750, again with custom geo the rigid carbon fork, and basic paint.Complete bike builds start around 7825 with mechanical GRX 112 and alloy wheels, or from 9000 with SRAM AXS mullet setups and carbon Hunt Proven wheels. Or then, if you prefer to go wild, Jaegher will put together a fully individual dream build with pretty much anything you could want, and any spec your wallet can afford.Jaegher.comThe post Jaegher Typhoon Custom Builds Dropbar Gravel Mountain Bikes for Any Adventure appeared first on Bikerumor.