UPDATED April 29, 2026 BY Guest Author IN Morocco: Kingdom of the West no comments Rider Impressions Of Morocco: Now & ThenRihab Gouaied is the Content Creator on the 2026 Morocco: Kingdom of the West Cycling Adventure.We rolled into Merzouga with the sand whispering through our chains and a dry heat on our shoulders, as a small camel caravan crossed soft pads near-silent, heads nodding, shadows sliding over our wheels.It feels a world away from the sea air that pushed us out of Casablanca. Fourteen riders, one route yet cycling in Morocco keeps remaking itself under our wheels. The country changes at the table and in the street, on the horizon and in the weather. Heres how we see it now, halfway in.Along the AtlanticThe beginning was windy Atlantic gusts lifting flags and moods as we left Casablanca. Near Tangier, we stood where the ocean hands off to the Mediterranean, watching the water turn from wavy and rough to steady and blue. Camels moved along the shore beside the blue water the desert meeting the sea in one frame, a first glimpse of Moroccos diversity.Then Tangier turned us inland and the road pitched up. The pace and traffic of the cities thinned into Rif villages where offers of water arrived before wed even unclip. We watched bread slide into clay ovens, a single round big enough to feed ten people. Women sold it on the street and worked tending sheep, farming and carrying goods on donkeys. Their strength is visible in the daily load they carry and the way whole communities lean on them.ChefchaouenChefchaouens blues felt like a cool breath between climbs. Terraces sewn with olives pulled us skyward; pine and oak gave short spells of shade. The days are long sunset near eight p.m. and the heat builds early.Paul: I was walking in the medina of Chefchaouen and I met a gentleman called Mohamed. We spent two hours walking up the hill together. Hes from Chefchaouen and shared stories about the area. It was a nice, spontaneous way to see the town with a local.Dag on the roadChefchaouen to Wahda Dam was a very tough day, Dag said, 96 km, 2036m of climbing in 34 degrees during a heat wave. We wild camped by the dam the fourth biggest in Africa and watched the sky fade.From Wahda to Fes, the beauty didnt let up. After the blessed rains, spring burst open: terraces quilted with wildflowers poppies, daisies and tiny blues fields laid out like a bright carpet. Bees worked every verge; I got stung, sad for a moment but happy that I got to see such a green spring.Birgit meets a camelDonkeys still do a lot of the work here and the road rolls without much rest. This place is all but flat, Dag laughed, but the views make it worth it. In Fes we took it easy some to hammams and massages because tomorrow promised another 1900m of climbing. Inside the medina: tanners in honeycomb pits, copper ringing through alleyways, calls to prayer stitching morning to night. Birgit said the first days were tough some excited kids threw stones and tried to stop her bike but the further inland we rode, the quieter it became. Big climbs, yes, but rides to savour. She was here twentyfive years ago and noticed how modern the big cities feel now.South again, and the worlds kept changing. Azrou to At Oufella brought holm oak with cedar; above 2000m we touched the High Atlas, snow still visible, a nomadic summer camp on a high meadow. Cold settled at dawn, steam rose from coffee. On plateaus the wind pressed our shoulders; we tucked in and rode as a peloton. Some riders are camping for the first time first tents, first bush camps, trying new things and finding out how much you can carry and leave behind. Rest days in hotels feel rich after two or three nights under canvas.Riffian woman in her traditional outfitThen the Ziz valley opened like a green ribbon. From the Gorges du Ziz to Merzouga, a tailwind finally helped. 160km through the Sahara, Dag said, shaking his head, mindblowing to experience the desert on two wheels with only leg power. In Amazigh and Tuareg areas, the clothing changed: men in indigodyed robes and headscarves, women in black with colourful embroidery.With time, our group is understanding each other. Some ride in a peloton and find that sharing makes the ride mean more; others prefer a solo rhythm. Around the soup pot at camp we trade stories the days climbs, the best coffee shop and laugh until we are called to the rider meeting. Camping connects us; hotels reset us. Every three days its different, Dag shrugged. You never get bored. Now its three days in desertI think its enough. Birgit looked at the dunes: Morocco is beautiful, but this is my favourite landscape. It reminds me of my road trip in the southern desert of the USA.Cyclist with a Touareg manBy the time the sand rose, our idea of Morocco had shifted. The coast felt outwardlooking; the Rif felt vertical green and in bloom; Fes layered craft and time; the Sahara pared it down. Tastes changed with the map tagines and salads changed from place to place. Preferences split too: some live for green climbs, some for tailwinds across a flat road with only the horizon for company. We didnt come for a single Morocco, and we havent found one. Weve found many stitched by tea glasses, roadside smiles and the thin line of tar that keeps disappearing under our tyres.On the next stretch we aim for At Ben Haddou, Marrakech and Essaouira. Were curious about more surprising discoveries in Morocco, and about what we can do. For now, the dunes are a pause a chance to rinse sand from the cassettes, to enjoy a glass of tea, to watch camels pass, and to note the lesson so far: distance is only one measure. Elevation, wind and welcome redraw a day, and how you see a place depends on how you move through it.RELATEDTOURMorocco: Kingdom of the West Join us on this mystical cycling odyssey through Morocco The Kingdom of the West. It is a country of mountains and beaches, souks and mosques... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "Rider Impressions Of Morocco: Now & Then" Cancel reply

Tadej Pogacars victory on stage 1 of the 2026 Tour de Romandie was built on a decisive move on Ovronnaz, but the Slovenian revealed afterwards that the effort was more measured than it may have appeared. Having launched the key acceleration on the climb, Pogacar quickly realised he was not alone, w...

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Kamilla Aasebo has returned home following a prolonged hospital stay after her crash at Paris-Roubaix Femmes earlier this month, beginning the next phase of her recovery after a serious head injury sustained on the cobbles. The Uno-X Mobility rider shared an update on 29 April confirming she has now...

OK, so the new SMITH x QUOC Strata Collection is really just a limited edition collaboration between the 61-year-old eyewear & helmet maker and the 17-year-old shoe company. But to gravel fans of either brand of which there are plenty its also a nice, rare chance to get a pair of Smith-branded gravel shoes or a set of Quoc-labelled sunglasses and a new helmet.Plus, Quoc also has a sneaky habit of slipping in new tech when they introduce a new collab project SMITH x QUOC limited edition Strata Collection collaboration(Photos/Quoc)The two brands describe a shared love of riding gravel, and Strata is their way to showcase some sandstone sediment-evoking hues in their common interests. The Smith x Quoc Strata collection includes just four elements, pulling two from each companys existing line-up in a special color with limited edition graphics.Quoc Strata Gran Tourer XC LaceFlagship on the shoe side is the Smith x Quoc Gran Tourer XC Lace, now also with Smith logos on the left shoe. The top of their performance line-up, the shoes combine Quocs classic durable synthetic upper, stiffest carbon-composite sole construction with molded-on TPU tread lugs, wrap-around rubber protection, and hard-to-argue-with double-lock laces. They also feature a new ribbed TPU-laminated tongue construction (in light blue) with larger perforations that Quoc says improves both foot comfort and overall breathability of the shoes. In fact, it looks like the same new tongue debuted last year on the wire-laced version of these shoes in the MAAP collab.The limited edition $310 / 265 Quoc Tourer XC Lace shoes get a Sandstone-colored upper with a fossilized print, highlighted by bleu opal tongue and logos, plus pink & purple Jade accents. They also come with both the standard low-key Sandstone laces and more flashy, serrated-edge purple Jade laces for extra style points. Smith Strata Defy sunglassesLets start with the shades, since thats what Smith has been making since 1965. These $207 / 185 Strata edition Defy sunnies are a new color option of Smiths most popular shades. They get a matching Sandstone fossil print, but sadly no Quoc-branding on the rimless TR90 nylon-framed glasses themselves. Although they do come with a co-branded carry bag, plus an interchangeable clear lens for those dark rides when the huge, high-contrast ChromaPop shaded lens is just too dark.Smith Strata Trace MIPS vented road helmetThe fully-vented $300 / 265 Smith x Quoc Strata Trace MIPS road helmet in matching fossil Sandstone print does get proper Quoc co-branding, though. The 18-vent Trace MIPS helmet hasnt really changed much in many years, but thats because it has a been a popular mainstay in the Smith line-up, combining the dual safety systems of MIPS rotational impact protection and open Koroyd impact-absorbing honeycomb.The Smith x Quoc Strata collaboration edition combines the matching two-tone shell with purple Jade webbing and some little blue Opal details. Besides MIPS & Koroyd, it comes in three s, M & L sizes (51-62cm fit), and also gets VaporFit 270 dial fit adjustment, Ionic+ antimicrobial padding, and side vent openings to stow your Defy shades.Quoc Strata Performance Gravel SocksThese Strata socks are also an all-new product for Quoc, a lighter synthetic blend for hot days riding mixed surfaces. The $35 / 30 Smith x Quoc Strata Performance Gravel Socks are a mash-up of Quocs lighter road and more structured, high-wear gravel offerings. They are made of a more breathable 67% CoolMax blend, backed by a mix of polyester, nylon & elastic for comfort, stretchy fit, and durability. The co-branded limited edition socks come in two color-block versions purple Jade or Sandstone, each with alternating accents.All four limited edition products are available both from Smith and Quoc now, exclusively online and in limited numbers.Quoc.cc & SmithOptics.comThe post Pedal a Pair of SMITH Gravel Shoes or QUOC Sunglasses & Helmet in LTD Strata Collab appeared first on Bikerumor.

The 2026 Giro d'Italia begins to quickly gain shape as this Wednesday two teams have announced their lineups. After Uno-X Mobility announced it this morning, Unibet Rose Rockets have now revealed the eight riders that will race in the team's first ever Grand Tour. The French team, based in the Neth...

INEOS Grenadiers are entering what they believe will be a decisive new phase in their attempt to return to the top of the sport, with artificial intelligence now central to that ambition as they look to close the gap to Tadej Pogacar and the dominant force of UAE Team Emirates - XRG. The British squ...

Working group says major legal changes may be needed before cameras are used to enforce offences such as illegal use of bus lanes and bus gates, and raise legal issues around data privacy and who can install cameras. Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety, Sen Canney, and Minister for Justice, Jim OCallaghan, welcomed the publication of the National Safety Camera Strategy, but the authors of the so-called strategy, which is formatted more like a scoping report, say it was outside their remit to look at the legal issues around their recommendations. The recommendations, which have Government acceptance, were issued in a Department of Transport press release this afternoon and in the report, which is now published online.The strategy outlines what it calls a partnership approach to road traffic cameras with two different national bodies Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) and local authorities involved with the installation of the cameras and enforcement split between An Garda Sochna for safety-related offences and the NTA for traffic management offences, such as parking or driving in bus lanes, or illigally entering bus gates. The Department of Transport said: The Strategy proposes that TII takes responsibility for the management of fixed and average speed cameras, in partnership with An Garda Sochna, who will continue to be responsible for the enforcement of camera-detected speed offences.The NTA will assume the primary responsibility both management and enforcement functions for urban traffic management offences. This approach was developed by an inter-agency working group led by TII and was agreed by the Road Safety Leadership Group, chaired by Minister Canney, which is driving implementation of the Road Safety Strategy, the Department said in its statement. The Department added: To ensure effective and efficient implementation of the Strategy, the Oversight Group will be delivery-focused and agree at its first meeting an immediate set of short-term actions to start implementation. The Group will report on its progress to Minister Canney and the Road Safety Leadership Group.There is significant concern from Gardai and other State bodies that camera-based enforcement especially if rolled out quickly will overwhelm the Garda Fixed Charge Notice system and the Courts when a percentage of the fines are appealed. This is based on local experience of the rollout of cameras and international experience in countries such as Finland, which has 1,100 speed cameras but many are left dormant.The Helsinki Times, an English-language online newspaper, last year reported: Finland has around 1,100 speed cameras, but only a fraction are operational at any given time. There are approximately 900 older grey box-style cameras, with just 160 active units among them. Of the 200 newer, slim-design cameras installed in recent years, only about 120 contain functioning equipment.The main issue is not the cameras themselves but the capacity of the police to process violations. Police Inspector Tuomo Katajisto from the National Police Board said that many cameras remain switched off to prevent overwhelming case backlogs, the news website reported, quoting Inspector Katajisto as stating: We could take many more photos of speeding drivers than we currently do. But if we keep all cameras active, cases would pile up and expire before we could process them.The new Irish strategy outlines how a 2023 report from the Judicial Planning Working Group issued two related recommendations to consider alternative enforcement mechanisms that do not involve the use of Court / judicial time; and for the Department of Justice to carry out a review of existing legislation to establish if other administrative means could be employed, but no substantive work has apparently been carried out since. The strategy published today said that the Judicial Planning Working Group recommendations could provide an advantageous opportunity to divert camera-detected traffic management offences from the Courts system, before outlining that all offences which are killer behaviours that contribute to fatalities and serious injuries on Irish roads should remain under the enforcement of the Gardai and the Courts system.National Safety Camera Strategy Working Groups remit did not include legal issuesThe strategy outlines: While the remit of the National Safety Camera Strategy Working Group did not include a legislative review, a number of legislative considerations were noted by stakeholders throughout the development of the Strategy.To expand the scope of offences that can be enforced using cameras beyond the initial list of speeding, red light running and bus lane violations, it will be necessary to amend Section 81 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 to include offences such as mobile phone use and non-wearing of seatbelts, it said. Any such amendments should be commenced on a phased and incremental basis, learning from experience and based on the capacity of the enforcement system.But while the working groups remit did not include legal issues, they raised a number of concerns, including whether legislation is required to allow the respective public body to deliver the safety camera programme on regional and local roads (and possibly national roads, depending on the public body), The need for a review of legislation to confirm whether cameras can be turned off for certain periods; and The need for new legislation to allow the respective nominated public body to issue FCNs for traffic management offences; The report of the WG on Camera Enforcement of CertainTraffic Offences refers to the need for new legislation, likely both primary and secondary legislation, and includes other legislative considerations in Section 6 of its report.On data privacy, the working group also had concerns on if legislative updates are needed to enable data sharing and to allow the nominated bodies to install cameras at scale, in light of data protection requirements.

Guy Martin on two wheels: why long, lonely bike rides still matterGuy Martin is best known for motorcycles, speed records and mechanical graft, but buried within his latest book All The Medals Have Been Handed Out is some of the most honest and uncomfortable cycling writing you are likely to read this year. Away from engines and television crews, Martin keeps returning to the pushbike as a way of resetting his head, even when the riding itself is frequently miserable.For cyclists, especially those drawn to endurance riding, bikepacking and solo adventures, these chapters feel familiar in the best and worst ways.Cycling as a mental rebootMartin is clear that these big rides are never about fitness gains or pretty routes. They are about stripping life back to its basics. Sleep when you can, eat what you find, keep turning the pedals. He describes long solo rides as a reset for his brain rather than his body, something that lingers long after the physical discomfort fades.That idea will resonate with anyone who has disappeared for a few days with only a bike and a vague plan. The suffering is not a side effect. It is the point. Martin talks openly about how pushing through cold, fatigue and doubt recalibrates his perspective once he is back home.When the plan falls apart in EuropeOne ride begins with an ambition to follow the European Divide Trail towards Portugal, starting in early March. Almost immediately, things unravel. Wrong bike choice, no proper training and freezing temperatures conspire to sap momentum. Instead of flowing gravel tracks and steady progress, he finds himself shivering through nights sleeping rough, hiding in sheltered corners and someones garden just to get rest.For seasoned cycle tourers, the lessons are painfully obvious. Tyres too wide, position too upright, clothing not warm enough. But Martin leans into those mistakes. He is not chasing the perfect setup. He is testing how much discomfort he can tolerate without quitting.Eventually, realism wins. Portugal slips out of reach and the goal shrinks to something simpler and more honest: reaching the Mediterranean. That change of mindset brings the best moment of the entire trip. A warm morning in Orange, a decent nights sleep and an easy roll into town for coffee provide the payoff he was searching for. A few calm hours justify days of misery.Traffic, tunnels and fear in TurkeyThe later ride from Istanbul eastwards towards Baku takes the intensity up another level. This is not romantic cycling. Much of the route follows main roads through Turkey and Georgia, including long tunnels shared with heavy traffic. Martin is unflinching about how scared he feels riding through mile long tunnels with trucks brushing past at speed.There is an important distinction he makes here, one many cyclists will recognise. He is comfortable with risks he can control. Tunnels filled with HGVs remove that control entirely. The fear is not dramatic. It is slow, imaginative and exhausting, fuelled by endless what ifs.To cope, he adapts. Sometimes pushing the bike along raised walkways. Sometimes riding further out in the lane to force drivers to overtake properly. None of it feels ideal, but it is the only way forward. The miles still tick by. Days stretch to twelve hour rides, punctuated by strong coffee, roadside food and brief human connections.Why go aloneMartin is adamant that these rides have to be done solo. There is no camera crew and no shared decision making. Sharon, his wife, is his safety net from afar, handling logistics and potential rescues, but the riding itself is deliberately lonely.That solitude sharpens everything. Fear feels louder. Small kindnesses from strangers feel bigger. Successes and failures are owned completely. For committed endurance cyclists, this rings true. Riding alone leaves no space to hide, either from traffic or from your own thoughts.The point is not the finishThe rides do not always end where intended. Borders refuse entry. Bikes break. Bodies protest. Plans collapse. Yet Martin keeps returning to the idea that the value lies in a handful of fleeting moments. A sunrise after a brutal night. A quiet coffee in a foreign town. Sitting in a bar watching life unfold after days of effort.He sums it up brutally. Weeks of misery might buy you seconds of memory, but those seconds last forever. For anyone who has questioned why they put themselves through audax rides, bikepacking races or lonely winter training blocks, that explanation makes an uncomfortable sort of sense.What cyclists can take from itThis is not a how to guide. There are no packing lists or route suggestions. Instead, Martin offers something rarer: permission to admit that big rides are often grim, scary and inefficient, yet still worthwhile.In an era of curated adventures and perfect kit, All The Medals Have Been Handed Out is a reminder that cycling at its rawest is messy. Bikes are just tools. The real challenge is deciding, each morning, whether you are willing to swing a leg over the saddle again.For Martin, and for many cyclists like him, that answer remains yes.

The 2026 Tour de Romandie will take place from the 28th of April to the 3rd of May and will make for Tadej Pogacar's debut in a stage-race this year. The Swiss race provides the final big test ahead of the Giro d'Italia whilst also following the spring classics, a period where many are looking to sa...