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cycling in barcelona

richtea

Well-Known Member
Am going to Barcelona for a couple of days (first time), and had planned to take my trusty steed with me, but am in two minds now.

What's the traffic like in Barca, anyone know? Had pictured myself cruising along the beach and pootling through the Barri Gottic - or am I just being very foolish and risking Richtea road pate?
 
traffic around the beach isn't that bad. In the barrio gotico you're better off on foot.
get a good lock.
but, it is very easy to hire bikes in barcelona one place is called fat tire bikes and there are numerous others.
 
It's fucking horrendous - drivers don't look behind them, and don't even bother to stop at red lights for pedestrians half the time. We saw very few cyclists, and it's not a place I'd feel happy cycling around (although maybe if you're used to cycling in London it might not be too bad). The only place that looks good for cycling around is Montjuic.
 
If it's that bad Geri why not gaffa tape your bike to your head, then they'll slow down cos' they'll think its art ;)
 
Just got back. Ended up leaving bike at home at the last minute - am so glad I did, the traffic was mental, would have ended up murdering myself I think.
 
richtea said:
Am going to Barcelona for a couple of days (first time), and had planned to take my trusty steed with me, but am in two minds now.


There are easier ways of commiting suicide. (The road accident death rate in Barcelona area is frightening).
 
I remember riding into Barcelona from some small town on the coast about ten miles north and seeing a car on it's roof, still smoldering on the motorway (nobody inside thank god). If that happened in Britain the motorway would have been closed off for at least a day while everything was sorted but cars were just swerving left and right round the wreckage.

In Barcelona itself remember seeing loads of cars parked by the side of roads in pairs, occupants examing dents and insurance details. Being on any of the motorways leading into or out of the city in rush hour traffic was like being in the final attack sequence on the Death Star. Inside the city itself wasn't too bad.

Navigation inside Barcelona should in theory be a piece of piss because all the roads are laid out grid like with the occasional diagonal, but in true town planning genius as soon as you get close to where you are heading you hit a one way system and get dragged off in some random direction (probably just me, I've got a rare talent for getting lost, or going round in circles for hours in largish cities).

Always found Spanish driving OK out of town, especially in more rural areas. Left a tankbag at a petrol station once, rode twenty five miles before realising when pulled over at the side of the road for a fag break. Expected at best a fifty mile detour to pick the bag up, was amazed when a car pulled up next to me and driver got out and handed me the tankbag. He had been chasing me for over half an hour when he saw me drive off at the garage.He even refused to take any money for his kindness.
 
Geri said:
drivers don't look behind them, and don't even bother to stop at red lights for pedestrians half the time.
going to have to disagree with this.
zebra crossings they don't always stop but at traffic lights they do. The thing is they have flashing amber which means drivers can go if they can't see pedestrains on the crossing.
 
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