Biking in the Canary Islands, out of my comfort zone

I guess you could call it a midlife crisis.

I’d flown across the Atlantic Ocean for a weeklong cycling trip on this Spanish archipelago off the coast of Morocco. The crisis part came as I watched a Trek Travel guide hoist my Domane road bike onto the roof rack of the support van, and I sheepishly crawled into the passenger seat while the other cyclists on the trip pedaled up the hill and out of sight.

“We’ll just give you a bump to the next rest stop,” the guide said with an extra dose of enthusiasm to offset my palpable disappointment.

Let me back up: I love to bike. I also love to travel. My favorite kind of vacation is … drumroll … a cycling trip. Over the years, I’ve biked in a lot of different places, including France, where I’ve summited the likes of Mont Ventoux and suffered through the quad-busting switchbacks of Alpe d’Huez. I may not be fast, but I’ve rarely met a climb I couldn’t conquer. Until I landed on Gran Canaria. Which is full of them.

The second most populous of Spain’s Canary Islands after Tenerife, the volcanic dollop of Gran Canaria has become a magnet for pro cyclists trying to keep their legs fresh in the off-season. Former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and his Tinkoff teammate Peter Sagan were just a few of the notables who happened to be sharing these steep roads with us mere mortals last December.

“The pros have already crushed Majorca, so they’re looking for somewhere new,” explained Sam Clark, one of the two guides on Trek Travel’s debut Canary Islands bike trip.

A half dozen of us -- ranging in age from a 37-year-old eight-time Ironman to a 65-year-old grandfather -- had signed up for six days of serious cycling on the southern end of the island, best known for its long stretches of sand and resorts full of sun-starved Brits and Germans.

A three-hour flight from Madrid, Gran Canaria -- a pit stop for Christopher Columbus on his journey to the New World -- isn’t on the radar of most U.S. travelers. Outside of our small group, I didn’t hear a single American accent all week. With its comfortable year-round climate and fun-in-the-sun vibe, the Canaries are like the Florida of Europe. But with hills. Lots of steep hills.

“Ninety-five percent of the people who come here stay at the beach; they never make it to the mountains,” said Harold Mulherin, a University of Georgia finance professor. This marked his third cycling vacation on the island, whose rugged interior can trick you into thinking you’re in the Grand Canyon, not 130 miles off the coast of Africa.

The Canary Islands trip ranks as one of the most challenging offered by Trek Travel, a Madison, Wis.-based outfitter that runs guided bike trips for cyclists of all levels. The trips include lodging, most meals and the use of high-end Trek bikes. Guides take turns cycling with the group, which can get quite spread out over 60-mile days. They also drive the support van, providing snacks, water bottle refills and flat tire fixes, not to mention the occasional “bump” for weary riders.

It was a humbling day when a particularly brutal gantlet of hills had me ditching my bike for a ride in the van. A few years ago, I probably would have had enough gas in the tank to haul myself up that 20 percent grade. Now, my 46-year-old legs were having none of it.

At least my 46-year-old brain was smart enough to realize that I should save my energy for later in the day, when the plan called for biking to Gran Canaria’s highest point: Pico de las Nieves. Perched at 1,950 meters, “peak of the snows” sits atop a pine forest on an isle more associated with palm trees.

The temperature slowly dropped as my husband and I threw our bikes into granny gear and inched our way up the volcano to the summit, where our group celebrated a hard day’s work with high-fives and hot chocolate.

What goes up, of course, must come down, and these precipitous descents were where I struggled most. I routinely kept a chokehold on the brakes, nervously eyeing the blind corners and guardrails that seemed just high enough to stub your toe as you plummeted off the mountain.

The guides could tell the descents made me nervous. It might have had something to do with my repeatedly saying, “The descents make me nervous.” They suggested sections of the route I’d be better off traversing on four wheels instead of two.

They also let me know when I was selling myself short -- something I started to do with surprising ease once the seal was broken on my pride.

“You handle the bike better than you think you do,” guide Ilona Kohlerova responded when I told her I’d rather take the shuttle down a particularly scenic descent.

“I’ll ride with you,” she said, urging me to give it a shot. “Just follow my line.”

Contemplating her offer, I looked around and saw spandex-clad cyclists from Scandinavia and beyond — many of them much older than my 46 years. Like me, they came here to bike. It’s a big world, and I didn’t know if I’d ever make it back to this corner of it. One thing I did know: If I didn’t at least try to trail Ilona down the mountain, I’d always regret it.

With white knuckles protruding from my bike gloves, I gingerly followed Ilona’s line, eventually relaxing enough to cruise along the undulating road that looked like a typewriter ribbon strewn across a green valley. There were a few harried moments, the scariest of which involved a game of chicken with a big blue bus. But Ilona and I made it back down to sea level, safe and sound.

Crisis averted, on all counts.

If you go

Trek Travel: Six-day cycling trips in the Canary Islands are scheduled December through February and priced at $3,299 a person, double occupancy. 866-464-8735, www.trektravel.com.

Getting there: There are no nonstop flights between the United States and Gran Canaria, but multiple European gateways connect to the island’s international airport in the capital of Las Palmas -- a three-hour flight from Madrid. The Trek trip is based at the resort town of Maspalomas, about 56 kilometers from the airport. The sand dunes at Maspalomas are spectacular. So are the area’s beaches. If you forget to pack a bathing suit, don’t fret. Clothing is extremely optional. www.hellocanaryislands.com.

By Lori Rackl

Chicago Tribune