Week 7, Rest week, mechanical tweaks in Barcelona & gorging on Gaudi Total 2694 km.

Week 7 saw me rest my weary legs in Barcelona and attempt to tackle some mechanical glitches before continuing on the journey south. A week that I spent catching up on the journal, gorging on Gaudi and getting some creative footage on the camcorder. Not a huge amount of pavement crunching to write home about but I did manage to clock up 143 km, pick up 2 kg’s and track down an expatriate journalist that hails from the Capital Times in the land of the long white cloud (New Zealand) to do a piece for us on bicycle culture in Barcelona, “Possibly the most alluring city in Europe” according to the Barcelona top ten travel guide.

My one day of cycling that I couldn’t resist in my week off, was from Barcelona to Tarragona, fighting a constant headwind which I’m starting to think might be keeping me company more than I’d like on this coast along the Mediterranean shores of Spain. Battling the wind and some huge trucks as we vied for space on the major arteries leaving Barcelona, I found myself on a long stretch of urban sprawl along the freeway and was forced to pitch tent under a bridge on the highway, a sharp reminder that this trip is no vacation and although the route may be one of a desired nature for holiday makers from around the globe, travelling it by bike is another kettle of fish all together. 

GUEST BLOG: Words for the wayward wheeler

Kayden has been residing in my adopted home of Barcelona for a week, and this metropolis of 2.5 million is doing many good things Global Wheelers would applaud. However, to understand Barcelona you need to grasp what gives this ancient Mediterranean city its impetus. In the local Catalan tongue “Seny i Rauxa”, roughly translated as “common sense and wisdom”, give this city its momentum.

That driving force gave birth to Barcelona’s public biking service, BICING, and the wisdom of locals has helped to maintain and respect it. Barcelona has always been a city of distinct communities, and by using their common sense these communities are helping to serve their residents’ needs. The freedom of travel is one of the foundations of building any community.

In Barcelona BICING is an optional service that you join for 30 Euro per year. With your BICING Card you can check out bikes from Stands all over town. You need to return the bike to another Stand within 30 minutes otherwise 50 cents is charged to the credit card you signed up with. And it’s not just commuters who utilise the service. You will see groups of people taking the bikes out for exercise, and in place of the classic Spanish Paseo (evening walk); many people go for a BICING.

BICING is a pillar of strength in this city: it not only allows communities to travel, but it gives people a sense of community, a sense that they are valued in this city, and that they have a stake it making this city a good place to live. Providing a public bike service makes sense economically, socially and philosophically – especially in these times.

Jamie Melbourne-Hayward

www.byacereporter.blogspot.com