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@user20714
Just at the end of a week in Gran Canaria. Having done similar things in the south of Spain, the Alps, and Mallorca, I would say that GC is really up there in terms of places to ride - both on-road and off. Contrary to what a lot of people seem to do we stayed towards the centre of the island (in the dubiously named but actually lovely town of Teror). The big upside to this was a less package-holiday feel to the place, particularly at this time of year, although Spanish opening hours during the off-season can leave one guessing somewhat. It did however mean that pretty much every ride started with a significant climb or descent.
In terms of the riding we managed to climb Pico De Las Nieves from each of the three major routes up. My personal favourite was the quieter Eastern ascent from Ingenio, but others found this a bit attritional particularly the lower, steeper slopes. Valley of the Tears was another eye-opener. We climbed it in heavy cloud and only saw what we were missing out on view-wise when we descended the GC210 to the Pressa Del Parralillo lake. A screamingly good descent and with a road surface you could eat your dinner off. On that note it's worth mentioning that road surfaces are very hit and miss on the island - some perfect, some abismal. I was riding 28mm tyres and would recommend this, along with a compact groupset, to anyone considering a visit. That said, we managed 30 hours of riding (x6 people) without a single puncture, mechanical, or crash. Something that would be less likely in the UK, I think.
The weather was quite changeable - we came through two cloud inversions, with the associated wetness - but consistently warm through the week. Around 20deg average most days but getting up to just below 30 at peak temps. Definitely worth bringing both suncream and gilet/arm warmers, particularly if lingering at the summits. We had no issues with the wind, but the day we landed the island was on high wind alert which made the landing quite interesting. IMO, perfect place to ride especially if you like climbing; from what I have seen there is no such thing as a flat ride in Gran Canaria.