revtothelimit - motorbike forum

My company is doing a "get-together" in Lisbon in June, and I'm "pondering" taking the opportunity to have a good long ride, instead of flying out there and back. (it may not happen, but I'm looking into it... )

Current "plan" is to do the overnight to Caen, then to Lisbon over about 4 days (roughly 300 miles a day), then back via Santander/Bilbao: 2 days riding then the long ferry home (simply to save holiday book time!).

GoogleMaps, set to avoid Tolls and Motorways, claims Caen to Lisbon is approximately 1200miles, but that's a reasonably "direct" route of possibly quite dull roads.

Does anyone have any recommended roads to ride or places to stay in that general corridor? (ie western side of France, north east/central/western Spain).

Also - I've ridden in France several time, with no issues, but never in Spain. I'm not expecting there to be anything odd about biking in Spain, but are there any legal quirks?

You who use google maps. Do you know if they are set to shortest or fastest. I cave a carplay/Android Auto but still use a separate sat nav. Seems daft if Google maps and Waze have came on heaps and bounds.

Felix wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2025 10:14 pm You who use google maps. Do you know if they are set to shortest or fastest. I cave a carplay/Android Auto but still use a separate sat nav. Seems daft if Google maps and Waze have came on heaps and bounds.

Bit of a derail, but:

I find these days that GoogleMaps tends to offer 2 or 3 routes as choices, one will be an "eco-route" which is their best guess at the most fuel-efficient route, the other two will be, i think, the fastest 2 options.

GoogleMaps doesn't give you a lot of settings for adjusting the routing algorythm.

Rockburner wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2025 12:35 pm I'm not expecting there to be anything odd about biking in Spain, but are there any legal quirks?

I've always treated driving/riding in Spain exactly the same as in France. Perhaps not massively helpful I realise but, anecdotally at least, it's always seen me alright.

These days a lot of riders use daytime running lights, but I'm pretty sure it's compulsory in Spain. At least it was the first time I ever ventured into Spain on a bike (in 1981). I got pulled over by a gun toting copper who jabbed his finger at my headlight and said 'Con luz!' in a decidedly forceful manner. These things do tend to stick in your mind...

mangocrazy wrote: Sat Feb 01, 2025 6:04 pm These days a lot of riders use daytime running lights, but I'm pretty sure it's compulsory in Spain. At least it was the first time I ever ventured into Spain on a bike (in 1981). I got pulled over by a gun toting copper who jabbed his finger at my headlight and said 'Con luz!' in a decidedly forceful manner. These things do tend to stick in your mind...

My bikes are a bit newer than that.

But, but, but - the bike was less than a year old when that happened...

I presume DRLs for bikes are still compulsory in Spain?

Rockburner wrote: Wed Jan 29, 2025 6:58 pm

Felix wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2025 10:14 pm You who use google maps. Do you know if they are set to shortest or fastest. I cave a carplay/Android Auto but still use a separate sat nav. Seems daft if Google maps and Waze have came on heaps and bounds.

Bit of a derail, but:

I find these days that GoogleMaps tends to offer 2 or 3 routes as choices, one will be an "eco-route" which is their best guess at the most fuel-efficient route, the other two will be, i think, the fastest 2 options.

GoogleMaps doesn't give you a lot of settings for adjusting the routing algorythm.

In Italy you can specify Avoid Tolls which keeps you off the motorways. Not sure if that's an option in Portugal.

BMW had a 'Twisty Roads' option, which was a nice feature on an otherwise crap system.

In google maps I go to the options menu & select avoid Motorways & avoid Tolls

Bustaspoke wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:17 am In google maps I go to the options menu & select avoid Motorways & avoid Tolls

Yep - that's about the limit of customisation you can do in Google maps navigation!

I thought so!..

Worth downloading offline maps for the country you're going to, just incase you have any data issues.

Did you think about north of Spain?
Asturias is full of extremely narrow roads with good tarmac. Biggest concern is about lodging.
Avoid that "death triangle" or Burgos/Leon/Salamanca, hot and boring for biking

fdb wrote: Sat May 03, 2025 4:24 pm Did you think about north of Spain?
Asturias is full of extremely narrow roads with good tarmac. Biggest concern is about lodging.
Avoid that "death triangle" or Burgos/Leon/Salamanca, hot and boring for biking

It's been postponed to October (afaik).

France/Spain/Portugal in October could be good.... Could be horrific.

Rockburner wrote: Sat May 03, 2025 5:30 pm

fdb wrote: Sat May 03, 2025 4:24 pm Did you think about north of Spain?
Asturias is full of extremely narrow roads with good tarmac. Biggest concern is about lodging.
Avoid that "death triangle" or Burgos/Leon/Salamanca, hot and boring for biking

It's been postponed to October (afaik).

France/Spain/Portugal in October could be good.... Could be horrific.

October in the south of France can be one of the best months for riding a bike; not too hot but warm enough and all the tourists have gone home. But the north of France (and the Atlantic seaboard in Portugal) can be very different, as I'm sure you're aware.

Having said that it's currently pissing it down here (20kms north of the Med) and the weather here has been changeable and cool for the last 3-4 weeks, whereas you've been having heatwaves in Blighty, so what do I know?

Calimoto reckons 33 hours riding time from Caen to Lisbon. Knowing Calimoto, I'd imagine the ride to be pretty knackering.