Thanks for the report. What level of biking gear are you wearing and what sort of effective temperatures are you experiencing? Trying to decide what gear to pack for next week….was planning bike jeans (and my Klim jacket with a down vest underneath) but sounds like long johns might be needed too?
Hi Si, the temperatures down at sea level are in the low 20s, very comfortable, not too hot but warm enough. We went out into the Mt Teide national park again today and you soon start to feel the temperature drop when you get above about 800 metres, I would guess that when we were at over 2000 metres it was less than double figures,
We both have very light duck down jackets which fit under our biking jackets which we put on at our first stop at a viewing point at less than 1000 metres up, I also swapped my gloves for a warmer pair.
We have taken our Hein Gerick Summer textile trousers but we are both wearing cycling shorts underneath which fit almost to the knee to give the thighs an extra layer, a pair of long johns would do the trick also. I took my BMW desert rally jacket with just a Goretex liner, no thermal liner, which is perfectly adequate when riding at sea level with just a t-shirt underneath. Alena took her Weise blouson jacket with a thermal liner, but she is always colder than I am. I have two pairs of gloves, some leather Summer gloves, again perfect for riding the lower roads, and a Halverssons pair of mid-season gloves for higher up. We have a neck tube each and both wore our walking boots to travel in and they double up for riding the bike.
Your Klim jacket with a down undervest should do the trick and you could always double up on t-shirts. Thick biking jeans will again be sufficient. Basically, come prepared for warm weather riding but pack some thermal layers for when you decide to go up the mountains, your rental bike should have a topbox to put them in.
We road the TF21 from PDLC through the Teide valley, what a stunning and hugely enjoyable road, totally enjoyed it. The geology of the valley is so varied and fascinating and the history of the volcano, creation of the island and the different rocks and metals it spewed out is really well explained in a museum at the visitor centre at El Portillo on the TF21. The traffic is really light so if you do get caught behind the odd tourist driving a hire car like Miss Daisy on the mountain roads you soon get a chance to overtake. I am finding the Versys 650 to be a great little bike and perfect for what we are doing, much lighter than the GSA and now I've got the feel for it I'm really starting to chuck it around, felt my foot rub the tarmac on a few occasions!
The next plan is to go west from PDLC and then south on the coastal as has been recommended, although there is still more of the Teide park we want to discover.