When you sign up for an ultra-distance bikepacking event, even if it’s not officially a race, you know you’re not going have a lot of time to look at the view or soak up the atmosphere. Doesn’t that mean that you miss out on the best bits of travelling somewhere with your gravel bike though? After participating in the GranGuanche event back in 2021, when Erwin Sikkens was invited to head back to the Canary Islands as a support rider for a tour company, this was his chance to take it all in, rather than just staring at his front tyre.
“I had a feeling that I’d missed out on truly experiencing the beauty of the islands.”
Imagine visiting a place without really getting to see it. That’s how I first experienced the Canary Islands. In 2021, I rode across the best-known islands of the Canaries as part of my first-ever ultra-distance gravel race - the GranGuanche Audax Trail. The goal was to finish in the shortest possible time. This included riding through the dark and mostly looking at my front tyre, missing out on a lot of what’s beautiful. Of course, you see the islands, but not in the way you might be used to, taking in a landscape while bikepacking.
Image courtesy of Matteo Minelli
GranGuanche was an adventure that left an impression on me, but the main one was a sense of absence. I had a feeling that I’d missed out on truly experiencing the beauty of the islands. Fortunately, earlier this year, I was offered the chance to revisit the route at party pace, not race pace. This time I was going to make the most of it.
Lanzarote resident Matteo Minelli founded the GranGuanche race back in 2021. What was back then just a small event quickly grew in popularity, largely due to the beauty of the scenery that the participants ride through. The islands differ enormously in terms of their appearance, as well as having differing climate and altitude profiles.
For many, me included, GranGuanche has one problem - it’s an Audax, a type of self-supported bikepacking challenge with a speedy element to it. Although not officially a race, people do ride it at race pace in an attempt to finish first. Of course, not everybody who joins GranGuanche is there to race, but they still want to push their limits. And however successful the route is, it’s a gruelling self-supported challenge that is unfortunately not a suitable ride for every gravel cyclist and that’s an issue that Matteo wanted to tackle head-on.
“A party-paced cycling holiday version of its speedy GranGuanche sibling was their first offering.”
As the race got more popular, requests for a less challenging option kept dropping into Matteo’s inbox. Could he find a way to avoid having to carry all of your belongings, not to have to ride out into the wild alone, or have to deal with all the ferries and sleeping logistics? Pretty soon, his guiding company Outer Detours was born. A party-paced cycling holiday version of its speedy GranGuanche sibling was their first offering. It was at this point that I got the unexpected call - could I, as an experienced GranGuanche rider and sociable individual, join Matteo and support the trip from start to finish? It would include the same beautiful route, but this time with the luxury of hotel stays, luggage transport, and, most importantly, it would all be ridden at a relaxing pace. How could I say no to that?
“It was a new experience for me to stand in front of a group, rather than being part of it.”
Returning to Lanzarote was a special feeling. The beautiful black volcanic island presents itself as a warm version of Iceland. The last time I was here, nervous tension was at a peak, but this time I was relaxed and full of anticipation. On the eve of the trip, I join Matteo and Weronika, the other supporting riders on this trip, for a quick spin. We cruise the island as the sun sets, passing its many beautiful volcanoes and lava fields. In short, a great warm-up ride. The official adventure follows the next day when we meet up with the group. It was a new experience for me to stand in front of a group, rather than being part of it. For those who know me, I am used to inspiring others from a distance (or from behind a screen) but sharing my excitement on the go was new-ish for me. Luckily, it only takes one ride to get to know each other better and the tone is set for the rest of the week. We are all here for the same reason - excited cyclists looking for a great, gravelly time on the Canary Islands. The excitement is contagious and it makes me look forward to the rest of the trip.
“This relaxed attitude made it all the better, despite the extra responsibility on my shoulders as a supporting rider.”
After leaving the black landscape and singletracks of Lanzarote behind, we tackle the first ferry of the week. This one takes us across to Fuertenventura, a desert island with a stormy wind blowing favourably towards the south. Exactly the direction we’re heading. As we ride on some gorgeous gravel along the seashore, Lanzarote fades into the distance. I remember this stretch of the route from 2021 – I’d ridden it early in the morning without any sleep. This time, I enjoyed it a lot more. It’s beautiful down the coast and we stop occasionally to take in the view, or for some papas arrugadas, salty Canary potatoes with a special red sauce. In contrast to 2021, there’s no hurry. There’s a hotel waiting for us and this relaxed attitude made it all the better, despite the extra responsibility on my shoulders as a supporting rider. It seemed to come naturally to me, connecting with people and shooting photographs on the go. It’s almost like I’m on a holiday and I soon feel like I’m part of the group, rather than someone with extra responsibilities.
To further the holiday feeling, the next day is a rest day. With only 30 kilometres of coastal riding left on the island, we stop at a laguna (a saltwater lagoon) where we take an extensive bib-dip in the sea, before finishing our short day of riding at yet another nice hotel. Here, we go to the spa and relax. I’ve done a lot of gravel riding, bikepacking and even ultra-distance riding, but this is my first time including a sauna along the way! In a weird way, it almost feels like cheating, as if I’m not really doing my best. But I have to remind myself that this experience is not about doing my best. It’s about enjoying an amazing gravel destination at a leisurely pace.
“Even without racing, you still get the same sense of accomplishment at the top.”
There are many benefits to sleeping in hotels rather than in bivvy bags in a ditch. The good night’s sleep that follows is well-needed as the next two islands will have us riding up mountains in the wet and cold. After a rough ferry crossing over to Gran Canaria, we find ourselves climbing some of the steepest gravel roads that the Canaries have to offer. Even at party pace, they are tough, but spirits are high and the views are even better. Even without racing, you still get the same sense of accomplishment at the top and we’re happy to reach our high-altitude hotel near the Pico de las Nieves. Clouds obscure the view, but dinner and a warm shower make up for it.
The group dynamic is great and bonds form. We sometimes ride at different speeds, but at the end of the day, we share stories and photos. After a wet first half of the descent on Gran Canaria, we set out on the second half. The sun breaks through the clouds as we hit an amazing gravel road down to the coast. Although I have ridden this section before, it was in the dark and I was heavily fatigued. Now we ride more slowly, distracted by the constantly changing but ever-beautiful views. Hairpin corner after hairpin corner, more and more of the rocky shores of the island below us open up. We stop regularly to take in the beauty of this place that we have all to ourselves. We’re enjoying ourselves so much that we’re probably clocking the slowest-ever Gran Canaria descent. When we arrive in the harbour, we stop for lunch before boarding the ferry to Tenerife. The sea crossing, however, is rough, so we keep eating food to a minimum in order to keep it in. One island left.
“Tenerife is a remarkable island, giving you all that’s beautiful on the other islands all rolled into one.”
Tenerife is a remarkable island. It’s like a Canary Island summary on steroids, giving you all that’s beautiful on the other islands all rolled into one. There is, however, one disadvantage - a serious lack of gravel riding in the north. The routes through the Anaga forest are almost 100% asphalt, but 100% worth riding. The UNESCO-protected area is wet and green, giving it a character of its own. Last time I rode up the big climb from the harbour, I was so sleep-deprived that it took me most of the day to reach the top. Now I fly up the mountain to take photos of the group party pacing up behind me. I’m amazed at how easy it feels to ride up the climb and realise once again how important sleep is when riding your bike. I was already in awe of ultra-distance riders, but seeing the contrast with my own eyes only grows my respect for them. I love the fact that we’re taking it easy across the islands this time, as I am experiencing more than I did before and feel no rush whatsoever. After some lush gravel riding just after sunset, we sleep in a beautiful colonial town called La Laguna. The hotel is as great as the tapas restaurant we eat at, as we fuel up for the last day of riding. El Teide is waiting for us.
“The support van is there to provide everything we need, from jackets to food.”
El Teide is not only the biggest mountain of the Canaries, but also the highest mountain in the whole of Spain, including the famous Sierra Nevada. Riding up El Teide from sea level is never easy, not even when taking it slow. We depart La Laguna and hit the forest. The ride starts with steep gravel roads through beautiful greenery. Until the colours change at which point the gravel party is suddenly over. Last year’s wildfires burned down big parts of the forest and rangers are still working on making the passages safe to enter again. As we take the normal road up to the top, we ride into the mist, which envelops us. The burnt black trees popping up through that mist give a dystopian feeling that I wouldn't have wanted to miss for the world. I don’t even notice the lack of gravel as we slowly make our way to the summit. It’s cold up on top, but since Outer Detours have everything so well organised, the support van is there to provide everything we need, from jackets to food. After re-energising, the descent is a dream. The south of Tenerife is known to be the sunny side, as El Teide blocks the clouds often coming from the north. The sun once again warms our skin we enjoy the amazing views and the winding gravel road that we take down to the coast. There are no ferries to catch so we take our time riding down. So much so, that we make an extra stop in the town of Villaflor. Tapas is extra tasty when you’ve earned it.
I remember finishing my ride in Los Cristianos back in 2021. Funnily enough, this time we also landed at the same hotel. The contrast, however, couldn’t have been bigger. Whereas last time I had to scratch from the race, sitting by the pool exhausted, I now find myself ‘supporting’ the group poolside drinking some well-earned cervezas.
“Taking your time and sleeping well pays off.”
Despite having tackled four major Canary Islands, I don’t feel particularly tired, which shows that taking your time and sleeping well pays off. We chat about the week well spent on our gravel bikes as I tell the group that I saw a lot of things I never saw before. Comparing the two rides, you would expect speed and energy levels to differ, but the whole experience was so different. I would personally say that my time with Outer Detours was a better experience. I’m sure there are a lot of ultra-distance riders who would disagree, but in my opinion, ‘normal’ people would probably prefer to lean into the Outer Detours approach to riding the Canaries over racing GranGuanche. After all, didn’t you come here to really see this place of beauty?
If you would like to find out more about Outer Detours supported gravel adventures in the Canary Islands, check out their website.
Text and images by Erwin Sikkens, except where credited.