Material de bici

Best Road Cycling Shoes 2026: 3 Premium Pairs Compared

Buy the Shimano S-PHYRE RC903 for performance; the Fizik Vento Powerstrap for wide feet. 3 premium road cycling shoes compared, with a clear verdict.

Best gearing for climbs: wide cassette and compact crankset 2026

For long climbs, buy the Shimano Ultegra 11-34 cassette with a 50/34 compact chainset. The exact gearing that keeps the final ramps rideable.

Best Premium Ergonomic Saddles for Gran Fondo 2026

Buy the Fizik Vento Argo R3 Adaptive: wide channel and short nose, the one that spreads pressure best on long rides. Five premium saddles compared, with a clear verdict.

Gran Fondo Mandatory Gear 2026: Full Start-Line Checklist

Everything you must carry to start a gran fondo: certified helmet, lights, repair kit, race number and chip. The full checklist, organised by section.

Andalucía Bike Race by Garmin

Granada

The technical Jaén sections and Sierra Nevada climbs demand a reliable MTB, with grippy tires and a comfortable frame for 6 consecutive days of racing.

Clásica Sierra de Segura

Orcera

With 2,100 m of elevation gain over 104 km on mountain roads with tight bends, it's worth checking brakes and gearing before the start.

Gran Fondo Jaén Paraíso Interior

Úbeda

The Caminos de Olivos mix tarmac with compact dirt sections; a slightly wider tire than usual for road riding gives extra safety margin.

Granfondo Sierra de Cazorla

Cazorla

With 2,090 m of elevation gain and the Puerto de las Palomas climb (7 km at 5.7%) as the decisive point, checking your gearing and having the bike fully serviced before the start in Cazorla pays off.

Marcha Cicloturista La Indomable

Berja

With dirt tracks, trails and technical sections through Las Alpujarras, a wide-tire gravel bike or a full-suspension MTB are the safest choices.

Sierra de Andújar Bike Maratón

Andújar

The Barranco de los Chopos and Subida de los Caballos trails are technical and rocky; check suspension and tyre pressure before each stage.

Sierra Nevada Límite Gran Fondo

Cenes de la Vega

With 3,200 m of elevation gain and a final climb that steadily gains altitude up to 2,100 m, a wide gear range makes the difference on the last ramps.

Cicloturista Maestrazgo

Cantavieja

The route mixes flat sections and short climbs between villages, with a timed segment that rewards having the right gearing for the final ramps.

Quebrantahuesos

Sabiñánigo

It is nearly twelve hours of riding with long, fast descents off Somport and the Portalet. Reliable brakes, tyres and drivetrain are non-negotiable.

Prueba Cicloturista Oscos Granfondo

Santa Eulalia de Oscos

With 2,543 m of climbing over 111 km through Asturian mountain passes, riding with wide-range gearing and reliable components for uneven road surfaces is essential.

Mallorca 312

Platja de Muro

Up to twelve hours on the bike on Tramuntana tarmac, with fast, long descents. Reliable tyres and brakes matter more than bike weight.

Vuelta Cicloturista a Ibiza Campagnolo

Sant Antoni de Portmany

Ibiza's roads are in good condition, but three days back to back means having the bike dialled to avoid losing time on support between stages.

Gran Canaria Bike Week – La Cicloturista

Maspalomas

Eight days in a row, with stages of up to 124 km and 2,700 m+, mean arriving with the bike fully serviced and spares on hand so you don't lose a day to a silly mechanical.

Gran Fondo Pico de las Nieves – Ciclismo a Fondo

Arucas

Climbing 3,324 m in 125 km, much of it on the continuous ascent to Pico de las Nieves, demands a light bike, very wide gearing and brakes in perfect condition for the long descent afterwards.

La Tea Granfondo

San Andrés y Sauces

With 2,600 m+ in just 91 km, the route demands generous gearing and a well-tuned bike before tackling the climbs of the island's north.

Sureste Bike Race

Santa Lucía de Tirajana

The route combines volcanic dirt tracks and technical ravine sections; check tyre pressure and carry a spare tube or tubeless kit.

La Cantabrona

Polanco

The punchy Cantabrian terrain hammers the drivetrain and brakes with constant changes of pace. And in May it is not unusual to catch rain on some sections.

Gran Fondo Sierra de Albacete

Riópar

With 3,000 m D+ over 155 km, this is one of the toughest events on the Castilla-La Mancha calendar: a sub-compact chainset and reliable tyres for mountain descents are almost mandatory.

Marcha Cicloturista Pedro Delgado

Segovia

The descents off Navacerrada and Cotos are fast with wide bends, but the asphalt is not always perfect. Brakes and tyres in good condition make the difference.

Gran Fondo Lloret Costa Brava

Lloret de Mar

The long route strings together up to seven inland climbs with 2,700 meters of elevation gain, so it's worth being well equipped on gearing.

The Traka

Girona

Mixed terrain with forest tracks, dirt roads and some tarmac. Punctures are the most common reason for dropping out on the longer distances, especially the Adventure.

Montsec-Montsec

Balaguer

The long route accumulates 3,300 meters of elevation gain through the Serra del Montsec, one of the most demanding profiles on the Catalan calendar.

Mussara Salou Costa Daurada

Salou

The Mama Por climb, with ramps of up to 18% after six kilometers of ascent, demands very generous gearing.

Terra de Remences · Energy Tools

Sant Esteve d'en Bas

The Condreu, Collcreu de Canes and Bac climbs demand comfortable gearing to string together nearly 2,600 meters of climbing on the long route.

Vielha Cycling Tour

Vielha

With 3,700 meters of climbing on the long route and climbs regularly used by the professional peloton, gearing is key.

TotalEnergies Gran Fondo Alberto Contador

Oliva

With 2,400 m D+ over 162 km and climbs like Coll de Rates or Vall d'Ebo, a compact chainset and a power meter to pace your effort make a real difference.

UCI Gran Fondo World Series La Nucía

La Nucía

The 2,275 m of climbing come from long, steady ascents like the Coll de Rates rather than explosive ramps, so a light, well-tuned bike with climbing gearing pays off.

Gran Fondo Internacional por València

Valencia

With 2,003 m D+ over 177 km and climbs like Alto Segart and Chirivilla, already featured in the Vuelta a España, a compact chainset and reliable tyres for the descents make a difference.

Mediterranean Epic Gran Fondo

Oropesa del Mar

With up to 3,200 m D+ over 196 km and climbs like Serratella or Ares del Maestrat, a compact chainset and a power meter to pace a long day are almost essential.

The Millars UCI Gran Fondo World Series

Castellón de la Plana

With 2,200 m D+ over 157 km and the Sierra de Espadán and Salto del Caballo climbs, a compact chainset and a reliable bike computer help you pace a UCI-level race.

Gran Fondo Ézaro

Dumbría

The course has stretches of uneven surface and descents with sea moisture. Grippy tyres and serviced brakes are essential.

Cicloturista La Rioja

Logroño

The 126 km combine flat stretches between vineyards with a few ramps, adding up to more than 1,200 m of total elevation gain.

La Rioja Bike Experience

Logroño

With stages of up to 1,939 m of elevation gain, a well-maintained MTB is needed, with checked suspension and tires suited to singletrack.

Rioja y Pedal

Cenicero

The event requires historic road bikes (pre-1989), so it's worth thoroughly checking the mechanical state before the start.

Travesía BTT La Pera

Rincón de Soto

With up to 1,000 m of elevation gain on the long route, a well-maintained MTB or gravel bike is needed, with tires suited to tracks and trails.

Desafío Puertos de Guadarrama

Guadarrama

The long route, with 2,350 m of climbing, rewards comfortable gearing for the string of Guadarrama passes.

Madrid-Segovia MTB

Madrid

117 km of MTB with 2,600 m of climbing and a full mountain crossing demand a well-prepared, thoroughly checked bike, with no room for mechanical issues.

Marcha Cicloturista Sierra Norte

Buitrago del Lozoya

With 2,835 m of climbing on the Gran Fondo, generous gearing on the Sierra Norte passes makes a real difference on the final ramps.

Marcha BTT del Cocido

Brunete

The route welcomes mountain bikes, gravel bikes, and e-bikes, so tire choice depends mainly on the type of bike you ride.

Trofeo BTT Gravel Ciudad Tres Cantos

Tres Cantos

The tracks and trails north of Madrid mix fast sections with more technical stretches, where a well-equipped gravel bike makes the difference.

Xcorial Xtreme

El Escorial

With 2,500 m of climbing on classic Guadarrama passes, well-chosen gearing is key to avoid suffering on the final stretches.

La Integral de la Cabra

Sangonera la Verde

With 2,200 metres of elevation gain over 80 km of mountain trails and tracks, a well-prepared MTB with tyres suited to technical terrain is advisable.

III Marcha CC Beniel - BTT Experience Región de Murcia

Beniel

The route mixes tracks and trails in the Bajo Segura area with moderate elevation gain, so a well-prepared full-suspension or hardtail MTB is enough.

Memorial Luis Fernández XCM

Cehegín

With up to 1,900 metres of elevation gain on the long route, it is worth checking suspension and carrying a spare tube or tubeless kit.

Larra Larrau

Isaba

The Larrau pass demands generous gearing: the final ramps are steep after many kilometers of Pyrenean riding.

Abraham Olano Martxa · 8 Cimas por Gipuzkoa

Tolosa

The long route adds up to 2,800 m of elevation gain stringing together several Gipuzkoan climbs, a clearly mountainous profile that demands a wide gearing range.

Marcha Cicloturista Internacional Occident Bilbao-Bilbao

Bilbao

The longer routes exceed 1,500 m of elevation gain over the characteristic ramps of Bizkaia's roads, so it's worth checking your gearing before you leave.

Marcha Cicloturista Internacional Donostia-Baiona-Donostia

Donostia / San Sebastián

The long route adds up to 1,800 m of elevation gain combining coastal stretches with interior ramps, so a versatile gearing range helps.

Gran Fondo BIBE Transbizkaia

Durango

With 3,500 m of accumulated elevation gain over 180 km, this is one of the toughest events on the Basque calendar; a wide gearing range is almost mandatory.

Prueba Cicloturista Vitoria

Vitoria-Gasteiz

The long route adds up to 207 km and 3,250 m of elevation gain, a classic gran fondo profile that demands a well-tuned bike and wide gearing.