Bicycling in Madrid

Though bicycling in the city can be risky because of the heavy traffic and madrileños' disregard for regulations, the city parks and the surroundings towns are good for enjoyable rides. Bravo Bike (Juan Álvarez Mendizábal 29, Sol. 91/559-5523; 607/448440 ask for Kaspar. www.bravobike.com) is a trustworthy company that's been organizing one-day or multiday biking tours around Madrid (Toledo, Aranjuez, Chinchón, Segovia) and Spain (the pilgrimage to Santiago, the Andalucía route, and others) since 1999. They have a guided Madrid tour (EUR 25), and also rent bikes (EUR 12 a day or less if you rent for a few days) if you're brave enough to head out on your own. The best way to contact them is by e-mail (info@bravobike.com). Another company that rents bicycles and organizes guided tours (in Madrid and all over Spain) is Bike Spain (Plaza de Villa 1, entrance on calle Codo, Centro. 91/559-0653; 677/356586 ask for Pablo. www.bikespain.info). They charge EUR 10-EUR 15 for half-day and one-day bike rentals and EUR 75 for a one-day guided trip to El Escorial. Bike Spain also organizes the Discover Madrid (91/588-2906 Patronato de Turismo) bike tours, which take place every Saturday (in English) and Sunday (in Spanish) at 10 AM and are a real bargain at EUR 9.30 (includes rental fee).

To go out on your own, two good alternatives are Retiro Park and the Casa de Campo. To get to the latter, you can take your bike on the subway, but only on weekends and holidays: you must ride in the first car, and you must enter at a station where attendants are present. Get off at the Casa de Campo subway stop. There you will find a map to the anillo verde (green ring), a special circuit for bicycles that runs along Casa de Campo and some other nearby parks.