About Richard Palmer
18,796 km
1508:30 h
Recent Activity
- Curt BradnerNovember 18, 2025
Ah, I've been fine watching from the sidelines until I saw the photos of the snow. Damn, now I really wish I'd joined you!
Richard Palmer went mountain biking.
December 14, 2025
Plenty of rain keeps the trails firm but muddy, rode further than expected, good coffee but only a half-cup-of-tea for Steve. Down the wriggly rocky trail from Vejer, under the rickety rackety (muddy) bridge then a quick clara at Antonio's before a long bike cleaning session at home - so it goes.
03:21
63.5km
19.0km/h
570m
590m
Richard Palmer and Steve Harris went mountain biking.
December 7, 2025
Muddy, not up to your knees muddy but muddy enough. Had to get Steve home in time for the Abu Dhabi F1 GP.
03:22
71.0km
21.1km/h
330m
330m
Richard Palmer went for a bike ride.
November 20, 2025
Well, an uneventful crossing and landfall, straight through immigration and customs into Tarifa, suddenly we're back in Spain. There are 75km of well ridden road between Tarifa and home, there's a stiff northerly wind and a hunger in my belly, better get a move on. Six hours later I was checking in with my daughter and her kids, all fine, then home for a good feed and a glass or two of wine. Another tour in the bag.
05:07
74.0km
14.5km/h
550m
450m
Richard Palmer went for a bike ride.
November 18, 2025
El Ksiba to Beni Mellal. Easy ride, fast, traffic generally light (it's independence day).
02:22
48.3km
20.4km/h
210m
620m
Richard Palmer went gravel riding.
November 17, 2025
Cold start / easy day - relative to the previous week. A shower of rain at take-off, donned poncho which turned out to be as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. Long downhill to Imilchil, wind on the bow, had to pedal to make progress. Suddenly the metropolis of Imilchil with plenty of gites and auberges.
02:33
30.0km
11.8km/h
300m
500m
Richard Palmer went for a bike ride.
November 16, 2025
The hardships of the local inhabitants compared to your hardships while riding. A big day with those climbs resulted in exhaustion and near collapse on arrival at Auberge Rex.
04:46
46.4km
9.8km/h
1,090m
660m
Richard Palmer went gravel riding.
November 15, 2025
Gite Taouraout to Auberge Jebel Raids, Tagoudit. Now where was I before the day intervened with this cycling nonsense. Well I was enjoying a very deep sleep at Gite Taouraout, though my bladder awoke me once, then it was morning, bright, cool and fresh. The Halls dawdled with their packing but were still away before me. Breakfast was more than sufficient and we were on the piste by 08:45; nicely rolling, the two hills were mere molehills. Turning on to a road under construction it appeared to be a new motorway / Autovia over the mountains, so get over here before all the good stuff is buried under tarmac. The third climb started as a benign slope misleading us into thinking it would be easy. However gradients can increase, and like the "boiling frog" parable we were sucked along until the only option was to walk. Is that the top, you ask yourself, no is the reply, another 200m vertical still to climb. Then at 52.5km, 2200m the horizon reappeared and I could breathe easy. A local stopped to enquire after my health (reasonable for my age) then it was downhill to Auberge Jbel Raids with Leonard Cohen blasting out Hallelujah on the speaker, he couldna have timed it better.
04:52
59.3km
12.2km/h
950m
820m
Richard Palmer went gravel riding.
November 14, 2025
Up & up then more up & up we climbed to the dizzy altitude of 2250m looking down into the start of the Jaafar gorge, wonderful stuff. Then down we went along more good gravel before turning off onto the dry Jaafar riverbed. Some mud houses appeared, a huge herd of goats, a chica came and spoke to me then bounded off like a goat herself to head off the wandering herd. Finally into the gorge itself, not as big as the Todra / Dades gorges but no buses here... until around one corner we came upon a red Ford Ranger, coming up, being driven by a couple of Spanish guys and a young chica filming the fun. Suggested they look around the corner before continuing, they did so then backed out with an appreciative toot on the horn.
04:07
37.8km
9.2km/h
810m
360m
Richard Palmer went for a bike ride.
November 10, 2025
What a day, the first 52km would gave been sufficient for an enjoyable day out, unfortunately there was still another 40km to Fes mostly uphill. Take it as read that I was a tired chappy on arrival.
06:33
90.4km
13.8km/h
1,110m
1,050m
Richard Palmer went gravel riding.
November 9, 2025
The usual morning ablutions and Moroccan p'tit dejeuner then off on a recently revised route continuing the gravel from yesterday. James was navigating but I was just winging it and took a wrong turning; assumed there would be no junctions. Lesson learned, assumptions are the root of many FUs. So J&J got well ahead as I tried fruitlessly to reel them in. So a couple of "leg openers", a rocky downhill that was just rideable but on the limit, then down, down, down through the trees on pleasant gravel double-track. Met the Sheffield Steelers at a roadside café sipping lattes. And so it went, the second ascent just crept in and slowly became steeper until we were on another serious climb. Topped out at 450m, took a jus de citroen while the Steelers ascended after their picnic at the bottom. Long downhill to the Gite but seriously stung by a 1km long 15% (being generous) approach road. The Gite, Écotourisme Rural : Gîte la Belle Étoile Barrage El Wahda to give its full name, has been awarded 4.8 Google stars, I think 4 of them are for the location and view, the 0.8 for the facilities. This may be revised following tonight's dinner.
03:31
49.7km
14.2km/h
580m
860m
Tough ride, welcome home.
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