Cycling around Spain : Things to keep in mind

Riding through Spain tends to be a very pleasurable experience due to the excellent condition of its roads, clearly marked signage, and generally considerate motorists.  The responsability to maintain Spain's roadways is shared between its 17 autonomous communities, and in general is handled in strict accordance with motorway legislation.

This being said, and although we know that many cycling rules are universal, we thought it would be a good idea to go over some of the possible differences you might encounter.  

GENERAL RULES & CONSIDERATIONS

• Since in Spain people drive on the right side of the road, for those not accustomed you should be especially vigilant at roundabouts and junctions.  
• Likewise, you should also know that the brakes are set up the other way around, so the left hand is front brake and right hand is back break.
• The use of a helmet is compulsory on roads between towns, but not when cycling within towns and cities.
• Officially, it is prohibited to cycle while using earpieces or headphones which reproduce sound (this includes MP3 players, radios and mobile phones).
• Careful!  Just because you’re not using a motorized vehicle doesn’t mean you can cycle with alcohol in your system!   The maximum blood level allowed is 0.5 g/l.  The local police are authorised to give cyclists, just like motorists, alcohol tests on the spot.

RULES WHEN CYCLING 

In cities, you are obliged to cycle as close as possible to the sidewalk without actually going up on it.  Remember that sidewalks are for pedestrians, many cyclists break this rule and its easy for cyclists as a whole to get a bad reputation as a result.

If you are travelling in a group, you are permitted to cycle maximum two abreast; however, for sections where there is little visibility or if there is high traffic, you are obliged for safety to ride single-file.    Be courteous!  If you are riding with a buddy and there's a long line of motor traffic behind you, it makes sense to ride single file and let people pass :)   In these cases, motorists are obliged to keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres when passing.

Bikes have the right-of-way versus motor vehicles when a motor vehicle is going to turn at an intersection or roundabout and the cyclist is close by or is already starting to cross himself / herself.

Similarly, bikes need to yield to pedestrian traffic when a bicycle is going to turn at an intersection or roundabout and the pedestrian is close by or is already starting to cross himself / herself (even if there is no clearly indicated pedestrian crossing for these situations)

On regular intercity roads cyclists need to remain on the shoulder / hard shoulder area of the road if this area is reasonably wide.  If there does not exist an adequate shoulder, you will need to cycle as close as possible to the right hand side of the road.  

Keep in mind that cycling on highways ("autopistas") is generally ill-advised and in many cases there is signage which forbids it.


SIGNALS

In Spain, the order of priority from highest to least when it comes to road signals is the following:  1. Hand signals from policemen or authority figures, 2. Stoplights and illuminated signs, 3. All other vertical signs, 4. Horizontal painted indications on asphalt. 

If there is a policeman organizing traffic at an intersection, they will have an arm lifted vertically or horizontally against the direction of traffic that cannot pass.  

As with motor vehicles, you must stop at intersections with stoplights that are red or solid yellow (except when the cyclist cannot safely stop in time before the designated stop line).   Also, cyclists must stop before any yield signs or obligatory stop (or equivalent) signs.

If you need to stop or brake suddenly, you must indicate this with short and rapid up and down movements with your free arm.

Gesture for turning Right

Gesture for turning Left

The universal gestures for turning right or left are the same here in Spain, but as a refresher for those fairly new to cycling in general take a look at the accompanying images.

There exist dedicated bike lanes in both urban and intercity areas.  For these lanes, you can turn only when the accompanying signs or lights permit. Keep in mind that you will still need to warn others manual by raising your left arm.   

Finally, in Spain there are a number of T-intersections where the motorists or cyclists need to use a small half-roundabout for safety purposes rather than turn left directly.  See the accompanying diagram here for a better idea on how this works.  

Again, motorists in Spain are pretty considerate, so as a golden rule if you are they will be too.   If you understand some Spanish and want to see more in-depth information regarding regulations for cycling, see here. 

.....and that's it!  Remember to keep hydrated while cycling and keep using those sunglasses!

Happy cycling!

- Iván from Away From The Crowds