I’ve just returned from my 15th (!) cycling trip to Europe. I can hardly believe it myself. I started in 2007, went back in 2012, and after my first trip with 44 | 5 Cycling Tours (https://www.445cyclingtours.com/) in 2014 I been back to ride with them every non-Covid year since. Some years I made two trips, one to do tandem rides with Stoker, and the other to take on the Dolomites or Alps or Pyrenees.
The cycling on those trips totals 7,200 miles and 713,000 feet of climbing. If you eliminate the 4 almost completely flat rides (over 200 miles) Stoker and I did in the Camargue, that means my Euro riding has averaged over 100 vertical feet per mile. Using the Stockton Bike Club ride descriptions (Flat (F), Rolling (R), Hilly (H), Very Hilly (VH)) my European adventures probably qualify as Mountain Riding (M).
I’ve written before about the delightful roads around Malaucene that are nearly devoid of cars, but in the Pyrenees or Alps in August this is not always the case. Most of the climbs and descents on the my recent trip were quiet and nearly deserted, but between the climbs there were busy valley roads. Most of those had some shoulder, but there were lots of cars to deal with.
In my experience drivers in Europe are generally quite tolerant of cyclists. Close, fast passes are rare, and one finger salutes or ‘smoke outs’ or shouted advice to ‘get the ___ off the road’ never happen. But the Spanish drivers take being polite to cyclists to an entirely new level.
Spain has a ‘1.5 meter’ law, which means cars are suppose to give cyclists over 4 1/5 feet of space when passing. And they do it! Even when there was a line of cars behind me as I was climbing (the valley roads are not flat) on a curvy road with limited sight lines, the drivers would follow patiently at a safe distance. No tailgating or engines revving. When the road ahead was clear, the cars would pass giving me plenty of clearance.
My 44 5 Guide Gerry also has a blog (https://viciouscycle.blog/), and he has written that the Spanish drivers are the nicest toward cyclists. He has ridden his bike in far more places than I have, so his opinion carries weight. And based on my most recent trip, he is correct. Viva España!
Rich Freggiaro Cycling Blog 
While I cycled in Germany and Switzerland this summer, I was never afraid of a single car. The infrastructure is built cycling friendly. Most of our riding was done on paved bike paths and when we had to ride through town to connect to the next path, drivers were very patient. When we had to cross a busy HWY, there was an underpass for cyclists. It was pure bliss and I did not want to come home, but I would be back when the weather turns cold.
LikeLike