Up the Balcon de Bizkaia then back to Bilbao😞 - North Spain Bikepacking Tour - The finale!! 

Yeah those hills are worth it at the top and the descending is awesome ;-)

Agreed, that landscape is spectacular, I was glad for flatter ground on my last day though!

Many thanks mi amigo. Yes Bilbao and the Basque region are Indeed interesting..... And hilly! Worth it for the vistas. I'm pondering taking a flight with my bike, I'm just worried what condition it will be in when I arrive...... Have you experienced taking a bike on a plane?

@@RoadyPacking-CyclingAdventures Yep no problem I either get a card board bike box from a bike shop and dismantle my bike and fit it inside or I take my Brompton which fits in an IKEA Dimpa bag inside a heavy duty black cordura bag specifically for the Brompton which I then check in as hold luggage. No problems. I have flown short haul to Gran Canaria but EJ charge £45 each way for a bicycle. I think Ryanair is £60 each way. Have also flown long haul to South East Asia with a bike, full size, dismantled in a bike box to Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Bikes go free on most Asian long haul carriers. Malaysian Airlines and Cathay Pacific don't charge extra for bikes but the last time I flew long haul was 2018 so might have changed. Packing my bike I put foam pipe insulation on all the frame tubes. Remove the front wheel and rack, turn the handle bars even remove them, take the pedals off and let the air out of the tyres. There are quite a few good videos on YT showing how to pack a bicycle for flying. Sometimes there is no alternative. Many thanks.

@@alexmorgan3435 Many thanks. Yep I have to bite the bullet some day! I've seen an advert for a delivery company that will ship your bike ahead of you in a bike box, just need to check with a hotel that they'll receive it ahead of me getting there. Then head off camping from there.... might save the hassle at the airport..... Yes i've seen some 'how to' vids for packing up your bike for flights, gives me the shakes when I think of my pride and joy being chucked onto conveyer belts. Or I could always rent a bike when i'm there... so many options ;-) Happy cycling dude. Check out my other vids if you want a laugh haha

@@RoadyPacking-CyclingAdventures Yes I have watched a few of your other videos and subscribed, Personally I wouldn't use a delivery or shipping company. This WOULD give me the shakes. The first time you fly with your bike is daunting, but it then gets easier, not much, just a little easier as you are familiar with what is required. Your bike does not go through the conveyor belts but is instead X-rayed in larger machines then likely carried by some one on a trolley as it is is over sized and clearly marked as a bicycle. I watch the handlers like a hawk to see where my bike is and a few times it has been brought out separately and placed in the hold rather than thrown about with all the other bags. My Brompton is a different matter as it is effectively suitcase luggage. I protect it well with clothing and my sleeping Karrimat around it inside the bag I have for it. I've never had a problem yet. Yes bike hire is an option definitely on Gran Canaria and also Tenerife although imho GC is better for cycling. There are quite a few good bike shops to hire bikes from and the bikes are well prepared although I have never hired one as I take my own. The landscapes are simply stunning. I only started going there several years ago, having previously been totally oblivious to visiting the Canary islands with their mild winter climate and safe cycling. It's a great place to ride a bike and drivers are pretty considerate. Again a fair few videos on YT. Katie Kookaburra has done a few, recent ones this year as well, in which she gives a lot of useful information, bike hire and accommodation, etc. I desperately wanted to go end of march again for a couple of weeks riding, but couldn't make it in the end so was gutted. And there is the rest of the world. Tbh I prefer riding from my front door not flying but sometimes there is no practical alternative or there are time constraints. I loved cycling in Taiwan. Had heard so many good things about riding and visiting the country I thought I must go, before China invades. It didn't disappoint. I loved it. It has many very high mountains which are very very steep, but it is beautiful. Not so much in the industrial parts, but everything is very well run and clean. There is lots of cycling infrastructure and drivers are on the whole courteous. Scooters riders are how ever a menace although I don't think it is intentional unlike drivers in the UK who would happily driver over than around a cyclist. I have been knocked down three times over the years riding in the UK. I don't enjoy riding on the roads in the UK. Too many psychos. Anyway hope you succeed with your cycling plans, ATB.

@@alexmorgan3435 Thanks so much for the info. Yep CC sounds like a good start, do you know if they have bike boxes at CC airport for the return journey? I'm well into learning spanish at the mo so am going to be back and forth to spanish speaking countries/islands for a while to practice and bike tour, killing two birds with the one stone. Good luck on your adventures mi amigo 🚴🏕

I gotta picture them while they're pumped up haha 🤣 cheers mate, see you next time 🤟🚴‍♂️🏕️