Best bike routes in Madrid: Madrid Río, Anillo Verde, Casa de Campo

Madrid has a reputation for hills and traffic, and the centre really is not the most relaxing place to ride. But around the city and along the river there are three routes that thousands of people use every weekend: Madrid Río, the Anillo Verde Ciclista and the Casa de Campo. They are very different from each other, and the right one depends on who is coming, what bike you have and how much climbing you fancy.

Madrid Río: flat, by the river, good with kids

This is the easiest ride in the city. The park follows the Manzanares river along the old route of the M-30 motorway, from around the Puente de los Franceses heading south. Past the M-30 southern junction it carries on as the Parque Lineal del Manzanares, so you can make it a lot longer without leaving green space.

Surface: smooth asphalt and paving almost all the way. Any bike works, including a city bike or a folding bike.

Hills: practically none as long as you stay by the river. The climbs start when you head up into the neighbourhoods, towards the Royal Palace or Moncloa for example.

Where to start: Príncipe Pío in the north, Puerta del Ángel or Puerta de Toledo in the middle, and Matadero or Legazpi in the south. All of them have a Metro station nearby.

With kids: the best of the three. There are playgrounds along the park and it is flat. The downside is that you share it with a lot of people walking, running and pushing buggies, especially on Sunday mornings. Ride slowly and keep a hand near the bell.

Worth knowing: pedestrians have priority on shared paths. If you want to ride fast, Madrid Río at midday on a weekend is the wrong place.

Anillo Verde Ciclista: the ride around Madrid

The “green ring” is a cycle path that loops around the city through its outer neighbourhoods, a little over sixty kilometres in total. The regional transport consortium (Consorcio Regional de Transportes) describes it in two halves: the northern half, 31.5 km, from the lake in the Casa de Campo to the Estadio Metropolitano, and the southern half, 30.5 km, from the Estadio Metropolitano back to the lake. Both are rated medium difficulty.

Surface: an asphalt path, separated from traffic most of the time and shared with walkers and runners. There are footbridges over the motorways and a few spots that need attention:

• In the northern half, the stretch beside the M-30 is a bit narrow.
• In the southern half, you pass under the railway and the A-4 through a narrow tunnel with traffic lights, shared with cars.

Hills: this is the big difference from Madrid Río. There are no mountain passes, but there are long climbs and descents. According to the consortium’s map, the northern half has around 130 metres between its lowest point by the Manzanares and its highest point near Las Tablas, and the direction they suggest for it is mostly uphill. The southern half starts with a long descent through Palomeras and Entrevías, then turns into constant short ups and downs through Usera and Carabanchel.

Where to start: the best thing about the ring is how many Metro, light rail and Cercanías stations it passes. You can ride just one section and get back by public transport. The consortium lists more than 16 stations on the northern half and more than 22 on the southern half. Before taking your bike on the Metro or a train, check the permitted times on the Metro de Madrid and Renfe websites, as there are hours when bikes are not allowed.

With kids: in sections, yes. A short, gentle stretch of the southern arc or the riverside section in the north works for kids who already ride confidently. The full loop is not a family outing.

Which bike: road, hybrid or mountain bike. A heavy city bike will do it too, but you will feel the climbs. Plenty of people train here, so expect fast riders overtaking you.

Casa de Campo: dirt tracks, climbs and mountain bikes

The Casa de Campo covers more than 1,700 hectares and is Madrid’s largest urban park. On a bike it is a different world: dirt tracks, proper climbs and corners where you forget you are in a city.

Where to start: the Lago and Casa de Campo Metro stations put you inside the park or right next to it. From Madrid Río you can ride in easily through the Puerta del Rey gate. The Anillo Verde itself crosses the park.

Surface: a mix of paved internal roads and wide dirt tracks. Most internal roads are closed to cars, but not all of them: near the Zoo there is a section of the ring where you share the road with cars and buses.

Hills: yes, and some are steep. Around the lake it is fairly flat. As soon as you head into the park, especially west and towards the higher ground, it goes up and down a lot.

Signed routes: the environmental education centre by the lake publishes a leaflet with three bike routes. One goes around the lake on the Anillo Verde, one covers part of the perimeter on rougher ground, and a third climbs through the middle of the park, marked with wooden posts.

Rules: according to Madrid’s official tourism information, you may ride on the roads and wide dirt tracks, but not on footpaths, not off track and not faster than 20 km/h. There are lots of walkers and runners, and fast descents on narrow paths are exactly what causes trouble.

With kids: around the lake, yes. The rest of the park only if they have some experience and the bike has good brakes.

Which bike: mountain or gravel bike to enjoy the dirt. On a road bike, stick to the tarmac.

Further out: El Pardo

If you want a proper road ride, the El Pardo road is a classic for road cyclists in the north of Madrid, and the surrounding hills are popular with mountain bikers. This is no longer a leisure ride: there is traffic on the road and you need to come prepared.

Which route to choose

• Easy ride or small kids: Madrid Río.
• Kilometres without cars and the Metro home: a section of the Anillo Verde.
• Dirt and climbing: Casa de Campo.
• Road training: the full ring or the El Pardo area.

Before you go

A few quick checks that save you from being stranded halfway:

1. Tyre pressure. The range is printed on the side of the tyre. Too soft and you puncture more and work much harder.
2. Brakes. Squeeze both levers standing still: they should bite firmly well before the lever touches the bar. With descents in the Casa de Campo this matters most.
3. Chain. If it is dry or noisy, lube it the evening before, not right before you leave.
4. Basic kit: spare tube or patches, tyre levers, a small pump and water. In summer, lots of water: the ring has long stretches in full sun.
5. Helmet. In Spain it is compulsory for under 16s. For adults it is strongly recommended, especially off road.
6. Lights if you will be back around dusk.

If the bike is not ready for it

If your check shows brakes that do not bite, gears that skip or wheels with play, it is better not to try fixing it halfway round the Casa de Campo. A workshop sorts that kind of thing out quickly. On madridbikes.com you tell us what is wrong with the bike, in English or Spanish, and we assign a workshop in your area. We cover all 21 districts of Madrid, including the ones these routes run through, such as Arganzuela, Moncloa-Aravaca and Latina.