The best traffic-free bike rides around Pinilla Del Campo

After the tough climb, we have beautiful views of both valleys

Ólvega is a municipality in Soria in the community of Castilla y León. Its origin dates back to the beginning of the 5th century, although even older archaeological remains have been found from two nearby Celtiberian forts. It is popularly known as "Niña del Moncayo", for being at the foot of this mountain, and also as "Second Numancia", for the popular revolt of 1474 to avoid rendering vassalage to the Count of Medinaceli.

In Pozalmuro we find the bar closed, we have little to do and a storm is also threatening, we fill the kettles with water and begin the ascent of the Sierra del Madero, the mountain pass of the day to jump the Iberian System and cross the Duero basin to the great valley of the Ebro. The climb is a cycle path with quite a slope, it has some studs to avoid the destruction of runoff and maintain the quality of the surface but they require extra effort on each step. The hard slope ends at an extraordinary viewpoint with signs of the landscape, the views are magnificent. Moncayo (2,314 m) is an imposing mass, the roof of the Soria mountains and the highest peak of the Iberian System. We follow the milestones of the natural path down a descent with a couple of delicate curves for the gravel wheels on the loose stone and then a well-conditioned and fun path in a holm oak forest of great environmental quality. The sky turns into hell and we arrive at the town of Muro when the raindrops turn into hail balls, luckily the bar is open here. In Muro is the site of the Roman city of Augustóbriga and in the bar room they have posters highlighting the notoriety of the place. The Roman town was decisive in the Roman conquest and control of the towns that lived in the mountain slopes of Moncayo. The bad weather is persistent and we decided to finish the stage in Ágreda, an interesting town of three cultures on the slopes of Moncayo. At Hostal Doña Juana they are welcoming and kind to cyclists, even when they arrive soaked and their bikes are muddy. Before dinner there is time to see more towers, palaces, convents, stately homes and stroll through the Moorish quarter, passing through medieval gates with original battlements or in the shape of a horseshoe arch, such as the Puerta del Agua, from the 8th century, the oldest construction of the architectural heritage of Ágreda.

This Roman bridge is part of road 257 that linked Astúrica and Caesaraugusta. It is a beautiful structure with two arches built of ashlar and masonry. The bridge was declared an asset of cultural interest in the province of Soria.

It is worth catching your breath while admiring Moncayo... and surroundings

Drinking water source. It will be good for us to face the climb... although I would not miss visiting the bar in town

On a low hill in the southwest part of the town we find this castle that strategically dominates the surroundings. It is one of the best preserved castles in the province of Soria.

Currently uninhabited, Masegoso has a Berber tower from the 10th century and a beautiful Roman fountain.