Is Spain a cycling paradise? What Canberra can learn from its new road rules

Mikayla Weber | Communications & Marketing Officer

Spain’s new cycling laws have generated considerable discussion among Australian bicycle advocacy organisations. Few road-rule reforms tell drivers quite so clearly to slow down, wait and recognise a cyclist’s right to use the road.

Having lived in Madrid and spent a month in the Canary Islands, I wanted to examine the changes from a firsthand perspective. Spain is often described as a cycling paradise, but that can mean very different things.

It may describe famous mountain climbs, mild weather and a national enthusiasm for professional cycling. It does not necessarily reflect the experience of someone riding to commute.

Spain’s reforms attempt to bring those two versions of cycling closer together.

What has changed?

Significant changes to Spain’s traffic rules came into effect on 1 October.

In urban areas, cyclists are now encouraged to ride in the centre of the lane. Drivers following a cyclist in the same lane must remain at least five metres behind.

Local authorities can also permit two-way cycling on signed one-way streets where the speed limit is 30km/h or lower, making some local journeys more direct.

Outside urban areas, drivers overtaking a cyclist must travel at least 20km/h below the road’s speed limit. They must leave a minimum lateral distance of 1.5 metres and change lanes completely where there is more than one lane travelling in the same direction.

The rules tell drivers to wait, reduce their speed and recognise the person ahead as a legitimate road user rather than an obstacle that must be passed immediately.

This has attracted attention in Australia because our minimum passing laws largely focus on distance. Spain’s approach also addresses the speed and behaviour of the passing driver.

A law built around patience

The most interesting part of Spain’s approach may be the expectation of patience running through the reforms.

Stay five metres behind. Slow down before overtaking. Move fully into the adjoining lane where required. Wait until there is enough space to pass safely.

These instructions recognise that a driver may need to spend a short period travelling at the cyclist’s speed.

What struck me while living in Spain was a greater willingness to accept that brief delay. Madrid’s traffic could be busy and Spanish drivers are not universally patient, but waiting behind a cyclist often appeared to be treated as a normal part of sharing the road.

This was even more noticeable in the Canary Islands, where drivers regularly encounter cyclists training on steep and winding roads. Riders are expected to be there, and waiting for a safe place to pass is part of the journey.

That sense of patience also has a place in Canberra’s cycling culture. A brief wait behind someone riding can make a meaningful difference to their safety and comfort on the road. 

Madrid’s two cycling cultures

Living in Madrid showed me two versions of Spain’s relationship with the bicycle.

Cycling is deeply embedded in Spanish culture. The country follows the Vuelta a España, celebrates its great riders and treats weekend road cycling as a serious social activity.

Yet everyday urban cycling can feel less straightforward.

Madrid is dense and full of destinations that should be easy to reach by bike. It also has wide, busy roads and an excellent Metro system that can make cycling feel like the less obvious choice for an ordinary journey.

A country can celebrate cyclists in the mountains while still leaving someone riding to work to negotiate an uncomfortable city street.

Canberra has almost the opposite challenge. We have an extensive path network, at times unconnected, but cycling is not always treated as an ordinary form of transport. A person riding to work may still be viewed as pursuing a hobby rather than simply completing a journey.

Spain’s centre-of-the-lane rule helps challenge that attitude. It gives official support to a position cyclists may need to take to remain visible, avoid opening car doors and prevent unsafe overtaking.

Spain’s approach also offers a useful opportunity to explain why riders sometimes take the lane at intersections, roundabouts, on narrow roads and beside parked vehicles. Riding in the centre can help someone stay visible, avoid hazards and discourage unsafe overtaking. 

Why the Canary Islands feel different

The Canary Islands felt like a place made for cycling.

Their volcanic landscapes, winding mountain roads, significant climbs and year-round climate attract professional teams, serious amateurs and cycling travellers.

What stood out was not simply the number of bicycles. It was the expectation that cyclists would be present.

When drivers regularly encounter people riding, a cyclist is less likely to be treated as an unexpected intrusion. Drivers understand that they may need to slow down and wait for visibility before passing.

Cycling is also part of the islands’ economy and identity, supporting accommodation, cafés, equipment hire, guiding and training services.

Canberra has its own lake routes, mountain-bike trails, rural roads and national attractions. Better promotion and safer connections could strengthen cycling tourism while making the city easier to navigate for residents.

The Canary Islands demonstrate that a cycling destination is not created by scenery or infrastructure alone. It develops when roads, businesses and local culture reinforce one another.

Protection and enforcement

Not every part of Spain’s reform has been welcomed without criticism.

Helmets are now compulsory for all cyclists on interurban roads, with previous exemptions removed. People using bicycles professionally must wear a helmet and high-visibility vest on all roads.

Supporters view these requirements as additional protection. Critics worry that enforcement may focus on cyclists’ clothing while unsafe overtaking receives less attention.

A passing-distance law changes little if close overtakes are not enforced. Centre-lane guidance offers limited protection if drivers do not understand or respect it.

Australian advocacy organisations have had similar discussions for years. Laws establish expectations, but education, enforcement and road design determine whether behaviour changes.

What could Canberra adopt?

Spain’s rules cannot simply be copied without considering the ACT context, but several principles deserve attention.

Slower overtaking

Canberra’s minimum passing laws specify how much space drivers must leave. Spain’s reforms also recognise the danger created by a large difference in speed.

A vehicle may leave the required distance and still pass at a speed that feels frightening or destabilising. Requiring drivers to slow before overtaking is worth examining in Australia.

Clearer support for taking the lane

Riders should not be forced towards drains, debris or parked cars to make overtaking easier.

Clearer education about safe lane positioning could reduce conflict and help drivers understand why a cyclist sometimes needs to occupy the centre of a lane.

Patience as a safety measure

“Share the road” can be a vague instruction. Spain’s rules explain what sharing requires from the person operating the more powerful vehicle.

It requires waiting. The same principle is relevant in Canberra: allowing time and space for a safe overtake helps everyone share the road more comfortably. Arriving a few seconds or minutes later is preferable to putting another person at risk.

Infrastructure that supports the rules

Separated paths, protected intersections, lower-speed neighbourhoods and continuous routes reduce conflict before it happens.

Canberra has many excellent paths, but their usefulness is often weakened by a missing connection or unsafe crossing. Stronger road rules should complement, not replace, investment in a complete cycling network.

Is Spain a cycling paradise?

For mountain climbs, spectacular landscapes and places built around cycling culture, Spain deserves its reputation. The Canary Islands in particular felt like a genuine cycling paradise.

For everyday urban transport, the answer is more complicated.

Spain’s new rules attempt to close the gap between celebrating cycling and supporting people who use bicycles for ordinary journeys. Their success will depend on education, enforcement and road design.

For Canberra, the lesson is clear. Better infrastructure and stronger rules matter, but so does culture.

A truly cycling-friendly city is one where riders are expected, their place on the road is respected and waiting a few seconds to pass safely is considered entirely normal.