No, not bikers on Mars. This is one group I talked with at Plaine des Sables (2347 m.) on the recently-active volcano, Piton de la Fournaise. These riders like four cylinders, think 600cc is enough for la Réunion and were wearing safety kit. Up in the clouds but really bright: UV Index 10 and +22°C.
Restricted as a tourist to four wheels plus pedalling a mountain bike when I can hire one, I’m deeply envious seeing Sunday bikers riding out on the fantastically engineered roads across the centre of Réunion Island and up in to the cirques and volcanic craters. The landscape of the Piton de la Fournaise looks like Mars, except it has cars and daisies. There was volcanic activity here just last weekend,
Elsewhere on La Réunion, the route to the crater village of Cilaos is nicknamed the Road of 400 bends. That includes one hairpin so tight it’s more than 360° and you exit on a bridge over the road you just entered on. Also three single-track tunnels through the red volcanic rock, a couple of water splash fords and numerous “ordinary” hairpins, all in about 30 km of road length and 1200 m. of net elevation gain. Hurt my gear-change arm in an i10, I’d have loved to have ridden my RR up and down it.
And ride to biker meets to enjoy the classic Indian Ocean coloured sunsets at the beach bars of Boucan Canot.
Sunset at Boucan Canot