Montblanc is a walled town with a dragon, and that alone makes it worth the detour. The thirteenth-century and fourteenth-century ramparts still circle the old centre almost intact, towers and gates and all, and the town has long claimed the legend of Saint George and the dragon as its own, which is why Catalans exchange roses and books on Sant Jordi in April. It sits in the Conca de Barberà, a basin of vineyards and fields surrounded by wooded ranges, and Mas d'En Carles lies in the hills to the south-east, on the edge of the Prades mountains.
The riding around here is quiet, easy and often lovely. Roads climb gently from Montblanc into oak and pine woods, curve through small farm country, and cross the hills at relaxed gradients with a mix of bends that favours a gentle tour rather than a hard ride. The traffic thins as soon as you leave the main roads. Spring brings fresh green and wildflowers, autumn gives colour and clear air, and winter can be cold enough in the higher parts that you should check for ice early in the morning.
This is also a region of Cistercian history. The monastery of Poblet, a few kilometres beyond Vimbodí, is one of the largest surviving Cistercian complexes in Europe, a royal pantheon of the Crown of Aragon behind massive walls, and it is a World Heritage Site. If you only stop for one thing in this corner of Catalonia, stop there, and bear in mind that the monastery has strict visiting hours and that the car park is no place to leave expensive luggage on a bike.
Fuel is easy at Montblanc, only seven kilometres away, with Alcover as a second option, so there is no need to worry about range. Vimbodí is smaller but has bars and a bakery. The rock shelter here is part of the same Levantine and schematic art family that spreads from Catalonia down through Valencia and Andalusia, and in this area the paintings tend to be modest in size, so look for the informative panels rather than expecting a grand gallery.