Help! bicycle for 200 Km..where to hire, where to ride or wa

[bluzman]

I only have about 25 days for to complete from SJPP. I would like to do the entire Camino, so I am thinking of hiring a bicycle for about 200km -300km of the hike to cut down on the actual time on the trail while still hiking most of it. I believe that some companies say they will drop off and pick up anywhere! Do anyone know the best company to do this?? I would love to get some advice on the best (and easiest) about 200km to ride? I was actually thinking about Burgos to Leon, but only because these are larger towns and may be easier to pick up and drop off there. I am starting about 3 August and have to be in Holland by the 1st of Sept.

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[irishwalker]

Hi Bluzman,
You don't say if you intend cycling on the walker's path. If so, you would need a mountain bike.
There is a company bikeiberia.com who hire bikes along the route.If you intend cycling from Burgos,
which is probably a good idea, you will need an address for the bike co.to deliver the bike to and also an address for them to pick the bike up. Please note the bike may be delivered early as the bike co. may be en route with other bikes.
I think you should consider buying a bike and then selling it to a bike shop when you finish. You will be in control then.
I have cycled the route a number of times on a road bike with my own bike.
Buen Camino,

Irishwalker.

 

[bluzman]

Irishwalker, Thanks for your reply.

I have looed at Bikeiberia and will call them tomorrow to figure it out. I thought about buying and selling, but it takes more time and I would have to sell in Leon, don't know if that is a hassle or not. You stayed on the road the whole way? I heard the trail is actually quite smooth, have you walked that section? Is it ok for a Trekking bike? I would like to stay on the hikers path. Cheers!

 

[Jochen_Schmidtke]

Re: bicyle hire here

Hello.
See here:
bicyle hire on the Camino
Buen Camino
Jochen

 

[Br. David]

Hi - it would be cheaper to buy a cheap mountain bike and then, when you finish, just visit the nearest church and give it to the priest, then walk away.

Cheaper and more gratifying, don't you think? :wink:

 

[irishwalker]

Hi Bluzman,
I have not walked from Burgos to Leon so I don't know what the surface would be like. I think it would be good to cycle this section as it is flat and some walkers find it tough, because of the heat and it can become a bit monotonous.
Now that I am retired, I have started walking the camino.In May I walked from Astoga to Sarria,my favorite part.Next year I hope to walk from St Jean to Logrono in seven days.

Buen Camino,
Irishwalker.

 

[bluzman]

If I knew I could bbuy one in Burgos I might take that idea and run (or riide) with it! Thanks Brother David! And Thanks Irishwalker...enjoy you walk..I'll let you know how this section was when i finsh! Both Bikeiberia and http://www.tournride.com/ will drop where I wnat and pick up...about 120-150 euro with Paniers....the logistics are are bit difficult as I can't exactly say when I'll get to Burgo till I am a few days away...I might just risk it and try calling 4-5 days in advance (or buying a bike) and see if that works. I suppose the worst senario is I take a bus thru that section to meet my schedule for a finish..Not thrilled with the idea, but we do as we must sometimes! Thanks all!!

 

[Br. David]

Funnily enough you would most likely save about 100 Euros ... You can buy a bicycle in any large supermarket in burgos - the really big ones - and there is a Decathlon in Burgos too. :wink:

 

[newfydog]

I can't count how many broken down cheap bikes I've seen on the Camino. You wouldn't want a department store bike any more than hiking in $20 department store shoes.

 

[Br. David]

Perhaps it is different in western Europe?
I wasn't thinking of cheap bikes - as in rubbish - but bikes sold cheaply, which a supermarket chain can do. There is nothing wrong with the bicycles sold by large supermarket chains such as the French Auchan (who are in Spain as well). Alloy wheels, good standard derrailleurs, well made, etc.

My experience of the Camino is that it is free of broken down abandoned bikes, but that is only my experience :wink:

Perhaps it is about available spending money? I have seen many Spanish pilrims in 10-20 euros walking shoes. My own walking boots cost 35 Euros (actually 34.99) and did very well until I wore them out after a few years.
Each to his own I suppose. :wink:

 

[newfydog]

Perhaps it is different in western Europe?
There is nothing wrong with the bicycles sold by large supermarket chains such as the French Auchan (who are in Spain as well). Alloy wheels, good standard derrailleurs, well made, etc.

My experience of the Camino is that it is free of broken down abandoned bikes, but that is only my experience :wink:

. :wink:

I bike on my pilgrimages, and since I worked as a bike mechanic in college, I fix other pilgrims bikes almost daily. Most of the grocery store bikes I can get rolling 'til they get to a bike shop, where the bill puts a new perspective on what is a good deal on a bike. If you can adjust your own shifting (daily for the first week) and don't put too much weight on the cheap spokes used in those "alloy wheels", and you can retension those cheap spokes with their pre-stripped spoke nipples, you can probably get one of those tanks through a Camino. It seems a bad idea to spend money on airfare and other things and then head out on a cheap bike which has a good chance of making you miserable.

The rental companies, on the other hand, offer much better bikes. The shift cables and spokes are broken in and readjusted by a mechanic. If there is a problem, they'll help out. Worth every Euro in my experience.

 

[Br. David]

Interesting that our experiences are so utterly different. When I used to raise money for charities I was involved, for a number of years, as ride organiser or tour manager for a number of long distance fundraising bike rides. Bordeaux to Barcelona three times - 120 cyclists on average, Vienna to Prague, 100 cyclists, London to Brussels, 230 cyclists, London to Southend, 3,000 + three times, London to Canterbury, 3,000 +, Lands End to John o' Groats about 7 times, 200 cyclists each time. And we found no difference between the 'average' good quality shop bike and the supermarket and chain brands. Apart from the inevitable punctures most problems came with the expensive ultralight bikes - they were so highly tuned and minimalised that they had problems quite a lot of the time.
Only personal experience of course, as with you, but I think it might say something about the cheaper chain store bought American machines and their European counterparts.
Of course all the new bikes suffered from the 100 mile moment, where cables would reach their stretch and go out of adjustment, bottom brackets would loosen madly - but this is expected on new machines. The thing about buying from a good bike shop over here rather than a supermarket chain is that they tend to build in a free 100 miles service as part of the sale.

Due to necessity I once bought the cheapest bike available from a chain (woman's frame was the cheapest) and immediately went off on a three hundred mile ride - I didn't even have a puncture! I took it home, gave it to a family member, and they rode it happily for two years before a tree fell on it in a storm and bent the frame.

If I had to do it I think I could strip and rebuild a bike blindfolded - as you could too I think, so our experiences are different but both valid, don't you think? :wink:

 

[newfydog]

Interesting that our experiences are so utterly different. Only personal experience of course, as with you, but I think it might say something about the cheaper chain store bought American machines and their European counterparts.
:wink:

As much as you want to disparage American bikes, the bikes I have fixed on the Camino have nearly all been from European stores, usually bought by young Spaniards who couldn't afford a decent bike and bought some department store unit.

Perhaps the difference in our experiences is that the group rides you were involved with were mostly on pavement, and the bikes were not loaded with gear. Those cheapo bikes might survive better on that sort of ride than they would in the mud and cobbles of the Camino, loaded down with gear. If one wishes to ride the trails, a good bike is worth it. My expensive ultralight bike (American made) :wink: has been doing it for 14 years without a lost day.

Back to the original poster, if he wants to skip ahead by biking pavement, a disposable bike might work. If he stays on the trails, a rental bike would be a better bet.

 

[Br. David]

How strange, I was thinking about our different experiences when I went to bed and I woke up this morning with exactly that thought in mind! :lol:

All our events were on roads and the bikes weren't carrying luggage - different game entirely.

I had been assuming that a person cycling would buy a road bike and would take the road routes, not try to stay on the actual Camino - so our different experiences. I know nothing about supermarket "off-road" bikes, only their road machines.

p.s.It is difficult to transmit tone through text on forums. I wasn't disparaging 'American bikes' - only what might come out of supermarket chains in our respective countries, so defensive anger not necessary - All is well. :wink:

p.s. Interesting that you call a road 'pavement'. to us a pavement is what the pedestrians walk on.

 

[newfydog]

p.s. Interesting that you call a road 'pavement'. to us a pavement is what the pedestrians walk on.

That's because we are two countries separated by a common language :lol:

I didn't know that about British pavement, but I know American "pavement" is nothing like French "pave'".

 

[Br. David]

Ha - true - even worse would be if I wanted to erase something in pencil and ask for a rubber :lol:

 

[bluzman]

Thanks all...I do not wish to get into the Eropean/American bicycle debate!! HAHA!! I would really like to go on the Tail verses the Road, but this may not be possible either, once again, the time issue is the most difficult. I spoke to both listed Bike Hire comapanies, very helpful and will drop off and pick up where I select, however, they need notice and I am unsure of my timing for getting to Burgos. I think when I start the hike and have a feel for my pace, I will call one and see if they can accomadate me, if the absolute worse happens and they are unable, I will either pick up the pace (lol!) or bus abetween a town or two to knock off a few days! THANKS ALL..I am getting very excited now...finalising my packing and am at about a 13 pound pack!