WGroleau
Wandering Weirdo aka 伟思礼
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2015–2018 (partial)
A complaining post by someone who gave up at Alto de Perdón included:
"- the bicycles are out of control. There were a few cyclists with shells on but there were far, far more local cycle clubs using the Camino trail as a training route. Why do none of these bikes have a horn or a bell to warn people they are coming from behind? The trail isn't even as wide as a sidewalk. There is no way to step to the side while wearing a backpack. It's not wide enough to comfortably accommodate both a bike and a walker. And even more numbers coming at you at race speed with local riders."
I've biked more than half of Francés and more than fifty kilometers on Vía de la Plata and walked maybe a quarter of Francés, so my perception is that this complaint is not completely fair. Some parts are narrow, but many are not. And when walking or biking slow, any cyclist who passed me warned me they were coming. As for warnings, my bike DOES have a bell, but often, after ringing the bell, hollering "bicycle passing" in Spanish, English, and another language, and slowing down to walking speed, pilgrims still seem startled when I finally pass them. And I never encountered more than two other cyclists together.
"- the bicycles are out of control. There were a few cyclists with shells on but there were far, far more local cycle clubs using the Camino trail as a training route. Why do none of these bikes have a horn or a bell to warn people they are coming from behind? The trail isn't even as wide as a sidewalk. There is no way to step to the side while wearing a backpack. It's not wide enough to comfortably accommodate both a bike and a walker. And even more numbers coming at you at race speed with local riders."
I've biked more than half of Francés and more than fifty kilometers on Vía de la Plata and walked maybe a quarter of Francés, so my perception is that this complaint is not completely fair. Some parts are narrow, but many are not. And when walking or biking slow, any cyclist who passed me warned me they were coming. As for warnings, my bike DOES have a bell, but often, after ringing the bell, hollering "bicycle passing" in Spanish, English, and another language, and slowing down to walking speed, pilgrims still seem startled when I finally pass them. And I never encountered more than two other cyclists together.