Terry&Dianna
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances September 1, 2017
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Personally I don’t think anything moving faster than a donkey should be on the Camino.
I am all for the bicyclists completely staying off of the unimproved footpaths which were obviously designed for walking pilgrims.
I am with you from my experience trying to pedal up to Alto de Perdon. It was impossible, it was way too narrow and rocky. I had already decided I would not go down hill on the traditional path but rather follow the road. It was the best part of my ride which I abandoned in Burgos. You have to be a special person to do the entire CF on a bike, my hat is off to anyone who does.I was pushing my fully loaded mountain bike uphill to the Cruz de Ferro...when a Spanish Hiking Pilgrim started instructing me in Spanish to push my mountain bike uphill on the road in a dense morning fog...simply because he could not pass quickly on a narrow part of the Camino trail...my short response was..."Camino Morte! (Camino Death!)...again this would be similar to a Bicigrino instructing a Hiking Pilgrim not to walk in the biking lane of the road...but instead to hike the adjacent Camino trail that is covered in mud and puddles because the hiking Pilgrims are blocking the biking lane.
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Been there and done that!
I have been scared out of my wits by a bike approaching me from behind and I have scared the wits out of pilgrims coming up from behind them on a bike. You can ring your bell and get no response, you can finally scream at the top of your lungs "on your right" but ear bud or a couple of pilgrims in a deep conversation thwart your effort to be responsible. I have been forced to jump off a bike to an unyielding groups of walkers which could be just as dangerous as running into them.
Surely if there is no response, and walkers are blocking the path........you stop?
I am a walker myself, but I don't agree that the Caminotrails were designed for walking pilgrims. They were made for general use , I think and this means pilgrims who walk the/a Camino have no privileges.I am all for the bicyclists completely staying off of the unimproved footpaths which were obviously designed for walking pilgrims.
It all comes down to invasiveness. Bicycles are invasive to the walking pilgrims, not vice-versa and there is simply not enough room on the average walking trail of the Camino for both bicycles and walkers.
BTW, I enjoy mountain bike riding and think it is great, but on the right trails and areas.
I am a walker myself, but I don't agree that the Caminotrails were designed for walking pilgrims. They were made for general use , I think and this means pilgrims who walk the/a Camino have no privileges.
Wheather it's sensible for cyclists to choose a narrow, steep or otherwise difficult path to ride on is another question. For local mountainbikers the Caminotrail sometimes will be part of their favorite "circuit".
It all comes down to that we will have to try to live together and follow the normal rules of politeness
As bicigrino, thank you!!God bless you1. Assume the pedestrian pilgrims cannot hear you approaching. Bad hearing, conversation, self absorption, focusing on the scenery, traffic noise nearby.... there are a lot of reasons that don't include headphones and music. Given the nature of a Pilgrimage, it should be of no surprise that there is a lot of internal focus for the pedestrian pilgrim.
2. Give a loud enough warning, when you are far enough away, so as not to not startle pedestrian pilgrims. A startled pilgrim is an unpredictable pilgrim and could bolt right into the bicyclists path, causing injury to both. Additionally, it is quite unpleasant to be suddenly frightened.
3. As you approach a pedestrian pilgrim(s), slow down. This helps minimize the large difference in weight and momentum and makes everyone safer.
4. In general, except for those who somehow feel entitled differently, most rules of a shared pathway are based on what is written above and are simply normal commonsense to keep all pedestrians and bicyclists safe: Bicycles and Pedestrians yield to horses. Bicyclists yield to Pedestrians.
5. While it may seem advisable for a pedestrian walking along a pathway to be aware of bicyclists, and it is something one should try to do, pedestrian pilgrims are not responsible for your behavior on a bicycle. They cannot make a warning for the bicyclist, nor use the brakes, nor steer the wheel.
6. Pedestrian and Bicycle Pilgrims are on Camino for a shared goal. Each is there to gain some sort of fulfillment and experience the Camino spiritually or physically, or culturally, or religiously or all of the above. Loving, caring, and respecting one another requires accommodation of differences and nurturing an attitude of giving. Pedestrians can assist the bicyclist by standing aside when you know they are approaching, offering to help with mechanical breakdowns (if knowledgeable), and grabbing a piece of the bike -- with permission -- to help the bicycle peregrino make it up a steep slope or extra muddy path.
Bicycle Peregrinos can be of similar attitude by simply observing the points above.
God Bless Us All; And Let Us Love One Another.
But they were ! The roads are for the the bicycles.
So you mean to say that every trail that's part of or marked with yellow arrows is developed for the Camino and primarily meant for walkers. I don't know on the basis of which information you think this is the case. I think that the camino uses existing trails and roads. The caminoroutes change all the time to adjust to changing circumstances.But they were ! The roads are for the the bicycles.
I have never seen a fellow pilgrim on foot almost run over another pilgrim possibly causing them physical injury. Now I have seen bicyclists do that on the Camino.
Walking pilgrims do not hurdle down at 20-30 kph on dirt tracks filled with people.
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