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There are detours for people on bikes.A day or two out of Burgos I wanted to rent a bicycle to get across the Mesata but no luck. If you don't get one in Burgs (3 places) you don't get another chance.
Anyway, around Castrojeriz there are two very, very steep downhills "paved" with gravel, large rocks on the side, that my walking friend and I wondered how a bicyclist could get down the path there without skidding and laying the bike down. Sure enough, an American girl, who I had met days before, crashed the bike on one of those downhills and gashed her head open. Two bicyclists who were following stopped to render aid. An ambulance came and took the girl back to Burgos where she was released a day later and took the bus to Leon and continued her journey. IDK what happened to the bike.
What is the best way to get down these hills, I don't know but I know they are dangerous. Be careful!
I’m not sure Santiago is actually a good market for bicycles? I bought an old decathlon mountain bike at a thrift store in Pamplona and ended up giving it away in santiago. I just didn’t see that many bicyclists in Santiago, which is a very hilly place.Those who wish to experience the true Camino, as opposed to that tedious pedestrian trudge, should go instead to Decathlon, but a Rockrider and gear for 250 euro, and sell it on Idealista when they reach Santiago ... If they can bear to be parted from it, that is.
I remember those hills. I was on a bike and I walked it up and I walked it down. Made myself lunch at the top. Didn’t this woman have a helmet? I also had a nightmarish experience for a few kilometers afterwards slogging through the mud….. I had to take the wheels off and clean out the mud from the brakes and the gears.A day or two out of Burgos I wanted to rent a bicycle to get across the Mesata but no luck. If you don't get one in Burgs (3 places) you don't get another chance.
Anyway, around Castrojeriz there are two very, very steep downhills "paved" with gravel, large rocks on the side, that my walking friend and I wondered how a bicyclist could get down the path there without skidding and laying the bike down. Sure enough, an American girl, who I had met days before, crashed the bike on one of those downhills and gashed her head open. Two bicyclists who were following stopped to render aid. An ambulance came and took the girl back to Burgos where she was released a day later and took the bus to Leon and continued her journey. IDK what happened to the bike.
What is the best way to get down these hills, I don't know but I know they are dangerous. Be careful!
I had the Cicerone guidebook for bicycling the Camino France. It was pretty much useless for anything else ( there were verbal descriptions of the trail and hard to read maps which I didn’t find very helpful) but it did tell me about a half a dozen places where it was too dangerous or difficult to ride a bike on the trail.I encountered a couple of bicigrinos right after Pamplona and met them again in Santiago (after they drove to Finisterre and back).
They used maps that showed obstacles and how to drive around those parts on the CF. I don't know where the got them, but obviously they exist. I would never try to bike downhill after the Alto de El Perdon.
Did my first Camino on a bike. I suspect I walked about twenty percent of it. I used the road when the track looked a bit dodgy. But of course in 2000 we didn't get a forum to tell us all this obvious stuff. Oh yes, I started about 700km before SJPP. Even then, there were signs and I owned a map, though not a mobile phone. Just go with the flow.I am planning to do CF on a bike in september. As far as I know this dowhill after Castrojeriz isn´t one of the dangerous steep downhill on the CF bike experience. I´m thinking about take the B line or the road after the alto del Erro , alto del Perdon and after the Cruz de Hierro. It will depend of course on the path condition , like mud or sleepery rocks. The problem I see is some people doesn´t have the basic skills to ride a bike and take more risk than they are prepared.
You do exactly what I did in 2015, you walk the bike down to where the concrete ends and the walking pilgrims separate enough for you to ride.A day or two out of Burgos I wanted to rent a bicycle to get across the Mesata but no luck. If you don't get one in Burgs (3 places) you don't get another chance.
Anyway, around Castrojeriz there are two very, very steep downhills "paved" with gravel, large rocks on the side, that my walking friend and I wondered how a bicyclist could get down the path there without skidding and laying the bike down. Sure enough, an American girl, who I had met days before, crashed the bike on one of those downhills and gashed her head open. Two bicyclists who were following stopped to render aid. An ambulance came and took the girl back to Burgos where she was released a day later and took the bus to Leon and continued her journey. IDK what happened to the bike.
What is the best way to get down these hills, I don't know but I know they are dangerous. Be careful!
Definitely a very steep downhill after the steep climb after Castrojeriz. I remember it well because I was having some knee pain on the downhills, and was worried about it. I took this picture. It seemed like the grade was as steep going down as it had been going up.Was this before or after Castrojeriz? I can remember the steep climb (had to walk part way up that one) just after CJ with the shelter & "Bravo" sign at the top (Alto de Mostelares?) but don't remember any particularly tricky downhills. In fact this was one of the magical sections by bike across the meseta.
It’s true, that’s why I ended up buying a bike. I looked into renting one and realized it would cost me €1000 for the month! I can fix my own flats, thank you.I was going to sell the 250 euro decathlon bike on Wallapop (not Idealista) by putting an ad in a week before I got to Santiago. But I became so attached to it I couldn't part with it, and I have it still. But it always annoys me to meet people who've been charged more than the bike is worth for a couple of weeks' hire.
I Agree, it was a steep paved slope. I did see one bicyclist do it, but I was certain I would’ve wiped out.Definitely a very steep downhill after the steep climb after Castrojeriz. I remember it well because I was having some knee pain on the downhills, and was worried about it. I took this picture. It seemed like the grade was as steep going down as it had been going up.
View attachment 129400
A "bible" for me is WayMarkedTrails.org (WMT). It shows way marked trails (routes) for walking, cycling and four other modes. Here are two links for the section between Castrojeriz and Itero de la Vega:There are routes that have detours for cyclists such as ... the ‘mountain’ just after Castrojeriz
I just did this section of the Frances for 6th time. This time I was part of a team pushing/pulling a young man with cerebral palsy in a trekking chair. Due to the 18% grade on the descent we decided it was wise to take the alternative route. The route around is well marked after you turn on the road and there were many cyclist. It is 3km longer and comes back to the normal path just before San Nicolas. It is mostly flat with some gradual climbs and the roads are not busy. I would recommend it for cyclist.I am planning to do CF on a bike in september. As far as I know this dowhill after Castrojeriz isn´t one of the dangerous steep downhill on the CF bike experience. I´m thinking about take the B line or the road after the alto del Erro , alto del Perdon and after the Cruz de Hierro. It will depend of course on the path condition , like mud or sleepery rocks. The problem I see is some people doesn´t have the basic skills to ride a bike and take more risk than they are
I didn't realize that the descent was that much steeper than the ascent, which my photo showed as 12%.Due to the 18% grade on the descent we decided it was wise to take the alternative route.
Yes, I used a few resources including some of the well know Camino guidebooks to verify this when we were making our decision as to the safety of taking the trekking chair. Having it paved actually made it more dangerous for us, as it would be hard to stop the momentum of the wheel.I didn't realize that the descent was that much steeper than the ascent, which my photo showed as 12%.
With the greatest of respect, there is an even better route for cyclists.Bicycles are supposed to take the route around that comes in just before San Nicolas. At some point there was a sign. It is about 3km longer but flat. That paved 18% grade descent is tough on the knees. I can't imagine doing it on a bicycle.
The problem is that they are scared away by all of the people that describe it as ‘flatness’. It’s not, as evidenced by this very thread.they alone can appreciate its mystical quality of pure flatness.
Tried to keep off the N120 as much as possible, it seemed in places to be an east-west rat run. One of the reasons some / many bicigrinos want to ride on the camino is because it's such a great ride, the road is often just churning out the kms and dodging traffic but different strokes for different folks.With the greatest of respect, there is an even better route for cyclists.
It is called the N120. This route is pretty empty, in my experience, having been superseded by auto via.
The N120, for this purpose, starts at Pamplona and ends just before Galicia. It disappears after Sahagun to restart after Leon.
About Astorga it morphs to become the N-VI until Las Herrias. (I have read of one intrepid pilgrim who continued up the N-VI to Pedfradita-O-Cebreiro, at which point they gave up and headed along the ridge to O'Cebreiro.)
Given that cyclists travel at about 20 kph and walkers at about 5 kph, there is unlikely to be much interaction until arrival at respective destinations each day.
I think too many walkers who have minimal cycling experience think that cycling the "boring bits" will make life easier. They are missing out on some of the best contemplation sections, they dont have the correct safety equipment, they dont know how to handle offroad and they find that actually cycling is darn hard work. For an experienced mountain biker, these sections are fun and safe. Bottom line is if youre a walker, stick to walking, unless you do actually have cycling experience.A day or two out of Burgos I wanted to rent a bicycle to get across the Mesata but no luck. If you don't get one in Burgs (3 places) you don't get another chance.
Anyway, around Castrojeriz there are two very, very steep downhills "paved" with gravel, large rocks on the side, that my walking friend and I wondered how a bicyclist could get down the path there without skidding and laying the bike down. Sure enough, an American girl, who I had met days before, crashed the bike on one of those downhills and gashed her head open. Two bicyclists who were following stopped to render aid. An ambulance came and took the girl back to Burgos where she was released a day later and took the bus to Leon and continued her journey. IDK what happened to the bike.
What is the best way to get down these hills, I don't know but I know they are dangerous. Be careful!
Of course, the N120 road route is easier for cyclists. But it’s not the same Camino. I started as a walker, and an injury forced me to change to a bicyclist, but I wanted to experience the actual trail. Lots of nice quiet country roads where I live, why would I go all the way to Spain to ride on a road? Just my preference.With the greatest of respect, there is an even better route for cyclists.
It is called the N120. This route is pretty empty, in my experience, having been superseded by auto via.
The N120, for this purpose, starts at Pamplona and ends just before Galicia. It disappears after Sahagun to restart after Leon.
About Astorga it morphs to become the N-VI until Las Herrias. (I have read of one intrepid pilgrim who continued up the N-VI to Pedfradita-O-Cebreiro, at which point they gave up and headed along the ridge to O'Cebreiro.)
Given that cyclists travel at about 20 kph and walkers at about 5 kph, there is unlikely to be much interaction until arrival at respective destinations each day.
Partially disagree. I can enjoy the path as well biking as walking. I go as fast or slow as necessary to see what I want to see.I think too many walkers who have minimal cycling experience think that cycling the "boring bits" will make life easier. They are missing out on some of the best contemplation sections, they dont have the correct safety equipment, they dont know how to handle offroad and they find that actually cycling is darn hard work. For an experienced mountain biker, these sections are fun and safe. Bottom line is if youre a walker, stick to walking, unless you do actually have cycling experience.
@puttster, I am a closet cyclist. When walking in Europe I regularly consider whether the route I am on could be completed on a bike. And almost as regularly I encounter some feature or other other that I would feel a difficulty to bike over.I wondered how a bicyclist could get down the path there without skidding and laying the bike down
I am a closet cyclist.
I’m becoming increasingly curious about this section. Anyone got a photo?
I don't think that this is it, that section is not very steep, maybe further back nearer the alto.View attachment 129527
I think it's this, although I remember it being much steeper and more or less straight down to begin with - perhaps I took this part way down. No sweat for experienced mountain bikers but I wouldn't have fancied it on my bike, think it was quite slippy for walkers at the time. When I've cycled I've done the road route which was very quiet, had a bit more history and no hill.
As my friend and I speculated about how difficult one of the downhill sections would be, three or four cyclists with matching outfits passed us and zoomed speedily and surely down the path.I know that downhill and it's a real blast, I wouldn't miss it. Next to the superb (road) downhill it's the best fun on the Camino. The gravel and stone on the Casterojeriz hills makes it a real challenge.
Great photo, Helen."Behold! The Meseta!" (Although technically it's all Meseta from Burgos). I've just checked the contour map and the descent seems to be just as steep as the ascent, but over a shorter distance. I too took the road and am now regretting it, actually.I think it's this, although I remember it being much steeper and more or less straight down to begin with - perhaps I took this part way down. No sweat for experienced mountain bikers but I wouldn't have fancied it on my bike, think it was quite slippy for walkers at the time. When I've cycled I've done the road route which was very quiet, had a bit more history and no hill.
I was referring to the downhill section going west.
I am a closet cyclist
That won't get you very far. Have you tried it outside?
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