Biking the more paved/urban sections of the Camino?

mary flo ouellette said:

I'm looking into biking for a few days along the way and wondering if there is a particularly large stretch of city/paved area that isn't the most lovely walk that you would recommend biking through. Thanks!

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Hi, you didn't say where you plan to start. Are you thinking of the Francés? And are you thinking of renting a bike from point A to point B? I didn't bike on my Camino and am not aware of places where one can rent a bike and then drop it off somewhere else. Speaking for myself, I would rather continue walking than spend time and effort on other arrangements. But that's just me .

Saw a couple (father & son) the over day cycling from Saint Jean D'Angely to Saintes.

We started on April 9 on bikes and finished May 3 in Santiago. In the big cities (Sarria, Leon, Pamplona) make sure and lock your bike. Two of our bikes were stolen in Leon. We got used to the small towns where there is no appreciable crime. There is crime in the big cites, just like the US. The best stretch to rent a bike in my opinion is on the meseta. It is a plateau cut by dozens of rivers. You bike up the hill (most of them are no more than 350 meters, then it is flat for awhile then you bike downhill to the next river. Then up the hill again, lather rinse repeat. It is pretty boring, it looks like eastern Washington state. Dryland wheat (TRIGO) as far as the eye can see. the hospidaleros and people in the small towns are a pleasure. Make reservations at an albergue or pension where you want to pick up the bikes and another reservation where you plan to drop off. then you tell bicigrino where to deliver and pick up the bike. We used bikeiberia regretably and they delivered seven year old broken down bicycles we had to have repaired. Bicigrinos replaces their bikes every year.

Andres Cano said:

We started on April 9 on bikes and finished May 3 in Santiago. In the big cities (Sarria, Leon, Pamplona) make sure and lock your bike. Two of our bikes were stolen in Leon. We got used to the small towns where there is no appreciable crime. There is crime in the big cites, just like the US. The best stretch to rent a bike in my opinion is on the meseta. It is a plateau cut by dozens of rivers. You bike up the hill (most of them are no more than 350 meters, then it is flat for awhile then you bike downhill to the next river. Then up the hill again, lather rinse repeat. It is pretty boring, it looks like eastern Washington state.....

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I love the Palouse and the Waterville Plateau in Central and Eastern Washington, which is why, among other things, I live here. The opinion of the Meseta is, as with my area of Washington State, in the eye of the beholder. I find nothing boring about it.

regardless how you feel about washington, the other reason I recommend this section to be biked is because the hills are relatively low and short, so you can make great time and still see the terrain. We covered 49 miles one day, although not up to snuff with the pro bikers we were carrying 8 kg of our belongings too. The other sections are mountainous so you would be walking the bike more. There are some original roman roads that are just amazing that they are in such good shape for being 500+ years old.

Andres Cano said:

regardless how you feel about washington, the other reason I recommend this section to be biked is because the hills are relatively low and short, so you can make great time and still see the terrain. We covered 49 miles one day, although not up to snuff with the pro bikers we were carrying 8 kg of our belongings too. The other sections are mountainous so you would be walking the bike more. There are some original roman roads that are just amazing that they are in such good shape for being 500+ years old.

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Since I am not in a hurry, I'm not worried about quickly covering more miles than my own normal walking pace. I enjoy the contemplative nature of the walk.