Caminos for cycling that are not very hilly.

[robert hailwood]

I have walked several caminos since 2013 and am hoping to experience the Primitivo in September. Recently I have developed a nasty intermittent pain in the ball of my feet, especially the left side. As I am 76 yrs young ,it is probably arthritis. So I am just wondering about cycling a camino. I think the Primitivo will be too hilly. Advice regarding routes, preparation, books re cycling and apps would be most welcome. I am thinking of about 3 weeks and about 30 to 40 miles daily, Thanks for your help.

 

[alexwalker]

I have walked several caminos since 2013 and am hoping to experience the Primitivo in September. Recently I have developed a nasty intermittent pain in the ball of my feet, especially the left side. As I am 76 yrs young ,it is probably arthritis. So I am just wondering about cycling a camino. I think the Primitivo will be too hilly. Advice regarding routes, preparation, books re cycling and apps would be most welcome. I am thinking of about 3 weeks and about 30 to 40 miles daily, Thanks for your help.

VdlP
Lana
Sureste

 

[steve 217]

I agree VDLP but its a big camino for a non cyclist the route is very muddy at certain times of the year and i found i often ended up upon the road as opposed to the camino itself .
Highly reccomend the Cicerone guide to cycling the Vdlp.
It is a little difficult to understand at first but has hybrid camino /road routes , which enable you to miss out the worst off road sections .
As for Bicycle a MTB not really necessary, comfort over performance every time, i did it on a Kona Dew aliminium framed gravel bike, my brother on a heavy steel framed,, rigid fork MTB, that cost him £10 from the local scrap merchant !
Mind you he is a strong cyclist and good mechanic.
Good luck.
Ps finding our way from Seville airport to the Camino was a nightmare with hindsight we would have been better to cycle into Seville and pick the camino up there.

 

[JoEllen]

The Camino Portuguese is good for cycling, but the portion from Lisbon to Porto is hilly and the last leg into Porto can be quite rocky. However, if you are okay with starting in Porto, you can cycle the Senda Litoral (beach route) and/or the Camino Coastal. The Senda Litoral and Coastal are the same in places or you can easily jump from one to the other if needed. It is relatively flat up to Vigo, Spain. After that there are rolling hills into Santiago with some decent climbs. If you do the Senda Litoral, there are some areas near Ancora where you would want to cycle the road for a bit as the boardwalks may still be washed out. Check with cyclingrentals.com for bike rentals or GoCyclingPortugal for rentals and maps/guides.

 

[lt56ny]

The Camino Portuguese is good for cycling, but the portion from Lisbon to Porto is hilly and the last leg into Porto can be quite rocky. However, if you are okay with starting in Porto, you can cycle the Senda Litoral (beach route) and/or the Camino Coastal. The Senda Litoral and Coastal are the same in places or you can easily jump from one to the other if needed. It is relatively flat up to Vigo, Spain. After that there are rolling hills into Santiago with some decent climbs. If you do the Senda Litoral, there are some areas near Ancora where you would want to cycle the road for a bit as the boardwalks may still be washed out. Check with cyclingrentals.com for bike rentals or GoCyclingPortugal for rentals and maps/guides.

I don't bike but what you said about washed out boardwalks is so true. There are also spots with a few broken boards that can really sneak up on you.

 

[Corned Beef]

3 weeks on a bike at the rate suggested would indicate 400 - 450 miles. That's a lot for casual cyclist unless you are using an e-bike or similar. Your choice of bike and it's gearing would determine which routes would be better as some of the internal routes through Galicia to Santiago are quite hilly.

What sort of bike would you bring / get / hire. Will it be assisted or just low geared like MTB's

 

[senora1]

2 years ago we rode from Burgos to SdC on e-bikes (pedal assist) we rented from cycling-rentals.com
10 days and it was very pleasant

 

[Gerard Griffin]

I used a Decathlon Rockrider 520 hybrid pushbike for 2 years and did the Porugese Caminos, the VDP and Ruta de Lana as well as the Frances. The VDP and Lana are fine but there are some hills I found quite tough, so I used the train to bypass them. The CF is tough after Astorga, I found. But of course I had no foot or knee problems at all and found it far easier all round than walking. I now use a Rockrider EST 520 ebike and it's a dream come true. I did the Primitivo on it and it was a struggle at times even with the motor. I met a man who did it on a pushbike and he was still recovering from the experience. Overall though cycling the Camino is great fun, apart from the walkers of course, but there's not much you can do about them.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

I have walked several caminos since 2013 and am hoping to experience the Primitivo in September. Recently I have developed a nasty intermittent pain in the ball of my feet, especially the left side. As I am 76 yrs young ,it is probably arthritis. So I am just wondering about cycling a camino. I think the Primitivo will be too hilly. Advice regarding routes, preparation, books re cycling and apps would be most welcome. I am thinking of about 3 weeks and about 30 to 40 miles daily, Thanks for your help.

Are you intending to hire a bike, or bring your own, (from where)?

 

[Skinnybiker]

Spain, by some criteria, is reckoned to be the second most mountainous country in Europe. How about some of the Caminos in flatter countries, Netherlands, France etc?

 

[Anthony Rocco]

I have walked several caminos since 2013 and am hoping to experience the Primitivo in September. Recently I have developed a nasty intermittent pain in the ball of my feet, especially the left side. As I am 76 yrs young ,it is probably arthritis. So I am just wondering about cycling a camino. I think the Primitivo will be too hilly. Advice regarding routes, preparation, books re cycling and apps would be most welcome. I am thinking of about 3 weeks and about 30 to 40 miles daily, Thanks for your help.

Lots of e-bikers these days, and as long as it can be pedaled, you can earn a compostella if you so desire. I recommend an e-bike, which has the added advantage of opening up the number of camino routes you can cycle. A hybrid will also allow you to get some good exercise but not needlessly strain muscles.

A route I have walked which others may not recommend is the Camino del Ebro. You have long stretches in Catalunya and Rioja which are drop dead gorgeous. And some awesome cities, towns and villages.

 

[dbier]

OP, I would suggest that you see a foot doctor before deciding that cycling will be less painful. You might have a very treatable problem, especially if someone knowledgeable looks at your gait and your shoes.

Get a "second" opinion.

Buen Camino

 

[robert hailwood]

I agree VDLP but its a big camino for a non cyclist the route is very muddy at certain times of the year and i found i often ended up upon the road as opposed to the camino itself .
Highly reccomend the Cicerone guide to cycling the Vdlp.
It is a little difficult to understand at first but has hybrid camino /road routes , which enable you to miss out the worst off road sections .
As for Bicycle a MTB not really necessary, comfort over performance every time, i did it on a Kona Dew aliminium framed gravel bike, my brother on a heavy steel framed,, rigid fork MTB, that cost him £10 from the local scrap merchant !
Mind you he is a strong cyclist and good mechanic.
Good luck.
Ps finding our way from Seville airport to the Camino was a nightmare with hindsight we would have been better to cycle into Seville and pick the camino up there.

Thank you. I did walk the VDLP last April ,May and I am considering that. I have a steel framed tourer and would like to use that. I think I could do a train from Manchester to Plymouth, ferry to Santander and then train to Seville. Maybe fly to Seville would be cheaper?.

 

[robert hailwood]

The Camino Portuguese is good for cycling, but the portion from Lisbon to Porto is hilly and the last leg into Porto can be quite rocky. However, if you are okay with starting in Porto, you can cycle the Senda Litoral (beach route) and/or the Camino Coastal. The Senda Litoral and Coastal are the same in places or you can easily jump from one to the other if needed. It is relatively flat up to Vigo, Spain. After that there are rolling hills into Santiago with some decent climbs. If you do the Senda Litoral, there are some areas near Ancora where you would want to cycle the road for a bit as the boardwalks may still be washed out. Check with cyclingrentals.com for bike rentals or GoCyclingPortugal for rentals and maps/guides.

Thanks. I walked the central route from Porto in 2019 and the coastal route may be the way to go. I am not keen to hire a bike as I already have one. But price might determine the outcome!

 

[robert hailwood]

Spain, by some criteria, is reckoned to be the second most mountainous country in Europe. How about some of the Caminos in flatter countries, Netherlands, France etc?

I did the Netherlands in 1965! The steady wind all day was tiring and I got hit by a car in Amsterdam. Besides Spain is much cheaper with its pilgrim approach and network of facilities. Also the lager with a half lemon squeezed in after an 8 hour walk is just magic.

 

[robert hailwood]

Lots of e-bikers these days, and as long as it can be pedaled, you can earn a compostella if you so desire. I recommend an e-bike, which has the added advantage of opening up the number of camino routes you can cycle. A hybrid will also allow you to get some good exercise but not needlessly strain muscles.

A route I have walked which others may not recommend is the Camino del Ebro. You have long stretches in Catalunya and Rioja which are drop dead gorgeous. And some awesome cities, towns and villages.

 

[robert hailwood]

I know some of route having travelled it with wife in a motorhome in ? 2017. It certainly was lovely in places.

 

[Gerard Griffin]

I know some of route having travelled it with wife in a motorhome in ? 2017. It certainly was lovely in places.

Forget the walking and the cycling ... that's the way to do it. If only ....

 

[Peregrinopaul]

I have walked several caminos since 2013 and am hoping to experience the Primitivo in September. Recently I have developed a nasty intermittent pain in the ball of my feet, especially the left side. As I am 76 yrs young ,it is probably arthritis. So I am just wondering about cycling a camino. I think the Primitivo will be too hilly. Advice regarding routes, preparation, books re cycling and apps would be most welcome. I am thinking of about 3 weeks and about 30 to 40 miles daily, Thanks for your help.

OK I'm going to chime in here. Robert, I'm 3 years older than you and have been cycling caminos since 2012. I chose to go by bike because my knees are pretty shot, and walking with a backpack to the supermarket and back would be a pipe dream. All my caminos except the last (2023) have been quite physical affairs – three VdlPs for instance – but despite my advancing age and impediments I have always found that riding a camino has been been an enjoyable and, up to a point, within my physical capabilities. However, after a 3 year hiatus during Covid I began to question that. Last year I cycled the Francés, but changed my approach. Instead of long rides – I was used to 60 to 90 km a day depending on the terrain – I decided on a leisurely and longer camino, very easy to do on the Francés with all the accommodation options. Some days I would ride 40km, and sometimes I would stay 2 nights just to have the opportunity to look around and enjoy my surroundings. A few parts of the Francés are somewhat challenging, and I recognised my limitations by occasionally sending my bag ahead and having the joy of an unloaded bike. Faced with the climb to O Cebreiro (definitely out of my league now) I booked 2 nights at a nice albergue in Villafranca. I took off and rode up to Las Hererias. Then I turned round and free-wheeled back to Villafranca. The next day I took a taxi to O Cebreiro. Cheating? Who cares it's my camino.
The interesting thing was that I enjoyed that camino probably more than any other. I was going so slowly that with my stop-overs I often reconnected with walkers that I'd met along the way. That was a first.
So, although after reading your initial post I was going to shout "Do the VdlP!", since you've already walked it, I'm going to be the only one recommending the Francés, (even if you have walked it).
You have a big advantage in being able to use the UK-Spain ferry. This year I'll be starting from Ireland – I have family there. I'm going to fly my bike from Oz and take the ferry from Rosslare to Bilbao. I'll cross the Basque Cantabrians to Estella and then reprise my leasurely Francés again. I'm thinking that I'll then take the Feve train along the coast back to Bibao... you wanna come?

 

[Jesnat]

Hola Robert, some great advice already and PeregrinoPaul´s pov on a slower leisurely ride makes sense. I can´t help with which Camino. I cycled the VDLP to Gijon two years ago and am planning to try it again next month. I remember it being quite hilly!! and lots of pushing but great riding and wonderful places to see and experience. I also rode from Pamplona to Leon last year and quite a bit of pushing until the Meseta from Burgos.

On your idea to catch the train to Sevilla, I don't think the fast AVE trains accept bikes, so check the Renfe (train co) website. Coaches do (ALSA) but that makes a long journey.

On the practicalities, I ride a hybrid bike with a pannier rack and two 20 liter pannier bags and handle bar bag for phone etc which is more than enough space. I pack some spare tubes and basic tools and try to keep weight down. I mostly rode on the road so the hybrid worked well with some light trekking tyres. Nothing fancy. Do remember lip protection.

If you do the VDLP others have mentioned the John Hayes book and guide. For the Francis, Mike Wells has an equally good guide both available to download from Cicerone Press.

Good luck and do keep us posted...

 

[Skinnybiker]

Train / ferry whilst environmentally sound is a bit of fool's errand, very hard, i did it once Cádiz to Plymouth, never again. Flight to SVQ will be much easier then airport bus in to the city. Good luck

 

[michelle grech]

I have walked several caminos since 2013 and am hoping to experience the Primitivo in September. Recently I have developed a nasty intermittent pain in the ball of my feet, especially the left side. As I am 76 yrs young ,it is probably arthritis. So I am just wondering about cycling a camino. I think the Primitivo will be too hilly. Advice regarding routes, preparation, books re cycling and apps would be most welcome. I am thinking of about 3 weeks and about 30 to 40 miles daily, Thanks for your help.

Hi Robert, I cycled the Frances and Portugues on my mountain bike. I am now 57 and my knees are not what they used to be but cycling Caminos is something that gives me so much pleasure. I can't describe it in words but I think I'm happiest when I'm on one of those trails. In 2022 I did the Norte with a friend. To make it easier for us we rented ebikes. You still have to work hard with an ebike and your heart is still pumping at 150 bpm when climbing hills but I made it a bit easier. People who never rode an ebike will come out will all sort of comments like you're cheating bla bla bla. This coming may we are doing the Primitivo by ebike. I know it's not the most cyclable of the routes but I love a challenge. You might want to consider this option.
Michelle

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Hi Robert, I cycled the Frances and Portugues on my mountain bike. I am now 57 and my knees are not what they used to be but cycling Caminos is something that gives me so much pleasure. I can't describe it in words but I think I'm happiest when I'm on one of those trails. In 2022 I did the Norte with a friend. To make it easier for us we rented ebikes. You still have to work hard with an ebike and your heart is still pumping at 150 bpm when climbing hills but I made it a bit easier. People who never rode an ebike will come out will all sort of comments like you're cheating bla bla bla. This coming may we are doing the Primitivo by ebike. I know it's not the most cyclable of the routes but I love a challenge. You might want to consider this option.
Michelle

Great post, that's exactly how I feel as well now that my walking days are mostly behind me. I used a pushbike for two years and then switched to an ebike, and it's fantastic. I did the Primitivo last year and it was wonderful . . . I could hever have managed it as a walker, and as for a pushbike ... I met an Italian chap who did it and he told me that he was still recovering from the trauma. Even with an ebike it's a struggle at times. Two suggestions: charge your battery as often as you can, in every cafe you go past. Running out of charge on the Primitivo is an antechamber to hell. And use an offline map with good elevation profile details, as those pesky hills have a habit of sneaking up on you. Outdoor Active (free) served me well. Oh yes ... bring a powerpack so you never run out of phone charge. It's a great camino and you'll have a great time.