Cycling sections

[DanMc90]

HI
Im new to this forum

Just wondering is it possible to rent a bike and cycle sections , just to change it up ?

 

[Dorpie]

Hi Dan,

It certainly is possible with quite a few bike firms operating along the camino, I've not used any so not in a position to make recommendations.

Burgos to Leon seems to be a very popular stretch to bike, presumably because it's long and flat and I'm some people's view (not mine) boring.

Have fun with the planning.

 

[MarcosdeParticuba]

Hi Dan,
On my first camino in 2012, after walking from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Leon, I needed a change of pace and out of curiosity and googling, I found Bikenbabia which rented me a bike to be dropped off in Santiago. They delivered it to my hotel - I had splurged for my birthday and stayed the night at the fabulous Hostal San Marcos.

What I found useful was the inclusion of saddlebags which allowed me to pack them with my stuff and send my backpack (and useless stuff) through a Correos office in Leon for pickup in Compostela for a few Euros. The national Spanish Post Office has hugely improved its services to pilgrims in recent years with its Camino-Oriented web site.

I made sure I got the right size bike. AFAIK bikenbabia is not located in Leon, staff lives in a mountain suburb - they arrive with a truckful of stuff and alternative bikes and tools - a mobile shop, sort of.

They rent most basic models now for about 200€ for a week from Leon, 250€ from Burgos and so on. I noted they even have e-bikes (yikes!) for something like 325€. For a week, that is mucho. An alternative is buying a used bike (hundreds for sale all over Spain on kijiji-like web sites (Segundomano, MilAnuncios), ideally with a rack, buying second-hand panniers and pedaling off into the sunrise.

I did that in Zafra on the Via de la Plata, finding a private seller from a website, buying a clunker an hour later for 50€ (with 50€ more for a checkup and accessories at a bikeshop) and in the end giving the bike to the Camino Office in Santiago who handed it over to the needy - they are accostumed to this type of donation.

That said, going from two feet to two wheels changes everything, the plus is the freedom to explore surroundings of towns (Las Medulas from Ponferrada 100km west of Leon is a must), detours and adventure which you don't really feel like doing when entering a town after walking 25 k's for 6 hours with 8 kilos on your back. You do the math.

The minus for some is that switching to a bike in the middle of a camino, you quit "the group", supposing you are a "groupie", your co-pilgrims who mostly have the same pace and whom you are glad (or not) to meet day after day. You become, showing up as a biker in a new group of walking pilgrims, an outsider — because you seem "in a hurry", aloof and seemingly unconcerned with their pace and intimacy.

But then, are we doing the Camino to meet people, be part of a group or to meet with our Inner Self ? That's a whole 'nother story.

 

[tpmchugh]

HI
Im new to this forum

Just wondering is it possible to rent a bike and cycle sections , just to change it up ?

A friend of mine was leaving us at Burgos to rent a bike and cycle to León. He found it cheaper to go to Decathlon and buy a bike. He hoped to maybe sell it in León but hit a kerb, wrecked the wheel so, he just walked away and left it

 

[C clearly]

Hello! Yes, it is possible to do that, although I have no first-hand experience of it. If you enter "rent bicycle" in the Search box at the upper right of the screen, you'll find some threads that will give you good ideas.

 

[Stefy Ste]

Hello, Thanks everyone for all the great ideas ! I thought that cycling across the mesetasis the best choice for me and in this way I will cut the days off, planning 4 days by bike.. I got in contact with few rental companies and I found burgos bike rental the cheapest and with the best customer service ! I will cycle in mid sept, I just hope i will not rain (even though, living in Manchester - or Rainchester- made me not fussy about rain!) I just cannot figure out what to do with the backpack.. keep it in the back? ask for a basket and put it there?
Buen Camino! Stef

 

[William Marques]

If you are going light weight do not worry about keeping the backpack on your back. I have cycled half the Via de la Plata that way and though not ideal I did not find it uncomfortable but then I often use a Camelback so am used to some sort of backpack.

Burgos to Leon would be a very easy 4 days by bike.