Cycling the Camino recap

[Jenny267]

A friend and I rode from Pamplona to Santiago in September over 17 days and I would like to share our journey. @Mark T17 recently posted a comprehensive account of his trip, also in September, and I was inspired to do similar. I echo many of Marks thoughts and account of the journey so I won't repeat them, read his post if you haven't already, it's a gem!It's been quite good therapy writing this for the feeling of 'did that really happen, did I really do that, where's it gone' and I hope you find it useful, and maybe even enjoyable. It's ended up far longer than I'd thought it would...
A little background - I'm a lightweight woman of 59, and for 6 months before hand I rode 20km 3 times a week, and more on weekends. Not many hills where I live though and the first few days were tough.
My friend hadn't ridden a bike for years but trained playing football, she struggled a bit and walked a lot but always got there. Vino Tinto is an excellent pain reliever.
We hired touring bikes bikes from cyclingrentals.com with 2x 20l panniers which we didn't fill up thankfully. I used everything I took except the medical kit but could have done without a couple of things. We had a few short term aches and pains but nothing serious - I did end up with those bulging cyclists knee muscles and was pretty damn proud of them too!
We stayed in private rooms for various reasons, and all places were bike friendly with good storage for the bikes.
The weather was hot initially, cooler and at times cold later (I live in the subtropics and anything under 17C is cold to me) with only 2 brief showers of rain.

 

[Jenny267]

So...
Packing list
2 cycling shorts
2 quick dry singlets - 1 would have been enough
1 long sleeve quick dry shirt
1 long sleeve linen shirt
Hiking shoes to ride in
Sandals
3 underwear
3 pairs socks
2 croptops
Merino thermal tights for over the bike shorts when cold
Merino long sleeve T shirt
Fleece vest
Rain jacket
Peak cap - wore it every day under the helmet sun or rain
Buff
Fingerless padded cycling gloves - worn every day
Thin thermal gloves - worn over the top of the others quite a few times
Hi-vis fluoro reflective vest for on road - wore it every day
Quick dry long pants
Quick dry Capri pants - only wore twice
T shirt
Sleeveless top - only wore twice
Lightweight down jacket - wore it a lot at night
Light scarf
Dress to sleep in
Shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, sunscreen, lip balm etc
Medical kit - band aids, antibiotics, vitamins, panadol, anti inflammatories etc
Camera and charger
iPhone and charger
iPod - didn't use
Money, passport etc
Light bag to put essentials in when off the bike
Elastic washing line - used every day
Water - carried at least 1.5L every day
Snacks

I used packing cells to keep my kit organised and it worked well, I could always find what I wanted quickly.
I wish I'd taken/bought lights for the bike for extra visibility, the bike only had reflectors.

 

[Jenny267]

Route and planning
We used 3 books and found them all useful in different ways
Michelin Camino map book - invaluable for looking at alternatives and planning, Brierly and Village to Village guide.

Day 1 Pamplona to Estella 50km
We rode out of Pamplona following arrows all the way to Alto de Perdon. A couple of kms of pushing the bike up the hill as it was narrow, steep and rough in places.
We took the road down, the map looks like you turn left at the T junction, not so, turn right, follow signs to Puente la Reina. Follow the quiet but hilly road, cross the A12 on the bridge then after a few kms turn left onto the N1110, becomes N111A, to Puente.
we diverted to Obanos and Eunate, turn left down a signposted road, ride through Obanos, turn left at the T, ride 3km, turn right to Eunate. Reverse to return to Puente.
Leaving P we crossed the river and stayed on the road to link back onto the N1110. It was steep and hilly with no shade, still not sure if that was a good choice!
We stayed at Hostal El Volante.

Day 2 Estella to Logrono 50km
Road the path to Los Arcos, a bit of hike a bike up to Villamayor. At about Emrita de la Virgin we took to the N111 as the path was narrow and hilly, back on the path coming into Logrono - at the walkers overpass bridge- as the road was really busy.
Stayed at Pension Calfredi.

Day 3 Logrono to Azofra 40km
Track all day, hike a bike up part of the hill between Navarrete and Najera, steep narrow and rough. Generally nice riding.
Stayed at Pension la Plaza.

Day 4 Azofra to Belorado 40km
All track today, a bit of hike a bike up to Ciruena, generally nice riding on a wide gravel track, some rough. N 120 is nearby but busy.
Stayed at Casa Waslasa.

Day 5 Belorado to Olmos Atapuerca 35km
Track to Villafranca, mostly nice and wide, A12 is nearby but busy with little shoulder.
Leaving Villafranca there is steep rough single track. To avoid some of it turn right up the road before entering the forest, turn left past the cemetery and rejoin the track.
Lots of hike a bike up to Alto de Valbuena then wide gravel down to San Juan de Ortega. Quiet road next to the track to Atapuerca and onto Olmos Atapuerca.
Stayed at a lovely nameless place.... Atapuerca was booked out, Olmos was great.

 

[Jenny267]

Day 6 Olmos Atapuerca to Tardajos 35km
Track out the back of Olmos up the Sierra Alto meets the main track near the top, all hike a bike. Quiet nearby road until the turnoff for the Riverwalk path into Burgos.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/burgos-river-way.480/reviews#review-366-8605
This is an excellent and easy to follow guide to the Riverwalk.
Followed the arrows out of Burgos and into Tardajos.
Stayed at La Fabrica.

Day 7 Tardajos to Carrion 75km
Track to Hontanas wide, rough in places.
Took the adjacent quiet road BUP4103 after Hontanas as it had rained and was muddy on the track, to Castrojeriz. Leaving Castrojeriz we turned right onto the BU400 for 3 or 4 kms then left onto BU403 to go around the climb - I think it's known as mule killer, the road was not flat either.
Stayed on that road until it met the P431, turn right into Fromista.
Leaving Fromista on the quiet adjacent P980 to Carrion, steadily uphill.
Stayed at Hostal Santiago.

Day 8 Carrion to El Burgo Ranero 60km
N120 to outskirts of Sahugan then Camino through Sahugan and back onto the N120 for about 5km until there was a quiet road next to the track to Bercianos. The track from Carrion to Calzadilla may have been fine but we missed the exit point from the N120. And it was a raging headwind. All day.
Quiet road next to track from Bercianos to El Burgo Ranero.
Stayed at El Peregrino Hostal.

Day 9 El Burgo Ranero to Leon 40km
Quiet road next to track to Mansilla de las Mulas. Be careful leaving Mansilla there are arrows pointing you down the LE512, it's the wrong way as we found out.
From Mansilla we followed the track into Leon, good and wide.
Stayed at Pension Sandoval.

Day 10 rest day in Leon

Day 11 Leon to Murias de Rechivaldo via Mazariffe 55km
Camino out of Leon for about 8km, Turn left and follow the markings, well sign posted, wide easy track to Hospital where you rejoin the main track. Nice ride.
Path/old road to Astorga next to the busy N120, a few big hills but smooth and rideable.
Quiet road LE142 to Murias de Rechivaldo.
Stayed at Casa las Aguedas.

 

[Jenny267]

Day 12 Murias to Ponferrada 50km
A steady climb on quiet road next to the track to Rabanal.
A sharper climb on the quiet LE142 up to Foncebadon, and on up to Cruz de Ferro.
Same road down to Molinaseca, steep and winding and a wee bit scary but good surface except through Acebo.
Same road next to track into Ponferrada.
Stayed at El Castillo

Day 13 Ponferrada to Las Herrerias 45km
Followed the track out of town then quiet road next to the track to Villafranca. Hills as usual.
Followed the quietish NV1 until a quieter road turned off to Trabadelo, followed that road to through Vega to Las Herrerias. Pretty ride and hilly.
Stayed at Casa Polin.

Day 14 Las Herrerias to Sarria via Samos 50km
Follow the road through the village and up the hill, and further and further up. There are arrows will bikes on them for guidance. Very steep, expect to walk some. Ride through O'Cebreiro on the LU633, it keeps falling and rising for 9km to Alto de Poio. I found it the hardest section of the ride mentally.
Follow the steep winding exhilarating and scary road down to Triacastela.
LU633 to Samos, hilly, pretty, mostly close to the track, good shoulder to ride on.
Same to Sarria, although became busier and we followed the arrows into town.
Stayed at Oca Villa de Sarria.

Day 15 Sarria to Palais de Rei 48km
LU633 to Portomarin, hilly again. Turn left after crossing the bridge into Portomarin, yet more hills, it may have been possible and more enjoyable to ride the track but elevations suggested the road was best option for us.
LU633 again to Hospital de la Cruz. Steep and getting busier, bit scary at times.
At Hospital cross the bridge over the N547, turn left for 200m then right onto the quiet and enjoyable C535 next to/part of the track to Palais de Rei.
Stayed at O Castelo.

Day 16 Palais de Rei to O'Pedrouzo/Arca 50km
Started on the track, pretty through trees and over log bridges over creeks but muddy as it had rained. Went onto the N547, hilly and busy. Went on the nearby track a few times for sanity. From Arzua we alternated between the N547 and the track, one was busy the other muddy, not our finest day.
Stayed at Pension de 9 Abril.

Day 17 Arca to Santiago 20km
Followed the track and it was lovely easy riding slowly and happily along with the walkers, and a beautiful way to finish the ride. Mostly wide track or quiet road, a couple of sections of single track.
Followed the arrows into Santiago, got lost when a sign pointed bikes up a hill away from the cathedral, even GPS was going in circles!

I hope this is helpful to anyone planning to ride, if I were to go again I'd take a few days longer so as to have time to explore and enjoy the many beautiful and interesting looking places we just rode on through.

Buen Camino

 

[nycwalking]

Congratulations! Thanks for post.

 

[HedaP]

Gosh well done, pilgrim.

 

[Mark T17]

Hi Jenny,

Great read that brought back so many memories ! Seems like we had similar experiences, funny how we followed the same path, but stayed in different places and I think we pushed the bikes about the same distance ! I couldn't believe how many hills were on the Camino, I remember looking at your "mule killer", then the road and thinking will I or wont I (this is suppose to be the meseta). I ended up doing the hill because the road looked like the long way around, but it was one of my favourite days.

Congratulations !
MT

 

[Jenny267]

Thanks Mark yes it does seem we did similar route but you did many more km a day than we did, I take my hat off to you! I'm missing the ride eat sleep simplicity of the journey and am planning a little 7 day ride here in Qld for March-April after the summer storm season, can't wait! We decided on the road around the mule killer as it had rained during the night and another cyclist we met up with tried it and abandoned the effort in favour of the road, we took his advice!

 

[Mark T17]

Hi Jenny, looked at my photos again today and thought did that really just happen ? After all the pleasure and pain, the Camino is starting to grow on me, but not sure where my next trip will be, definitely not on a bike. Maybe lay on a beach somewhere.

Good luck on your little ride - you'll kill it !

Cheers
M

 

[Darren.R]

Hi Jenny,
Thank you for the account of your trip, it’s a great read and very informative..
Interested to know if you ate out or cooked for yourselves along the way?
I’ve been talking with other pilgrims about there experiences with using the kitchens at the hostels
What’s your thoughts???

 

[Jenny267]

Hi @Darren.R glad you enjoyed the read. Most of the places we stayed didn't have kitchen facilities so we mostly ate out, the pilgrims menu mostly which varied from place to place in palatability but always refuelled the body perfectly well. Note that I'm on the small side but still finished every meal. The two places we stayed that had kitchens we used for simple meal prep like ham and cheese toasted for breakfast and prepping lunches to take with us, and once did a dinner of bought salads and cold meats, nothing fancy and the cost was not that much less the a pilgrim menu. I preferred eating out for the ease of it and the social aspect. I hope that helps, bearing in mind we didn't stay in arlbergues.
Cheers and I'm looking forward to hearing of your journey
Jenny

 

[bostonYogaFan]

A friend and I rode from Pamplona to Santiago in September over 17 days and I would like to share our journey. @Mark T17 recently posted a comprehensive account of his trip, also in September, and I was inspired to do similar. I echo many of Marks thoughts and account of the journey so I won't repeat them, read his post if you haven't already, it's a gem!It's been quite good therapy writing this for the feeling of 'did that really happen, did I really do that, where's it gone' and I hope you find it useful, and maybe even enjoyable. It's ended up far longer than I'd thought it would...
A little background - I'm a lightweight woman of 59, and for 6 months before hand I rode 20km 3 times a week, and more on weekends. Not many hills where I live though and the first few days were tough.
My friend hadn't ridden a bike for years but trained playing football, she struggled a bit and walked a lot but always got there. Vino Tinto is an excellent pain reliever.
We hired touring bikes bikes from cyclingrentals.com with 2x 20l panniers which we didn't fill up thankfully. I used everything I took except the medical kit but could have done without a couple of things. We had a few short term aches and pains but nothing serious - I did end up with those bulging cyclists knee muscles and was pretty damn proud of them too!
We stayed in private rooms for various reasons, and all places were bike friendly with good storage for the bikes.
The weather was hot initially, cooler and at times cold later (I live in the subtropics and anything under 17C is cold to me) with only 2 brief showers of rain.

hello Jenny. Congrats to you and your friend on your camino. I am a 53-year-old woman from Boston - and am planning to solo cycle a section of the camino frances in september. I keep going back and forth on which type of bike to rent - but am now leaning toward renting a touring bike. Were you pleased with your choice to go with a touring bike? Did you use a specific cycling guidebook or route? Did either you or your cycling partner write a blog about the experience? Thanks for your help!

 

[Jenny267]

Hi @bostonYogaFan yes I was pleased with the touring bike choice, it was adequate for the parts of the trail that were rideable by a non mountain biker, and got along well on the roads as well. We used the Michelin Camino map book for more detailed road information, and Brierleys for other information. We didn't write a blog as such, just the recap above.
Have a great ride and enjoy every minute, even the really hard ones when you're pushing your bike up the hill!