Cycling the last 200k of CF

[Dwillcoxon]

We are getting ready to cycle the Camino and are looking for any information about the trails vs roads. We prefer trails. Ebike vs non ebike on the trails. We have places to stay already, but would love to hear about the realities of biking 40 k a day on trails. Thanks deb

 

[Deleted member 67185]

We are getting ready to cycle the Camino and are looking for any information about the trails vs roads. We prefer trails. Ebike vs non ebike on the trails. We have places to stay already, but would love to hear about the realities of biking 40 k a day on trails. Thanks deb

Hello, and a warm welcome to the Forum

Well this can be a bit of a sore subject. There are many places where bikes and pedestrian pilgrims just do not have enough room to mix. And a goodly percentage of pedestrian pilgrims would prefer you use roads when feasible, which is the majority of the time.

As far as E-bikes go, I hope the Church authorities in charge of the rules for issuing the Compostela finally wake up and seriously review the legitimacy of using E-bikes if also obtaining a Compostela. In the meantime, as a long-time Pilgrim Office Volunteer, t2Andreo is the best reference on the Forum for this question.

Also, given the weight of an E-bike, think of the steepest grade you have ridden on, and imagine if you would want to push the weight of that E-bike up such a grade, because there are steep grades on the CF during that last 200K stretch.

Here are some thoughts:

1. Assume the pedestrian pilgrims cannot hear you approaching. Bad hearing, conversation, self absorption, focusing on the scenery, traffic noise nearby.... there are a lot of reasons that don't include headphones and music. Given the nature of a Pilgrimage, it should be of no surprise that there is a lot of internal focus for the pedestrian pilgrim.

2. Give a loud enough warning, when you are far enough away, so as not to not startle pedestrian pilgrims. A startled pilgrim is an unpredictable pilgrim and could bolt right into the bicyclists path, causing injury to both. Additionally, it is quite unpleasant to be suddenly frightened.

3. As you approach a pedestrian pilgrim(s), slow down. This helps minimize the large difference in weight and momentum and makes everyone safer.

4. In general, except for those who somehow feel entitled differently, most rules of a shared pathway are based on what is written above and are simply normal commonsense to keep all pedestrians and bicyclists safe: Bicycles and Pedestrians yield to horses. Bicyclists yield to Pedestrians.

5. While it may seem advisable for a pedestrian walking along a pathway to be aware of bicyclists, and it is something one should try to do, pedestrian pilgrims are not responsible for your behavior on a bicycle. They cannot make a warning for the bicyclist, nor use the brakes, nor steer the wheel.

6. Pedestrian and Bicycle Pilgrims are on Camino for a shared goal. Each is there to gain some sort of fulfillment and experience the Camino spiritually or physically, or culturally, or religiously or all of the above. Loving, caring, and respecting one another requires accommodation of differences and nurturing an attitude of giving. Pedestrians can assist the bicyclist by standing aside when you know they are approaching, offering to help with mechanical breakdowns (if knowledgeable), and grabbing a piece of the bike -- with permission -- to help the bicycle peregrino make it up a steep slope or extra muddy path.

Bicycle Peregrinos can be of similar attitude by simply observing the points above.

God Bless Us All; And Let Us Love One Another.

 

[t2andreo]

Everything Davebugg says above is spot-on, he usually is concise and accurate.

The current Pilgrim Office policy regarding e-bikes and obtaining the Compostela is as follows:

• Any such bicycle MUST HAVE PEDALS connected to the drive wheel(s).
• A bicycle with an auxiliary electric motor IS PERMISSIBLE, PROVIDED that the rider MUST PEDAL to cause the electric boost motor to operate.
• If you can coast or ride the bicycle purely in electric mode, WITHOUT THE NEED TO PEDAL as long as you have a battery charge, the device is considered an electric scooter (think battery powered Vespa) and is NOT PERMISSIBLE, PERIOD! This does not affect downhill coasting.
• Security personnel have been trained to observe and spot bicycles designed to operate without pedaling. They will turn you away.
• The same 200 km minimum distance applies, as for ALL bicycle type devices. On the Camino Frances, this has generally been regarded as starting in Ponferrada.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about this. I have ridden e-bicycles and clearly appreciate their benefit and use. All the models I have ridden require that you be pedaling, at some pace, for the electric assist motor to kick-in and contribute to forward torque. The added torque is very useful on any uphill section.

In fact, if my knees do not improve, I may do this in future. Needs must...

My sense from half a century or more of conventional bicycle riding is that the benefits of an e-bike are largely wasted off-road, on trails. This is because the presence of long stretches of even ground, on which the electric assist really helps are few and separated.

Also, e-bikes are significantly heavier than regular bikes, including mountain bikes. The typical e-bike weighs something like 23 kilos unloaded with gear. Thus, they are much more difficult to man-handle over rough bits on any trail. This could be dangerous, both to the rider as well as walking pilgrims.

My advice would be to stick to the road system, secondary and tertiary, if you want to use an e-bike. If I were to do a bicycle Camino using an e-mike, I would plan a mostly if not totally road based route. These routes DO exist. There ARE guides. If you look at any detailed map of any Camino route, you will see that there are adjacent roads that get you to the same places. In fact the N-120 largely parallels the entire Camino Frances in Spain. And there are smaller roads and farm roads that parallel even this road.

It is simply more considerate of walking pilgrims and safer for all, if ALL BICYCLISTS were to remain on paved surfaces and away from the walking trails. But, this please is NEVER honored, so y'all be very careful out there, be visible, USE A DAMN BELL, and SHARE THE PATH!

Also, if you do bring an e-bike ONLY get one with a removable battery for charging. This is both for security, and to be able to charge the battery overnight, without needing a REALLY Long extension cord. Just sayin.

Hope this clarifies.

 

[Dwillcoxon]

Everything Davebugg says above is spot-on, he usually is concise and accurate.

The current Pilgrim Office policy regarding e-bikes and obtaining the Compostela is as follows:

• Any such bicycle MUST HAVE PEDALS connected to the drive wheel(s).
• A bicycle with an auxiliary electric motor IS PERMISSIBLE, PROVIDED that the rider MUST PEDAL to cause the electric boost motor to operate.
• If you can coast or ride the bicycle purely in electric mode, WITHOUT THE NEED TO PEDAL as long as you have a battery charge, the device is considered an electric scooter (think battery powered Vespa) and is NOT PERMISSIBLE, PERIOD! This does not affect downhill coasting.
• Security personnel have been trained to observe and spot bicycle designed to operate without pedaling. They will turn you away.
• The same 200 km minimum distance applies, as for ALL bicycle type devices. On the Camino Frances, this has generally been regarded as starting in Ponferrada.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about this. I have ridden e-bicycles and clearly appreciate their benefit and use. All the models I have ridden require that you be pedaling, at some pace, for the electric assist motor to kick-in and contribute to forward torque. The added torque is very useful on any uphill section.

In fact, if my knees do not improve, I may do this in future. Needs must...

My sense from half a century or more of conventional bicycle riding is that the benefits of an e-bike are largely wasted off-road, on trails. This is because the presence of long stretches of even ground, on which the electric assist really helps are few and separated.

Also, e-bikes are significantly heavier than regular bikes, including mountain bikes. The typical e-bike weighs something like 23 kilos unloaded with gear. Thus, they are much more difficult to man-handle over rough bits on any trail. This could be dangerous, both to the rider as well as walking pilgrims.

My advice would be to stick to the road system, secondary and tertiary, if you want to use an e-bike. If I were to do a bicycle Camino using an e-mike, I would plan a mostly if not totally road based route. These routes DO exist. There ARE guides. If you look at any detailed map of any Camino route, you will see that there are adjacent roads that get you to the same places. In fact the N-120 largely parallels the entire Camino Frances in Spain. And there are smaller roads and farm roads that parallel even this road.

It is simply more considerate of walking pilgrims and safer for all, if ALL BICYCLISTS were to remain on paved surfaces and away from the walking trails. But, this please is NEVER honored, so y'all be very careful out there, be visible, USE A DAMN BELL, and SHARE THE PATH!

Also, if you do bring an e-bike ONLY get one with a removable battery for charging. This is both for security, and to be able to charge the battery overnight, without needing a REALLY Long extension cord. Just sayin.

Hope this clarifies.

Thanks so much. We have cancelled the ebike as there is only one in the group. We all have bells and will be very pilgrim conscious. I still plan to walk this one day, but my group wanted to ride. We are there in Mid Sept., so hoping for less people on the trails.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Thanks so much. We have cancelled the ebike as there is only one in the group. We all have bells and will be very pilgrim conscious. I still plan to walk this one day, but my group wanted to ride. We are there in Mid Sept., so hoping for less people on the trails.

Please keep in mind that a lot of people will not hear your bells. As someone who does have hearing loss, someone coming from behind can ring their bell so hard and fast that their hand develops cramps, and I will not hear it. A bell or other signaling device is a thoughtful courtesy, but the default position should be to plan on pedestrian NOT hearing a signal. That is why it is so essential to slow way down when nearing a pedestrian pilgrim.

 

[JamesGeier]

As DaveBugg said, "keep in mind that a lot of people will not hear your bells." I'd change that to very few people will hear your bells. We are better hearing things in front of us. When approaching walking pilgrims, slow down, slow way down, and pass cautiously.

I'm a cyclist...just finished a 30 mile ride here in not-so-sunny southern California. I love cycling. I walked the Camino Frances twice, and came to severely dislike the cyclists on the Camino. I twice witnessed cyclists going too fast and knocking down walking pilgrims. Fortunately, no serious injuries resulted. Many people commented that cyclists should be banned. And given the fairly consistent bad behavior I saw, I understand that thought.

--jim--

 

[Dwillcoxon]

Please keep in mind that a lot of people will not hear your bells. As someone who does have hearing loss, someone coming from behind can ring their bell so hard and fast that their hand develops cramps, and I will not hear it. A bell or other signaling device is a thoughtful courtesy, but the default position should be to plan on pedestrian NOT hearing a signal. That is why it is so essential to slow way down when nearing a pedestrian pilgrim.

As DaveBugg said, "keep in mind that a lot of people will not hear your bells." I'd change that to very few people will hear your bells. We are better hearing things in front of us. When approaching walking pilgrims, slow down, slow way down, and pass cautiously.

I'm a cyclist...just finished a 30 mile ride here in not-so-sunny southern California. I love cycling. I walked the Camino Frances twice, and came to severely dislike the cyclists on the Camino. I twice witnessed cyclists going too fast and knocking down walking pilgrims. Fortunately, no serious injuries resulted. Many people commented that cyclists should be banned. And given the fairly consistent bad behavior I saw, I understand that thought.

--jim--

Absolutely. We ride a lot of trails in the states and always slow down if not stop for walkers. Can you give me any information on the conditions of the trails and what kind of weather we can expect in mid sept

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Absolutely. We ride a lot of trails in the states and always slow down if not stop for walkers. Can you give me any information on the conditions of the trails and what kind of weather we can expect in mid sept

For which Camino?

For Camino Frances, September weather will still be quite warm to hot. Toward the last week of September and into mid October, mornings can get a bit cool, and then warm up nicely during the day. There was not much rain, a few days, both 2017 and 2018 during that time of year when I was on Frances.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

It can rain at any time of year in Galicia. On average, September is drier than October through May:

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