Cycling the waymarked path on VDLP

[Paddy]

Hi all,
Is it possible to cycle the VDLP? I'll be using a hybrid bike lightly loaded.
Paddy

 

[+@^^]

yes, it is possible
some places cyclists are guided onto the tarred road alternative
some parts are impossible for a bike, eg some bits from Requejo /Lubian require portage at places
but it seemed no problem (im not a cyclist) - they just missed some of the most exquisite forest/hill country

 

[Paddy]

Hi Tamtamplin,
Missing the best of the scenery is exactly why I am weighting up walking or cycling. I did Frances on a touring bike with a good load and was forced onto tarmac for long stretches. I feel I may have missed all the good bits. While it was a wonderful experience, I want to do VDLP right, even if I have to take several 'bites' at it. Thanks,
Paddy

 

[Anniesantiago]

I met a woman cycling the VDLP with a trail bike.
There were some rough patches but if you're in shape, go for it!

 

[Sagalouts]

Hi Paddy
I have walked both the CF and the Vdlp and I think the route on the vdlp is more suited to bikes as long as you do the Astorga finish I have no knowledge of the route through Ourtense, which I believe is hilly.quite often the only people I met on the way were bikers, in places the rout is like an extended Meseta also in places you walk on a 2m wide path near the road and in one place 11km on the road itself.you are never far from the main road that goes up to Leon (n41?) the route itself was once part of the royal cattle drives that came before packhorse and lorries so is mostly fairly flat with a vast view all around and the big sky (Spanish plain) some people I walked with did not like it as each day can be a bit similar but I loved it for its peacefulness,even the bikers are few and far between and all seemed more chilled than the packs on the CF,this walker grew to quite like them and even started to treat them as fellow pilgrims and them me :wink:
Ian

 

[Paddy]

Hi Annie & Ian,
Thanks for your encouragement. I have decided to give it a go on the bike. My first Camino was back in 2000, before the rush, and I found friendship among all my fellow travellers, even the walkers :wink:.
My greatest moment of inspiration came unexpectedly from a busload of Germans at Eunate. Their group leader gave a short talk on the significance of the church followed by a choral recital from the entire group singing in harmony. It transpired they were a church choir, mostly well on in years, but their singing was heavenly.
Paddy

 

[Debinq]

hola Padraic
I met an Oz couple on trailbikes at Sanabria who were on the VdlP, having cycled the Frances and the road to Finisterre; they were headed for Sevilla (so were doing the VdlP in reverse direction) They were very glad they had finished /come out of the hilly section and could look fwd to relative flat countryside from Sanabria onwards. They were 'Gen X' (maybe even Gen Y ?) ....b t w I noted that you seemed surprised a choir with the majority of its members 'well advanced in years' could sing so well !!

P

 

[+@^^]

hi Paddy
yes Ian is right
there are choices on the vdlp
the route i estimate to be tricky for a bike is the bit when you "turn left" ie via Ourense
Ian gives the truth for the way straight ahead to Astorga
.
please keep this information to yourself
we dont want too many people liking the vdlp

 

[Caminando]

I saw some cyclists between Merida and Salamanca, so it's possible. It doesnt matter if you go on the road sometimes - it's all on the way to SDC by any route you choose.

Actually, I didnt mind the cyclists here, tho' I did a bit on the CF.

In fact you've given me an idea for when I cant walk any more - maybe I'll cycle the VDP. That one goes into the memory bank - ta!

 

[Paddy]

Debinq said “....b t w I noted that you seemed surprised a choir with the majority of its members 'well advanced in years' could sing so well !!”

Perhaps I did not put that glorious morning in June ‘00 into the correct context. Eunate was built by the Knights Templars as a funerary chapel. I arrived there very early, as the caretaker was about to take her kids to school, so I just sat in the sunshine, surrounded by the graves of pilgrims buried there since the 12th century.

A local lady came by with some flowers which she placed in the church door praying as she did so for those buried there or any pilgrims on their way that day, which I thought was rather special.

The bus and caretaker arrived together and the choir went into the chapel. Those of you who know the chapel at Eunate will know that there is no glass in the windows but translucent panels of onyx or marble, I think. Through these, the morning sunshine spreads a subdued glow of soft light throughout the hexagonal structure. Also, the acoustics of the chapel seemed perfect for the human voices. It was in this context that I found the unexpected choral recital to be so moving. I’m Gen X+ myself but I don’t sing as well as they did that day. I have some pictures of that morning if you would like to see them.

Meanwhile thanks to all for your helpful advice on the VDLP route.
Paddy

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The French hospitalero waved my brother and I into the albergue at Eunate as we cruised through on the Camino Aragones. He was substituting for a couple of weeks while the regular hospitalero was taking a break. Apparently, the regular volunteers work together and at different places during the year. He was multi-lingual, which was very welcoming to us, since we are language-challenged and had spent several weeks understanding very little French and even less Spanish. After a couple cups of coffee, a sello, and some great conversation, we moved on to Puenta La Reina. A couple of days later we met some other pilgrims who had stayed in Eunate. It had been one of their best experiences with a communal meal, lots of vino, and some excellent fellowship. We regretted that we had not stopped. There was little of interest in Puenta La Reina except that it was pimiento harvesting and roasting season, and we had dinner with a Spanish group who had driven down from Bilbao, as they did every year, to fill the car trunk with freshly roast peppers. On my next pilgrimage through the area, Eunate is on my list of overnight stops. With some luck, I will meet a choir!

 

[skilsaw]

Hi Paddy,
Seville to Zamora is relatively flat...No, it is really flat and a hybrid bike would be fine, although nearly all the cyclists are on Mt. Bikes. If it gets wet, the soils are mostly sandy so the mud is not too sticky but there are places where mud can be a problem.

From Zamora through Ourense to Santiago is one hill after another, or even one small mountain after another however, I saw bicycle tracks on the camino on every hill. You will want your gears to be as low as possible in this section. I don't think a sport-touring crank with 50/39/30 teeth would be low enough for me. A real mountain bike crank with 44/32/22 teeth will be necessary on the last 200 kms. If it becomes too much, you can leave the Camino and bike the road. I actually walked a good part of the road here because I found the camino marking to be inadequate.

Going north from Zamora through Benavente to Astorga is flat, but you have already done the Camino Frances. I did this on my first VdlP because I wanted to re-capture the first Camino feeling. It didn't happen. Turn west and go through Ourense.

Go for it. It's a great trip.

David, Victoria, Canada.

 

[Paddy]

Hi David,
Many thanks for your very helpful response. You have given me precisely the information I need to make a good decision. I’ll be on a KTM Sport with a Chain ring of 48/36/26 and Cassette of 32/28/24/21/18/16/14/12/11.

I know now that this is not the ideal bike for the entire trip but as you say for the first 800km I should have little problem. As I will have to take this Camino in a couple of sections due to time constraints I can now set off with the words of Confucius “It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive” and cope with the ‘tough bits’ when they arise.
Paddy

 

[newfydog]

At camino speed, fat MTB tires are no less efficient than hybrid tires. Get the real thing.

We have not done the VDLP. but we have done 5,000 km of various caminos/chemins/wegs and would never go out without a real mountain bike. We don't have rear suspension, but we have the full gears and tires, and rarely leave the official trail.

 

[skilsaw]

Here is some of what you are in for.



These fellows got totally bogged down in the mud.
It rode up as their wheels turned and fouled their v-brakes

But this is fun, right?

 

[newfydog]

Heck yeah! Why do you think this pilgrim is smiling?

https://picasaweb.google.com/1161160265 ... directlink