Cycling VdlP in August: distance and endurance

[peter_iltchev]

Hello everyone!

I'm planning to cycle the Via de la Plata with a group of friends in August, and we would ideally want to do it in no more than 3 weeks. When I saw that it takes roughly 1000km to cycle to Santiago de Compostela, I started to have some doubts as to whether this was at all possible.

Exactly how good a cyclist do you have to be, and does it require much preparation beforehand, considering the distance? How much would we realistically be able to cycle each day? These are the things that are worrying me the most..

Peter

 

[sillydoll]

This guy took 13 days cycling from Seville to Santiago after not having been on a bike for 40 years!!

http://www.viaplata.eu/

He says" I am a 61 year old, reasonably fit, male. Last time I was on a bicycle was 40 years ago as a student, so you could not call me an enthusiastic cyclist. After two weeks pedaling my way up (yes, everything is up when you are on a bike) the Via de la Plata, I was still 61, but an awful lot fitter."

Day 1 Sevilla - Torre de la Reina 25 km
Day 2 Torre de la Reina - El Real 72 km 962 m 6.3 hours
Day 3 El Real - Zafra 66 km 1166 m 6.2 hours
Day 4 Zafra - Mérida 80 km 497 m 5.0 hours
Day 5 Mérida - Caceres 71 km 511 m 5.1 hours
Day 6 Caceres - Plasencia 82 km 617 m 5.5 hours
Day 7 Plasencia - Bejar 100 km 1280 m 8.0 hours
Day 8 Bejar - Salamanca 70 km 1033 m 6.2 hours
Day 9 Salamanca - Zamora 50 km * 730 m 4.0 hours
Day 10 Zamora - Puebla de Sanabria 78 km 825 m 5.0 hours
Day 11 Peubla de Sanabria - Verin 94 km 1282 m 5.5 hours
Day 12 Verin - Ourense 75 km 946 m 5.0 hours
Day 13 Ourense - Santiago

 

[andy.d]

I met a Spanish pilgrim in Tabara who was doing it in his week off. From memory, he'd cycled 200km that day. The albergue was full but we were queuing up to give up our beds for him.

Andy

 

[tipperary]

Hi Peter,
I am road biking this route starting 14th of may. We are allowing 13 days on the bike which averages at about 80 km per day. The N 630 now has a new motorway alongside it most of the way, so we hope it will be quiet. Motorway network is continually been extended so a recent road map is essential. We use a 2010 cepsa road map on previous trips which we found excellent,far better than a michelin may which we also had. For those doing the camino francis michelin have a specific map showing adjacent roads, profiles etc albergues. Feel free to contact me in June for further info
Buen camino
justin

 

[peter_iltchev]

Hey,

Thanks for all the replies so far. I did indeed come across the account of the 60 year old, and it gave me a lot of confidence ..but realistically, 100km is very gruelling, to say the least...and we need to go at 50km every day if we're to do it in 3 weeks..I can't remember the last time I cycled 10 in a day..and we're going for 21 days of 5 times that amount...And of course things are bound to go wrong, as much of an optimist as I am..

is it realistic?! I'm having my doubts...Any further consolatory thoughts to convince me? I'm really keen to do something like this, but I think as well as a challenge, we want a holiday..does it sound viable?

Many thanks,

Peter Iltchev

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Peter,
I haven't cycled anywhere in Spain, but I did cycle in the Loire, and from the distance point of view I think you will be fine. I was very much a 'commuter' cyclist before then, and had seldom cycled any further than about 20km in one stretch. But I soon found I could easily cycle 40-60km a day.

However, in August I wonder if the heat might be more of a limiting factor for you. I was cycling in June when there was a heat wave for about ten days, and I did find cycling much more difficult in those conditions. Basically I found that I started very early and stopped by lunchtime, and I needed to drink heaps. Cycling became very hard work in the heat.

Margaret

 

[trailers]

Having walked Seville to Merida last year I plan to cycle the remaining trip in October.I think I am all right on the route but if anyone on this post has a successful route or advice they would care to share, I would be pleased to see it . At the moment I am planning to use the N630 up to Zamora and the N525 from Puebla de Sanabria . I should specifically like to know if the N630 between Bejar and Guijuelo is do-able - for some reason my router seems to think not and is kicking me off eastwards on a detour- and also any advice on the Zamora to Puebla De Sanabria section.
Regards
Dave Heap

 

[mmm042]

Are you cycling on the highway because it's faster and easier? Won't you miss most of the sights?

I saw some cyclists on the VDLP in March, and all were cycling on the actual trails with the pilgrims. I asked one fellow how he navigated the stretches that were all rock -- as I often thought, while walking, that certain stretches would be impossible on a bike. He replied he walked his bike up/down them. He even walked his bike all the way up/down to Pico de la Duena, which is a rocky mountaintop!

I'm not being judgmental at all, by the way -- I'm just curious, as I have no idea what's considered typical for those who cycle the various Caminos.

Melanie

 

[trailers]

Both really. I'm a bit time restricted and also I dont think I'm up to mountain biking. I've really enjoyed walking a camino but never really done any cycling . So for me it's about trying something new, in cycle touring and at the same time finishing something I started.I'm advised that with the motorway having been built up to Zamora the N630 is not at all busy.The N525 from Puebla de Sanabria is also duplicated in it's route with a motorway so hopefully that will also be quiet.I plan to cycle from early for about 4/5 hours so should have full afternoons to explore the towns (after a recovery siesta!)
Regards
Dave