Do you wish you'd walked the Camino (instead of bicycling)?

[PTW]

Hi,

Ever since I read the books by Rob Neillands and Bettina Selby back in the 80s about their cycling trips along the Camino I've always wanted to cycle it. BUT - having read stories by those who walked the Camino I'm wondering if I would be missing out by cycling it and not walking.

Have any of you regretted cycling your first (or only) Camino and wished that you'd walked it instead? Did it seem more like a cycling holiday rather than a 'spiritual' or otherwise experience? Do you feel that you missed out on what makes the Camino special?

Thanks,
Paulette

 

[JohnLloyd]

I can offer a fractional answer.

On my first Camino (from St-Jean to Santiago), two of us rented bikes in Burgos and rode them to Sahagún.

There was a good reason to have rented the bikes, but I regretted almost every minute of it and was delighted when I could return to a bipedal approach to the Camino, rather than by pedal.

 

[Richard of York]

There are two different caminos on the same route. The cyclists and the walkers rarely meet. Yesterday an Irish guy came past on his bike but he had spinal problems and was doing it the speed of a walker but with a bike. That's the best way I thought.

 

[JohnLloyd]

That's what I thought about it at the time.

Butterfly On A Wheel

Yesterday morning, I ran over a butterfly on my bike. This was a difficult moment, mostly for the butterfly, but also for me too. It reminded me of just how careful I’d been on earlier mornin…

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[Xali1970]

Walking the Camino or cycling it are different experiences.
I enjoyed both.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Have any of you regretted cycling your first (or only) Camino and wished that you'd walked it instead?

Good question, PTW.

Walking the Camino or cycling it are different experiences.
I enjoyed both.

Having your experience doing both, if you could only do one of them with the knowledge you now have...which would you choose?

 

[Xali1970]

Good question, PTW.


Having your experience doing both, if you could only do one of them with the knowledge you now have...which would you choose?

I can't answer that.
Both were extraordinary experiences, and the choice would be dictated by circumstance rather than preference.

The fellowship of the walkers is extraordinary. The flexibility to see and visit all around the camino on a bike is hard to overstate.

The first time on a camino I'd walk. The next I'd cycle

 

[Maxy]

I cycled my first Camino on the Norte - having to get off my bike because of the strength of the wind and rain coming up the hill was a low point followed by the amazing hospitality of a café owner who put her fire on, made me a fish omelette, fresh bread and coffee. What I missed and then gained when I walked was the Camino Family - however, I constructed bad haikus in my mind and wrote them down later on - they remind me of the way my awareness of how great life is developed, how much I missed family and friends and how lucky I am to have all of this. While I am glad I had the experience I would not cycle again but hope to walk again.

 

[SC Krys]

My son and I did Leon to Santiago by bike last September. It was a great experience we had a lot of fun. I regret not getting an ebike it was extremely hard but doable. I still want to walk a camino and plan to.

 

[henrythedog]

You can always do it twice (or more). Having walked on a number of occasions I am starting to be cycle-curious; although I suspect it’s a more detached experience.

 

[Jimmy Duggan]

I cycled the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon with a friend . Loved it and i am now getting ready to cycle the French Camino solo . You may miss out on chatting to people if you cycle but you will meet them at cafes etc , but you still have time to yourself as you pedal on and see all the beauty the Camino's have to offer .

 

[irishwalker]

My first trip along the camino back in 2004, was by bike. I cycled with a number of friends from Pamplona to SdeC. We cycled on the roads along by the camino. We stayed in hotels and did not really connect with pilgrims. I cycled from Bilbao, Santander and Seville in subsequent years. It was only when I retired in 2010, that I started walking the caminos, sometimes on my own, with my son, or a friend. I stayed in the albergues, walked with other pilgrims, shared meals and chat. By walking and interacting with other pilgrims, I really had great camino experiences. It was a great joy, to enjoy the way with pilgrims from other countries.

 

[senora1]

I walked from SJPP to Santiago 10 years ago. One of the best experiences of my life. Fast forward to now. I have bad knees and a failed knee surgery so don’t think I would be able to walk again. So we’re renting Ebikes and starting from Burgos in June. I expect a different Camino but probably still amazing. I’ll keep everyone posted

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hi,

Ever since I read the books by Rob Neillands and Bettina Selby back in the 80s about their cycling trips along the Camino I've always wanted to cycle it. BUT - having read stories by those who walked the Camino I'm wondering if I would be missing out by cycling it and not walking.

Have any of you regretted cycling your first (or only) Camino and wished that you'd walked it instead? Did it seem more like a cycling holiday rather than a 'spiritual' or otherwise experience? Do you feel that you missed out on what makes the Camino special?

Thanks,
Paulette

Hola Paulette - I cycled from Pamplona in Sept 2015 and then walked from St Jean in 2017. The reason for the cycle camino was that I was recovering from a long term foot injury. What I found when I walked in 2017 was that "you saw more of the rural aspects of Spain"; it was easier to stop "take in the view". In Carrion de los Condes I made the comment as to why I was doing the same route a second time "I wanted to see at 4 km per hour, what I had missed at 20 km per hour".
Yes cycling does have its advantages - if you are an experienced cyclist (more than a little off road cycling) and only have a limited amount of time to complete your camino. Buen Camino.

 

[PeteD]

Cycled from SJPP to Santiago in March 2016 which was an amazing experience and suited the time I had available. To answer your questions, I don't regret cycling rather than walking, however I did miss the experience of fellowship with others walking. I had many great interaction with walker but they were one offs as my pace was much faster. Even the few people cycling seemed to move a different rates and were seldom seen more that one day. This may be different later in the 'season' when there are more people cycling? Next camino will be in 2023 and I will be walking from Seville!

 

[makingtrax]

Hi,

Ever since I read the books by Rob Neillands and Bettina Selby back in the 80s about their cycling trips along the Camino I've always wanted to cycle it. BUT - having read stories by those who walked the Camino I'm wondering if I would be missing out by cycling it and not walking.

Have any of you regretted cycling your first (or only) Camino and wished that you'd walked it instead? Did it seem more like a cycling holiday rather than a 'spiritual' or otherwise experience? Do you feel that you missed out on what makes the Camino special?

Thanks,
Paulette

Ive waled several and ridden 3. The difference us when u ride and pass thru several segments at a time u do not connect with the people compared to walking where u make many friends. I do prefer the walking experience.

 

[JohnLloyd]

Ive waled several and ridden 3. The difference us when u ride and pass thru several segments at a time u do not connect with the people compared to walking where u make many friends. I do prefer the walking experience.

This is correct. I'll never forget the look of disappointment on one of my early walking companions as she saw me sailing past her at Burgos, never to be seen again!

That said, most of the people I lost then had caught me up again by the time I reached Cruz de Ferro!

 

[senora1]

My son and I did Leon to Santiago by bike last September. It was a great experience we had a lot of fun. I regret not getting an ebike it was extremely hard but doable. I still want to walk a camino and plan to.

Hi SC Krys you wrote it was extremely hard on bikes, was there a particular section (ie) from Cruz de Ferro-Molinaseca, or up to O’Cebreiro? That’s the parts I’m kind of dreading…

 

[Skinnybiker]

Can't walk, won't walk; I remember reading somewhere that bikers & hikers use different muscles and each finds the other form of transport difficult - is this true? Having said that, the thought of trudging km after km with a pack on my back wrecking my knees / hips / back...... no way, I'd rather ride 100km than walk 10km. Does riding detract from the experience; It could be asked does walking add to the experience? Anyway an interesting question to be discussed over a bottle of tinto in the albergues next month; I shall try to convince every peregrino I meet to convert to una bici - haha.

PS when a biker comes to a hill he just drops down a few gears and spins...... where are the gears on a peregrino?

PPS just my POV Señor Moderator

 

[makingtrax]

Hi SC Krys you wrote it was extremely hard on bikes, was there a particular section (ie) from Cruz de Ferro-Molinaseca, or up to O’Cebreiro? That’s the parts I’m kind of dreading…

I rode up the road. The path is so narrow and rutted i didnt think it fair on walkers to be in their space...actually most if that camino i took the road.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Hi,

I'm wondering if I would be missing out by cycling it and not walking.

Have any of you regretted cycling your first (or only) Camino and wished that you'd walked it instead? Did it seem more like a cycling holiday rather than a 'spiritual' or otherwise experience? Do you feel that you missed out on what makes the Camino special?

There is something about the way you have phrased your post that has thankfully prevented this thread from sinking into the usual why-I-hate-bikers. I have enjoyed reading the thoughtful answers. I wish I could answer the question, but all my caminos have been by pedal, as @JohnLloyd so cleverly put it. (The odd rest-day I have taken, which has usually involved exploring a beautiful Spanish city on foot, with no load - barring the occasional beer - has always confirmed that my knees would never survive the first day). Your question, and the posts above, have made me reflect, yet again.

As many have pointed out, the “Camino family” phenomenon may certainly be a strong argument in favour of the walker, but there is actually a flip side to this. I have met many pilgrims who were significant encounters in my journey, almost all walkers. One, with whom I shared 40 mins at a bar in Moratinos is still a friend I correspond with. The fact is that there are many people I met in similar circumstances who enriched my Camino. The fact that these encounters may have been brief does not diminish their worth (to me). Collectively they are a Camino family, a particular group with whom I could not have interacted had I not been on a bike.

My first Camino, from Seville, is still a vivid memory. I was an already-retired, let’s say elderly person with no experience of cycling further than the local shops. There was no prior training that I recall, (I don’t think I possessed a decent bike) and had no valid reason to suppose that I was capable of succeeding. I remember being asked afterwards how far I rode in a day, and the answer seemed to be 40 or 50km. I worked out that my average progress per day was probably 8km per hour, or maybe less. All those bar-stops. (People-stops). Needless to say I made it to Santiago. In 2018 I did a Camino Frances backwards in 9 days. That wasn’t a Camino, it was a bike ride: still an exhilarating experience, mind you.

The actual riding is, of its nature, solitary. So what? I love that. Unlike others I have found the Meseta to be bliss. My legs find an easy rhythm and I’m off into cloud-cuckoo-land.

The weather is critical. Mountain descents in cold, wet weather are a special kind of misery instead of pure joy after that all that climbing.

 

[michelle grech]

Hi,

Ever since I read the books by Rob Neillands and Bettina Selby back in the 80s about their cycling trips along the Camino I've always wanted to cycle it. BUT - having read stories by those who walked the Camino I'm wondering if I would be missing out by cycling it and not walking.

Have any of you regretted cycling your first (or only) Camino and wished that you'd walked it instead? Did it seem more like a cycling holiday rather than a 'spiritual' or otherwise experience? Do you feel that you missed out on what makes the Camino special?

Thanks,
Paulette

I walked my first camino from Astorga and loved it to want to do it all. So I did it on a bicycle due to time constraints. I loved it even more as I had no feet ailments like I struggled with when I walked. I then went on to cycle the Portuguese and in a months’ time I’m cycling the Norte! The only thing I have to say is that I interacted with more pilgrims when I walked.

 

[WGroleau]

The fellowship of the walkers is extraordinary. The flexibility to see and visit all around the camino on a bike is hard to overstate.

I have biked thousands of kilometers and walked as much. (Much on the Camino, but much elsewhere.) I have no problem getting off and walking to talk to others, to read historical signs, to take pictures, etc. The nice thing about biking is that you can do more of that and still get as far in a day as most walk-only pilgrims.

 

[Suzanne H]

On my third Camino, I started the Coastal walk from Porto on foot, but it was too soon after a foot surgery and to minimize pain I purchased a second-hand bike outside of Viana to finish with the friends I was walking with. I am not a cyclist (therefore pushed the bike up many a hill) and was not on a cyclist's journey (cycling only 25K each day to maintain the group's etapes). I started with them, sometimes at their speed or sometimes riding ahead, and would stop at cafes to wait for them along the way. Even though I was "with" them throughout the journey and enjoyed a quick jaunt around on my bike (admittedly refreshing on my joints, and fun to reconnoiter areas in advance of them), I would have preferred to walk. The slowness of the walking journey is what I love about the Camino, and the interaction with other pilgrims. I am grateful to that bike for allowing me to stay on my journey, but it wasn't the same for me. Great question, and buen camino!

 

[Flatlander]

It's a relatively old OP but here are my thoughts as a person on a bike.....

First of all, I think it may well depend on your route. A Camino like the VdlP may seem quite solitary to a walker. A biker can get to civilisation quicker.

Secondly, you ask if it's more of a cycling holiday and perhaps, less of a pilgrimage? In my experience that is up to you. A bike tour is a very different animal to a pilgrimage and I think it's helpful to decide which you are seeking before turning a pedal.
In my case I made it both, cycling from my front door in the Netherlands and back again. My time on the Camino Frances was very, very different to my time before and after. I enjoyed both but for different reasons. If it's a bike tour experience you are after there are wonderful roads in Spain, fantastic diversity and no need to stick to a pilgrimage route.

There is definitely the lack of immersion in the Camino family but that's not to say there are no connections, just that they are typically shorter. Having said that, there are no rules and you can always adjust your pace. And there are other bikers too whose pace may be more suitable.

A real factor, I believe, is the time that we have. Someone looking to do 100km + per day won't have the time compared to someone doing 50km or 30km.

However, a bike can increase our range and allow us to explore more than the typical foot based pilgrim or just give us more time to stop and smell the roses.

A disadvantage that I found wanting to follow the walker's path as much as possible was that I often postponed my departure over several cups of coffee to allow the walkers spread out. Or sometimes I took the road, doubled back and then followed the walkers.
The last 100km from Sarria was very congested so I took to riding in the afternoon. By contrast, that first morning in St. Jean was a wonderful experience watching all the walkers head off, the majority on day 1. The excitement in the air was palpable, so much so, in fact that I abandoned my plan to take the road and instead joined them, often dragging and even carrying the bike.

I didn't regret taking the bike, although in my case with a bad knee walking was highly unlikely to be successful.
I was surprised when I realised that I had had a "Spiritual" experience along the Camino. I don't believe that I "missed out" on anything that the Camino had to offer, but then again we are all different and expect different things. Had I missed out there are services in Santiago that offer to help us locate what we are missing - or so said the card thrust in my hand in front of the Cathedral.

Whatever option you choose, I have found that it is helpful to commit to it and not be wondering if the other "way" would have been better. Second guessing ourselves is the way to madness!

Buen Camino


PS. Your inspiration appear to be books from the 80s. Spain and the Caminos have changed significantly in the time since then.

 

[OTH86]

Grateful that this thread has been resurrected! I missed it before, and tho', as a walker, and wouldn't be able to bike, I've mostly had positive experiences with those on bicycles. But reading this thread has put a whole new, positive slant on people who cycle the camino! Thanks!

 

[Barbara]

It's been an interesting read. I cycled my first Camino back in 2001. I didn't have much practical information, but I did read up on the history of the Saint James pilgrimage. Someone in Saint Catherine de Fierbois gave me a list of places to stay in France. It was quite short. I bought a guide to the Tours route because that was closest to where I lived. It had no maps at all. I was vaguely aware of routes in Spain other than the Frances but reckoned that was probably as good as any. I bought a Michelin map of Spain (yes, all of Spain) So I set out from home because I didn't know anything different, and thought I could probably come home by train. It happened to be October, which in retrospect wasn't the best time of year. I didn't actually have a credential but I kept a list of places I stayed in a notebook until SJPP where they told me I could get a Credential at Roncevaux. The best part was in the Gironde, with the grape harvest in full swing. I took the ferry at Royan, and enjoyed flat empty roads. One hotel in the middle of nowhere gave me a very good pilgrim discount and a meal that included seemingly endless amounts of wine.
Once in Spain things got a lot easier, and I actually met a few pilgrims. I got lost rather less often, which was pleasant, and there were a lot of refugios left over from the previous holy year. Mostly empty, with kitchens lacking saucepans, plates, knives, etc. Which was fine, as nobody bothered to enforce curfews, and I could eat with the locals.
Galicia was, well, damp. I'm glad I cycled as at least I only got wet for four consecutive days instead of ten. There was no wait at the pilgrim office.
OK, back to the topic. I didn't actually go back by train as Iberia gave me a half price flight to my country of origin. Which as I wasn't officially a French resident at that point meant the UK. Complete with bike, so I went to visit family and returned home after that.
I think otherwise I would just have ridden home. Next Camino I walked, as I wanted to go at a slower pace and as I didn't want to carry a pack I took a donkey. In retrospect, carrying a pack is easier, but ignorance is bliss.
I'm back to cycling now, as I have thoroughly knackered one knee and one ankle. So I have an amazing electric assist trike. I don't train, I just use it as everyday transport. That works better with a bike than it does with walking.
I don't think one is better than the other, it's all according to your circumstances and opinions.