E bike

[Ariel Margalit]

I'll make the trail from St. Jean To Compostela by e bike.
Please help me to find a company which I can hire such a bike for 21 days.
Thank you

 

[jony jony]

Hello Ariel Margalit ....This company..........https://www.cyclingthecamino.com ........... hire out E.bikes and will deliver to wherever you wish to start from , but be aware, according to information from the above website , that you will not be entitled ( if it is important to you ) to a Compostella at the end of your pilgrimage .

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Hello Ariel and Welcome to the Forum.

I wonder if there is a question to be resolved before finding an ebike. Does the completion of a pilgrimage by motorized vehicle qualify? In addition, is it your plan to complete the pilgrimage and qualify for a Compostela?

Here is a link

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/electric-assist-hybrid-bicycles-on-camino.55137/

 

[AndreaCT]

Hi Ariel, If you are experienced with e-biking, ignore my post. If e-biking is new, know that they can be a lot of fun, but they are very heavy and they can be limiting. If you are planning on riding on the walking paths, you will have problems pushing it up some hills. Many of the mountain bikes with experienced cyclists were having to push their bikes at times. If you are travelling by road, you will be fine, just be a very, very cautious cyclist to avoid an accident.

 

[Tony Maguire]

I have a friend who will be doing the camino on an e bike in September. He had wanted to do the camino for many years and had to postpone it a couple of times due to bad health. The only way he can do it now is by ebike and he will cycle from SJPDP to SDC. I hope he is entitled to a compstella as it is something he will treasure for the rest of his journey in life

 

[Deleted member 67185]

I have a friend who will be doing the camino on an e bike in September. He had wanted to do the camino for many years and had to postpone it a couple of times due to bad health. The only way he can do it now is by ebike and he will cycle from SJPDP to SDC. I hope he is entitled to a compstella as it is something he will treasure for the rest of his journey in life

With bad health, I wonder how doable it will be using an E-Bike. Most weigh over 50 pounds. Camino Frances will definitely require a lot of dismounting and the pushing of that heavy bike up significant inclines. I don't know how someone in bad health would handle the physical effort required; it is certainly far more effort than just walking up those same inclines

And then there is the issue of recharging.

As to the Compostela, t2andreo has addressed this issue in the thread Michelle has posted. From my reading of that thread, and a couple of older ones, there is no certainty that a Compostela or Certificate would be given. Being a pilgrim with a disability allows leniency with mobility considerations, like assisted wheelchairs, but with an E-bike the Compostela qualification may still be uncertain.

 

[trecile]

With bad health, I wonder how doable it will be using an E-Bike. Most weigh over 50 pounds. Camino Frances will definitely require a lot of dismounting and the pushing of that heavy bike up significant inclines. I don't know how someone in bad health would handle the physical effort required; it is certainly far more effort than just walking up those same inclines

And then there is the issue of recharging.

As to the Compostela, t2andreo has addressed this issue in the thread Michelle has posted. From my reading of that thread, and a couple of older ones, there is no certainty that a Compostela or Certificate would be given. Being a pilgrim with a disability allows leniency with mobility considerations, like assisted wheelchairs, but with an E-bike the Compostela qualification may still be uncertain.

I would think that it would be easier to walk than to deal with a heavy bike in areas where you have to push it.

 

[jaws101]

An ebike isn't a totally motorised vehicle. They are pedal assisted. If you don't pedal, they don't move.

More effort is needed than people think and definitely more than riding a horse, which is a traditional way of progressing along the Camino. Do horseriders qualify for a Compostela?

 

[Deleted member 67185]

An ebike isn't a totally motorised vehicle. They are pedal assisted. If you don't pedal, they don't move.

More effort is needed than people think and definitely more than riding a horse, which is a traditional way of progressing along the Camino. Do horseriders qualify for a Compostela?

I suspect that you already know that horse riders do qualify -- as long as they continuously ride the last 200k.

I would gently counterpoint that -- as you have yourself stated -- horse riding has been a "traditional way" for centuries, while E-bikes have no historical "traditional way" as a consideration. And while one may argue that bicycles are sans a long history on Camino, they are solely powered by muscle, and their minimum requirement for a Compostela is also 200k, which is twice what a walker is required to do, which tries to at least create an equivalent human powered effort to that of a walker.

While one may say that E-bikes might not be totally motorized, they are motorized to provide direct assistance to the rider, and gives the ability for the rider to far exceed any normal human powered effort. As such, even the most limited motor in a bicycle is prohibited from competing in bicycle competitions.

This thread is not about the pros or cons of E-bikes; that should be a separate thread. The main issue for this thread would seem to be giving the OP information so that he can make sure that his friend is fully informed about the issues and controversy of an E-bike, as it stands today, if he desires a Compostela.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

I would think that it would be easier to walk than to deal with a heavy bike in areas where you have to push it.

I would definitely agree with that.

 

[t2andreo]

Anyone inclined to use ANY sort of bicycle should know that at least the Camino Frances has a system of adjacent roads that essentially parallel the route. It is actually not necessary to use bicycles on the same Camino trails as pedestrians and horses use.

These road-routes are frequently less steep as modern roads must be engineered to specifications that limit grades and pitches. This is also why some road based routes are actually a few km longer than the foot trails. One prime example of this is the famous "790 km to Santiago de Compostela" road sign just outside Roncesvalles.

EVERYONE KNOWS this is farther than the actual walking distance. That is because roads pass around many hills. However, as a walking pilgrim you KNOW that the Camino trail usually takes you more or less straight up and over the hills, usually passing the local church.

It is my fervent wish that ALL cyclists will eventually stay on the right side of the roads, instead of sharing the same trail with walking pilgrims...but I digress...

If you choose to use an electric assist bicycle on the Camino, the extra weight and slight additional distance will not be a problem if you remain on the secondary or tertiary roads. There are even 'road only' bicycle Camino guides for this purpose.

Hope this helps.

 

[jcat]

An ebike isn't a totally motorised vehicle. They are pedal assisted. If you don't pedal, they don't move.

More effort is needed than people think and definitely more than riding a horse, which is a traditional way of progressing along the Camino. Do horseriders qualify for a Compostela?

E-bikes are popular in my neighborhood (Super 73s). And they definitely can be operated in "throttle only" mode. And they do pretty good on the dirt trails near my house. Top speed 26mph and battery life of 20 miles. Super fun to ride, but I couldn't justify the cost.

 

[jony jony]

Jaws101 stated ....."They are pedal assisted .If you don't pedal, they don't move".

This may be true for some , but certainly not all models .
A friend of mine has an E Bike that has 2 modes, pedal assisted or throttle operated . The make i think, is Sakura .
Electric sockets are already in short supply in some albergues and to charge some of these batteries does take up to 10 hours . We can all get through the next day with a short boosted charge on a mobile phone , but as these bikes are so heavy, this is not really an option with an E Bike .

 

[jaws101]

The throttle operated ebikes are not legal in Spain unless you have specific insurance and they are registered. A pedal assist bike is allowed the same as any other cycle.

Btw my e-mountainbike can do around 90km on one charge, as long as I keep pedalling!!!

 

[Aishlyn]

Hello Ariel Margalit ....This company..........https://www.cyclingthecamino.com ........... hire out E.bikes and will deliver to wherever you wish to start from , but be aware, according to information from the above website , that you will not be entitled ( if it is important to you ) to a Compostella at the end of your pilgrimage .

Only Spain? France too ?

 

[jony jony]

Aishlyn......on reading here......https://www.cyclingthecamino.com/faq......it appears that they will ship to France for 65 euros .
Hope this helps .

 

[Flatlander]

I'll make the trail from St. Jean To Compostela by e bike.
Please help me to find a company which I can hire such a bike for 21 days.
Thank you

Ariel, you give very little information about your plans and since you already have the information you seek, I'll just post some suggestions for you, or indeed anyone else considering an e-bike.

First of all, if you've never ridden an ebike before, get some practise before you arrive! They are not like regular bikes! The assist kicking in and out can cause problems with stability. Add on the weight of your gear and it could be quite dangerous.
In a similar vein, experience of touring on a bike will be a big advantage. What gear to bring and how to pack it are very important to the overall success as well as the ability to carry out basic repairs.

Second of all, the walker's route is probably not suitable for an ebike because the speed which is attainable is unsuitable for most of the surface unless, again, you have lots of experience, especially off-road. Again, your gear weight and packing is another issue here.

Since you'll probably best be staying on the roads, your contact with "regular" pilgrims will be limited. The social aspect of the Camino is probably the most important, so try to build that into your plans by making time for stops and mixing with people. And yes, some will disapprove of your mode of transport.

While most Albergues have facilities for bike storage, charging an e-bike may prove challenging since there is such demand for powerpoints. Also, depending on the time of the year, albergues may limit when a cyclist can check in. Trying to ride a loaded Ebike without a charge will be challenging. Waiting to charge an ebike can throw a tight schedule into chaos. Commandeering a powerpoint for hours at a time could prove to be not so popular!

I'm sure the rental company can assist in picking Albergues and routes and general advice. Every issue can be overcome with a bit of anticipation and planning.

It is my fervent wish that ALL cyclists will eventually stay on the right side of the roads, instead of sharing the same trail with walking pilgrims...but I digress...

As for the comment in relation to bikes staying on the roads..... well..... I respectfully disagree.

There is a vibe on the path that is not present on the road.

On a whim, I took my bike along the Napoleon route over the Pyrenees. Sure, I walked a lot, I even carried my loaded bike for a while! But the excitement all the way from St. Jean was palpable. It would have been a shame to have missed out on that. It would verge on criminal to deny that to someone, in my opinion.

Are there issues with speeding bikes on the Camino showing no regard for walkers and other users?
Yes...... and No!

The issue is really with the people in the saddle, not the bikes.

In the same way there are rude and obnoxious walking pilgrims, there are rude and obnoxious cycling pilgrims, too. Advocating the banning of one group opens the door for banning the next group.
Who's next?

And oh! Some of the cyclists are local. Banning them will go down well, I'm sure.

For any cyclist of an ebike or not, if all you want is a nice cycling route, then by all means, follow the roads. If you're seeking the spiritual and social side of the Camino, then (most) of the paths are suitable so long as you treat it as a pilgrimage and not a bike ride.
Prepare to walk your bike at times. Ride slowly. Stop often. Announce your arrival. Be respectful.

And Buen Camino

 

[hinder]

I'll make the trail from St. Jean To Compostela by e bike.
Please help me to find a company which I can hire such a bike for 21 days.
Thank you

I have just completed on June 7, 2018 an E bike ride from Burgos to Santiago. The mountain bike E bike was rented from bike Iberia for approximately $400 for two weeks.The bikes were excellent and the service was also professional and responsive. Bike Iberia delivered the bikes to our hotel and collected them at the hotel when we completed our journey. Their email address is bikeiberia.com. I would strongly recommend that you obtain mountain bikes rather than touring bikes because of the terrain. Should you desire additional information you can contact me at kengregor@gmail.com.

 

[Andres Cano]

The throttle operated ebikes are not legal in Spain unless you have specific insurance and they are registered. A pedal assist bike is allowed the same as any other cycle.

Btw my e-mountainbike can do around 90km on one charge, as long as I keep pedalling!!!

Have you operated an e-bike up the steep parts of the camino like the pyrenees, O Cebreiro or cruz de hierro. Do they have enough torque to go up the hill with human pedaling? If you've been on the camino, how did the albergues react to allowing you to charge the bike?

 

[Andres Cano]

I have just completed on June 7, 2018 an E bike ride from Burgos to Santiago. The mountain bike E bike was rented from bike Iberia for approximately $400 for two weeks.The bikes were excellent and the service was also professional and responsive. Bike Iberia delivered the bikes to our hotel and collected them at the hotel when we completed our journey. Their email address is bikeiberia.com. I would strongly recommend that you obtain mountain bikes rather than touring bikes because of the terrain. Should you desire additional information you can contact me at kengregor@gmail.com.

I had the opposite experience with bike iberia. The bikes were delivered with a torn saddle, front wheel with the bolts untightened which could have caused an accident because we only discovered it after we were riding. The panniers were missing the straps so it made it a hassle to carry them into the albergues. They sent the wrong size helmet so I had to get another one. they wouldn't answer my calls to complain or my e-mails. Then the bearing went out in one of the pedals and we went to a bike shop to get it repaired and found out the brakes were worn out too and had to pay to have that repaired and again they didn't answer our phone calls or e-mails. The bike shop ran the serial numbers on the bike and told us they were SEVEN YEARS OLD.

 

[Andres Cano]

Anyone inclined to use ANY sort of bicycle should know that at least the Camino Frances has a system of adjacent roads that essentially parallel the route. It is actually not necessary to use bicycles on the same Camino trails as pedestrians and horses use.

These road-routes are frequently less steep as modern roads must be engineered to specifications that limit grades and pitches. This is also why some road based routes are actually a few km longer than the foot trails. One prime example of this is the famous "790 km to Santiago de Compostela" road sign just outside Roncesvalles.

EVERYONE KNOWS this is farther than the actual walking distance. That is because roads pass around many hills. However, as a walking pilgrim you KNOW that the Camino trail usually takes you more or less straight up and over the hills, usually passing the local church.

It is my fervent wish that ALL cyclists will eventually stay on the right side of the roads, instead of sharing the same trail with walking pilgrims...but I digress...

If you choose to use an electric assist bicycle on the Camino, the extra weight and slight additional distance will not be a problem if you remain on the secondary or tertiary roads. There are even 'road only' bicycle Camino guides for this purpose.

Hope this helps.

Here are some problems with e-bikes that cyclingthecamino.com discloses about their bikes. After reading this disclosure I am no longer seriously considering an e-bike for our 2nd camino frances this coming march. This is a direct quote from their website.

• "E-BIKES ARE EXTREMELY FRAGILE
• TURN ON BEFORE EVERYTHING
• PUT THE PEDALS ON THE RIGHT SIDE RIGHT AND LEFT (GREEN AND ORANGE)
• TURN CAREFULLY THE HANDLEBAR | DISK BRAKE ON THE LEFT | READ THE LABEL HOLDING ON THE HANDLEBAR
• DON'T SPIN THE PEDALS BEFORE TURN ON
• BE CAREFULL WITH THE WIRES
• NEVER LEAN ONE BIKE OVER EACH OTHER
• 80% CHARGE 2,5HOURS | 100% 5 HOURS
• MODE (ECO-NORM-BOOST) CHANGE ON LEFT LEVER | TO GET ASSISTANCE CYCLE AT LEAST, ON ECO MODE
• MORE POWER = LESS RANGE | LOWER GEAR = LESS RANGE | USE THE CHANGE OF GEARS AND POWER TO HAVE MORE RANGE FOR THE JOURNEY
• NEVER TRANSPORT THE BIKES BY TAXI OR BUS
• ANY ELECTRONIC PROBLEM BECAUSE ONE OF THIS POINTS CANNOT BE FIXED THE SAME DAY, SO BE CAREFULL WITH THE E-BIKES

TIPS

• ECO or NORMAL modes to cycle the hills, BOOST only mountains.
• Play with the gears and modes to get more range of kms. What can happen? If you always goes on BOOST mode and LOWER gear, the battery will finish in less than 50 kms.
• Downhills only for OFF or ECO mode. What can happen? Acceleration after spin the pedals and fall down.
• NEVER change more than 1 gear in a row. What can happen? Brake the rear dropout and NO POSSIBLE FIX."

 

[michael]

Some eMTBs have a walk mode where the motor will move the bike slowly at walking speed.
There is a 'deadmans' lever that requires holding down so the bike will stop if released.
Just remember to load all your luggage on the bike not you.
I am 73 and if I had to choose eMTB or my MTB it would be mine.

 

[Andres Cano]

the availability of a plug to charge is also a big worry. albergues have dedicated places for you to leave your bikes and I don't know if those places have plugs accessible.

 

[Barbara]

You can normally remove the battery and take it inside to charge.

 

[Xali1970]

Here are some problems with e-bikes that cyclingthecamino.com discloses about their bikes. After reading this disclosure I am no longer seriously considering an e-bike for our 2nd camino frances this coming march. This is a direct quote from their website.

• "E-BIKES ARE EXTREMELY FRAGILE
• TURN ON BEFORE EVERYTHING
• PUT THE PEDALS ON THE RIGHT SIDE RIGHT AND LEFT (GREEN AND ORANGE)
• TURN CAREFULLY THE HANDLEBAR | DISK BRAKE ON THE LEFT | READ THE LABEL HOLDING ON THE HANDLEBAR
• DON'T SPIN THE PEDALS BEFORE TURN ON
• BE CAREFULL WITH THE WIRES
• NEVER LEAN ONE BIKE OVER EACH OTHER
• 80% CHARGE 2,5HOURS | 100% 5 HOURS
• MODE (ECO-NORM-BOOST) CHANGE ON LEFT LEVER | TO GET ASSISTANCE CYCLE AT LEAST, ON ECO MODE
• MORE POWER = LESS RANGE | LOWER GEAR = LESS RANGE | USE THE CHANGE OF GEARS AND POWER TO HAVE MORE RANGE FOR THE JOURNEY
• NEVER TRANSPORT THE BIKES BY TAXI OR BUS
• ANY ELECTRONIC PROBLEM BECAUSE ONE OF THIS POINTS CANNOT BE FIXED THE SAME DAY, SO BE CAREFULL WITH THE E-BIKES

TIPS

• ECO or NORMAL modes to cycle the hills, BOOST only mountains.
• Play with the gears and modes to get more range of kms. What can happen? If you always goes on BOOST mode and LOWER gear, the battery will finish in less than 50 kms.
• Downhills only for OFF or ECO mode. What can happen? Acceleration after spin the pedals and fall down.
• NEVER change more than 1 gear in a row. What can happen? Brake the rear dropout and NO POSSIBLE FIX."

I suppose their ebikes are junk models.
Been using a decent one for 5 years. It survived the Irish weather, an 890km tour of northern France (Brittany and Normandy; surprisingly hilly and steep at times), regular 98km round trip commutes, shopping trips hauling 50kg and 2 altercations with vehicular traffic ( bike was fine, thank you very much, me less so).
Range can be limited if you don't pay attention (always on boost/max will drain the battery, but that's all that can happen).
Gears/derailleurs are as fragile or strong as on a normal load. Quality ones shift multiple gears just fine under load, cheap ones don't...
I'd look for a company renting better bikes. I used www.cycling-rentals.com in the past and was quite happy with the service.

 

[senora1]

Anyone inclined to use ANY sort of bicycle should know that at least the Camino Frances has a system of adjacent roads that essentially parallel the route. It is actually not necessary to use bicycles on the same Camino trails as pedestrians and horses use.

These road-routes are frequently less steep as modern roads must be engineered to specifications that limit grades and pitches. This is also why some road based routes are actually a few km longer than the foot trails. One prime example of this is the famous "790 km to Santiago de Compostela" road sign just outside Roncesvalles.

EVERYONE KNOWS this is farther than the actual walking distance. That is because roads pass around many hills. However, as a walking pilgrim you KNOW that the Camino trail usually takes you more or less straight up and over the hills, usually passing the local church.

It is my fervent wish that ALL cyclists will eventually stay on the right side of the roads, instead of sharing the same trail with walking pilgrims...but I digress...

If you choose to use an electric assist bicycle on the Camino, the extra weight and slight additional distance will not be a problem if you remain on the secondary or tertiary roads. There are even 'road only' bicycle Camino guides for this purpose.

Hope this helps.

I would love to see one of the road only guides, can you please share where?

 

[t2andreo]

Do a Google search for the desired route and include the word "bicycling" or "bicycle." For example. "Camino Frances by bicycle." Vary route as desired.

The other way to do this is to obtain the current Michelin maps for the areas your planned route runs through. The Spanish system, of national roads, or carretera are older roads. Usually a solid red line is used to delineate the carretera or "N" routes roads and to identify them differently form he system of limited access autopista roads. The autopista routes are all labeled "A-99" (or some similar number system.

The older national roads are labeled N-525, N-120, N-630 etc. The national roads or "N" routes were the primary roads for most all traffic, until the autopistas were completed. Once the autopistas were opened, most intercity travel and all commercial trucking avoided the slower and smaller National routes for the more modern and faster autopistas. This resulted in largely vacant, but still well maintained roads, with lower posted speed limits and generally safer for bicycling.

You can overlay the appropriate Camino guide book to the Michelin map marking those towns where the Camino passes through. That is the way I planned to do the Via de la Plata - using the N-630 to the maximum extent possible.

As a general statement, most of the national roads are actually the paved over former routes used for the various Caminos hundreds of years ago. Many of these roads were built atop old Roman roads.

Because they were built for older vehicles with smaller engines and lots of gears, the grades are very moderate. These roads also typically have wide shoulders / verges. These shoulder lanes make good bike lanes. They are typically about two meters wide. There are also services on these roads at regular intervals.

Most importantly, the 'N' routes run thorough most every Camino town or city, whereas the 'A' (autopista routes) pass by on the outskirts, not going trough the actual center of town. This necessarily means that you will end up your longer distance day at a place where walking pilgrims ended their shorter segment. This means that you will still encounter pilgrims regularly.

A good example is the Camino Via de la Plata. Coming out of Sevilla and heading north, the N-630 parallels most of the old traditional Camino route. On the Camino Frances, the N-120 has this distinction. Closer to Santiago, the N-525 is the local but older route.

Hope this helps.

Tom