- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances 2014 & 2017
Camino Francigena, part off 2019
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I am confident that Faye means "albergues" rather than "allergies" - autocorrect at work!the allergies who accept cyclists to think about.
Santa will bring me an ebike for my next foray.
When I cycle I carry a rucksack so that if I need to I can get a bed if albergues discriminate against cyclists. I had to laugh at the poster who spoke of obtaining a compostela by deception. Ultreia, by whatever mode or means necessary.
Are these the US or EU class definitions? I know that they do vary.Personally, I am not thrilled at all about folks using e-bikes on the camino.! No electric enhanced vehicle, unless one is handicapped, should be allowed. In effect it enhances the riders speed and puts more of us in danger on the paths. Enhanced vehicles need alternate paths.
Be clear, I don’t give a hoot who is granted a compostela! My issue is safety.
Look at this,
What Are E-Bike Classes?
Class 1: Pedal-assist only. The motor provides assistance only when you pedal, and stops helping at 20mph.
Class 2: Has a pedal-assist mode that assists up to 20 mph and also a purely throttle-powered mode.
Class 3: Pedal-assist only (like Class 1), but the motor provides assistance until you hit 28mph.
Where I live, Cars are only allowed to go 15 miles an hour on a street near a school for safety reasons. Is the Spanish government really going to allow motorized vehicles to be passing us and children on such a narrow path at times, at 20 miles or more per hour! Have they gone mad! The rest of us know that many of the riders don’t slowdown. Now we are going to help them sustain their speed? It is an absolute safety nightmare. If the vehicle is motorized, it needs to stay in either a separate bike lane, or on the roads. We do not need to help cyclists to go faster then they can pedal on their own, on shared paths with pilgrims, dogs, horses, and manual riders. Enough is enough!
Tom, it sounds like you have gained much of your strength back and good health since the serious, compromised situation you found yourself in earlier in the year.
This is a great thread and it made me smile, as I've walked and cycled the Camino and hope soon that Santa will bring me an ebike for my next foray.
The Camino has broad shoulders. Cyclists, ebikers, roadies, trailites, tourigrini, jacotransers, kids, groups, compostela-seekers, seeking adventure spiritual or romantic, rich, poor, hobogrini ... The Camino has broad shoulders, and like the Ranchers and the Sheepmen we need to be friends ... And on the Camino we grumble about each other but, by and large, we are.
Where else in the world will you find contact, let alone cameraderie, among such disparate and often mutually hostile types? Let's all share the Camino magic, one for all and all for one.
When I cycle I carry a rucksack so that if I need to I can get a bed if albergues discriminate against cyclists. I had to laugh at the poster who spoke of obtaining a compostela by deception. Ultreia, by whatever mode or means
I agree with Camino Chrissy and hope you are well and soon ready to “run”.Are these the US or EU class definitions? I know that they do vary.
The Class 1 e-bike is the only one that I am aware of that operates solely in assist-mode AND limits your speed to no more than 25 kph - or is it 30.
Either way, I believe this is the only e-bike class that is Compostela legal.
Hope this helps - thanks for the assists. I have six months before I need to pull the trigger on the decision to walk or bike.
Tom
Hi there! I have an e-bike at home because I don't know how to drive -- never learned, don't wanna. I use it for when I need to pile 10 bags of groceries off to my son. I gave up my last bike (a Batavus city cruiser) a few years ago because it could not carry so much stuff, and because it became incompatible with spine injuriesagree!
I agree with Camino Chrissy and hope you are well and soon ready to “run”.
TOM, these are US, specs, I believe, likely from The USA but the blog did not refer to the specifics.
Here is my concern. There are already cycling maniacs, racing the camino that we all know don’t ride safely. Who, on the trail is going to “control” the Speed of these various types of e-bikes? Certainly not the security guards at the compostela office!
People can get a compostella riding a horse, which certainly uses less effort than walking. If the pilgrim pedals a bike with electric assist, it is their Camino, and I believe we should refrain from judging the "purity" of another's efforts.I personally would not value receiving a Compostela through deceit. I have family members who have e-bikes where pedaling is only an option, otherwise they operate almost as a small motorscooter if you choose and are fun to ride.
It is an absolute safety nightmare. If the vehicle is motorized, it needs to stay in either a seperate bike lane, or on the roads. We do not need to help cyclists to go faster then they can pedal on their own, on shared paths with pilgrims, dogs, horses, and manual riders. Enough is enough!
The issue is not effort; the issue is historical continuity. It is a conceit of the camino routes (wherever they start) that one must walk... but many people arrive at Fatima our Lourdes, or Notre Dame (before and again...) and receive the blessings of the saints. One can also arrive at the cathedral, or live in Santiago and receive the blessing of the saint. The act of pilgrimage as we know it is a modern reconstruction that sought to build Spain's economy in the 20th C by reviving a traditional mode -- that would allow poor people done in by 2 world wars, and countless civil wars and revolutions, to become tourists in their own backyards.People can get a compostella riding a horse, which certainly uses less effort than walking. If the pilgrim pedals a bike with electric assist, it is their Camino, and I believe we should refrain from judging the "purity" of another's efforts.
IMHO, the Camino pilgrimage is all about stripping down to the bare minimum and testing your limits. But we humans continue to find more byzantine, costly, high-tech ways to insulate ourselves from the very thing we go there looking for.
they are there for us to use. But we must respect the special status of the Camino de Santiago as a World Heritage Site, and an ancient pilgrimage path holy to many of our fellow hikers and bikers. My church is not necessarily your theme park.Nailed in one
Though maybe not everyone is 'looking' for the same thing
Hence the sometimes prickly reponses to those utilising the Camino routes merely seeking a 'cheap holiday' a nice long 'hike' or a cycling 'adventure'?
The routes are there for all to use..........
The word Respect goes a long way...I definitely agree, but...they are there for us to use. But we must respect the special status of the Camino de Santiago as a World Heritage Site, and an ancient pilgrimage path holy to many of our fellow hikers and bikers. My church is not necessarily your theme park.
Diplomatic on the fly and wise for the future.We had a lively discussion on this the other day among the FICS board members, when a group of ten cyclists phoned the albergue in Canfranc saying they were on their way. Most of them had electric bikes, which would need charging. Canfranc is a donativo albergue, only open for a month so far. We are still making up policies as needs arise.
First, ten cyclists would fill the place to capacity, leaving no room for people on foot.
Second, what will it cost to charge all those bikes? Could our electrical system handle it?
Someone did some research, and determined it only costs about 50 cents' worth of electricity to charge each bike battery. They system at that albergue is brand-new and high-capacity, so no problem there.
... but then there are the thornier questions: Are we a pilgrim albergue, or a cheap gas station for well-heeled bike tourists? Should we ban electric bikes, or groups of them, seeing as these people can clearly afford to stay elsewhere?
Are electric bikes really any different from regular bikes?
How many bike pilgrims are pilgrims, and how many are sports tourists taking advantage of the pilgrim infrastructure? How can we tell one from the other? Do we care?
In the end they upheld my on-the-spot decision to just make the people welcome when they arrived, and ask them to remember the additional cost when they put their donativo in the box. I think next time we'll simply tell them we don't accept big groups at the last minute!
But what are your thoughts on the matter?I started this thread in order to hear other people’s thoughts
The majority of e-bikes I am seeing on the Camino have a power output of 1500 watts. A fit cyclist can only manage a token 250 watts.
Thoughts?
Lindsay
How do you feel about allowing motorcycles on hiking and Camino trails? Do you consider ebikes to have more in common with bicycles or motorcycles? If we allow ebikes to pass by trekers at 30 KPH why wont we allow a motorcycles to do the same?I started this thread in order to hear other people’s thoughts on the use of motorised bicycles on the camino Frances.
As I understand it electrically powered bicycles assist the user be adding power proportionately to the users pedalling effort.
The majority of e-bikes I am seeing on the Camino have a power output of 1500 watts. A fit cyclist can only manage a token 250 watts.
Thoughts?
Lindsay
If you had done a Camino on horseback, you might think differently.People can get a compostella riding a horse, which certainly uses less effort than walking. If the pilgrim pedals a bike with electric assist, it is their Camino, and I believe we should refrain from judging the "purity" of another's efforts.
I was surprised to learn that the distance required on horseback is the same as walking.So, I do not diminish the effort required to ride the 200 km on a horse required for the Compostela.
Greetings from Ponferrada
Sophie and I are walking the Frances at the moment after a 4 year break from walking. The descent from Cruz de Ferro we found quite challenging but it’s great to just be here.
I have noticed that a lot of cycling peligrinos are using ‘e bikes’ this year, charging up their batteries at pilgrim hostels.
Thoughts ?
Lindsay
Would the store staff fit these?
The inner city stores are called Decathlon City. Burgos has a large store on the outskirts of town which is serviced by a free bus.**Their network is extensive. But some inner city stores are stripped down versions and may not have technicians but the out-of-town stores do.
Yes they will. The really good part about D4 is that they have their own in-store** bike technicians. When doing the VF, I was able to get parts in Northern France, buy another one in Southern France and have repairs done in Viterbo just outside Rome. You can just walk in and they will fit you in.
**Their network is extensive. But some inner city stores are stripped down versions and may not have technicians but the out-of-town stores do.
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