from SJPP on a Brompton!

[patiras]

Hello folks, has any of you attempted to do the camino Frances on a Brompton? I have walked the Frances (2012) and the Primitivo (2022) and a part of the Norte. This time I wanted to try to bike, but slowly, taking my time and using mostly paths, not the main roads. Is this a crazy plan? thanks for your thoughts!

 

[trecile]

I had to Google to see what a Brompton is. It looks like it's a folding bicycle.
My friend @cb bikes and her husband have cycled several Camino routes, including the Francés on bikes that fold up and pack into their own suitcases.

 

[J Willhaus]

Depending on where you start, you may be doing a lot of "hike a bike" since it is quite hilly and there may be a lot of foot pilgrims on trails. I would not recommend a bike down the hill at Zubiri or down the hill at Alto del Perdon. Many rocks. You should consider the road route there at least...

 

[patiras]

Depending on where you start, you may be doing a lot of "hike a bike" since it is quite hilly and there may be a lot of foot pilgrims on trails. I would not recommend a bike down the hill at Zubiri or down the hill at Alto del Perdon. Many rocks. You should consider the road route there at least...

I think at those dangerous places I would send my bike to the next stage/albergue and just walk with my backpack.

 

[Flatlander]

Entirely possible and probably done before.
CrazyGuyOnABike is a treasure trove of bine journals and this is a link to the journeys done on folding bikes.
You can also search by locale (so for example, Spain will show more than a few Caminos).
I especially suggest to check out anything by Tim Tower who has travelled in some wild places on wild roads on a Brompton with a trailer.

Good luck!

 

[Peregrinopaul]

I used a Dahon folding bike on the Frances and the Madrid. It involved a lot of pushing - I think you lose efficiency with 20” wheels. I liked the sit-up position, ideal for taking in the landscape. The big advantage was flying in and out.

 

[patiras]

I used a Dahon folding bike on the Frances and the Madrid. It involved a lot of pushing - I think you lose efficiency with 20” wheels. I liked the sit-up position, ideal for taking in the landscape. The big advantage was flying in and out.

I don’t mind pushing the bike. How many km did you do per day? 50? If that was the case, did you manage to build a group of people? or this speed was to fast for walkers and too slow for road bikers?

 

[trecile]

How many km did you do per day? 50? If that was the case, did you manage to build a group of people? or this speed was to fast for walkers and too slow for road bikers?

Definitely too fast for 99.9% of walking pilgrims!

 

[Peregrinopaul]

I don’t mind pushing the bike. How many km did you do per day? 50? If that was the case, did you manage to build a group of people? or this speed was to fast for walkers and too slow for road bikers?

Basically we did 2 walkers’ stages per day, so no camino family. That’s the price you pay for travelling by bike. Just accept it. You still have plenty of interaction with walkers.
Here are a couple of pictures. Looking at the first reminds me of one thing I really liked - the “step-through” mounting without a cross bar. You’ll notice most of the load is on the front. I liked this because it dampens the rather skittish steering caused by the near-vertical steering column. I don’t know if the Brompton is similar.
We used the roads quite a lot when they more or less paralleled the route. The black bag on top of the panniers was the transport bag for flying.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

…on the mountain descents we covered a lot of ground, of course.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

I used Thule racks, and still do. They are very well designed and easy to fit and remove.
This one is on the front of my MTB.

 

[Penbaysail]

I have a Brompton and have used it for touring. I’ve also cycled the Camino Frances from Pamplona to SDC, though on a mountain bike, so I can probably speak to both.

It’s feasible to do the trip on a Brompton, and I think you can find trip reports that others have done. There are guidebooks for finding parallel roads rather than riding on the dirt paths with the hikers. That was my preference, even with a mountain bike.

I averaged 2 to 3 walker stages daily, about 50-75 km. That means you’ll largely be alone since you’ll leave walkers behind daily, and there aren’t large clusters of cyclists. Still, if you’re outgoing, you’ll meet others, and it might be fun to slow down, explore the countryside, and do some stages at walker distances. I rode with a fair number of local Spaniard cycle groups and found them to be friendly, if not jovial companions for a few hours.

Good luck

 

[Kanga]

I think at those dangerous places I would send my bike to the next stage/albergue and just walk with my backpack

There are many small roads that parallel the camino, or at least finish up at the same places. I find if I look at Google maps using the satellite view and go out a bit, I find quite a few little roads that sometimes beckon me to go off the path. I've done this quite often, on the spur of the moment. Possibly something you could do if the path is crowded or difficult for a bike.

 

[patiras]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

 

[Barbara]

Yes, of course you can. And, what's more, you can if need be, put it in a bus

 

[patiras]

Basically we did 2 walkers’ stages per day, so no camino family. That’s the price you pay for travelling by bike. Just accept it. You still have plenty of interaction with walkers.
Here are a couple of pictures. Looking at the first reminds me of one thing I really liked - the “step-through” mounting without a cross bar. You’ll notice most of the load is on the front. I liked this because it dampens the rather skittish steering caused by the near-vertical steering column. I don’t know if the Brompton is similar.
We used the roads quite a lot when they more or less paralleled the route. The black bag on top of the panniers was the transport bag for flying.
View attachment 141302
View attachment 141303

Thanks!

 

[Slowninja]

I used a Dahon folding bike on the Frances and the Madrid. It involved a lot of pushing - I think you lose efficiency with 20” wheels. I liked the sit-up position, ideal for taking in the landscape. The big advantage was flying in and out.

I used a 20" folder on the Camino Portuguese and some of the other advantages were:

• Secure storage was never an issue
• Folders are less likely to be stolen.
• When fully loaded people would often ask about the trip - so the bike was a good conversation starter. Folding pedals were a godsend when pushing.

Disadvantages

• In the rough the 20" tyres struggle.
• Luggage racks and panniers were harder to find.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Disadvantages

• In the rough the 20" tyres struggle.
• Luggage racks and panniers were harder to find.

The Thule racks fit easily to a folding bike. See photos in posts #9 and #11

 

[Slowninja]

The Thule racks fit easily to a folding bike. See photos in posts #9 and #11

They look good. I had not seen them before.

 

[Skinnybiker]

A Brompton on the Camino; truth or dare or a bet after a big night out? It can be done, easier on the black stuff than the rough stuff, as above check out CGOAB for some background, if you've ridden a Brompton you should already know the answer. Keep us posted on progress.