Getting to Le Puy with bikes and suitability of route for cycling?

[Tobyturnips]

My wife and I are considering cycling from Le Puy this summer. However I am not sure how best to get to Le Puy with a bike from Ireland.... any suggestions would be welcome.
Also is the walking route suitable for cycling on?

 

[Kitsambler]

For the majority of the section from Le Puy to Decazeville (next past Conques), there are non-bikable sections on the walking route every day. I say this as a broad statement, without pulling out the maps for details. With a good Michelin map, you might be able to piece together road-based detours around these sections. From Figeac onward, the route is more bikeable. Still stoney though! Along the German routes, one sees this quite commonly, that the bike route sometimes coincides with the walking route and sometimes doesn't. I do not know if there is a separate guide (would be in French) for the biking route, but it would be worth investigating. All the loding info in MMD would still be useful for you.

 

[newfydog]

Le Puy Route Voie Podensis GR 65

Beginners-- B-
Experienced-- A
Hard core mountain biker-- B

736 KM Took us 14 days

The route from LePuy en Velay to the start of the Camino Frances in Saint Jean Pied de Port is part of the original route route travelled by Bishop Godescalc in 951. This is a beautiful route, growing in popularity. When we rode it we left the same day as a group of Swiss road cyclists who were riding the paved roads near the trail. It took us three days to get to their first stop, and we simply could not imagine missing that beautiful trail and great farms and hamlets for the busy road they took.

Where many of the ancient towns in Spain are just a few ruins, this route has one perfect fairy-tale town after another.

While the towns have the feel of the ancient pilgrimage stops they were, the trail can be a bit contrived. There was a piece out of Moissac where the main trail leaves a perfectly good river bottom for a hiking trail up to a radio tower. We felt certain no ancient pilgrim followed that path and stayed on the river bottom variante , following the tow path on the river. Other places it wanders excessively, just stringing together anything that could be used. Overall, however, it is a wonderful route, and while it is a bit harder than the Frances, it is very bikable. We took many small detours, but were on the marked trail for more than 90% of it. If you are into mountain biking, you’ll enjoy the route. Someone with a road orientation will probably detour a fair bit.

In September we saw some tracks, but met no other cyclists. We saw hikers daily, but never very many. Lodging was easy to find, but the cheaper places are neither as cheap or plentiful as in Spain.

In all, this route is our favorite.
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/cycling-various-caminos-good-better-and-best.16273/

 

[mspath]

Tobyturnips,

Have you seen this Cyclist Guide From Le Puy en Velay to Santiago by John Higginson?
It is also listed here.

Happy pedaling and Bon chemin,

Margaret Meredith

 

[newfydog]

Tobyturnips,

Have you seen this Cyclist Guide From Le Puy en Velay to Santiago by John Higginson?
It is also listed here.



Margaret Meredith

The Higginson book is a guide for road bikes to the paved roads which roughly follow the route. If that is what you want, it is pretty good, but for if you want to ride the actual trail it has little to offer.

This video will give you a good idea of the trail

 

[Tobyturnips]

Appreciate the replies and delighted to know that it is suitable for mountain biking. I remember the first time I did the Camino by bike I had little knowledge of the route and followed the road across Spain. I never did that again and have always used the walking route - it is so much more interesting and enjoyable.
Hopefully we will get to do it.