Malaga to Santiago by bike

[jony jony]

Well......in late May this year (2017) i got back from riding the Via de la plata and Sanabres swearing it was my last long distance pilgrimage , however , this past 3 weeks or so i am looking more and more at doing another "last" pilgrimage .
I will be 74 early next year ,so i think this really will be my last one ,so does anyone have any info about the route from Malaga to where the Mozarabe would join the Via de la Plata that would be pertinent to a bike rider ?
I wish i could walk it as the logistics of getting a bike from my front door to Malaga are not easy ,but due to a foot problem a bike is the only option .
Any useful info will be most welcome and i plan to start may be March or April next year .

Regards....John

 

[Magwood]

I walked from Málaga in 2015 and posted to my blog each day including elevation profiles. There is a lot of elevation in the first few days. I have no idea how you would cope with this on a bike - there may be an alternative route you could take, particularly over el Torcal into Antequera. I'm not a cyclist so can't pass comment from that point of view, but you are welcome to look at my blog to get an idea of the terrain and accommodation options.
Buen camino!

 

[george.g]

Hi Maggie and John,
I met John on the Sanabrese this year, I think it was at Santa Marta John, you, me and the two Slovenian ladies shared a meal.
John, without a doubt there will be a few occasions when you will have to get off and push your bike for a while, I can't remember anything too vertical, I think Maggie's right the worst stage would probably be the decent off El Torcal.
Regards
George

 

[islandwalker]

Hi John,
Hooray that you are planning another bike trip at age 74!
I'm a cyclist too and can give you a little bit of information about the descent into Antequera. The Spanish cyclists who mapped out the Ruta TransAndalus use the same entrance into Antequera that the Camino Mozárabe does: via
Puerto de la Escareluera. You can read their directions on their route guide here: http://www.transandalus.org/andalucia/malaga/MA_roadbook.pdf See km51.70 on the third to last page of the guide in the stage headed "Annex: Málaga – Antequera".
When I went over that section I was walking, not cycling, but had my bike in mind. It would have been difficult to walk the bike down that section, but I could have done it if my panniers were not too heavy.
You could also take a road route around that part. The TransAndalus guidebook has some alternatives in the routes it takes both in and out of Antequera (see earlier pages in the same guidebook, stages 7 & 8).
Here's a wikiloc track to that route that has some photos that give a good idea of what the path is like: steep and rocky. https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=16016815
You can also see photos of the TransAndalus alternatives in the Málaga section of our blog at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/TA2008.
Good luck with your adventure!
Elaine

 

[jony jony]

Hello Maggie , George and Elaine many thanks for your replies and the links you have posted .
George , yes i remember passing a pleasant evening together at Santa Marta , what a nice modern Albergue .
I am no stranger to pushing my bike up hills in Spain , especially out of Ourense , as i always say to myself " why pedal when pushing would be faster "?

Once again , many thanks to you all ,
Regards......John

 

[jony jony]

Elaine.......I have now had a chance to look at some of the links you posted......wow...thanks for taking the trouble to reply and just to say i have gleaned much info from them , many thanks

Regards....John

 

[jony jony]

Maggie....I am now partway through reading you blogs about this route ....nice photos....nice comments , many thanks for taking the trouble .

Regards....John

 

[Magwood]

Hi Maggie and John,
I met John on the Sanabrese this year, I think it was at Santa Marta John, you, me and the two Slovenian ladies shared a meal.
John, without a doubt there will be a few occasions when you will have to get off and push your bike for a while, I can't remember anything too vertical, I think Maggie's right the worst stage would probably be the decent off El Torcal.
Regards
George

Hey George, sorry we missed each other this year - not by much I think. What next for you!

 

[islandwalker]

Elaine.......I have now had a chance to look at some of the links you posted...

John, I'm glad the links were useful. The TransAndalus cyclists have helped us a great deal with route planning so I'm happy to be able to pass on their expertise. Another link that might be useful to you in getting out of Malaga is the Gran Senda de Malaga. Their site and topoguide tell which sections can be traveled by bike.
We've been planning a bike trip to that area and have found that the bike routes posted on Wikiloc are very helpful. They will show up on Goggle Earth if you have the Wikiloc box checked in the Gallery section of Layers. That way you can click on various routes and see what joins up in a way that works for you.
Elaine

 

[jony jony]

Elaine.....once again many thanks for more useful links .
At the moment i am thinking rather than take my own bike and all the complications it involves getting it to Malaga from my front door in Suffolk , i may buy one at the Decathlon store in Malaga . When i rode earlier this year i hired a bike , but at 345 euros for 15 days was not a cheap option . I will look at buying an inexpensive bike and either selling it ,or giving it away in Santiago . I did this on my first ride from SJPP to Santiago ( bought the bike ,new, for 75 Euros in Leclerc supermarket in France ) and it never missed a beat ,so even a well loaded ultra cheap bike is capable of things way beyond it build quality would suggest . Anyway i am looking at this option at the moment.

Regards.....John

 

[islandwalker]

I will look at buying an inexpensive bike and either selling it ,or giving it away in Santiago .

That sounds like a plan, John. I'll be interested to hear what you decide and how it works out. If you do end up taking a bike on the plane to Malaga, zoom in on the route the Gran Senda de Malaga uses to exit Malaga. It passes directly by the fence that surrounds the airport runways! I was amazed to see that one can cycle away without even going into Malaga.
Elaine

 

[jony jony]

After searching several ways .....hiring....transporting my own bike ......buying a bike at Decathlon Malaga ...to start the Mozarabe Camino , i have , i think , found the solution . Hiring a bike would cost maybe 300 Euros......shipping my own bike would cost 150 Euros - 230 Euros return .....buying new at Decathlon would be around 250 euros .....so, i have found this company ...www.luggagemule.co.uk who will ship a bike from my front door to a hotel in Malaga, Spain for £99.99 one way .
My new plan is to buy a second hand bike £ 30/50 let luggage mule ship it to Spain , do the pilgrimage and just give the bike to anyone that needs one .
I just thought that this company ( who ship anything , not just bikes ) may be of interest to others .

Regards.....John

 

[jony jony]

I have finally found a cheap bike ( Saracen mountain bike ) that cost me £16 on E bay .... yep £16 . I was the only bidder and had to change the gear set (£12 ) so i now have the bike ....all i need to find now are the legs .
I have just spent a month in Spain without a bike so have had no training for my up coming ride which i hope to start in about 6 or 7 weeks , so not much time to get fit , relatively speaking of course .
I am pondering at the moment between starting early March ,or, wait until just after the Easter "rush" that would also give me more time to get a bit fitter , again relatively speaking .
My problem is i am so eager to get back on the Camino that i may , in my eagerness , not be as fit as i should be . Well , time will tell i suppose .

Regards.........John

 

[martin69]

I have finally found a cheap bike ( Saracen mountain bike ) that cost me £16 on E bay .... yep £16 . I was the only bidder and had to change the gear set (£12 ) so i now have the bike ....all i need to find now are the legs .
I have just spent a month in Spain without a bike so have had no training for my up coming ride which i hope to start in about 6 or 7 weeks , so not much time to get fit , relatively speaking of course .
I am pondering at the moment between starting early March ,or, wait until just after the Easter "rush" that would also give me more time to get a bit fitter , again relatively speaking .
My problem is i am so eager to get back on the Camino that i may , in my eagerness , not be as fit as i should be . Well , time will tell i suppose .

Regards.........John

John, you are an inspriration! Take it easier at the start and your body will become fitter as you progress. Enthusiasm is great energy.

I did the Frances route last year on a mountain bike (100% on the 'walkers' path) and thoroughly enjoyed it. As you point out the logistics and options are the issue - but it gives us something to think about. I am a hardcore mountain biker and will bike anything.
Last year I rented a bike and to be honest it worked out well in terms of cost and ease of use, but the Frances route is a well worn conveyor belt of information/guides/resources, etc.
I am contemplating the Malaga - SdC + the finistere loop in September/October and would be very interested and supportive of hearing of your experiences. I think I will aim on 3 weekish and have only just begun to look at logistics.
Best,
Martin

 

[jony jony]

Hello Martin 69.......After not being able to go out on my bike for the last 3 weeks or so because of a swollen right foot ,which was cured with a course of antibiotics , i have decided to start my ride in the Autumn .
I too stick to the true camino even though the road would be easier in places , but then that is not the camino is it ?
Here is a photos where it would have been easier to take the road , but i like the tracks and not the road .

Best wishes with your planning ,
Regards........John

 

[martin69]

Hello Martin 69.......After not being able to go out on my bike for the last 3 weeks or so because of a swollen right foot ,which was cured with a course of antibiotics , i have decided to start my ride in the Autumn .
I too stick to the true camino even though the road would be easier in places , but then that is not the camino is it ?
Here is a photos where it would have been easier to take the road , but i like the tracks and not the road .

Best wishes with your planning ,
Regards........John

View attachment 40909

Hello Martin 69.......After not being able to go out on my bike for the last 3 weeks or so because of a swollen right foot ,which was cured with a course of antibiotics , i have decided to start my ride in the Autumn .
I too stick to the true camino even though the road would be easier in places , but then that is not the camino is it ?
Here is a photos where it would have been easier to take the road , but i like the tracks and not the road .

Best wishes with your planning ,
Regards........John

View attachment 40909

Hello John,.did you do the route from Malaga? I start tomorrow from the airport!
Best, martin

 

[jony jony]

Hey Martin69......great news and nice to hear you have organised a ride .

After lots of "plan" changing i decided to sell the bike i bought for the ride ( got £45 for it ) and am now hiring a bike from " Triana Backpackers Hostel " in Seville , so i will be starting from there .
I fly out next Tuesday the 18th so will be starting out on Wednesday.

I assume you have read some of the useful replies kindly posted by Magwood and Islandwalker about this route and hope you found them helpful .

Ride safe and have a great time

Regards.....John

 

[martin69]

Hey Martin69......great news and nice to hear you have organised a ride .

After lots of "plan" changing i decided to sell the bike i bought for the ride ( got £45 for it ) and am now hiring a bike from " Triana Backpackers Hostel " in Seville , so i will be starting from there .
I fly out next Tuesday the 18th so will be starting out on Wednesday.

I assume you have read some of the useful replies kindly posted by Magwood and Islandwalker about this route and hope you found them helpful .

Ride safe and have a great time

Regards.....John

Good to hear from you John. Biked from the airport direct to antequera yesterday. Gosh, so so hard due to blazing hot weather and the terrain to the first city 18m from the airport. Tricky route from the airport as well-noy sure if I was on the motorway or not at times. The pull up el torcal is just a long fairly shallow grade.

In lucena at the mo, v easy and fast 32m (2.5hr) road ride to give me chance to recover!
Best,
Martin

 

[jony jony]

Great news Martin ,
Yes getting away from the airport looked quite complicated and not bike friendly, but given a bit of time ,a bit of determination and a bit of luck almost anything will come right in the end .
The heat and sun can be a bit of an energy sapper can't it for the first couple of days ?
When i rode from Seville the last time ( it was 34 deg + ) i was carrying and drinking 3 ltrs plus of water per day with a bit of coca cola mixed in , as well as numerous coffee stops just to stay hydrated ...... this time i am bringing a couple of tubes of re hydration tablets to mix in the water .

Ride safe and stay hydrated Martin

Regards......John