Wild camping and bikes on / around Camino Frances

[james-o]

Hi,

This is my first post. I'll be riding the Camino Frances this year with a friend who has wanted to follow this path for some time. We've got good outdoor experience and habits, have been known to carry more junk off a trail than onto it, to help others and be helped in return, acheive and fail on route. I look forward to some random dinner time conversations and meeting intersting people
We're aware it might be busy in places and the need for consideration of others on the route. We're not looking for downhill thrills and will have bells, smiles may vary with fatige levels ) I'm a walker too and my local riding area is in the Chilterns.
I think cyclists have 2nd priority at the hostels and we're happy to bivvy out and go off-route. Can anyone offer any pointers on diversions off the Camino into areas of interest to a mountain biker, places where bikes might be putting pressure on the Camino that we need to be aware of, local attitudes toward bivvis, any hostels where bikes are welcome that we shouldn't miss out?

Thanks
James

 

[sillydoll]

James - you might find more responses to your query on the Santiago bicycle Yahoo Forum.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Santiago_Bicicleta/

And a couple of other sites worth visiting:

General Camino cycle site: http://www.amigosdelciclismo.com
homepage.mac.com/verbier7/home.htm
http://www.caminhodesantiago.com/bici3.ht
Buen Camino!

 

[james-o]

Thanks for the directions!

 

[k1ypp]

James:

Please use the bell!!! As both a biker and a hiker, I love riding and walking. I can't tell you how many times I was scared out of my wits by bikers coming up behind us at speed with NO warning. Use the bell, nobody will be offended and will really appreciate hearing it coming, especially from far away.

You'll find the walkers will jump if frightened, and often into your path instead of away. I loved hearing that bell ring.

Buen Camino James...

Dennis "K1"

 

[james-o]

Hi Dennis, that was something I picked up looking through a few posts. Locally I find bells to be no more or less use than a 'hello' from a slowed-down approach - bells tend to have the wrong effect too often, as you say, "You'll find the walkers will jump if frightened, and often into your path instead of away" ! Sometimes it's hard to be right either way, some poeple just have a general grumpiness about bikes no matter how slow I pass them. A British thing I think.. Anyway, not intending to ignite a 'bells and bikes v walkers' debate.. )

I've got a bell I fit for occasions like this trip, if walkers on this route appreciate then it I'm happy to use it.

Thanks
James

 

[David]

definitely a bell!

The practise at small refugios that think they may be busy is that you may be asked to wait until perhaps 7pm before booking in - then, if it does become full, it is easier for a cyclist to ride on to another refugio.
The other thing is that you may feel very much a loner .... the walkers of the day will have shared experiences and have become a group, with all the highs and lows ... those you stay over with in a refugio, well, as a cyclist you will never see them again, you will be doing at least twice or thrice the distance they do on a daily basis ... so if you are cycling alone you will find that you never ever get to experience the camino as a walker does .. it can be a great loss - so do think about this - walking versus cycling :wink:

 

[james-o]

Hi David,

You raise a good point. I've trekked on foot in places before and felt a greater connection in some ways, to both place and people. However on this trip I'm riding with a friend who has chosen this route, I'm a passenger as well as a keen one for random adventure opportunity. I hope our experiences on the bikes don't exclude us, but I guess we all have our reasons for our journeys. For me, it's another brief ride that itches an itch that may well turn into a very long journey in the near future. I have itchy feet and existential questions.
The Camino appeals because I know people on the path are there for many reasons. I'm Christian by upbringing but I'll be open and say I don't know what I believe now, as far as organised faith goes. I believe in human spirit and our link to the natural world, I believe in growth from stepping outside physical comfort zones, I also believe in the links between faiths and I find theology interesting. Beyond that - I'm open minded, I think. So I hope that this ride will allow us a glimpse into lives and minds that I might learn from. It's just a bike ride, but to me there's hope for more, something, maybe as simple as a conversation that inspires. I think cycling the Camino Frances, sleeping out in the hills some nights and sharing stories in auberges on other nights will be a wider experience than other past bike tours. Maybe I'll be back on foot one day.

Before we leave, I'll post a few pics, if anyone reads this and recognises us and wants to chat to some faithless outsiders on bikes, I'd be happy : ) We may be passing through but our experience is, I hope, equally rich, just different. And if there's no room in the inn, I'm happy to sleep under the stars again. Everyone should do it, just once..

Thanks,
James

 

[Tobyturnips]

Ive biked the Camino 7 times and had a bell just once. My preferred method was to shout from afar 'bike' and slow right down.
I never had any problems nor caused any either!

Common courtesy will do the trick.

 

[james-o]

HI Toby, yeah it usually is most important to just pass slowly with courtesy, but if there's a general feeling that bells are welcome, let's use them. There's days around here that I think my average speed would be higher if I just used a bell, rather than the latest upgrade or new tyres etc.
So, titanium mini-pingers.. I'm sure I saw one once.. )