Camino Santiago trails, has anyone rode them as I’m considering a week trip in sept to Spain with the other half. Bilbao looks like a good place to start from and the trails looks nice and easy

Just returned from Bilbao having completed the Spanish Divide with Dave Barter and Richard Garcia. I'm only going off reports I've read but the Camino del Norte which is the variant of the Camino de Santiago that goes through Bilbao is pretty hard going. The coastline around Bilbao is quite jagged, think Cornwall on steroids and the trail is narrow and overgrown. There's this trail if you want a loop https://bikepacking.com/routes/basque-b ... -de-vasco/ Again I've not ridden it but Bikepacking.com is usually pretty reliable. If you want much less difficult, there's a very picturesque network of Via Verde disused railway lines that can quickly get you into some superb scenery such as Les Merindades or Cantabrian mountains which we rode through last week. I can easily put something together for you if you want.

'ridden'

I've walked the Primitivo, Ingles and San Salvador, and continued on to Muxia and Finisterra from Santiago de Compostela. I saw cyclists on all of them apart from the San Salvador.

Roded the Santiago southbound route, twice (ish). Via (Ruta) de la Plata.
They all go to Santiago but not by me.

grammar was never my best subject Stu

Oh thanks Duncan, the trip u guys did looked really good I was following Dave. I just need some nice riding in that area that my other half can do easily as she’s nowhere near as strong as myself, may have to use hostels most nights too

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 11:19 am 'ridden'

He's Mike...





from Birmingham

Mike, if you email me with your perfect trip, daily distance, climbing, on/off road preference etc and once I've put it through the spell checker, I'll try to come up with a 7 day circular trip that will get you into some beautiful areas without killing you both. I'll even factor in food stops every 20 minutes or so . The cuisine in the basque country is amazing and there are loads of off the beaten track places of interest.

Don’t send him up that silly mountain

You'll have to narrow it down a bit

Maybe this one?

Duncan that would be fab mate I’ll pm you at somepoint soon

whitestone wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2024 7:30 pm He's Mike...from Birmingham

...from Bromsgrove. FTFY.

Those that were there will remember that night for a long, long time.

Greetz

S : )

It's so legendary I remember it as if I was there. One day hundreds of people that weren't will claim to have been there, like the Sex Pistols first gig

For those that weren't there or don't know the origin story...

https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpB ... hp?t=11331

Greetz

S : )

Mike wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 10:02 am Camino Santiago trails, has anyone rode them as I’m considering a week trip in sept to Spain with the other half. Bilbao looks like a good place to start from and the trails looks nice and easy

I have just got back from riding The Camino with my wife, we did some of it last year and the rest this year.

I would definately recommend it, waymarked all the way, got a little lost in a few towns but nothing major and never needed my gps.

Plenty of accommadation and food stops, the last 100km is really busy as the walkers can do it from there and get the certificate.

We managed to get double rooms most nights without pre booking but had to run the snory dorm gaunlet a few times so take ear plugs.

I only live a few miles from Bromsgrove so if you want to meet up I could bore you with the details.

Tim.

I rode the Camnino Santiago / Camino Frances in 2012, from St Jean Pied a Port in the NE corner of Spain to Santiago, then a day ride out and back to Finisterre. It was my first real bikepacking multi-day trip and in some ways still my favourite ride. It was busy with walkers but the trails and the people along the way made it a great trip. We bivied each night apart from one where the number of snoring hikers reminded me of Alpine huts and why I bought a bivi bag in the first place .. Don't go for the pure quality of the riding (though it was great) but do go for a route that takes you to interesting and memorable places by bike. As Trob6 says, no need for GPS, just follow the arrows.

I told my mate who's recently discovered bikepacking and did the WRT this year that if he's ever woken up from his bivi in Wales by a farmer he was to say hello and that he was "Mike, from Bromsgrove" : )

jameso wrote: ↑Sat Jun 01, 2024 9:46 am I told my mate who's recently discovered bikepacking and did the WRT this year that if he's ever woken up from his bivi in Wales by a farmer he was to say hello and that he was "Mike, from Bromsgrove" : )

Never thought of that! What a cracking idea. I shall implement it at the first available opportunity and see what happens .

One thing I loved about Spain was the cowboy film landscapes.. If you can't be a cowboy, be a bikepacker.

One thing I loved about Spain was the cowboy film landscapes

The Spanish Divide route takes in a few places used in films, the most famous being the set of the final gunfight in the Good ,the Bad and the Ugly which has been renovated and is an open air museum near Burgos. Others are a railway line that doubled as the Russian steppe in Dr Zhivago and a medieval village used in an Orson Welles film.

@jameso. Brilliant

Reg it will only have any effect if u stand outside in ya t shirt n pants and freeze ya ass off ;0)