Cycling the Norte

[Kenny Allen]

Don't seem to be able anyone who has knowledge of cycling the Norte from Irun.
Coming from England and looking for any advice on getting to the start and any experiences re cycling the Norte.
A hone out there
Kenny

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Editorial Buen Camino has a guide that includes routes for walkers and cyclers. It's in Spanish, but you don't need any Spanish to read a map.

http://guias.editorialbuencamino.com/productos/guia-del-camino-del-norte-costa-y-primitivo

 

[Matthew King]

I cycled the norte from Santander to Santiago (Brittany Ferry from Plymouth) June 2015 then bus Santiago to Santander with packed bike in bus boot, then in August 2016 took the same ferry and packed bike by bus to iTunes. Cycled from there to At Jean Pied de Port to meet my sons who had cycled there from Devon via Geneva, Marseille, Perpignan and we all cycled back to Santander for the ferry back to Plymouth. So I've cycled the whole Norte in two parts..

 

[Matthew King]

Irun not iTunes!

 

[Gerry Callaghan]

Hi,
I'm planning to cycle the el Norte in reverse this year. (That means cycling west to east, not cycling backwards!)
The penciled in plans at the moment are:
Cycle from home in Ireland to British midlands, Sheffield looks to be the easiest option
Pick up European bike express to Bayonne
Cycle to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostello
Camino Finnistere and Muxia
Back via Camino del Norte to Irun
Pick up European bike express again in Bayonne
Back to the UK
Finally cycle home!

I've cycled Camino Frances and Finnistere in 2015 but del Norte is new to me.

Plymouth or Portsmouth to Santander on Brittany Ferries is an easy, if long, crossing that you might consider.

I'm having great fun planning right now and would love to hear what you have come up with!

 

[Kenny Allen]

Hi Mathew
Any advice welcome!
Planning to start Irun, how many days or miles per day did you do ?
What's overall terrain like. I'm looking at getting trains from London or Ashford ( Kent ) through to Paris then down to Irun then flying back from Santiago has we did before.
Looking at completing in 7/8 days with 1/2 days in Santiago.
What was your routine ,mileage and average speed etc.??
Kenny

 

[Kenny Allen]

Hi,
I'm planning to cycle the el Norte in reverse this year. (That means cycling west to east, not cycling backwards!)
The penciled in plans at the moment are:
Cycle from home in Ireland to British midlands, Sheffield looks to be the easiest option
Pick up European bike express to Bayonne
Cycle to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostello
Camino Finnistere and Muxia
Back via Camino del Norte to Irun
Pick up European bike express again in Bayonne
Back to the UK
Finally cycle home!

I've cycled Camino Frances and Finnistere in 2015 but del Norte is new to me.

Plymouth or Portsmouth to Santander on Brittany Ferries is an easy, if long, crossing that you might consider.

I'm having great fun planning right now and would love to hear what you have come up with!

Hi Gerry
Like your initial response re in Reverse !!
Looking at getting trains through to Irun via Paris then Fly back from Santiago, getting bikes packed as we did last time in Santiago.
This would enable us to get there with bikes ready to cycle in the same day.Looking at 7/8 days in the saddle therefore averaging 120ish k per day.
Like you we did SJP to Santiago 3 yrs ago and really looking forward to this yes adventure for my 65th!! There's between 3/5 of us this time so Aubergues will be in for a little racket after our evenings jolly with wine !!
Plan to also spend at least 3 nights outside as we did last time, awesome although a little smelly !!
We are planning 25th September travel day and 26th start Irun, maybe if we get there early enough we may do one leg on the same day just to get in the saddle.
Keep in touch
Kenny

 

[movinmaggie]

Interesting that many inquiries come from cyclists, but I've not seen many follow-ups of their experience - and of those who have cycled, did they consider walking? or vice versa, have walkers cycled? How was the experience different? Curious in Canada

 

[Kenny Allen]

Interesting that many inquiries come from cyclists, but I've not seen many follow-ups of their experience - and of those who have cycled, did they consider walking? or vice versa, have walkers cycled? How was the experience different? Curious in Canada

 

[Kenny Allen]

have have thought over the years about the 'walk' but have to say I really enjoyed the ride last time, met so many pelegrino's, and so many different people given that we averaged 3/4 days to the walking pilgrims.
Whichever way it's an awesome place to find yourself in and can't wait till September.
Kenny

 

[Gerry Callaghan]

Cycling vs walking?
I've not walked the camino but I cycled Frances and Finnistere in 2015. I did consider walking so you might be interested in my reasons for cycling.

I live in the Irish midlands. An archaeological dig of a monastic graveyard in a nearby town, Mullingar turned up two skeletons who had been buried with scallop shells. A reasonable assumption is that they were two monks who had made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostelo in the middle ages. Aha, I've always wanted to acquire some grave goods, this sounds like a fun thing to do!

To mark the end of fifty years of working life I wanted to do my own version of the camino. I decided it would have to be human powered, as far as possible, and start from Ireland. Walking from Ireland, down west France and across Spain would take me a minimum of 70 days and, for family reasons I could not get away for that long. So Leatherlugs the bike, named after a beloved childhood donkey, and I decided to cycle.

From home to Cork, ferry to Roscoff, across Brittany and the Vendee to La Rochelle. At that stage we decided we wanted to be in Spain so we took the train to Dax and started again on camino Frances. Then to Santiago de Compostello and Finistere. We took the bus back to Santander and the ferry back to the UK. A wonderful, magical trip that I'm still trying to understand.

My experience of cycling the camino is that it's a more solitary occupation than walking. There were very few cyclists when I was there in May. That's if you don't count the Spanish mountain bikers who zipped past me in a flash of lycra!

Leatherlugs can do three or four times the speed of the walkers so that meant meeting different people every night in the albergues.
As a result you don't get to be a part of the 'camino families' that seem to develop among the walkers.Evening conversations were always wonderful but there were many people that I'd have loved to continue the conversation with on the following day. Yet I also cherish the solitary days on the bike on the mesata which gave the prefect time to think.

I'm planning to return to cycle Frances and Del Norte this year with a friend. I've no doubt it will be different but every bit as great.

I envy the walkers their communities of the camino and will definitely walk it someday soon.
So, cycle or walk? I dunno!

 

[movinmaggie]

Gerry it sounds like it was everything you wanted it to be. A lovely account of your journey. And as a preferred 'lone' walker, I can appreciate the solitude you derive as a cyclist. You make a good point about meeting even more pilgrims, albeit not the communities, but you do have mini community within your daily meal and lodging stops. Thanks for the post.

 

[Kenny Allen]

Cycling vs walking?
I've not walked the camino but I cycled Frances and Finnistere in 2015. I did consider walking so you might be interested in my reasons for cycling.

I live in the Irish midlands. An archaeological dig of a monastic graveyard in a nearby town, Mullingar turned up two skeletons who had been buried with scallop shells. A reasonable assumption is that they were two monks who had made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostelo in the middle ages. Aha, I've always wanted to acquire some grave goods, this sounds like a fun thing to do!

To mark the end of fifty years of working life I wanted to do my own version of the camino. I decided it would have to be human powered, as far as possible, and start from Ireland. Walking from Ireland, down west France and across Spain would take me a minimum of 70 days and, for family reasons I could not get away for that long. So Leatherlugs the bike, named after a beloved childhood donkey, and I decided to cycle.

From home to Cork, ferry to Roscoff, across Brittany and the Vendee to La Rochelle. At that stage we decided we wanted to be in Spain so we took the train to Dax and started again on camino Frances. Then to Santiago de Compostello and Finistere. We took the bus back to Santander and the ferry back to the UK. A wonderful, magical trip that I'm still trying to understand.

My experience of cycling the camino is that it's a more solitary occupation than walking. There were very few cyclists when I was there in May. That's if you don't count the Spanish mountain bikers who zipped past me in a flash of lycra!

Leatherlugs can do three or four times the speed of the walkers so that meant meeting different people every night in the albergues.
As a result you don't get to be a part of the 'camino families' that seem to develop among the walkers.Evening conversations were always wonderful but there were many people that I'd have loved to continue the conversation with on the following day. Yet I also cherish the solitary days on the bike on the mesata which gave the prefect time to think.

I'm planning to return to cycle Frances and Del Norte this year with a friend. I've no doubt it will be different but every bit as great.

I envy the walkers their communities of the camino and will definitely walk it someday soon.
So, cycle or walk? I dunno!

When you doing it Gerry ??

 

[Gerry Callaghan]

Nothing confirmed yet but the plans are to be in St-Jean on 19th May and to start on 20th. We need to be back in Bayonne on 17th June.

 

[Tia Valeria]

CSJ guides to the Norte (Ruta de la Costa 1 & 2) also carry alternatives for cyclists where they need to deviate from the 'main' walking route.

 

[Kenny Allen]

Nothing confirmed yet but the plans are to be in St-Jean on 19th May and to start on 20th. We need to be back in Bayonne on 17th June.

What's your planned daily pedal??

 

[Tandem Graham]

Like Gerry, we plan to cycle 'there' on the Camino Frances and 'back' on the Camino del Norte.
Carol (my wife) and I will set off on our tandem from home in Andover, Hampshire in June, crossing via Portsmouth and St Malo, then following the Voie des Plantagenets from Mont St Michel until it intersects the Voie de Tours at St Jean d'Angeley in the Charente. From there to Royan to join the Voie Littorale along the Silver coast to Bayonne, then to St Jean Pied de Port, and the Frances. From Santiago (or Finisterra if the schedule allows), back along the Camino del Norte as far as Santander, for the 24 hour ferry back to Portsmouth. Unfortunately we have had to book this last ferry, since by this time it will be in the UK school holidays, so it would be an expensive one to miss!
We have walked sections of the Camino in Spain and France over the years and have always dreamed of making a pilgrimage from home. Early retirement has now presented this opportunity and we're longing for June to arrive!
Our tandem is a robust Thorn with chunky tyres and a decent low gear range, but no front suspension, so we are prepared to push a bit on the walkers' paths and take the occasional minor road detour where this is the sensible option.
I do wonder about route-finding on the C del Norte, when we are opposite the flow - am I correct to be concerned?

 

[freeflyer123]

Interesting that many inquiries come from cyclists, but I've not seen many follow-ups of their experience - and of those who have cycled, did they consider walking? or vice versa, have walkers cycled? How was the experience different? Curious in Canada

movinmaggie, I cycled the Camino Frances in 2013 with my husband. We rode from Bayonne. It was a hard ride but what wonderful experiences and memories. Check out www.cyclingsofties.blog which is a compilation of our experiences. We are hoping to ride el Norte later this year but so much rests on what happens at home first.

 

[freeflyer123]

I cycled the norte from Santander to Santiago (Brittany Ferry from Plymouth) June 2015 then bus Santiago to Santander with packed bike in bus boot, then in August 2016 took the same ferry and packed bike by bus to iTunes. Cycled from there to At Jean Pied de Port to meet my sons who had cycled there from Devon via Geneva, Marseille, Perpignan and we all cycled back to Santander for the ferry back to Plymouth. So I've cycled the whole Norte in two parts..

Matthew, that's what we're hoping to do later this year in September and will be using using the ferry to Santander.

Last year we used it for the first time, from Portsmouth to Santander, then rode part of the Velodyssee in France - south to north along the West Coast. Sadly, we had to give up after two weeks because of the extreme temperatures hovering over Europe at the time and we were spending too much money forking out for hotels just to get a bit of relief in a nice air-conditioned room for the night as our tent wasn't cool enough.

My concern is that, on checking out the route along el Norte, it looks much hillier than the Camino de Santiago route which we rode back in 2013. Is my assumption correct, although I have to admit nothing looks quite as challenging as the Pyranees and O'Cabreiro hills!

 

[Matthew King]

Hi Freeflyer 123. Yes, the Norte walking route is hillier than the Frances, so you may need to cycle on the roads adjacent to the "real" path. I would suggest a bike with suitable gear ratios for steep uphill cycling ( my Surly Ogre has 40-30-22 front chainrings with an 11t-41t cassette). I also cycled the Via Francigena up the Great St Bernard pass with no problems grinding in "granny gear"

 

[freeflyer123]

That sounds like some great cycling, Matthew. I do have a nice ratio of gears (21) and never used to find hills too challenging. However, now that I'm 71 it's getting harder, specially as my knees both have arthritis. I try to keep most of the pain at bay by exercises, but occasionally get a really nasty twinge or problems for days after a hard ride. With this in mind, I'm looking to buy an e-bike, but I've yet to be convinced this is the right way for me to go. Somehow, I feel that cycling the Camino on an e-bike might be cheating .

 

[Matthew King]

In the same way that hiking poles might aid a walking Camino, I would consider an e bike as a facilitator for a cycling Camino. A couple of practical issues that I would take into account is the potential problem of charging, and if you need to manhandle the bike for example over fences or up stairs (which I have had to do with my Surly Ogre on the VF)

 

[Matthew King]

...oh, and remember that the number of gears is not the same as the ratio (you need to ensure your pedal cadence up steep hills with a fully loaded bike is manageable). Talk to your local bike shop about this if needing advice.