e bikes ?

[Lindsay from Scotland]

Greetings from Ponferrada
Sophie and I are walking the Frances at the moment after a 4 year break from walking. The descent from Cruz de Ferro we found quite challenging but it’s great to just be here.
I have noticed that a lot of cycling peligrinos are using ‘e bikes’ this year, charging up their batteries at pilgrim hostels.
Thoughts ?
Lindsay

 

[Former member 91017]

Thoughts? Leave it alone and leave it to the camino and the allergies who accept cyclists to think about.
I've seen so very very few cyclists ever lined up for a Compostela that I don't think it is worth worrying about. The allergies that do take cyclists generally put them in only after the walkers have secured a place. What other people do with their bodies (aside from brining unvaccinated bodies into albergues) in no way diminishes my camino.
I would not bother to think about it any further.

 

[C clearly]

the allergies who accept cyclists to think about.

I am confident that Faye means "albergues" rather than "allergies" - autocorrect at work!

I have noticed many more e-bikes around home this year, too.

 

[RENSHAW]

Edit - oohy before any member brings it to my attention , and there will ALWAYS be one? I am aware the question posed by the OP was about e-bikes , however they are only an assisted extension of a bicycle?
@Lindsay from Scotland . Personally , I am not a fan of any cycling on the Camino where the way is constricted to a narrow path. Too many pilgrims on foot have been injured? But lets try to look at some of the more positives and analyze the situation.

The authorities DO recognise a cycling Camino.
Most of the larger towns have accommodation for cyclists - so they have not taken 'your bed'
It may be the only way that I myself can experience the Camino in future due to health reasons.
It does not take a month to complete the 'Frances.
Does it sway the Camino experience from spiritual to adventure (should this be an issue to you) - well then I have been guilty myself at times even on foot.
Do cyclists contribute to the Camino economy? Of course.
Cycling on the Camino is here to stay and e-bikes are also here to stay.

You may not like my snoring - tehe , I'm not a big fan of cyclists ......

The e-bike gets my nod of approval , be it with personal reluctance

I have edited some spelling.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I recall that cyclists on my first Camino in 2015 were supposedly not allowed to have a bed at a municipal albergue until 5:00pm, although I'm not sure if it is often enforced. I do remember some beds being roped off for a group of cyclists whose bags arrived earlier than they did, so obviously they had a reservation. I don't remember if it was a muni or private accomodation. I doubt they were e-bikes that long ago.

 

[t2andreo]

The issue of an e-bike being accepted as a ‘bicycle’ for Compostela purposes has been addressed several times before. The bottom line is that any bicycle type conveyance that REQUIRES you to pedal is acceptable. To be required to propel yourself forward is ‘Compostela legal.’

Thus, an electric-assist bicycle that uses a torque sensor to decide when you need the assistance of the auxiliary electric motor is acceptable. However, any electronic bicycle or similar conveyance that can operate in electric-only, throttle controlled mode is NOT legal.

As I understand things on the e-bike market in Europe, a Type I e-bike is ‘legal.’ Type II and Type III e-bikes are not - at least for Compostela purposes. Of course, I am not absolutely up to date on e-bike developments. But the basic premise remains: if you must pedal to move, you are okay. If pedaling is optional as long as the battery has charge, it is not okay.

I have seen security guards at the Pilgrim Office do a quick assessment of arriving e-bikes. I have not yet seen them turn anyone away.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I personally would not value receiving a Compostela through deceit. I have family members who have e-bikes where pedaling is only an option, otherwise they operate almost as a small motorscooter if you choose and are fun to ride.

 

[Crosscheck]

I ride bikes and hike so I am well aware of the interaction between cyclists and pedestrians. While cycling on trails shared between cyclists and pedestrians I am conscious of a hiker's safety and I also make sure they know of my presence while passing. Unfortunately, I believe that many occasional cyclists are unaware of this courtesy and the practice of safety around pedestrians. I ride most days on hike/bike dirt trail in my town and do my best to not end up in a collision. Every ride I fear being run over by another cyclist but I still go.

Five years ago I rode the CP while recovering from a broken leg. It was an alternative to walking and I everything went well. It is only common sense that cyclists on the camino should ring a bell, yield to, maintain a wide girth, and slow down around hikers.

 

[t2andreo]

Having walked six caminos and shared the senda with cyclists, I am of the opinion that, where there is a road alternative, bicycles should stick to the road. Presently, I am planning my first post-Covid Camino since 2019.

My thought is to do the entire Camino Via de la Plata (1,050 km) - using the mostly parallel N-630 carretera. This route was superseded by a nearby autopista (A-66 - A-52) route some years ago. The A-52 bit, replaces using the foot path on the Sanabres portion of the Camino in Galicia.

The N-630 has very wide verges / shoulders, reduced speed limits and more gentle grades than one would find on any hiking path. These roads were originally engineered to accommodate heavy trucks and construction equipment with small-ish engines and lots of gears. They remain in good repair and support mostly local traffic. Most, all of the heavy traffic, that is the greatest risk to a cyclist has been shifted to the limited entry autopistas.

This alternative is featured in bicycle guide books and on bicycle web sites about the VDLP. The route also intersects most of the towns and cities walking pilgrims frequent along this route. Riding a bicycle, one generally covers about three-times the distance daily. While you will not see the same walking pilgrims each evening, you will encounter walking pilgrims daily.

One final point. In many cases the road actually covers the original Roman road that originally formed the basis for the earliest Camino travelers. This progression of paving 'cowpaths' or dirt roads exists all over the world.

The modern Camino routes are largely established using nearby secondary or tertiary roads or farm sendas (trails or paths), with permission of the landowners. If you consult a map of Roman roads in Spain, you will see that most every major Camino path is laid out on top of the former Roman road location.

This is not categorical. I have walked many routes where the former Roman road is no where near the modern day Camino. However, many portions of the Spanish national roadway (carretera) system are built atop the original Roman routes.

The N-630 is one good example. Another good example is the N-120 and N-550 intertwined with the Camino Frances.

Just some thoughts. Hope it helps the discussion. For a cyclist, it is food for thought, as remaining on the paved carretera system - where viable and safe - is likely a more historic route. THAT is an opinion.

Tom

 

[Marbe2]

Personally, I am not thrilled at all about folks using e-bikes on the camino.! No electric enhanced vehicle, unless one is handicapped, should be allowed. In effect it enhances the riders speed and puts more of us in danger on the paths. Enhanced vehicles need alternate paths.

Be clear, I don’t give a hoot who is granted a compostela! My issue is safety.


Look at this,
What Are E-Bike Classes?
Class 1: Pedal-assist only. The motor provides assistance only when you pedal, and stops helping at 20mph.
Class 2: Has a pedal-assist mode that assists up to 20 mph and also a purely throttle-powered mode.
Class 3: Pedal-assist only (like Class 1), but the motor provides assistance until you hit 28mph.

Where I live, Cars are only allowed to go 15 miles an hour on a street near a school for safety reasons. Is the Spanish government really going to allow motorized vehicles to be passing us and children on such a narrow path at times, at 20 miles or more per hour! Have they gone mad! The rest of us know that many of the riders don’t slowdown. Now we are going to help them sustain their speed? It is an absolute safety nightmare. If the vehicle is motorized, it needs to stay in either a seperate bike lane, or on the roads. We do not need to help cyclists to go faster then they can pedal on their own, on shared paths with pilgrims, dogs, horses, and manual riders. Enough is enough!

 

[Gerard Griffin]

This is a great thread and it made me smile, as I've walked and cycled the Camino and hope soon that Santa will bring me an ebike for my next foray.

The Camino has broad shoulders. Cyclists, ebikers, roadies, trailites, tourigrini, jacotransers, kids, groups, compostela-seekers, seeking adventure spiritual or romantic, rich, poor, hobogrini ... The Camino has broad shoulders, and like the Ranchers and the Sheepmen we need to be friends ... And on the Camino we grumble about each other but, by and large, we are.

Where else in the world will you find contact, let alone cameraderie, among such disparate and often mutually hostile types? Let's all share the Camino magic, one for all and all for one.

When I cycle I carry a rucksack so that if I need to I can get a bed if albergues discriminate against cyclists. I had to laugh at the poster who spoke of obtaining a compostela by deception. Ultreia, by whatever mode or means necessary.

 

[Corned Beef]

Santa will bring me an ebike for my next foray.

At about 25kg per e-bike, Santa will need to get the Reindeers' suspension uprated.

On the other hand, you'll know immediately when it comes down the chimney.

 

[Robo]

When I cycle I carry a rucksack so that if I need to I can get a bed if albergues discriminate against cyclists. I had to laugh at the poster who spoke of obtaining a compostela by deception. Ultreia, by whatever mode or means necessary.

Really?

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Santa uses e-reindeers these days

 

[t2andreo]

Personally, I am not thrilled at all about folks using e-bikes on the camino.! No electric enhanced vehicle, unless one is handicapped, should be allowed. In effect it enhances the riders speed and puts more of us in danger on the paths. Enhanced vehicles need alternate paths.

Be clear, I don’t give a hoot who is granted a compostela! My issue is safety.


Look at this,
What Are E-Bike Classes?
Class 1: Pedal-assist only. The motor provides assistance only when you pedal, and stops helping at 20mph.
Class 2: Has a pedal-assist mode that assists up to 20 mph and also a purely throttle-powered mode.
Class 3: Pedal-assist only (like Class 1), but the motor provides assistance until you hit 28mph.

Where I live, Cars are only allowed to go 15 miles an hour on a street near a school for safety reasons. Is the Spanish government really going to allow motorized vehicles to be passing us and children on such a narrow path at times, at 20 miles or more per hour! Have they gone mad! The rest of us know that many of the riders don’t slowdown. Now we are going to help them sustain their speed? It is an absolute safety nightmare. If the vehicle is motorized, it needs to stay in either a separate bike lane, or on the roads. We do not need to help cyclists to go faster then they can pedal on their own, on shared paths with pilgrims, dogs, horses, and manual riders. Enough is enough!

Are these the US or EU class definitions? I know that they do vary.

The Class 1 e-bike is the only one that I am aware of that operates solely in assist-mode AND limits your speed to no more than 25 kph - or is it 30.

Either way, I believe this is the only e-bike class that is Compostela legal.

Hope this helps - thanks for the assists. I have six months before I need to pull the trigger on the decision to walk or bike.

Tom

 

[Marbe2]

Tom, it sounds like you have gained much of your strength back and good health since the serious, compromised situation you found yourself in earlier in the year.

agree!

This is a great thread and it made me smile, as I've walked and cycled the Camino and hope soon that Santa will bring me an ebike for my next foray.

The Camino has broad shoulders. Cyclists, ebikers, roadies, trailites, tourigrini, jacotransers, kids, groups, compostela-seekers, seeking adventure spiritual or romantic, rich, poor, hobogrini ... The Camino has broad shoulders, and like the Ranchers and the Sheepmen we need to be friends ... And on the Camino we grumble about each other but, by and large, we are.

Where else in the world will you find contact, let alone cameraderie, among such disparate and often mutually hostile types? Let's all share the Camino magic, one for all and all for one.

When I cycle I carry a rucksack so that if I need to I can get a bed if albergues discriminate against cyclists. I had to laugh at the poster who spoke of obtaining a compostela by deception. Ultreia, by whatever mode or means

Are these the US or EU class definitions? I know that they do vary.

The Class 1 e-bike is the only one that I am aware of that operates solely in assist-mode AND limits your speed to no more than 25 kph - or is it 30.

Either way, I believe this is the only e-bike class that is Compostela legal.

Hope this helps - thanks for the assists. I have six months before I need to pull the trigger on the decision to walk or bike.

Tom

I agree with Camino Chrissy and hope you are well and soon ready to “run”.

TOM, these are US, specs, I believe, likely from The USA but the blog did not refer to the specifics.

Here is my concern. There are already cycling maniacs, racing the camino that we all know don’t ride safely. Who, on the trail is going to “control” the Speed of these various types of e-bikes? Certainly not the security guards at the compostela office!

 

[Former member 91017]

agree!


I agree with Camino Chrissy and hope you are well and soon ready to “run”.

TOM, these are US, specs, I believe, likely from The USA but the blog did not refer to the specifics.

Here is my concern. There are already cycling maniacs, racing the camino that we all know don’t ride safely. Who, on the trail is going to “control” the Speed of these various types of e-bikes? Certainly not the security guards at the compostela office!

Hi there! I have an e-bike at home because I don't know how to drive -- never learned, don't wanna. I use it for when I need to pile 10 bags of groceries off to my son. I gave up my last bike (a Batavus city cruiser) a few years ago because it could not carry so much stuff, and because it became incompatible with spine injuries

E-bikes are unable to go on electric power above 32 kmph; there are regulators built in so that they cannot exceed that speed, and the "assisted bikes" are held to the same standard for the power-assist feature.

That said: I used to be able to go 56 kmph on my Trek 21 speed hybrid mountain bike that had zero electrical assistance.

I think we are still in more danger from the hi-tech hybrid and racing bikes... (and boy have I had some close calls with those!!!). Cyclists are just one reason that I won't ever listen to headphones while hiking *anywhere*.

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Wheeeee! ... Someone has to keep these dozy perigrini on their toes, and it's amusing to see how they break off their intense conversations about blisters and their personal histories and leap for safety in the bushes as we go whizzing by.

 

[lkbender]

I personally would not value receiving a Compostela through deceit. I have family members who have e-bikes where pedaling is only an option, otherwise they operate almost as a small motorscooter if you choose and are fun to ride.

People can get a compostella riding a horse, which certainly uses less effort than walking. If the pilgrim pedals a bike with electric assist, it is their Camino, and I believe we should refrain from judging the "purity" of another's efforts.

 

[Crosscheck]

It is an absolute safety nightmare. If the vehicle is motorized, it needs to stay in either a seperate bike lane, or on the roads. We do not need to help cyclists to go faster then they can pedal on their own, on shared paths with pilgrims, dogs, horses, and manual riders. Enough is enough!

Getting hit by a cyclist at 20 mph, let alone 10 mph, will probably put you in the hospital. Unfortunately, it will probably take many serious accidents to create common sense rules/laws where and how ebikes will be used on hiking trails.

Admittedly, traditional cyclists, like myself, also pose a risk to hikers but for several reasons at a lower rate than ebikes.

 

[Former member 91017]

People can get a compostella riding a horse, which certainly uses less effort than walking. If the pilgrim pedals a bike with electric assist, it is their Camino, and I believe we should refrain from judging the "purity" of another's efforts.

The issue is not effort; the issue is historical continuity. It is a conceit of the camino routes (wherever they start) that one must walk... but many people arrive at Fatima our Lourdes, or Notre Dame (before and again...) and receive the blessings of the saints. One can also arrive at the cathedral, or live in Santiago and receive the blessing of the saint. The act of pilgrimage as we know it is a modern reconstruction that sought to build Spain's economy in the 20th C by reviving a traditional mode -- that would allow poor people done in by 2 world wars, and countless civil wars and revolutions, to become tourists in their own backyards.
Some argue that to travel with a horse or donkey introduces more difficulty (care for another creature...), but again, difficulty isn't really the point.

 

[Kiwi-family]

While we’re at it, let’s have a word about those walking pilgrims who use poles to propel themselves along (and dangerously trip up The Unsuspecting) - and the ones who diminish their true pilgrimage by taking a plane or train or bus to their so-called starting point instead of genuinely starting from home ;-)
My husband has just got an ebike after 35 years of commuting - interestingly, his heart rate is higher with a low level of assist than when he plods along completely under his own steam! He can get to work in 30 minutes now instead of 45 (20km away).

 

[Rebekah Scott]

IMHO, the Camino pilgrimage is all about stripping down to the bare minimum and testing your limits. But we humans continue to find more byzantine, costly, high-tech ways to insulate ourselves from the very thing we go there looking for.

 

[Robo]

IMHO, the Camino pilgrimage is all about stripping down to the bare minimum and testing your limits. But we humans continue to find more byzantine, costly, high-tech ways to insulate ourselves from the very thing we go there looking for.

Nailed in one

Though maybe not everyone is 'looking' for the same thing

Hence the sometimes prickly reponses to those utilising the Camino routes merely seeking a 'cheap holiday' a nice long 'hike' or a cycling 'adventure'?

The routes are there for all to use..........

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Nailed in one

Though maybe not everyone is 'looking' for the same thing

Hence the sometimes prickly reponses to those utilising the Camino routes merely seeking a 'cheap holiday' a nice long 'hike' or a cycling 'adventure'?

The routes are there for all to use..........

they are there for us to use. But we must respect the special status of the Camino de Santiago as a World Heritage Site, and an ancient pilgrimage path holy to many of our fellow hikers and bikers. My church is not necessarily your theme park.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

they are there for us to use. But we must respect the special status of the Camino de Santiago as a World Heritage Site, and an ancient pilgrimage path holy to many of our fellow hikers and bikers. My church is not necessarily your theme park.

The word Respect goes a long way...I definitely agree, but...

 

[Tincatinker]

For me the Caminos are holy roads, not playgrounds. But then himself is said to have said “suffer the children”, so I try

 

[Lindsay from Scotland]

I started this thread in order to hear other people’s thoughts on the use of motorised bicycles on the camino Frances.
As I understand it electrically powered bicycles assist the user be adding power proportionately to the users pedalling effort.
The majority of e-bikes I am seeing on the Camino have a power output of 1500 watts. A fit cyclist can only manage a token 250 watts.
Thoughts?
Lindsay

 

[Rebekah Scott]

We had a lively discussion on this the other day among the FICS board members, when a group of ten cyclists phoned the albergue in Canfranc saying they were on their way. Most of them had electric bikes, which would need charging. Canfranc is a donativo albergue, only open for a month so far. We are still making up policies as needs arise.
First, ten cyclists would fill the place to capacity, leaving no room for people on foot.
Second, what will it cost to charge all those bikes? Could our electrical system handle it?
Someone did some research, and determined it only costs about 50 cents' worth of electricity to charge each bike battery. They system at that albergue is brand-new and high-capacity, so no problem there.
... but then there are the thornier questions: Are we a pilgrim albergue, or a cheap gas station for well-heeled bike tourists? Should we ban electric bikes, or groups of them, seeing as these people can clearly afford to stay elsewhere?
Are electric bikes really any different from regular bikes?
How many bike pilgrims are pilgrims, and how many are sports tourists taking advantage of the pilgrim infrastructure? How can we tell one from the other? Do we care?

In the end they upheld my on-the-spot decision to just make the people welcome when they arrived, and ask them to remember the additional cost when they put their donativo in the box. I think next time we'll simply tell them we don't accept big groups at the last minute!

 

[Former member 91017]

We had a lively discussion on this the other day among the FICS board members, when a group of ten cyclists phoned the albergue in Canfranc saying they were on their way. Most of them had electric bikes, which would need charging. Canfranc is a donativo albergue, only open for a month so far. We are still making up policies as needs arise.
First, ten cyclists would fill the place to capacity, leaving no room for people on foot.
Second, what will it cost to charge all those bikes? Could our electrical system handle it?
Someone did some research, and determined it only costs about 50 cents' worth of electricity to charge each bike battery. They system at that albergue is brand-new and high-capacity, so no problem there.
... but then there are the thornier questions: Are we a pilgrim albergue, or a cheap gas station for well-heeled bike tourists? Should we ban electric bikes, or groups of them, seeing as these people can clearly afford to stay elsewhere?
Are electric bikes really any different from regular bikes?
How many bike pilgrims are pilgrims, and how many are sports tourists taking advantage of the pilgrim infrastructure? How can we tell one from the other? Do we care?

In the end they upheld my on-the-spot decision to just make the people welcome when they arrived, and ask them to remember the additional cost when they put their donativo in the box. I think next time we'll simply tell them we don't accept big groups at the last minute!

Diplomatic on the fly and wise for the future.

 

[C clearly]

I started this thread in order to hear other people’s thoughts
The majority of e-bikes I am seeing on the Camino have a power output of 1500 watts. A fit cyclist can only manage a token 250 watts.
Thoughts?
Lindsay

But what are your thoughts on the matter?

 

[Lindsay from Scotland]

I would like thank everyone for sharing their thoughts about e-bikes on the camino. You have helped me to clarify my own thinking on the matter.
E-bikes are just another sign of changes with time and we will adapt. It is perhaps a mistake to grasp at the past and expect the camino to be as it was on our first encounter.
I am minded of :-
“On top of the mountain,
seeking solitude,
many people “

Lindsay

 

[wayfarer]

Each to their own IMO. Also, lets not look at the camino with rose tinted glasses and think that traditionally pilgrims only walked. Some walked, some rode horses, some rode donkeys, some by cart or carriage, some had letters of introduction from their local bishop and had the best of accomodation along the way while others slept outside or in barns.
Lets not impose our view on how it should be done on others, this is the single biggest source of conflict in the world at any given time, we should try and keep it out of the Camino.

 

[Lindsay from Scotland]

 

[hfenton]

And then there are these. Stand, balance and ride.

 

[Crosscheck]

I started this thread in order to hear other people’s thoughts on the use of motorised bicycles on the camino Frances.
As I understand it electrically powered bicycles assist the user be adding power proportionately to the users pedalling effort.
The majority of e-bikes I am seeing on the Camino have a power output of 1500 watts. A fit cyclist can only manage a token 250 watts.
Thoughts?
Lindsay

How do you feel about allowing motorcycles on hiking and Camino trails? Do you consider ebikes to have more in common with bicycles or motorcycles? If we allow ebikes to pass by trekers at 30 KPH why wont we allow a motorcycles to do the same?

Also, when a cyclist, electric or traditional, collides with a pedestrian who do think usually sustains the greater injury?

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Allow? Allow? What is it about freedom that people find so difficult to understand? As for using a bell, sure that'd take all the fun out of it. Youse walkers need to listen for the crunch of our tyres .... It'll help you take your minds off you aching feet

 

[t2andreo]

People can get a compostella riding a horse, which certainly uses less effort than walking. If the pilgrim pedals a bike with electric assist, it is their Camino, and I believe we should refrain from judging the "purity" of another's efforts.

If you had done a Camino on horseback, you might think differently.

First, the care, feeding and lodging issues on a Camino are much more complicated when you have a horse. A lot more thought and effort are involved.

Second, I have only ever ridden a horse on lazy trail rides, where the horse knew where to go without being prodded very much. I do not claim to be a cowboy or a very experienced horse rider.

The Camino would be free-form riding- for hours each day. Much of the terrain would be uneven. Extra care and effort is needed to keep both horse and rider safe.

Plus, spending that much time in any saddle is going to cause some seriously uncomfortable rash and blister issues in places where “the sun does not shine.” I shudder at the thought of “saddle rash.”

So, I do not diminish the effort required to ride the 200 km on a horse required for the Compostela. IMHO riding any bicycle that distance would be far easier overall, even if it did require more, direct physical effort.

Besides, people were riding horses and other four-legged animals to arrive at Santiago long before the bicycle was even invented.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[trecile]

So, I do not diminish the effort required to ride the 200 km on a horse required for the Compostela.

I was surprised to learn that the distance required on horseback is the same as walking.
From the Pilgrim's Office website:

And it is only granted to those who make the pilgrimage to reach the Tomb of the Apostle, doing in full at least the last 100 kilometres on foot or horseback,

The Credencial: Pilgrim’s Reception Office

The official Credencial of the Pilgrim’s Office

oficinadelperegrino.com

 

[t2andreo]

My bad. I misspoke / typed. I defer to your research.

Equine arrivals are not exactly daily events.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Greetings from Ponferrada
Sophie and I are walking the Frances at the moment after a 4 year break from walking. The descent from Cruz de Ferro we found quite challenging but it’s great to just be here.
I have noticed that a lot of cycling peligrinos are using ‘e bikes’ this year, charging up their batteries at pilgrim hostels.
Thoughts ?
Lindsay

Hola, @Lindsay from Scotland , I see that one of my colleagues has responded about the negative aspects of e_bikes and compostellas. Now for the actual cycling (say from Astorga to Santiago). I cycled from Pamplona to Santiago in 2015 and I can tell you that the descent from the Cruz de Ferro was definitely more than a little hair raising. I did it on a Sunday so there was a lot less traffic but unless you are an experienced road cyclist I suggest that you give it a miss. The walk down to El Acebo and then Molinaseca does have its difficulties but have your walking poles handy and take your time and you should be OK. Stop and rest often. Buen Camino.

 

[Robo]

Just a question on bikes and in particular Decathlon stores.

This thread got me looking at the store website as a potential Plan B.

As I have rather dodgy legs, a bike could be a Plan B in case of injury.
Though I would much rather walk of course.

To those who have bought a bike at Decathlon....

If I was to drop into Decathlon to buy a cheap bike, I'd need a carrier/rack, side panniers and maybe mud guards. Would the store staff fit these? Or would I need to get some tools and fit them myself?

 

[Corned Beef]

Would the store staff fit these?

Yes they will. The really good part about D4 is that they have their own in-store** bike technicians. When doing the VF, I was able to get parts in Northern France, buy another one in Southern France and have repairs done in Viterbo just outside Rome. You can just walk in and they will fit you in.

**Their network is extensive. But some inner city stores are stripped down versions and may not have technicians but the out-of-town stores do.

 

[trecile]

**Their network is extensive. But some inner city stores are stripped down versions and may not have technicians but the out-of-town stores do.

The inner city stores are called Decathlon City. Burgos has a large store on the outskirts of town which is serviced by a free bus.

 

[Robo]

Yes they will. The really good part about D4 is that they have their own in-store** bike technicians. When doing the VF, I was able to get parts in Northern France, buy another one in Southern France and have repairs done in Viterbo just outside Rome. You can just walk in and they will fit you in.

**Their network is extensive. But some inner city stores are stripped down versions and may not have technicians but the out-of-town stores do.

Good to know, thanks.

Not sure my backside is really built for a bike, or my legs!
But good to have a Plan B.

Afternote.
I was doing lots of research on bikes and watching camino bike videos.
Came to the conclusion it's really not for me.
If I need a Plan B, it will be to stop for a while........

 

[David Tallan]

My thoughts on using e-bikes to do a Camino? I'm okay with however people choose to make pilgrimage to Santiago: walking, cycling, horse riding, e-cycling, bus, car, train, airplane. I recognize that there are rules about who is entitled to the Compostela and leave those rules and any attendant judgements to the folks who hand out the Compostelas.

That said, I don't plan on using an e-bike for my own Camino any time soon.