Camino del Norte
 

Has anyone ridden the Camino del Norte to Santiago de Compostela?
Is it possible on regular touring bike with 28mm tyres or is it more mtb territory?

i done it in 2007 on my road bike look kx light 23mm tyres.:thumb:
it was a supported tour mind you no panniers and we stayed on the smooth tarmac .
28mm is fine even carrying panniers i do it on my Thorn Audax No problem.
we cycled from bilbao to santiago stayed in hotels it was one hell of a trip tough but magic.
enjoy don't overpack theres lots of hills.:innocent:

I did not ride BUT, I did walk the Frances route in 2016 with my 76 year old Dad. It was fantastic, and I don't imagine that the Northern route would be any less magical as Antokelly says. I will offer this though. As a hiker being overtaken by cyclists, we were frequently startled when a cyclist, then 2, then three, and more whizzed by us. The pathway, is usually plenty wide for everyone, but it is very appreciated by the hikers when a cyclist is kind enough, thoughtful enough, respectful enough to ring a bell a couple times to forewarn their approach. You'll be travelling quite fast-especially compared to a hiker with a 20 pound pack on their back. You can look at it the same way as a cyclist being over taken by a semi truck that doesn't give you an inch of room, and there is no shoulder to bail out on- it scares the living **** out of you! And its senseless in the end. Respect. Slow down if necessary. You will get to your destination a lot faster than those of us that are walking.
Enjoy your ride! We stayed in hostels all the way. 5-10 Euro every night, and 8-10 Euro for a meal with wine! So friggin awesome!
I would not walk it again unless my daughter (or son) asked me to for some "spiritual" reason to do it. I would however ride it, and take my time to stop and sight see along the way. Walking over 26 kms a day is a lot tougher than riding 100kms.

Thanks. So the tarmac route was the actual Camino and not roads near it? Looking to do it on light tourer with minimum luggage

Not done the Norte, but....
 

Hi John,
I biked the Camino Frances from (starting at my front door in Holland), SJdP to Santiago then wandered over to the west coast then home via the northern coast, intersecting with the Norte route at times (I was on the road by now).
It's generally held that the Norte route is more rugged than the Frances route.

There is a fundamental question to ask yourself - do you take the walker's path or the roads? Sometimes the walker's path will be on the road, sometimes not.

I wouldn't attempt to follow the walker's route without a tough bike.

I myself followed the walker's path with a couple of exceptions. Firstly, when the path was narrow and busy and the road was nearby, I took the road to keep everybody happy. In a couple of places, the descents would have resulted in dead bodies strewn all over (possibly including myself!) I took the road.
(See the attached pictures for an idea of some of the surfaces)

I used a cheapo hybrid with front suspension and 1,75 tyres. Next time I'd use wider tyres.

I agree 100% with Sailor above. For a lot of people, this is a religious pilgrimage. If following the walker's path seriously reduce your speed expectations, not just because of the terrain, but also because of the human traffic.

Regardless of your religious convictions, the walker's path becomes a community, something I think will be missed with an exclusively tarmac route. Yes, you can travel faster, more comfortably and possibly safer on the road, but then you're also just on a regular cycle tour. Sometimes the chats along the way are the most memorable parts of the trip.

www.caminodesantiago.me is a good resource for information. They have a biking section.

Be aware that the Caminos are becoming busier and busier. The Albergues (hostels) often have a policy of admitting walkers before cyclists.

It is a fantastic experience! One bit of advice is not to try to rush it. The landscape is wonderful, the people interesting & varied. It's great to be able to slow down and absorb the vast history.

Buen Camino

Frank

oh i would safely say going off road would be a lot harder but as far as i know you still pass through most of the villages on the route. ah you wont be disappointed it's a fantastic trip.
the weather in September was hot man was it hot but i'm coming from Ireland so not used to that kinda weather :eek:
be certain to have enough water with you .

if you do the real OFF road camino go wider than 28mm, more comfort less punctures..

Definitely a MTB road. I did it last year and lots of paths are not suitable for other than MTB.