Hybrid bikes

corkoniense

Im off in a couple of weeks to cylce 1600km from central france to western spain....the camino de santiago. Ive been to a few bike shops in dublin and cork and ive been recommended the following:
Ideal Crosser 450
Kona Dew 500
Some kind of specialized bike for 450 euros(cant remember the precise name)

Which one should i go for? The Ideal had front suspension, but the guy pushing the specialized said that was crap for climbing. the guy pushing the kona said that Ideal was crap full stop, while I felt personally that the specialized was the best (it was light), but it was very stripped down....maybe that's a good thing?The guy pushing the Ideal was the soundest of the lot, and nice bike sales people always make a good impression on this gullible soul:o

btw, the camino de santiago is a combination of country roads, paths and occasional off road bumpy patches. What are the best tyres for such varied terrain? Is the hybrid the best bike? Im hoping to cylce in the city with it when I rotate back to the real world.

Any thoughts appreciated

Titiritero

Hi,

Did a similar route 5 years ago. Dublin to Rosslare, then Cherbourgh all the way down to Bordeaux, Spanish border, and followed the Camino. I did it with a cheap hybrid and no suspension fork, and I was much faster than my two friends, one in an mtb with front suspension and the other one with a cheap fully rigid mtb.

My advice would be:
-If you’re leaving in only 2 weeks, you’re late already buying the bike. You’ll spend quite a few hours a day on the bike, so the sooner you get used to its geometry (and most importantly, its saddle! ;-) the better.

- From the budget you have, I wouldn’t recommend a suspension fork. They’re heavy, waste energy on the climbs, and the ones found in hybrids offer the same cushion you get by playing with the tyre pressure. You’ll probably get a crappy one (some good forks are worth already 500 EUR alone), and will eat on the quality of the rest of the components. I don’t understand manufacturers putting a suspension on hybrids anyway. If you buy a hybrid is because you plan only moderate occasional off-road, and a suspension is not needed, and if you are going to do a bit more aggressive cycling, just get an mtb.

- Despite some very rough areas at the end in Galicia, and a bit at the beginning, most of your route will be tarmac or good tracks (and it’s easy to skip the bad parts on small parallel roads). If you’re also going to use it for commuting on the way back, definitely get a hybrid over an mtb. Besides, many come already “equipped” with mudguards, rear rack, chain cover, stand, etc very practical both when touring and commuting, and if you want to add the extras yourself, it will increase your budget significantly.

-If still not convinced, have a look at “urban mtbs” like the Trek SU100 or Kona Smoke. They’re fast, in your budget, and can easily be transformed into mtbs just adding fat tyres (although then you’ll have to buy the racks, etc yourself).

Finally, since you won’t have time to get used to the bike beforehand and you’re starting in central France, why not getting a bike there. France has a great cycling tradition and are serious about the value for money, so you can get a great deal on bikes like Decathlon, Giant or Lapierre over there and save easily a 20% over prices in here (not forgetting the savings of carrying it over, between 25-35 EUR by plane, free on the ferry).

Sorry, post longer than intended!

corkoniense

thanks for that mate,
I actually cycled the camino from st jean pied de port in august 2005, so i know what you're on about re start and finish of the route. this time im hoping to get a ferry from cork to roscoff and train/bus it to vezelay, which is a traditional starting point 250km south of paris and not far from dijon.

last time i used a cheap mtb, which was fine in the city, but i want something better this time. your recommendations sound about right, but im hoping the thinner tyres in a hybrid can withstand the worst parts of the camino and that i dont have to use the road all the time!

Re buying the bike in france, i see your point but I'm a little old fashioned and i like to support my local economy......i really need my head checked sometimes!

thanks again

corkoniense

crikey......ok so i've narrowed it down to two choices, can anyone help?

1. Giant 2.5 C.R., with rear carrier, mudguards, stand and bull handles retailing for 527 euros.

2. Trek T30 with the same, goin for 449. I wonder why there's an 80 euro difference??

Shaymoboy

I did the camino de santiago in Aug 2005 also. I flew into Biaritz and started there. Thats interesting as I met no Irish cyclist, must of just missed you.

I used a mountain bike with road slicks and I found I could go on all the paths, even the really dodgy ones. Keeping the weight down I found was more important than suspension.

Bon Camino.

Viscosity

Howya lads,

Sorry to butt in and head off topic but I'd be really interested in finding out more about the trip. Are there any decent guides available online or in books ?

When's the best time of year to go ?

corkoniense

Shaymoboy wrote:

I did the camino de santiago in Aug 2005 also. I flew into Biaritz and started there. Thats interesting as I met no Irish cyclist, must of just missed you.

I used a mountain bike with road slicks and I found I could go on all the paths, even the really dodgy ones. Keeping the weight down I found was more important than suspension.

Bon Camino.

Sorry, I did it in Sept 2005! Just checked there.....Sept 3 to Sept 16

I met two Irish cyclists( brothers) and two Irish couples....very few Irish really...must be too busy buying and selling apartments in bulgaria:D

corkoniense

Viscosity wrote:

Howya lads,

Sorry to butt in and head off topic but I'd be really interested in finding out more about the trip. Are there any decent guides available online or in books ?

When's the best time of year to go ?

The confraternity of St James have a very good site on the camino, from almost all possible routes. They also have a section on bikes. you can't go wrong there. www.csj.org.uk

also if you just google camino de santiago by bike, you'll get loadsa stuff in all languages, including english

brenscan

Hi,
which bike did you go for eventually? I am cycling thsa camino from Biarritz in July and am currently looking for a bike.
Where did you view the trek?

I will be cycling with a friend who is bringing a mountain bike. He is keen to follow the path as much as possible, would this be more or less possible on the hybrid?
Cheers
Buen

corkoniense

brenscan wrote:

Hi,
which bike did you go for eventually? I am cycling thsa camino from Biarritz in July and am currently looking for a bike.
Where did you view the trek?

I will be cycling with a friend who is bringing a mountain bike. He is keen to follow the path as much as possible, would this be more or less possible on the hybrid?
Cheers
Buen

I went for the Giant in the end......getting it wednesday, although I just spoke to someone who pointed me in the direction of a Dawes 301...looked it up on the web and spoke to another dealer about it and it does look great....too late for me anyhow!!

I think you'll be able to stay on the path with the hybrid, that's what I hope to do. The biggest discrepancy between path and camino is over the pyrenees from st jean pied de port to roncesvalles.....but i still managed it on my ****ty mtb.....if it gets too difficult you just get off the bike!

in the later mountain ranges of montes de leon and O cebreiro into Galicia, the camino is the road, so there's no hassles there....

buen camino en julio:cool: