Bike Tour from Dublin to Southern Spain: any tourer advice please?

Arequipa

Hi! I am researching a bike tour:
Dublin to Rosslare
Ferry to Roscoff
Cycle down Atlantic coast of France towards Biarritz..
Then either around Basque & Portugal coast to Faro or straight through central Spain to Tarifa/Faro...

I have 4/5 weeks from July 12th..

Is this a bad time re weather & traffic etc?
I havnt got a travel buddy as of now.. So I might be solo..
I plan on being reasonably self-sufficient with tent etc,, but would love advice on bike friendly places to stay...

Any advice would be much appreciated,,.

Oh yea, my bike may not be ideal too.. Its an alu road bike with carbon forks and 25ml gp 4000 tyres..

Thanks a mil!

A

poochiem

I'm doing a similar trip in a couple of weeks. I'll be going from roscoff down the coast and heading inland before the Pyrenees and on to the south coast before returning. If you've not done any planning yet then take a look at this - http://www.velodyssey.com - it breaks the trip to the Basque country into 57 stages. Most of this is greenway or veloroute.

To get an idea of the terrain check any number of videos of the Velodyssey - e.g this one. I did a trip from Calais to Luxembourg last year and found that getting off road was a problem on the road bike. The Atlantic journey definitely requires a lot more off-road detours and I'm on a CX bike with 35mm to take the battering and the bit of load.

Seaswimmer

I have done the Biarritz to Lisbon section. Mostly following the Camino route (on the road) to Santiago and then along the coast in Portugal. If you follow the Camino route from Biarritz I would recommend you get John Higginsons book "Cycling the Camino"

Food and accommodation on the Camino section is plentiful and the roads are generally very good and reasonably quiet. There are a couple of mountain ranges in the middle but nothing too taxing.

We travelled the route both in October and July. The weather should be perfect although can get very hot away from the coast.

I am not sure about camping. We always stayed in one or 2 star hostals which ranged from about 13 to 25 euro per night. They all had secure bike storage. We also did it on road bikes but not carrying camping gear. You may like the luxury of a shower and nice bed every evening so if your budget allows I would stay in serviced accommodation.

The tourist season in that part of Portugal seems to get into full swing in the 2nd week of July. We were there in the first week and the coastal resorts were quiet. The Camino section is usually always busy but we never had an issue with accommodation.

One word of advice. if you decide to go out into rural Portugal/Spain it is no harm to check your destination for the day on booking.com or similar to get a feel for accommodation. We struggled once or twice in small rural towns to find a place to stay. Very little English is spoken so its hard to get directions.

Its quite cheap to eat and drink away from the resorts so probably no need for you to bring cooking stove ect.

Its great cycling country so go for it and enjoy. Let us know how you get on

I am doing Seville to Santiago starting 4th July so our paths probably wont cross!!

ford2600

Seaswimmer wrote: »

I have done the Biarritz to Lisbon section. Mostly following the Camino route (on the road) to Santiago and then along the coast in Portugal. If you follow the Camino route from Biarritz I would recommend you get John Higginsons book "Cycling the Camino"

@Seaswimmer did you follow the Camino del Norte route or the Camino Frances? Will be travelling on opposite direction but will probably use northern route so that sea influence might limit high temperatures.

Arequipa

Evening! Thanks a mil for your replies..
Cycling the Camino section would be really cool..
From Roscoff heading south; would thst generally be into the prevailing wind?
I have a Canyon Endurance Al with 25ml Conti GP 4000 tyres & full Ultegra; not sure if it is suitable for the road & carrying gear...?!

Any ideas on cycling straight through central-ish Spain be too dry & hot?!
Pamplona-Burgos-Palencia-Salamanca-Merida etc....

To be honest, I would prefer to do this with a few mates, but I dont think they could do the whole trip....!!

A

Tigerandahalf

I would avoid going through central spain in the summer months. You will have serious heat, possibly 35 - 40 c plus the terrain would be pretty bland, long stretches and plains. Many of these areas would have very little shade so you could put yourself in difficulty if you broke down. Sticking to the coast would be cooler and much nicer with more frequent towns. Also more people will speak English. I have driven along the north coast and down through some of the centre. The drive through the centre was quite boring whereas you have a great mix of terrain along the coast plus fabulous beaches.

ford2600

Arequipa wrote: »

Evening! Thanks a mil for your replies..
Cycling the Camino section would be really cool..
From Roscoff heading south; would thst generally be into the prevailing wind?
I have a Canyon Endurance Al with 25ml Conti GP 4000 tyres & full Ultegra; not sure if it is suitable for the road & carrying gear...?!

Any ideas on cycling straight through central-ish Spain be too dry & hot?!
Pamplona-Burgos-Palencia-Salamanca-Merida etc....

To be honest, I would prefer to do this with a few mates, but I dont think they could do the whole trip....!!

A

What weight will you be hauling? Can you put a rack on your bike?

What wheels do you have? I'd like strong reliable high spoke count wheels especially if loaded.

25mm durano plus are very durable and more rugged than what you have

Arequipa

Yea, I was thinking Central Spain would be baking hot...
I like the idea of following the coast sounds good; jumping in the sea for a swim every day...

My trip will be one way.. So i'll have to pack the bike up in Faro/Malaga & fly home..

Do you think this bike could do it...

https://www.canyon.com/en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3576

OleRodrigo

Arequipa wrote: »

Yea, I was thinking Central Spain would be baking hot...
I like the idea of following the coast sounds good; jumping in the sea for a swim every day...

My trip will be one way.. So i'll have to pack the bike up in Faro/Malaga & fly home..

Do you think this bike could do it...

I used its predecessor - the Roadlite Al 7 - as a touring bike around IReland a few years back and it was grand. 25mm tyres (Durano Plus - no punctures over 1200km ) and a large saddle bag weighing about 6 kilos, inc the bag and support mechanism. Only changed the cassette to 28/12, everything else was left as is.

Is there rack eyelets on the Endurance ? The Roadlite has none.

Arequipa

The Endurance Al has no eyelets etc..
The tyres are Conti GP 4000's..

I bought 2 x pannier bags in Aldi today...
The messenger ones..:
https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/sun-3-may/products-detail-page/ps/p/bicycle-pannier-bag-set-1/

poochiem

4000s are probably the most puncture prone tyres I've used, for touring I used gatorskins. Think I used 28 on the back and 25 on the front last year. If you wanted to use the greenway and eurovelo then the road bike isn't suited to non paved surfaces, forest paths, converted railway lines, beach paths and canal towpaths...I think that's a big consideration but others here may know better.

Spend a couple of hours reading reports from cyclists with experience over at Crazyguyonabike

Carawaystick

Weatherwise, the middle of France from the Loire to Bordeaux is fairly flat and exposed, with lots of windmills. There's an old sailing rule of thumb, "if the wind's at your back, the eye of the cyclone is to your left" So if there's a depression in the bay of Biscay, them you'll have a southerly headwind. The bay of Biscay is roughly the size of most atlantic cyclones, so catches a few and while they're mostly an issue for seamen, its a point to note.

South of Bordeaux, Les Landes is a wild pine forest, so should be sheltered from the wind, but lacking views, or many towns .

Drove from Hendaye to Bilbao along the coast and it's hilly... I've heard Cantabria is hillier. But it is green, where inland Spain is much more bare.


If you can get a carrier to clip onto seat stays, the lack of eyelets won't matter.

Most (almost all without a selection of commercial campsites) French municipalities will have a camping ground, with basic facilities such as toilets and showers, it'll be signed camping municipal. All campsites have to provide free potable water by law.

Navigating in France: in
the country side, the roads all have numbers, most are D roads Departmental ( roughly equivalent to more minor R roads, but with a wide range from boreens to motorways. They all have kilometer stones/markers and an arrow showing the direction the km's increase.

Lunchtime in France is from 12:30 and maybe 12:15 until at least 2pm. in small towns you might get served food at a restaurant but almost all other shops will be ferme/closed no-one will care that you need to fix something on the bike until they re-open. This is why gallic shrugs were discovered....

Anyway, enjoy the trip,

Seaswimmer

ford2600 wrote: »

@Seaswimmer did you follow the Camino del Norte route or the Camino Frances? Will be travelling on opposite direction but will probably use northern route so that sea influence might limit high temperatures.

Camino Francais.

I have heard that N roads on the Camino del Norte can be busy with a lot of port and truck traffic but I have no direct experience of it.

We once did Porto to Biarritz along the Camino in the opposite direction. Everytime we got lost people tried to direct us back on the Camino the correct way.

in the end we just kept asking for France!!

Arequipa

Afternoon! Thanks again for the advice...
I suppose weather, wind etc... I will just have to adapt & have the right gear for all types.. I imagine it will get warmer as i head south..

Is there a website to plan my route, showing roads, distances, accomodation options?!

I was thinking that if I did approx 100km a day ..

Did you travel alone or with mates?

Was travelling alone lonely... Or did you enjoy the freedom?!

cdaly_

If you can fit them, 28mm tyres would be worthwhile. Also fit mudguards. You won't get through that distance without encountering some rain (likely thunderstorms).

Seaswimmer

Arequipa wrote: »

Afternoon! Thanks again for the advice...
I suppose weather, wind etc... I will just have to adapt & have the right gear for all types.. I imagine it will get warmer as i head south..

Is there a website to plan my route, showing roads, distances, accomodation options?!

I was thinking that if I did approx 100km a day ..

Did you travel alone or with mates?

Was travelling alone lonely... Or did you enjoy the freedom?!

Google maps using no highways or tolls option is as good as any to give you an outline of your route. From my experience getting through or around large towns or cities is where you will get lost. Most road signs point you towards motorways which is useless for you. Again the sun is a useful guide.
In rural Spain in particular you may find a new motorway with no obvious route for bikes. Unlike Ireland they have used the old N road as part of the construction. All you may be left with is a "Camino Agricole. These range from rutted dirt tracks to a tarmac surface. You will manage on a road bike for short stretches but try and find an alternative before you get shaken to bits.
Also you may come across a motorway which looks forbidding but unless it has the no horses, bike, tractors ect sign then you are free to use it. This is fairly common. As soon as you come across the signs then you need to leave it.

100km a day is a nice distance. We always averaged about 20kms per hour and did between 80 and 135 a day depending on terrain, weather ect.

I have always travelled with 1 or 2 others. Brothers in law or a friend. I suppose on your own a big disadvantage is leaving the bike to go into a shop, bar ect. You obviously don't want to carry a big lock so not sure how you would manage.

If you do decide to follow some of the Camino route then you will have company in the evenings especially if you stay in the Refugios or Alberges. There are also large numbers of cyclists doing it now as well so you may even link up with some during the day.

Don't over pack. A couple of sets of cycling gear (shorts, jerseys, mitts), 3 or 4 pairs of socks/underpants, cycling shoes you can walk in. A couple of casual shirts and shorts and a pair of sandals for evening wear. Maybe a base layer/tee shirt and arm warmers for chilly mornings. A small fold up rain jacket which could double for chilly evenings if you don't want to bring a fleece. Remember you can do a laundry when you need to. I used to wash socks/underpants in the shower and put them on the saddlebag to dry the next day.

A word of warning for Malaga airport. If flying Aer Lingus then they don't insist on you boxing your bike. However Malaga Airport most certainly do but there are no facilities at the airport for this. You may have to arrange something locally or as a last resort use the plastic wrapping machine in the airport.

Tigerandahalf

Via Michelin is an app in the play store. It gives routes for driving, cycling and walking plus it lists some accommodation and petrol stations.
There are a lot of blogs on the web if you google that could be very helpful. Here is one.
http://molesoup.com/cyclewestfrance.html

Just checked on via michelin and from Roscoff along coasts to Faro is around 2400km. That is 24 days of cycling. Add in rest days and problem and rainy days, it is a very big journey in a car not to mind a bike. You are also in danger of turning into a slog without time to enjoy what is around you.
The comedian John Bishop had a good programme on the bbc lately where he retraced a cycling trip he did along the coast of Oz in his early 20s. Looking back he felt he saw nothing and didn't get to enjoy the experience as he was constantly chasing on the bike.
Is this your first tour? Do you have to do this particular route in its entirety? Perhaps consider using a train/bus for some of it especially if you knew there was bad weather ahead of you.

Arequipa

Hi! Yea 2400km is a fair distance alright.. But i am only at a planning stage so open to all ideas!
I am a keen cyclist.. Cycle with my club, have cycled across the Pyrenees and Alps and done lots of cycling trips covering up to 500-1000km with lots of climbing.. But I have never toured from point a to b...!

I was planning 2/3 days at the end to relax in the sun..
Somewhere in southern spain/portugal beside the sea, nice place to relax and unwind... Any ideas?!
Between Faro & Tarifa..

Daroxtar

Arequipa wrote: »

Hi! Yea 2400km is a fair distance alright.. But i am only at a planning stage so open to all ideas!
I am a keen cyclist.. Cycle with my club, have cycled across the Pyrenees and Alps and done lots of cycling trips covering up to 500-1000km with lots of climbing.. But I have never toured from point a to b...!

I was planning 2/3 days at the end to relax in the sun..
Somewhere in southern spain/portugal beside the sea, nice place to relax and unwind... Any ideas?!
Between Faro & Tarifa..

If you've done the Alps and pyrenees then you should look at the Picos de Europa and surrounding areas. Lagos Covadonga and the Angliru will be pretty close to your route

Seaswimmer

Arequipa wrote: »

Hi! Yea 2400km is a fair distance alright.. But i am only at a planning stage so open to all ideas!
I am a keen cyclist.. Cycle with my club, have cycled across the Pyrenees and Alps and done lots of cycling trips covering up to 500-1000km with lots of climbing.. But I have never toured from point a to b...!

I was planning 2/3 days at the end to relax in the sun..
Somewhere in southern spain/portugal beside the sea, nice place to relax and unwind... Any ideas?!
Between Faro & Tarifa..

We spent a night in Zahara de Los Atunes last October. Its about 20km west of Tarifa. The season was winding down but the beaches looked lovely and the resort looked nice and peaceful if that's what you want.

The area around Tarifa is full of kite schools so its very windy. Also if you intend flying home from Faro you are a good bit away from it. You would need 3 or 4 days to cycle back to Faro airport.

There is no route along the coast from Tarifa to Faro. You have to go almost up to Seville to cross the river Quadalquivir and then back down towards Faro. If you were staying around the Tarifa area you would be better flying home from Malaga.

Carawaystick

I don't know how well surfaced these are, but this seems a reasonably comprehensive network fro the french portion of your trip

http://www.voiesvertes.com/

cdaly_

They vary from tarmac to sanded forest trail and run the gamut between. Some are just painted cycle lanes in town/cities, others are dedicated bike-only tracks. Signposting is very good.

Arequipa

Thanks for the advice..
I will probably stay somewhere near Faro & fly home from there..
Any chilled out resorts/towns nearby?

I was thinking, if I put these tyres on my Canyon, she might handle the different surfaces...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-marathon-original-greenguard-rigid-road-city-tyre/

A mate of mine recommends getting the train down to Rosslare.. I'd like to cycle it!

cdaly_

Those would be heavy, slow tyres. You would be better off with Schwalbe Marathon Supremes which should be faster rolling and comfier with puncture protection built in.

These days I'm using Vittoria Voyager Hypers but these are 35mm or wider.

hardCopy

Get this book for the French section: http://www.amazon.com/LA-COTE-ATLANTIQUE-A-VELO/dp/2844662293/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431100283&sr=1-1&keywords=LA+COTE+ATLANTIQUE+A+VELO. The book has details of what to see and do at each town as well as contacts for local accomodation. We found there was a tourist office in just about every town if you follow the segments as per the book, the tourist offices will be happy to ring around campsites or B&Bs for you as long as you don't arrive too late in the evening. The book is in French but it's mostly just sections of map so there's not much reading to it.

We did the Velodysee from La Rochelle to Biarritz last summer and only got the book halfway along, once we got the book we stopped getting lost. The route is great for cycling if a little boring at times, the only tricky bits are when you try to leave a town. There are so many local greenways and not every town has redone their signs to point out the Velodyssee route, you can end up at a roundabout with different greenways in every direction. The Velodysee doesn't officially run through Biarritz it just fades away outside town as the roads get busier but it's easy enough to take the first bridge you meet and head back out of town along the coast.

We were on road bikes with 28mm Gatorskins and I think we only had one puncture in 6 days between two bikes.

You'll find that the Velodysee runs alongside and overlaps with one of the Camino (Chemin de St Jacques in France) routes.

Arequipa

Merci ! Wiggle advised that I could combine these 3 for a rear pannier setup on a roadbike..

1)http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tubus-adapter-set-for-qr-axle-mounting/
2)http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tubus-clamp-set-for-seat-stay-mounting/
3)http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-alloy-ultralite-rear-rack/

They recommended the above tyres.. But i take your point about their weight & drag..
Its great what you say about the tourist offices..i am a little worried about winging accomodation in the tourist season!

If the route down the western seaboard is boring, i coupd always venture further inland, but saying that it'd be nice to be by the sea..

Any ideas.. Will i be cycling into a headwind as I travel south?!

slurp

hi i ride a kona sutra the all around tourer it's a heavy one but you wouldn't knock her down with a bus 32 tires 32 spoke and disc brakes which imo you need when your carrying a load a two week tour and you come home and get on your road bike and you go like cav plan to go to spain santander across north coast and down to sagres and on to faro and on ,,france is so easy ,camp sites easy to find and they just love bikes did a tour there last summer and it was so enjoyable stick an irish flag on your back rack ,it helps ,i was given fills of cold water at pubs along the road ,

slurp

hi i ride a kona sutra the all around tourer it's a heavy one but you wouldn't knock her down with a bus 32 tires 32 spoke and disc brakes which imo you need when your carrying a load a two week tour and you come home and get on your road bike and you go like cav plan to go to spain santander across north coast and down to sagres and on to faro and on ,,france is so easy ,camp sites easy to find and they just love bikes did a tour there last summer and it was so enjoyable stick an irish flag on your back rack ,it helps ,i was given fills of cold water at pubs along the road ,
some of the items i use
tent vango banshee 200 and foot print super tent light easy to put up and can stand up to a lot of bad weather
sleeping mat thermarest trail lite good to sleep on in france summer time i find a sleeping bag liner, fleece type ,warm enough and lighter than sleeping bag i sleep well in tents ,cooker, trangia , quick ,to boil and cook on and light
panniers, ortlieb ,and bar bag you must have one of these ,keep it fastened ,if you take a spill you don't want its contents flying out onder cars ,ie phone ipod etc ,

Planet X

Just one thing about discs on a tourer.....bring a spare pair of pads 'cos going down Cols with the full load you'll eat through them.
And practice changing pads before you go.
The heat will transfer from the rotors to the hub. Be aware of this.
As most people will know.....alternate brakes....don't lean on both at the same time....gives the other one time to cool down.
Charging downhill and hitting hairpins with 20kg. odd luggage and a 17kg. bike ( my Surly Disc T weighs this alone) will test brakes to the limit.
And you cannot slow down.....

slurp

hi planet x just checked my pads to night and they are down to steel almost ,also did my front wheel bearings they were a bit grippy ,surly lht is a nice one many miles up ?

Planet X

Miles?
Nothing too much. Did a few gigs around Ireland.

Gagging to do Roscoff - Biarritz.
Time poverty.

coolemon

Arequipa wrote: »

The Endurance Al has no eyelets etc..
The tyres are Conti GP 4000's..

I bought 2 x pannier bags in Aldi today...
The messenger ones..:
https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/sun-3-may/products-detail-page/ps/p/bicycle-pannier-bag-set-1/

The panniers from Aldi are not suitable for cycle touring. They are barely suitable for anything but the lightest of loads.

The plastic rack clips snap on them eventually. With the temperature changes you will encounter, your load and a rough road they will snap.

Invest in Ortlieb panniers.

I cycled from Cherbourg -> Toulouse -> Andorra -> Barcelona a number of years back. I had planned to go from Barcelona to Santander via Zaragoza but I hadn't the time so I got the bus instead. I was lucky I didn't try cycle this section as it was basically like a desert. I could see abandoned towns as I passed on the bus. That stretch of Spain is the hottest in the country. But unless you thoroughly prepare to cycle in extreme heat at great distance from potential supplies I wouldn't try cycle through remote parts of the Spanish interior. It would be dangerous.

Depending on the load, I have found 25mm tyres suitable for touring on paved roads. Less comfortable though.

Arequipa

Thanks so much for your feedback!
So alu-carbon fork Canyon roadbike
With Lifeline Alloy saddle attached to wheel & rear seatstays, 2x ortlieb panniers & 25ml schwalbe marathon tyres, might get me all the way...
The carrying capacity of the frame is 120kgs.. I weight about 83kgs....

SomeFool

If you can ride a 57 inch frame I'd be willing to lend you my bike, disk brake with rack and full guards, 32 cross tyres on it atm. Will be away for most of that time climbing so it's not really a problem, you'd have to collect and drop back to Cork though.

Arequipa

You are a gent..thanks for the offer!
I ride a 54 in cannondale and 56 on a Canyon: I am 5ft 10.5"..

I would love to try it on my Canyon...might not be as sturdy, but light & quick!

SomeFool

No stress, I'm 5' 11 so if you find yourself down south drop me a PM and you can try it for size! It's the commuter so she has miles done but is a tank of a bike.

Arequipa

Hi! Was talking to an experienced bike tourer about the trip & showed him my bike.. He said it was unsuitable for touring as no eyelets/attachments for a rack.. Carbon seatpost & fork..
I could attach a rear rack, but maybe i would put too much strain on the frame...the max weight for the bike is 120kg& i'm about 84kgs...
I am a bit disappointed to be honest...

slurp

i think he is right i have a hybrid with attachments for racks and i loaded it with painners and it tipped up if i lifted the front wheel to mount a foot path and on a downhill it swayed and was none too stable i then got my touring bike and it was a dream so steady it wont go fast then touring should not be about speed you can sit and cruse along all day and not get tired i have done ten hour days on it bar end shifters are fool proof and good gearing 48 36 26 and 12 32 on the back jb

Planet X

You really need a steel frame for lateral strength and longer backstays for panniers and foot clearance ideally.
I know people tour on cross bikes and road bikes but for peace of mind a dedicated tourer is the business.

Arequipa

A mate of mine offered to loan me his steel racing bike..
It is old, strong & well maintained...
There are no eyelets or attachment points for a rear rack... But i imagine he frame could take a rear rack clamped to wheel & seatstays/seatpost...

I think it might be slower but stronger than my Canyon...
Gears wise there are 6 speed on the rear & 2 up front.. Not sure about the ratio...

coolemon

Arequipa wrote: »

A mate of mine offered to loan me his steel racing bike..
It is old, strong & well maintained...
There are no eyelets or attachment points for a rear rack... But i imagine he frame could take a rear rack clamped to wheel & seatstays/seatpost...

I think it might be slower but stronger than my Canyon...
Gears wise there are 6 speed on the rear & 2 up front.. Not sure about the ratio...

I cycled to Barcelona on a Specialized Sirrus hybrid, and to Croatia on a Sirrus with drop bar conversion. The bike dosnt have to be expensive, steel or a dedicated touring bicycle.

Even something like this (not my ad) - http://www.adverts.ie/road-bikes/raleigh-pioneer-venture/7941139

It has eyelits for front and rear racks. Asking 200...

Generally your gear shouldn't be much more than 20kg, and usually a lot less. (trying to think how much my stuff was. Actually it would have been a lot less than 20kg.) I wouldn't worry about the max weight the bicycle can carry as you are unlikely to ever exceed it.

Tigerandahalf

There is a book 'France en Velo' in the Kindle. I downloaded the free sample and it is decent to read. In it he travelled from St Malo in the north down through the centre and on to Nice.
It has some good info on selecting intineraries, bikes and on culture, food and the lay of the land. It might give you some ideas.

petethedrummer

Arequipa wrote: »

Merci ! Wiggle advised that I could combine these 3 for a rear pannier setup on a roadbike..

1)http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tubus-adapter-set-for-qr-axle-mounting/
3)http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-alloy-ultralite-rear-rack/

If you decide to go with that set up, that rack won't work with that adapter. It needs a rack with two holes at the bottom.

This.. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tubus-cosmo-rear-rack/
or possibly this... http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tubus-logo-rear-rack/

I commuted and did some light touring on an Alu bike with that set up and was pretty happy with it. It could handle two fully loaded front roller ortliebs. I tried it with the bigger back roller panniers but the frame felt a bit over loaded. And you may not have clearance under those brakes for 28mm tyres.

cdaly_

petethedrummer wrote: »

If you decide to go with that set up, that rack won't work with that adapter. It needs a rack with two holes at the bottom.

This.. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tubus-cosmo-rear-rack/
or possibly this... http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tubus-logo-rear-rack/

I commuted and did some light touring on an Alu bike with that set up and was pretty happy with it. It could handle two fully loaded front roller ortliebs. I tried it with the bigger back roller panniers but the frame felt a bit over loaded. And you may not have clearance under those brakes for 28mm tyres.

I have the Tubus Cosmo rack. Very good rack and only €80 from rosebikes.de

Seaswimmer

Arequipa wrote: »

A mate of mine offered to loan me his steel racing bike..
It is old, strong & well maintained...
There are no eyelets or attachment points for a rear rack... But i imagine he frame could take a rear rack clamped to wheel & seatstays/seatpost...

I think it might be slower but stronger than my Canyon...
Gears wise there are 6 speed on the rear & 2 up front.. Not sure about the ratio...

I think you would struggle on that bike unless you are very strong.

Its probably 52/42 on the front or at best 52/39 and possibly something like 11/23 or 11/25 on the rear.

Spain is a hilly country. In Galicia for example you can be going up and down all day from sea level almost to 400 or 500 metres. It dosent sound much but doing it for hours on a high gear is energy sapping.

If you follow the Camino Francais you have the Montes de Leon up to 1400 metres and you have to cross the Pyrenees (or hug the coast)
I classify myself as reasonably fit on the bike and was using 34/28 or even 30 for a lot of the time on my Spanish trips. And I was only carrying about 7kg of luggage.
The steel bike is definitely a good idea but try a few hills here on the current gearing before you go..

Seaswimmer

Arequipa wrote: »

Merci ! Wiggle advised that I could combine these 3 for a rear pannier setup on a roadbike..

1)http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tubus-adapter-set-for-qr-axle-mounting/
2)http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tubus-clamp-set-for-seat-stay-mounting/
3)http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-alloy-ultralite-rear-rack/

They recommended the above tyres.. But i take your point about their weight & drag..
Its great what you say about the tourist offices..i am a little worried about winging accomodation in the tourist season!

If the route down the western seaboard is boring, i coupd always venture further inland, but saying that it'd be nice to be by the sea..

Any ideas.. Will i be cycling into a headwind as I travel south?!

There is usually high pressure over Spain and hopefully France during the summer.

If so you can expect winds somewhere between north west and East so you should be fine.

Anytime I have gone south-north or west-east I have had the wind against me.

having said that its usually no more then a breeze and can be pleasant on a hot day.

you will get localized sea breezes on the coast which can be strong and will usually mean a crosswind for you.

poochiem

I'm just back from a trip from Roscoff to La Rochelle (plus did Carcassonne through Toulouse towards Bordeaux). If you're still going ahead with your trip hit me up with route questions if you like.

Arequipa

I have the bike nearly ready now... Rear rack on & 2 rear ortlieb panniers...
Gonna keep the weight as low as possible..

The part that is worrying me most is the Camino del Norte: seems verrry hilly!

Any advice on what food to seek out in France & Spain?!

coolemon

Arequipa wrote: »

I have the bike nearly ready now... Rear rack on & 2 rear ortlieb panniers...
Gonna keep the weight as low as possible..

The part that is worrying me most is the Camino del Norte: seems verrry hilly!

Any advice on what food to seek out in France & Spain?!

France is a strange place. Half the time it seems like the towns are empty and all the shops are shut. Food was always an issue for me. Used to eat cold food out of aldi's and lidl's and the odd pizza and kebab from Turkish kebab shops as there are virtually no takeaways in france that I could see.

My next tour I will have a gas stove and cooking equipment so as to eat a bit proper. Heavy though.

With the hills your legs will adapt to climbing. I crossed the Alps and Pyrenees and very rarely came across a road id need to walk with the bike. And im not fit!

Tigerandahalf

The Norte cycling route will be quite busy. You should meet lots of cyclists especially at the hostels along the way. Spanish food on the go consists of tapas that are often on the counter for the day or in the display fridge near it.
Bocadillos or bread rolls filled with cured meats are very popular and are very handy as they can be stuffed in a bag and left there all day.
Cooking can be a pain when you just want to sit down, relax and maybe explore the place you are in. Most hostels along the way won't have cooking facilities. But camino meals can be got for around 10 eur.
I am currently reading a book about a lady walking across the middle of France and it seems a lot of cafes shut up for lunch. Once you have a baguette and a few cured meats plus nuts you won't go hungry.
Btw are you cycling a triple chainring bike?

Arequipa

Thanks guys.. Yea Francecis quite quirky..(no disrespect!)
I plan on bringing some porridge, dates etc..for the first few days & take it from there..


I have a compact 50/34 & 11/32 out back...