Mate at work wants to cycle this & needs to buy (or maybe I can lend him one) a bike for it

Had a google, people seem to ride/offer hybrids or tourers, suggesting it's a pretty smooth path. Is that right ? What do you think would be best type of bike and, err, tyres ?

Ta

I did it when i was 16 on an xc bike with semi slicks, there are two routes across the top of spain, and you can chop and change iirc. We definitely did some small bits of real mountain biking but mostly road and the specially laid out route which is mostly gravel paths and which horses, donkeys, walkers and bikers share.

It is great. One good thing about it is the 'pilgrim's' hostels some are excellent, it means you don't need to carry very much kit at all (no tent, cook stuff, I think I even managed without a sleeping bag).

search the forum though, sure other people here have done more recently than ten years ago.

I know it well since my wifes family are from the region. The routes are well marked and there are road and off-road options. I have done a small stretch of it and the route was mostly offroad on tracks & paths (on occasions somewhat rocky).

The albergues are good but this is a "holy year" therefore the whole route is very busy. Best to either take sleeping bags, tent etc or put it off until next year.

thanks for that ^ lot

busy for the whole of 2010 eckin ?? (or is it a seasonal thing anyway, or churchy calendar , or …)

The whole of 2010 will be busy though you've missed the worst time which was around the 25th July (which is the saint's day). Every year that the 25th July falls on a Sunday it's a special holy year. The next one isn't for 11 years so loads of people are doing the route this year.

I know several people who are planning on doing it but have deliberately not gone this year because of the crowds.

While the albergues (hostels) are great, the walkers have priority so cyclists have to wait until 8pm to find out if they have spare places or not, so you may well want to take tents and stuff anyway.

The news has been showing hoardes of pilgrims turning up at places along the route and not getting accomodation, local authorities have been opening up sports centres for them to kip in.