bike-camino

[Lynne Gilberg]

Brilliant! Simple, clever, generous! I am continually amazed at the high
quality of person attracted to the Camino, at least online. I can only hope
that the same is true when I do the real thing: three weeks and counting!
--
Lynne
lgeditasbcglobal.net



> From: Jean Seeler <jeandaveaMINDSPRING.COM>
> Reply-To: Road to Santiago Pilgrimage <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
> Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 12:40:39 -0400
> To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
> Subject: Re: bike-camino
>
> Last year we took old bikes with us, cost us around $25 each to have a bike
> shop in the USA pack them, plus what the airline charged us, I forget the
> exact amount, but it was in the neighborhood of $27 each for baggage
> handling.   We bought a  very large suitcase or $7  in a Salvation Army
> store and packed our clothing, panniers and bike luggage cariers in it.   In
> Spain we rebuilt the bikes, loaded up the panniers and left the suitcase by
> a dumpster on the streeet. , When we got to Santiago, after we removed the
> computers, luggage racks, etc, we gave our bikes to some children.    We
> packed our belongings in packing cartons we found on the streets of Santiago
> and came home.
>
> This year we biked 1100 km in Germany.   Before we left, we went to Walmart
> and purchased two inexpensive mountain bikes, still in their boxes.   The
> were partially assembled.  Again, we carried our clothes etc in a large
> "Goodwill" suitcase.  When we arrived in Europe, it took us an hour or so to
> build the bikes, install computers,  luggage carriers, pack the panniers
> and we were off on a wonderful (flat ! ) tour of Germany.   At the end of
> the trip we stripped the bikes of computers, etc, went to a church and gave
> the bikes to the pastor to give to two kids from his church.   We figure it
> was the equivalent cost of packing bikes and paying airline surcharges.
> Again, we found some large cardboard shipping cartons and used them to bring
> our stuff home.
>
> In both cases, some kids ended up with free bikes, and we had light luggage
> returning home.
>
> No worries about expensive bikes being damaged.   When carrying loaded
> panniers you cannot make good time so save the effort and make some kids
> happy.
>
> jean and dave