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Planning
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A
plan is needed for everything in life, so it is to perform such a
long distance as Santiago's Route. A planning was elaborated trying
to foresee all details, since the stage of preparation 'til the trip
itself. The main items of the project are listed bellow:
 trainning;
elaboration
of the schedule;
preparation
of the bike;
luggage;
budget.
Trainning
To ride a bike for almost 850 km in a period of approximatelly 20
days, considering 02 days of spontaneous or involuntary stops, corresponds
to daily average route of 40 or 45 km.
According to manuals of cycloturism a satisfactory trainning corresponds
to 2/3 of a medium daily distance, with a frequence of 3 to 4 days
per week, and for a period of 3 to 4 months. This is the minimum goal
of trainning associated to suitable physical activities.
Therefore, as participants were already used to ride such distances,
they just had to adapt trainning to future conditions, riding every
kind of ground, and in the last months, fitting out their bikes with
saddlebag, containing plastic bottles full of water to simulate weight.
They tried to alternate extensive space of rise to train resistance,
with plain distances to train resistance to rotation.
Schedule
They elaborated a detailed schedule that foresaw since their leaving
from Rio de Janeiro until their regress, which we can sum up :
Rio-Madrid
by plane;
Madrid-Saint
Jean Pied de Port by train;
from Saint
Jean Pied de Port to Santiago (the Route) by bike;
after Santiago
de Compostela, they ride through Galícia' sea coast until Pontevedra;
Pontevedra-Madrid
by train;
and, to
finish Madrid-Rio by plane.
Byke stage was detailed because it was the goal of the trip, without
the obligation of following step-by-step which was planned. This way,
the Route itself could be their guide.
The Bike
José Roberto chose a mountain bike of 21 gears, first line,
with front suspension, while Aurelio decided to go with a recumbent
bike, also with 21 gears, suspension, both of them equiped with saddlebags,
computer, rear light and a tool bag.
Each one of them took a kit containing: extra inner tube, tools, chainrings,
bottles, padlock, helmet, cyclist gloves, cyclist glasses, break shoes,
break cables, battery to the rear light, etc.
During the route it was necessary to buy some lubricant.
Luggage
Luggage must have extremely essential items, weighting between 10
and 12 kg and to be able to be completely stored into bike's saddlebag.
The ideal is that you have space left in the saddlebags. This way,
during the course you can take food, books and others small souveniers.
Of course pilgrim will need to wash their clothing during the route
- everyone does that and at refuges there are appropriate places to
do that. It's important to take many plastic bags to put everything
and try to be organized to give practicability to your trip.
Further to bike's kit, you are suggested to take the following luggage:
HEALTH KIT: you have to take things for your individual needs, however,
it's suggested some basic items such as pain killers, pomatum for
muscular pain, vitamins and aspirins, plaster, band-aid, and others.
HYGIENE KIT: tooth brush,tooth paste, soap case and soap, shaver and
blade, small towel, deodorant, hydrating cream, shampoo and rinse,
comb ,toilet paper and others.
CLOTHING KIT: sneaker, sandal, socks (4), jeans, belt, shorts, bermudas
(2), underwear (4), bermudas for cyclist (2), t-shirts for cyclist
(2), bikinis, coat, special raincoat(anorak), watch, sun glasses and
other things you think you may need.
TOOLS KIT: notebook, pen, wallet, pocket-knife, camera, sleepping
bag and others.
DOCUMENTS KIT: personal documents.
It's very useful to obtain some pesetas and francos (if you choose
to begin the Route from France).
Budget
This is a very personal thing. Only you know how much you spend.
You can find shelters in general clean and comfortables or you can
sleep in "hostais"(a kind of inn) of very good price.
You can eat expensive dishes in excellent restaurants or you can choose
the "menú del día"; it's very cheap, good quality and large quantity.
In general you eat very well with U$ 10,00.
Crossing Camino de Santiago with the road. To
see it bigger, click on the photo. See more photos in Making/Photos.
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