When we think of a historical journey or pilgrimage,  can we sell it immediately towards the Path of Saint James, a  An itinerary that so many people have been doing on foot, on horseback or by bicycle for centuries, and which has become a benchmark at a European level.

And we often find that when someone considers doing the Way of Good Men, the comparison with the Way of Saint James is inevitable. However, beyond their history, the orography and difficulty of both itineraries make them completely different routes.

Today the'Adam Grifoll, cyclist and creator of the Bonshomes Tracks,  who has traveled both of them by bicycle,
In this article he tells us about his memories and experiences that may resonate and inspire you.  to undertake  a new adventure on wheels!!

It's been 25 years since I did the Camino de Santiago, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela: my first bicycle trip, and an unforgettable experience that four friends and I shared.

I remember leaving Burgos behind to cross all of Castilla y Leon, with our saddlebags loaded and two drums of water that helped us endure the summer heat. It was hard to face the endless straight roads, without a single tree, that separated one town from the other. The well-compacted tracks and pilgrim shells reminded you that you were on the right path. The heavy bike with off-road wheels looked like a tractor on a highway.

Our daily goal was 100km, which we added up on the digital bike counter. While a road map of Spain was used to plan the next day's route.

And finally! the port of O Cebreiro gave way to the green of Galicia, and Santiago de Compostela was getting closer and closer.

Many years later I was once again about to start another bicycle trip, this time from the top of the Queralt Sanctuary, with the aim of arriving a week later in Foix.

How bicycles have changed since then! Disc brakes, full suspension, telescopic stem, 1x12, carbon... but also the challenge itself:

The Path of Good Men crosses the Pyrenees in the transverse direction. The stages here will not be measured in kilometers, but in meters of elevation gain.

Also the way to plan and guide yourself along the entire route; it must be taken into account that the bicycle route does not always follow the GR-107 (the Camí dels Bons Homes on foot), as there are many sections that are not cycleable. Therefore, the GPS with the track well placed ends up being an essential tool.

And finally, the route itself: the good firmness of the Camino de Santiago has nothing to do with the combination of paths, paths, tracks and trialeras that we will find along the Camino dels Bons Homes by mountain bike.

Since I'm one of those who believe that everything that goes up must come down, this time the saddlebags had been left at home and I would find my luggage every day at the accommodation at the end of the stage. This way, you would suffer less on long climbs of more than 1000m of elevation gain (the bicycle is not the only thing that has changed in these 25 years) and you could enjoy the descents to the fullest.

Arriving in Foix, the emotions are identical to those experienced in Santiago de Compostela, but the path I have taken so far is the antithesis of that Camino de Santiago from 25 years ago:

Lonely trails surrounded by a majestic landscape, surrounded by large mountains that force us to overcome passes of more than 2000m in height. Along the way, you can feel the change in country and culture, or vegetation depending on whether you move along a southern or northern slope.

Also about gastronomy, or the architecture of mountain villages.

For me it has also been a change in the way I understand mountain biking and travel, also linked to the evolution of technology... and very likely to age. But here's to many years! Whether with a "pulmonary" or electric bicycle.

Such  and as Adam explains it to us,  The Path of Good Men is a wonderful experience, especially if  Are you one or the other?  expert cyclist, accustomed to relays with uneven terrain  demanding and who loves mountain routes.

Due to the characteristics of the route, we recommend that you forget about the saddlebags and enjoy this great experience with the help of the  our agencies that  they will accompany you  in logistics, food organization, transport  luggage and other small services that will make your route more enjoyable, an unforgettable memory!!