Day 45: San Sebastián to Bilbao | 152km
16 July 2026
I knew I had a big day ahead of me when I quietly collected my things from the pitch-black hostel room to avoid waking anyone else. I used the communal kitchen to prepare a tuna sandwich with avocado and half a bottle of orange juice left over from the night before. Considering my eating habits haven’t been optimal, I’d say it was a pretty successful breakfast. I’ve said it before, but I usually love making breakfast. Now and here, however, it felt more like a chore.
Despite a big day yesterday, I actually felt more energized and ready to go toe to toe with my physical limits. 150 km and 1,350 meters of elevation were on the menu today, and I was ready to eat. My route took a slight detour from the walking Camino del Norte to better accommodate a bike. The bike-specific route included two big climbs but was otherwise pretty flat. I actually prefer fewer but bigger hills because I just want to get them done.
The first and biggest climb actually felt good, and it was motivating to know the toughest one was already done. I just needed to sustain enough energy to tackle hill number two later. Few moments beat those when you’ve hustled up a big hill, reached the top, and then rolled down the other side. Today, the sloping hills were gentle but long, allowing me to build up an incredible speed. At 40 to 50 km/h, I cruised down the mountain, the wind quickly drying all the sweat from the way up. In those moments, I feel incredibly alive and thankful that I’m able to do this.
Rolling through many small towns on the way, I often saw old men stopping in their tracks to watch me pass. They often offered a quick nod of recognition or respect. Maybe I’m reading into it too much, but looking back into the faces of these old men, I wonder if they’re thinking back to being young, able-bodied, and out traveling. Some that I talked to along the way, mainly in Sweden, also admitted that they wished they had done something like I’m doing now.
Honestly, there are very few people I’d recommend doing a trip like this. It can look beautiful from the outside, and sometimes it is, but it’s also grueling. But for those who have confessed their regret to me, I guess it’s not only about “a bike trip through Europe” but being free to do it and seizing the opportunity to take charge of free will. I will admit that doing this is an excellent reminder that for the privileged, free will exists and a trip like this proves it.
I slowly ate away the miles, but halfway up the second biggest mountain, the bike suddenly felt heavy. There was no noise, but I looked down and saw the back tire was completely flat. Unsure whether it was an actual flat tire or I just hadn’t screwed on the valve tight enough, I tried reinflating it, but shortly after, it was flat again. I had no other choice than to stop at the first flat spot, remove all my bags, flip the bike, and change the inner tube. My bike was covered in dust, so it was a messy endeavor, but fairly quick as I’ve done this many times by now.
The pump, however, did not cooperate. When unscrewing the pump after inflating the tire, it kept pulling the entire valve off, leaving the tube severely deflated each time. For some reason, it attached too hard to the valve, and instead of just coming off clean, it took the whole valve with it. An hour later, I was able to inflate it enough to keep going to the next town, just 10 km away. To my relief, there was a sports store in town, so I could get another pump and replace the spare tube.
I seem to be very lucky every time I’m unlucky, so although I was a few hours behind schedule, I could safely and with less effort continue pedaling all the way to Bilbao. I’ve been to Bilbao once before, on a business trip in which I stayed in a five-star hotel. This time around was very different. Instead, I stayed in a pilgrim hostel, trying to feel that it was more authentic than a nice hotel, but man, how I missed that hotel I passed on my way. For 27 euros, I had a bunk bed in a room shared with three other men. Two of them seemed alright. Well, all three seemed alright, but when one of them started snoring heavily before I had fallen asleep, any neutral or positive feelings I had about him soured. If I hadn’t been so shattered from a very long day on the bike, I don’t think I ever would’ve fallen asleep.