Panniers or Trailer?

[Desert Rain]

Greetings! I am planning to bike the Camino Frances in March 2011. (Hopefully quieter than 2010 seems to be!) I will be riding as much on the "real" camino as possible and have a good mountain bike that will do the job. I will have plenty of time for the trip and it won't be a race.... It is a sabbatical (same word origin as "sabbath").

My one main question is.... Should I use panniers or a trailer (e.g. BOB Ibex) to carry my gear? I know that there is heated debate about this issue in general on various adventure biking forums (fora?), so I am looking for Camino-specific opinions. Would one or the other work better on the Camino? What have people's experiences been like? Why do you prefer one over the other? I have read that trailers are sometimes the preferred option while off-road and panniers preferred for on-road use.

I would appreciate any/all opinions on this topic.... as well as any other advice people have for the trip. Thanks!

[Sil]

I have done 4 caminos and have never seen a cycle with a trailer (excepting for one pulling a baby in a crriage!)
I would think that a trailer could prove difficult, especially in March when there can be heavy snow, sleet and mud.

Amawalker: WALKING THE CAMINO IN SPRING

[Covey]

If you are intent on cycling the "walkers route" which a lot of cyclists do on the Camino Frances, then I would agree with Sil that a trailer would prove difficult, especially in the early stages before Burgos. The track is often very rough and boulder strewn and the "pannier" cyclists have a hard enough time staying in the saddle.

Most of the cyclists who ride the walkers route use mountain type bikes or hybrids because their rims can cope with the rocky conditions, and the "racing" bike fraternity tend to use the cyclists route which is mostly road based and much smoother.

Some bikes have front and rear panniers, GPS etc but because a lot of the albergues have limited secure storage space for bikes, the cyclists often have to disassemble their machines in the evenings to protect the valuable bits!!

[Goosey]

I've seen many cyclists with trailers, but these are cyclists who prefer trailers to panniers full stop. I have spoken with many of the cyclists on the camino and many say it is hard going for a touring bike so put wide-ish tyres on it (32+ if on a 700c wheel). If you're intending to take a trailer and haven't ridden with one before, have a good few weeks pulling one, they make the bike handle quite differently than panniers.