I need to kill a few days holiday so i have a plan
Discussion
Good Evening boys and girls.
I need to use up some holiday and i have come up with a grand idea for killing 5 days of it. Next week i am going to cycle from Munich to Venice (almost) and then get a train back.
I only decided this this morning so its going to be a rapid plan, and so
Id appreciate it if you could tell me any glaring errors.
ROUTE
I plan on getting the train from Munich to Chiemsee (large lake south east of Munich) and then ride 50-80km a day depending on the terrain. Stopping at camp-sites over night that i have yet to plot on a map but i hope there will be enough.
Route Map Below
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&...
I have checked at least 1 tunnel and they run a shuttle service for bikes which is good.
I am still searching for info on the carriage of bikes on trains between Venice and Munich
Its 300km that i have 6 days to do it in, i think its a fairly easy goal but i am willing to take advice from people who have done this sort of thing before..
BIKE
After lining up my barrage of bikes and marching up and down like a NCO i have decided to take my rescued and rebuilt city bike that i use daily. My mtb is too heavy and has large travel forks, my racing bike has no pannier lugs and my new single speed is exactly that, a single speed!
I found and rebuilt it in early 2009 with a full strip down apart from the bottom bracket and headset. I have just given it its first clean since then and there appears to be nothing wrong with it.
Here she is.
I think i should change the gear cables as they arn't as smooth as they used to be. The brakes were brand new last year and the pads have plenty of meat left. The rear tyre is in need of being replaced so that is on my list.
I remember that the chain and cassette are now a married pair, so i was just going to take a old used chain as im pretty sure that a new one will require a new cassette and maybe chain rings as well. I can use the old chain to patch and replace damaged links if i get them.
I was also planning on fitting my spd pedals to it.
Is there anything else i have missed?
SPARES
My brief list so far is
2 x tubes
1 x old fold-able racing tyre as an emergency replacement + tube
allen keys
chain splitter
pump
socket with 14mm for crank.
side cutters
pliers
multi screw driver
spoke key + a couple of spokes
Anything else?
LUGGAGE
I have two lidl panniers that i bought for such an occasion as this.
2 x padded shorts
1 x leggings (im guessing its cold up high)
2 x cycling tops
5 x socks
1 x waterproof coat
hoodie for evenings
2 x t shirts
1 x casual shorts
waterproof cagol
Tent
sleeping bag
roll mate
camping stove
So, is this plan complete idiocracy or am i on the right track?
I need to use up some holiday and i have come up with a grand idea for killing 5 days of it. Next week i am going to cycle from Munich to Venice (almost) and then get a train back.
I only decided this this morning so its going to be a rapid plan, and so
Id appreciate it if you could tell me any glaring errors.
ROUTE
I plan on getting the train from Munich to Chiemsee (large lake south east of Munich) and then ride 50-80km a day depending on the terrain. Stopping at camp-sites over night that i have yet to plot on a map but i hope there will be enough.
Route Map Below
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&...
I have checked at least 1 tunnel and they run a shuttle service for bikes which is good.
I am still searching for info on the carriage of bikes on trains between Venice and Munich
Its 300km that i have 6 days to do it in, i think its a fairly easy goal but i am willing to take advice from people who have done this sort of thing before..
BIKE
After lining up my barrage of bikes and marching up and down like a NCO i have decided to take my rescued and rebuilt city bike that i use daily. My mtb is too heavy and has large travel forks, my racing bike has no pannier lugs and my new single speed is exactly that, a single speed!
I found and rebuilt it in early 2009 with a full strip down apart from the bottom bracket and headset. I have just given it its first clean since then and there appears to be nothing wrong with it.
Here she is.
I think i should change the gear cables as they arn't as smooth as they used to be. The brakes were brand new last year and the pads have plenty of meat left. The rear tyre is in need of being replaced so that is on my list.
I remember that the chain and cassette are now a married pair, so i was just going to take a old used chain as im pretty sure that a new one will require a new cassette and maybe chain rings as well. I can use the old chain to patch and replace damaged links if i get them.
I was also planning on fitting my spd pedals to it.
Is there anything else i have missed?
SPARES
My brief list so far is
2 x tubes
1 x old fold-able racing tyre as an emergency replacement + tube
allen keys
chain splitter
pump
socket with 14mm for crank.
side cutters
pliers
multi screw driver
spoke key + a couple of spokes
Anything else?
LUGGAGE
I have two lidl panniers that i bought for such an occasion as this.
2 x padded shorts
1 x leggings (im guessing its cold up high)
2 x cycling tops
5 x socks
1 x waterproof coat
hoodie for evenings
2 x t shirts
1 x casual shorts
waterproof cagol
Tent
sleeping bag
roll mate
camping stove
So, is this plan complete idiocracy or am i on the right track?
Lord Pikey said:
I have checked at least 1 tunnel and they run a shuttle service for bikes which is good.
Why take the tunnel? Is there no col as an alternative? Much better views from a col than the inside of a tunnel.Lord Pikey said:
I am still searching for info on the carriage of bikes on trains between Venice and Munich.
I'm not sure of the rules in Germany & Italy but in France the bike needs to be bagged up and within certain dimensions to go on the TGV but local trains like the TER have bike spaces and you can just turn up and chuck your bike on. You definitely need to find out what the rules are unless you fancy riding both ways!Lord Pikey said:
Its 300km that i have 6 days to do it in, i think its a fairly easy goal but i am willing to take advice from people who have done this sort of thing before.
300km should only really take a day and a half if you apply yourself but seeing as you're carring camping kit and have flat bars maybe you could drag it out to 2 days. 
But seriously, 50km per day could be done in just 3 hours of cycling each day so I would say it's a pretty easy goal, yes. I've just come back from a coast to coast trip across the Pyrenees where we had to ride 720km in 4.5 days including the Tourmalet, Aubisque, Peyresourde, Portet d'Aspet etc. and it was pretty tough but we made it within the time limit and that's also carrying panniers on touring bikes as opposed to the easy option of fast road bikes and a support van.
Lord Pikey said:
BIKE
After lining up my barrage of bikes and marching up and down like a NCO i have decided to take my rescued and rebuilt city bike that i use daily. My mtb is too heavy and has large travel forks, my racing bike has no pannier lugs and my new single speed is exactly that, a single speed!
I'd agree with your choice of bike from that lot.After lining up my barrage of bikes and marching up and down like a NCO i have decided to take my rescued and rebuilt city bike that i use daily. My mtb is too heavy and has large travel forks, my racing bike has no pannier lugs and my new single speed is exactly that, a single speed!
Lord Pikey said:
I remember that the chain and cassette are now a married pair, so i was just going to take a old used chain as im pretty sure that a new one will require a new cassette and maybe chain rings as well. I can use the old chain to patch and replace damaged links if i get them.
A spare chain is quite heavy, especially if you carry it all that way and it doesn't get used. (When was the last time you broke a chain on a ride?) I'd ditch that idea and just buy a powerlink which weighs next to nothing and can be fitted without tools.Lord Pikey said:
I was also planning on fitting my spd pedals to it.
Is there anything else i have missed?
SPARES
My brief list so far is
2 x tubes
1 x old fold-able racing tyre as an emergency replacement + tube
allen keys
chain splitter
pump
socket with 14mm for crank.
side cutters
pliers
multi screw driver
spoke key + a couple of spokes
Anything else?
LUGGAGE
I have two lidl panniers that i bought for such an occasion as this.
2 x padded shorts
1 x leggings (im guessing its cold up high)
2 x cycling tops
5 x socks
1 x waterproof coat
hoodie for evenings
2 x t shirts
1 x casual shorts
waterproof cagol
Tent
sleeping bag
roll mate
camping stove
So, is this plan complete idiocracy or am i on the right track?
Your collection of tools looks pretty bulky and heavy. If you don't already have one, it's worth investing in a multitool like a Topeak Alien III to cut down on the amount you need to carry and then all you'll need is a pair of pliers with built-in side cutters. I'd also add tyre levers and a puncture repair kit to that list.Is there anything else i have missed?
SPARES
My brief list so far is
2 x tubes
1 x old fold-able racing tyre as an emergency replacement + tube
allen keys
chain splitter
pump
socket with 14mm for crank.
side cutters
pliers
multi screw driver
spoke key + a couple of spokes
Anything else?
LUGGAGE
I have two lidl panniers that i bought for such an occasion as this.
2 x padded shorts
1 x leggings (im guessing its cold up high)
2 x cycling tops
5 x socks
1 x waterproof coat
hoodie for evenings
2 x t shirts
1 x casual shorts
waterproof cagol
Tent
sleeping bag
roll mate
camping stove
So, is this plan complete idiocracy or am i on the right track?
Are the panniers waterproof? I don't mean can you submerge them but do they keep the rain out? If not, a reasonably heavy duty carrier bag inside each one should help.
If the sleeping bag is going on top of the rack instead of in one of the panniers, make sure it's well protected against the weather.
I'd ditch the leggings from that lot as you probably won't need them in August but some form of windproof jacket or gilet might be useful for the descents. What cols are you doing out of interest?
You've put waterproof coat & cagoul. Only take the lightest one and you probably won't want to wear it for the climbs or you'll end up just as wet as without it, only twice as hot. You'll probably need gloves and you might want to add winter gloves to you list incase you have to do any descents in the rain and want to be able to use the brakes!
Other things I can think of off the top of my head are:
Lock
Sun cream
Off bike shoes e.g. flip flops
Swimming trunks (in case you're lucky enough to get a campsite with a pool)
Microfibre camping towel
Mobile phone & charger
Camera
Passport
Bog roll (not all campsites have it)
Antibacterial hand gel
Cooking utensils
Food
Sounds like a pretty good plan to me so good luck with it!
As already mentioned a travel towel is very useful.
As is a decent multitool.
Spare tyre probably not so much.
I'm assuming you have things like helmet gloves lights etc. Take flipflops as walk around shoes as they are plenty light.
I also recommend some kind of Buff. They keep you cooler in the hot and warmer in the cold.
I didn't take waterproof panniers when I did JOGLE because a carrier bag inside wll normally do.
Have fun, I'm pretty jealous!
As is a decent multitool.
Spare tyre probably not so much.
I'm assuming you have things like helmet gloves lights etc. Take flipflops as walk around shoes as they are plenty light.
I also recommend some kind of Buff. They keep you cooler in the hot and warmer in the cold.
I didn't take waterproof panniers when I did JOGLE because a carrier bag inside wll normally do.
Have fun, I'm pretty jealous!
Im getting there with T-3 days to go.
Tomorrow i still need to buy a front pannier rack (really hard to find for some reason around here) a couple of bottle cages and another pair of shorts.
Tonight i fitted spds, rear panniers, front bag, speedo and also replaced the gear cables
Ill come back with final kit list in a bit..
Tomorrow i still need to buy a front pannier rack (really hard to find for some reason around here) a couple of bottle cages and another pair of shorts.
Tonight i fitted spds, rear panniers, front bag, speedo and also replaced the gear cables
Ill come back with final kit list in a bit..
Have I missed a write-up of the trip?
Your preparations have spurred my brother and I into attempting a 130 miler in June next year, over 3 days. Given that I've only returned to cycling this year after a 2 decade and 4 stone layoff, I need until then to convince myself I'll be able to do it.
There's a lot of hills... we're going to Wales.
Anyway, interested in your trip. Was it a success?
Your preparations have spurred my brother and I into attempting a 130 miler in June next year, over 3 days. Given that I've only returned to cycling this year after a 2 decade and 4 stone layoff, I need until then to convince myself I'll be able to do it.
There's a lot of hills... we're going to Wales.
Anyway, interested in your trip. Was it a success?
Finally, an update!
First off, apologies for the time its taken me to write this, its mainly waiting for me and my partner in this escapade to swap photos so I have the complete set. His were worth the wait as I was using my 50d and he was using a small compact so he has a lot more action shots.
Right, crap, its now November and I need to cast my mind back to mid August. First of all my bike tipped the scales at a whopping 40kg fully loaded,
Day 1 Map
We set off on the Sunday morning after a leisurely brunch with friends for our send off in style.
We intended to make our first day a bit easier than the rest so we jumped on a S-Bahn to get a few km out of the city and the heavy traffic. Our first night was planned to be at Lake Chimesee at the base of the Bavarian Alps. it was a nice easy ride in fair weather through the rollling countryside.
^Above we stopped for a light snack roughly half way. now remembering my bike weighed half what I do I was very carefull with the stand but not carfeull enough it seemed. So less than 40km into the 500km trip we had our first failure. Pic shows me removing the remains of the stand facing the alpes in the distance.
Day 1 finished at Chimesee as we arrived to a stunning rainbow. 70ish km down on day 1 and no major problems bar a wimpy stand.
most evenings we to be spent like this, beer, map and gps…planning the next day
Day 2 we were aiming to hit another lake at Zell-am-See in Austria 100 km away and a 500m climb according to our gps.
Tuning the FM radio for some road tunes..
Still flat so far, but that cannot last long
The boarder for Austria… First milestone achieved!
Can you see the awesome rollercoaster in the background?
A common sight, me and my 40kg bike lagging behind
Small snack stop under a overpass to shelter from the rain
Setting up camp, slighty short of the target (5k) in a place called Maishofen. It had been a slow drawn-out climb up to here and raining most of the time. Cold and wet we called it a night at the first campsite we saw.
Bodys broken but not our spirits.
Day 3 Map
On day 3 we were aiming to concur the Grossglockner and camp somewhere on the other side, probably Lienz. That would have been a 100km but with a 1500m climb. Hard but not impossible we thought. Oh howwe I was wrong….
After cycling through Zell-am-see and stopping to load up with some food for the climb we arrrived at the start on Grossglocknerstrasse. notice how i am still smiling. We were heading over that peak in the distance
Nick stopped to take a photo just as i was looking at my cassette as i was experiancing shifting problems. i didnt stop.. well i did when i hit the back of his wagon. Still spudded in and not expecting to unclip i was uncerimoniusly dumped into the verg and with 40kg bike on me unable to unclip. Which meant my ever-so-symperthetic buddie decided to photo for prosperity...
This sign should have had a warning ...
Again, another pic from Nicks camera of me bringing up the rear.. it was to get a lot worse.
I realised that my unclipping issues may have something to do with a loose cleat. This is the first of many stops to tighten my cleats to 'white knuckle factor 12' using a multitool
Car park and toll booth
The cyclists start. I am guessing normally reserved for some uber fit, lycra clad nutter riding a 5k carbon beast. Not a fat lad on a bike he found in a underground station with a dead prosi in a bin liner.
Again, i am behind but i have an excuse. The eagle eyed amoungst you will notice that Nick is riding a mountain bike, where as i am on a city(trekking) bike. I am certian that i was missing at least 2 valuble ratios that made the difference between him merrily spinning away up the hill and me pushing around what felt like ceased and rusty wheel. Thats my excuse and i am sticking to it. i simply could not spin the pedals so every revolution was hard work.
I think i was pitied so i was alloud to pass and go in front while the gradient was favorable to someone sporting a inappropriate cassette. And to think i almost considered taking my single speed on this trip.
Another well earned break climbing into oblivian.
Weather closed in on us, by this time we had been climbing for 4 hours. Thas 4 hours since the toll booth. To keep ourselves busy we constantly calculated our rate of assent... in both metric and imperial. It was a apalling 300m / hour
The summit! 2571m and approximatly 6 hours after rolling through the toll booth. I look far more alive than i actually was. What this picture doesnt show is the last excruciatinly painfull 300m. 300m below us is a car park with gift shows and associated crap. Its the point where in a car you would start to decend back down the other side.
However, the temp had dropped to 1c, it was raining and i was very cold from sweat and the rain. When i finally reached this area (having told nick to speed of in order to keep warm rather than continue at my impared (CASSETTE) pace, i was met by a french family who asked who i was. When they had established my identity they pointed at a building, just visable though the clouds and said " your friend is ok and is waiting for you at the top, its should take you no more than 30 minutes". At this point i would of happily sat down and died...
But i continued the plod. up the winding road you can see at the end of the map. Steep gradient on wet cobbles with freezing rain. I was so cold that after 10 mins i actually stopped to put on two extra layers.
So, as i am sure you have guessed, it was now early evening and getting dark with crap weather so we decided that maybe attemptign the decent was a bad idea. We bagged a room for the night and ate....and ate...and ate... mmmm, calories...i mean fuel.
Day 4 Map
Slept like a drugged baby that night.. We had comendeered the hotels drying room and laid our tent and gear out to dry over night. When we tooked out of the room this is the sight that we could see from our room..
A fraction of the previous days achievements.
Our hotel and saviour that night..
,
Early morning photo and ready for the off.
This was the cobbled road leading to the hotel from the car park in the distance that had nearly finsihed me off the previous night.
But now gravity was back on my side
A slight short cut to remove a pointless climb on a risky bit of road..
At the second slightly lower summit. One more tunnel and its down hill...
Last tunnel in the background.
Snow is august.
Stupid thing to do wearing spds..
And now the decent.. 2500m down to 800m with only v-brakes and a combined load of 130kg
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
If I look worried its because the brakes were shot and I was trying to balance my weight a tad more over the still working front brake.
Nick seemed rather pleased with his achievement..
I was slower. 64,7 max, but I was happy enough considering the bike handled like a bus
Down at 800m it was a gentle day until we hit another two 500m climbs in smaller valleys. Couldn't complain to much as the first 25km of the day was a free ride apart from the death grip on the bars
Just a pic of the steed. I worked out after day 1 that seeing a big black bag filled with prostitute body parts was bad for my hill climbing moral. So from then on the bike was packed all on the rear pannier. What you cant see, you cant be carrying...right?
I look dead because I didn't realise a pic was being taken so I couldn't put on my camera face.
Is this the perfect corner? If so why didn't I bring my damn car!
Another cassette inspired break. That road was steeper than it looks!
Day 4 ended at a campsite nestled in the last valley before Italy and our second milestone/boarder. Total of 86km for the day. That night I finally lost it with the metal front mud guard on my bike that had been gradually rubbing, vibrating and making irritating noises for the last few days. it was removed and ceremoniously beaten. At least the bike will be a few grams lighter now.
Day 5 Map
Day 5 started with a 600m climb straight after breakfast on the pass to Italy. The weather was much improved but you could tell by the roads that we were approaching Italy..
While trying to get some shots off from the 50d while riding I dropped my lens cap. Which meant, unclip, dismount dump bike. Nick is barely in the distance and we were aiming to clear that mountain and pass into Italy before lunch...
Another break. Roasting sunshine on the climb and then you enter one of 4 long tunnels that are still icy cold.
The boarder ahead. But, you cant pass a sign like that and not get a photo can you?
We made it. 1300m up between two peaks we pass into Italy. Now we begin the decent. 1300m down to 300m. IPod went in for the first time before we left the top for some rocking tunes to pedal too and hopefully beat my previous top speed.
Feeder - Just a Day now playing
Another perfect corner?
weeeeeeeeeeeee take 2
Local mental hospital
Gentle ride now following the river all the way to the med..Its still a day away but at least there will be no more hills
Ever the opportunists, that river happened to contain a trout farm with an attached restaurant. Perfect for lunch. Fresh fish, vino and baking sunshine..
back on the road..
Dammit.. puncture. and stupidly parked the bike in an ants nest at the same time. Angry little buggers.
It actually turned out not to be a puncture, but actually a failed inner tube. it had torn down a seam
We are still not sure what this was. but its was a stagnant lake but full of strange and exotic colours.
Can anyone read Italian. This was next to the lake and probably explained it.
Busted! Opportunist grape tester!
Day 5 ended in a very sleep Italian village that I have now forgotten the name of. We actually had to pedal until long into the evening trying to find a campsite. In the end we gave up and checked into a hotel that had not seen an interior revamp since the 60's.
Day 6 Map
Day 6. An easy 65km to the coast. If your wondering why we are aiming for the med rather than Venice at this point I shall explain. 1, my original plan was just to hit the med and 2, Nicks has family who just happen to be renting a villa on the beach at Biblione that week so its a perfect place to stop and then aim for Venice in the final day.
First pic of the day is lunch.... mainly liquid given the nice weather
And then...... no more pics until.. THE MED!
Sadly not a lot of pics from day 6. Swimming in the med was very rewarding and helped ease the sore muscles. The evening was spent like the others, consuming a lot of fuel and relaxing. Slept in the basement of the villa. We had to the Med. Now for the additional days challenge of Venice tomorrow.
Day 7 Map
Early start but first a huge Italian family breakfast.. probably not the best idea with an estimated 85km in 35c..
Proof, otherwise you could accuse us of merely pointing at a far away place in the next photo.
Nick pointing at Venice in the background. If we both hadn't been to Venice a few times we would of jumped on the boat and gone to St Marks square but this is as far as we could pedal..
I still have the tan marks...in December!
The final day ended up being 107km, our longest yet due to a ill planned campsite at the wrong end of the peninsula. the total distance was 547km from Munich to Venice.
The bike that I found in a Ubahn station last year and restored had made it over the alps carrying me and my luggage. Who says you have to blow a lot on a shiny new bike for such trips? Just one last note, during Oktoberfest 2 months later the rear mech tore itself from the hanger just riding up a hill. so maybe I was very very lucky to make the distance. I have not given up on the bike yet, I am having a new hanger fabricated as I type.
Now it was time to hit the pool, the bar and finally the airbed for a well earned rest.
Again, sorry for the delay in updating, I also never expected this post would take over 5 hours to prepare.
Any questions just ask
First off, apologies for the time its taken me to write this, its mainly waiting for me and my partner in this escapade to swap photos so I have the complete set. His were worth the wait as I was using my 50d and he was using a small compact so he has a lot more action shots.
Right, crap, its now November and I need to cast my mind back to mid August. First of all my bike tipped the scales at a whopping 40kg fully loaded,
Day 1
Day 1 Map
We set off on the Sunday morning after a leisurely brunch with friends for our send off in style.
We intended to make our first day a bit easier than the rest so we jumped on a S-Bahn to get a few km out of the city and the heavy traffic. Our first night was planned to be at Lake Chimesee at the base of the Bavarian Alps. it was a nice easy ride in fair weather through the rollling countryside.
^Above we stopped for a light snack roughly half way. now remembering my bike weighed half what I do I was very carefull with the stand but not carfeull enough it seemed. So less than 40km into the 500km trip we had our first failure. Pic shows me removing the remains of the stand facing the alpes in the distance.
Day 1 finished at Chimesee as we arrived to a stunning rainbow. 70ish km down on day 1 and no major problems bar a wimpy stand.
most evenings we to be spent like this, beer, map and gps…planning the next day
Day 2
Day 2 MapDay 2 we were aiming to hit another lake at Zell-am-See in Austria 100 km away and a 500m climb according to our gps.
Tuning the FM radio for some road tunes..
Still flat so far, but that cannot last long
The boarder for Austria… First milestone achieved!
Can you see the awesome rollercoaster in the background?
A common sight, me and my 40kg bike lagging behind
Small snack stop under a overpass to shelter from the rain
Setting up camp, slighty short of the target (5k) in a place called Maishofen. It had been a slow drawn-out climb up to here and raining most of the time. Cold and wet we called it a night at the first campsite we saw.
Bodys broken but not our spirits.
Day 3
Day 3 Map
On day 3 we were aiming to concur the Grossglockner and camp somewhere on the other side, probably Lienz. That would have been a 100km but with a 1500m climb. Hard but not impossible we thought. Oh how
After cycling through Zell-am-see and stopping to load up with some food for the climb we arrrived at the start on Grossglocknerstrasse. notice how i am still smiling. We were heading over that peak in the distance
Nick stopped to take a photo just as i was looking at my cassette as i was experiancing shifting problems. i didnt stop.. well i did when i hit the back of his wagon. Still spudded in and not expecting to unclip i was uncerimoniusly dumped into the verg and with 40kg bike on me unable to unclip. Which meant my ever-so-symperthetic buddie decided to photo for prosperity...
This sign should have had a warning ...
Again, another pic from Nicks camera of me bringing up the rear.. it was to get a lot worse.
I realised that my unclipping issues may have something to do with a loose cleat. This is the first of many stops to tighten my cleats to 'white knuckle factor 12' using a multitool
Car park and toll booth
The cyclists start. I am guessing normally reserved for some uber fit, lycra clad nutter riding a 5k carbon beast. Not a fat lad on a bike he found in a underground station with a dead prosi in a bin liner.
Again, i am behind but i have an excuse. The eagle eyed amoungst you will notice that Nick is riding a mountain bike, where as i am on a city(trekking) bike. I am certian that i was missing at least 2 valuble ratios that made the difference between him merrily spinning away up the hill and me pushing around what felt like ceased and rusty wheel. Thats my excuse and i am sticking to it. i simply could not spin the pedals so every revolution was hard work.
I think i was pitied so i was alloud to pass and go in front while the gradient was favorable to someone sporting a inappropriate cassette. And to think i almost considered taking my single speed on this trip.
Another well earned break climbing into oblivian.
Weather closed in on us, by this time we had been climbing for 4 hours. Thas 4 hours since the toll booth. To keep ourselves busy we constantly calculated our rate of assent... in both metric and imperial. It was a apalling 300m / hour
The summit! 2571m and approximatly 6 hours after rolling through the toll booth. I look far more alive than i actually was. What this picture doesnt show is the last excruciatinly painfull 300m. 300m below us is a car park with gift shows and associated crap. Its the point where in a car you would start to decend back down the other side.
However, the temp had dropped to 1c, it was raining and i was very cold from sweat and the rain. When i finally reached this area (having told nick to speed of in order to keep warm rather than continue at my impared (CASSETTE) pace, i was met by a french family who asked who i was. When they had established my identity they pointed at a building, just visable though the clouds and said " your friend is ok and is waiting for you at the top, its should take you no more than 30 minutes". At this point i would of happily sat down and died...
But i continued the plod. up the winding road you can see at the end of the map. Steep gradient on wet cobbles with freezing rain. I was so cold that after 10 mins i actually stopped to put on two extra layers.
So, as i am sure you have guessed, it was now early evening and getting dark with crap weather so we decided that maybe attemptign the decent was a bad idea. We bagged a room for the night and ate....and ate...and ate... mmmm, calories...i mean fuel.
Day 4
Day 4 Map
Slept like a drugged baby that night.. We had comendeered the hotels drying room and laid our tent and gear out to dry over night. When we tooked out of the room this is the sight that we could see from our room..
A fraction of the previous days achievements.
Our hotel and saviour that night..
,Early morning photo and ready for the off.
This was the cobbled road leading to the hotel from the car park in the distance that had nearly finsihed me off the previous night.
But now gravity was back on my side
A slight short cut to remove a pointless climb on a risky bit of road..
At the second slightly lower summit. One more tunnel and its down hill...
Last tunnel in the background.
Snow is august.
Stupid thing to do wearing spds..
And now the decent.. 2500m down to 800m with only v-brakes and a combined load of 130kg
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
If I look worried its because the brakes were shot and I was trying to balance my weight a tad more over the still working front brake.
Nick seemed rather pleased with his achievement..
I was slower. 64,7 max, but I was happy enough considering the bike handled like a bus
Down at 800m it was a gentle day until we hit another two 500m climbs in smaller valleys. Couldn't complain to much as the first 25km of the day was a free ride apart from the death grip on the bars
Just a pic of the steed. I worked out after day 1 that seeing a big black bag filled with prostitute body parts was bad for my hill climbing moral. So from then on the bike was packed all on the rear pannier. What you cant see, you cant be carrying...right?
I look dead because I didn't realise a pic was being taken so I couldn't put on my camera face.
Is this the perfect corner? If so why didn't I bring my damn car!
Another cassette inspired break. That road was steeper than it looks!
Day 4 ended at a campsite nestled in the last valley before Italy and our second milestone/boarder. Total of 86km for the day. That night I finally lost it with the metal front mud guard on my bike that had been gradually rubbing, vibrating and making irritating noises for the last few days. it was removed and ceremoniously beaten. At least the bike will be a few grams lighter now.
Day 5
Day 5 Map
Day 5 started with a 600m climb straight after breakfast on the pass to Italy. The weather was much improved but you could tell by the roads that we were approaching Italy..
While trying to get some shots off from the 50d while riding I dropped my lens cap. Which meant, unclip, dismount dump bike. Nick is barely in the distance and we were aiming to clear that mountain and pass into Italy before lunch...
Another break. Roasting sunshine on the climb and then you enter one of 4 long tunnels that are still icy cold.
The boarder ahead. But, you cant pass a sign like that and not get a photo can you?
We made it. 1300m up between two peaks we pass into Italy. Now we begin the decent. 1300m down to 300m. IPod went in for the first time before we left the top for some rocking tunes to pedal too and hopefully beat my previous top speed.
Feeder - Just a Day now playing
Another perfect corner?
weeeeeeeeeeeee take 2
Local mental hospital
Gentle ride now following the river all the way to the med..Its still a day away but at least there will be no more hills
Ever the opportunists, that river happened to contain a trout farm with an attached restaurant. Perfect for lunch. Fresh fish, vino and baking sunshine..
back on the road..
Dammit.. puncture. and stupidly parked the bike in an ants nest at the same time. Angry little buggers.
It actually turned out not to be a puncture, but actually a failed inner tube. it had torn down a seam
We are still not sure what this was. but its was a stagnant lake but full of strange and exotic colours.
Can anyone read Italian. This was next to the lake and probably explained it.
Busted! Opportunist grape tester!
Day 5 ended in a very sleep Italian village that I have now forgotten the name of. We actually had to pedal until long into the evening trying to find a campsite. In the end we gave up and checked into a hotel that had not seen an interior revamp since the 60's.
Day 6
Day 6 Map
Day 6. An easy 65km to the coast. If your wondering why we are aiming for the med rather than Venice at this point I shall explain. 1, my original plan was just to hit the med and 2, Nicks has family who just happen to be renting a villa on the beach at Biblione that week so its a perfect place to stop and then aim for Venice in the final day.
First pic of the day is lunch.... mainly liquid given the nice weather
And then...... no more pics until.. THE MED!
Sadly not a lot of pics from day 6. Swimming in the med was very rewarding and helped ease the sore muscles. The evening was spent like the others, consuming a lot of fuel and relaxing. Slept in the basement of the villa. We had to the Med. Now for the additional days challenge of Venice tomorrow.
Day 7
Day 7 Map
Early start but first a huge Italian family breakfast.. probably not the best idea with an estimated 85km in 35c..
Proof, otherwise you could accuse us of merely pointing at a far away place in the next photo.
Nick pointing at Venice in the background. If we both hadn't been to Venice a few times we would of jumped on the boat and gone to St Marks square but this is as far as we could pedal..
I still have the tan marks...in December!
The final day ended up being 107km, our longest yet due to a ill planned campsite at the wrong end of the peninsula. the total distance was 547km from Munich to Venice.
The bike that I found in a Ubahn station last year and restored had made it over the alps carrying me and my luggage. Who says you have to blow a lot on a shiny new bike for such trips? Just one last note, during Oktoberfest 2 months later the rear mech tore itself from the hanger just riding up a hill. so maybe I was very very lucky to make the distance. I have not given up on the bike yet, I am having a new hanger fabricated as I type.
Now it was time to hit the pool, the bar and finally the airbed for a well earned rest.
Again, sorry for the delay in updating, I also never expected this post would take over 5 hours to prepare.
Any questions just ask
Edited by Lord Pikey on Wednesday 1st December 11:27
neilski said:
Excellent stuff! 
I can't wait to go touring again.
How was all the gear you took? Was there anything you took that you didn't use or didn't take but wished you had?
All the gear was fine. I can't wait to go touring again.How was all the gear you took? Was there anything you took that you didn't use or didn't take but wished you had?
Next time i wouldnt take so many chocolate bars and then carry them. i also woudlnt bother with the wind up camping lanten as it was bulky and took up space. Even though i wanted some great shots, id take a compact camera rather than my 50d.
The main reason my load looks so big is because i didnt have "lightweight" camping gear. All mine was normal so it didnt compress down to small sizes like Nicks did. So my main investment next time would be a lightweight/small camping mat and sleeping bag
I think my main regret was not testing the bike on climbs, then i would of spotted the gear ratio problem and replaced the cassette
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