Cycling – Time Travel

Day 12, 24.07.2019, Waren cycling 65 km

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From inside the camping ground during a morning stroll.

The town of Waren at Müritz

Cycling around the Müritz took all day and delivered about 65 km.

Day 8, 20.07.2019, Heringsdorf cycling

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11-2019 Cycling Sani Pass in SA

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Since I cycled up Sani Pass with three BMW colleagues in about 2005 but could not reach the top because of inaccurate time planning, I wanted to come back and finish the job. We did not know that the SA border post closes at 16:00 p.m. I was fetched by our back up vehicle. Although I was not as fit as my tow other friends who reached the top in time, I would have made it, had we started earlier in the morning. I believe in 2005 we started at the Premiere Resort Sani Pass, a fine hotel about 8 km from the SA border post. That makes then about 22 km to the top and about 1.400 m uphill.
This time I was not fit enough for this variant, so I decided to start at the border post only. 8 km and 900 m uphill.

19.11.2019, On the way to the hotel and pre-run late afternoon.
From the hotel to the South African border post there is basically one large construction site to upgrade to road with asphalt. Understandable, but ending a legend of a tough ride where 4 wheel drive vehicles were mandatory.
From the border post upwards it is still a little challenge.

20.11.2019, Driving with Volvo through construction site until border post.

Arriving at border post.

I had quite a few stops, partially because the bike became unstable and of course because I needed to catch some breath. One starts at about 1.900 m altitude to go to 2.873 m. Not only breath, but relax the muscles as well 🙂

While getting closer to the top the mild berg wind rose to almost gail force strength. That made it impossible for me to get onto the bike in the last steep sections without being blown off again. I tried numerous times but had to concede. The last 500m altitude I had to push the bike.

Just one beer in the highest pub of Africa and some nice conversation with locals. Soon I went back down. I was concentrating as much as possible but could not avoid a bad fall. Front wheel got stuck between two stones and I fell head over heals onto the hard road. Luckily not onto the rough rocky surface but just the hard clay. Needless to say it still was hurting a lot. But no injury. My guardian angels decided to let me fall, but protect me still 🙂

07-2018 Cycling Upper Austria

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In 2018 I was already in Sicily, in the USA, at the Plitvice Lakes and Croatia. Now I had to ride around Upper Austria again.
But after 2015 and 2017 with the Racing Bike and light luggage, I took the Touring Bike and a tent.

27.07.2018, Haag – Elisabethsee

28.07.2018, Elisabethsee – Grundlsee

29.07.2018, Grundlsee – Wolfgangsee

30.07.2018, Wolfgangsee – Leitgeringer See

31.07.2018, Leitgeringer See – Passau

01.08.2018, Passau – Haag

08-2017 Cycling Gosausee

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07-2016 Cycling to Burgenland

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In total I cycled about 550 km and 4.000 m altitude and the trip lasted 7 days.

04.07.2016 Cycling to Neusiedlersee in Burgenland

Somewhere on the way back between Neusiedler See, Semmering and Maria Zell the idea was born also to cycle to the French Pyrenees to Saint Jean Pied de Port, the starting point of the Camino Francais.

08-2016 Cycling to St. Jean Pied de Port

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2016 was a year of cycling. My total mileage was 5.600 km and 42.700 m uphill.
It started in March with the Cape Town ARGUS Cycling Race which I had accomplished about 8 times before.
Next came to substantiate a long standing dream end of 2015 to cycle to Rome. We trained hard for it and did it in June.
Cycling with a touring bike and a tent is most enjoyable and gives a great sense of freedom.
To cycle to the Lake of Neusiedlersee in the East of Austria was the proof of the pudding in July.
The cherry on the top the was one my greatest adventures so far.
To cycle from Haag in Austria to the French Pyrenees to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the starting point of the Camino Francais.
Cycling: 1.500 km / 6.500 m uphill in 11 days
Walking: 850 km to Santiago de Compostella and Finesterre in 33 days.

02.08.2016 Cycling to French Pyrenees (Saint Jean Pied de Port)

The sad part of this story is that I did not reach Saint Jean Pied de Port because my Pinarello was stolen in Carcassone. Part of it was fun as I slept at the Police Station in a cell, because the place was 100% booked. So I carried on by train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. I was left with my wallet and my iPhone. All my luggage and the Passport were gone. Much more to tell some other time…

From Carcassone I took the train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port via Toulouse, Lourdes and Bayonne. All went smooth although I did not speak a word of French.
After I finished the Camino Francais I took a rental car to travel to Santander and Madrid. From there it was by train again to Barcelona, where I met Ingrid. By train we reached Carcassone to fetch my Pinarello, which the Police had found soon. Train to Toulouse and air travel with Brussels Airways to Vienna including the bike. It is all about Logistics…

06-2016 Cycling to Rome

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After my retirement in Mai 2015 I could eventually get more often on one of my bicycles again. A long standing dream was to cycle to Rome on a racing bike with light luggage. Two good friends, Heinz and Bruno cought fire to accompany me and we started in June 2016.

The total distance was about 1.200 km and 5.500 m altitude.
We planned 8 days for the journey and managed it well.

Day 1,09.06.2016
The day offered a light drizzle in the morning. We decided to start with a little help from friends: Helga, Heinz’s wife, drove us a few kilometres to Spittal / Pyhrn. There the rain has subsided and we jumped onto the bikes.

Arrival in Radstadt

Day 2, 02.06.2016

Transfer from Bad Gastein to Mallnitz – Later Dinner in Sillian

Day 3, 03.06.2016

Break in Bozen, sleeping in Auer

Day 4, 04.06.2016

Break in Trento

Stage in Verona

Day 5, 05.06.2016

Break in Padua

Day 6, 06.06.2016

Stage in lovely Florence

Day 7, 07.06.2016

Stage in Lago di Bolsena

Day 8, 08.06.2016

The three musketeers, Franz, Bruno, Heinz

Tired Bikes 🙂

Day 9, 09.06.2016
For sight seeing

06-2019 Cycling Bodensee

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Day 1, 10.06.2019, Haag – Passau

Day 2, 11.06.2019, Passau – Landshut

Day 3, 12.06.2019, Landshut – Wörthsee

Day 4, 13.06.2019, Wörthsee – Öschlsee

Day 5, 14.06.2019, Öschlsee – Lindau

Day 6, 15.06.2019, Lindau – Meersburg

Day 7, 16.06.2019, Meersburg – Konstanz

Day 8, 17.06.2019, Konstanz – Bregenz

Day 9, 18.06.2019, Bregenz – Pettneu

Day 10, 19.06.2019, Pettneu – Innsbruck /by bike) – Haag (by train)

08-2015 Cycling Lakes Upper Austria

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2015 was my first year of semi-retirement and provided lots of opportunities for sports. As a teenager I only once had the chance to ride a small motor bike to one of the lakes and sleep in a tent. I always dreamed about to repeat this some time using a bicycle instead of the moped. And here we are. I reached the main 14 lakes and was very pleased with that…

8 days with lots of fun.

Day 1, 21.08.2015, Haag to Ebensee
110 km, 1.200 m uphill

All set and ready to go in Haag.

First brake in Kremsmünster

Opel Frontera at Coffee Shop in Kremsmünster

From the lake of Traunsee I wanted to cross a hill to the 2 lakes of Langbathsee. It became on of the toughest stages I had to accomplish, because I lost my way and it was too late to turn around.