Life is not a Practice

My favourite tour in Allgäu with my favourite friends - the Thursday Bikers.
Fantastic weather and stunning views.



Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=fjlryibaqtvnfcyd

More pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

Sepp's report is at http://home.allgaeu.org/a3453/2009%20Bike%20Season%20ger.htm and has the title "Tour 04 07.05.2009".

Jon's photos are at http://picasaweb.google.de/jon.nesselwang/Bike2009#

While staying in England, borrowed a bike for a bit of "cycling around". Up and down the sea front in Felpham and Bognor.

Potlako and I joined the Thursday bikers but after a short way decided to go off and do our own thing.

Via the Attlesee, Kögelweiher and Wertach.



Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=mixvwhkcfsdnkazf

Pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/Potlako#

Thursday evening was cold and wet but we didn't let that stop us from cycling. Actually the rain stopped on the dot of seven so we could enjoy two very cold (3-4°C) but dry hours out on our bikes.



Max was with us again. I definitely need more training if I am going to keep up with him.



Fantastic sunset across the Rottachspeicher.

Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ranonltizobllddo

Jon's photos are at http://picasaweb.google.de/jon.nesselwang/Bike2009# including the "snowy bike" picture above which was taken when we left the pub to cycle home.

Sepp's report is at http://home.allgaeu.org/a3453/2009%20Bike%20Season%20ger.htm and has the title "Tour 04 23.04.2009".

Tueday Bikers and Max. None of us really wanted to do anything too strenuous so we rode round the Grüntensee but then we decided to ride up the Ellegg and back down to Haslach.



Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=vxjxdbjrptnhpcfn

More pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

This was a two day trip to Walkertshofen in the Westliche Wälder near Augsburg. The real cracks rode to Kaufbeuren to warm up but Max and I and a few others rode to Seeg station and then caught the train.



From Kaufbeuren we all rode along the Wertach River to Turkheim and then turned in to the Westliche Wälder and followed little used tracks to Walkertshofen and Hotel Burgberg.

On the second day we rode across the woods to the Wertach Valley and then on to the Lech Valley and Klosterlechfeld. From there we headed back to Kaufbeuren and the train back to Seeg.

Two heros cycled all the way back to Nesselwang!

The track to the station at Seeg and back is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=nmvnqszplkozvebb (27.5kms)
The track from Kaufbeuren to Walkertshofen and back is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=umkkzfwtfcrqmwhv (122.5 kms)
Total distance I rode is therefore 150kms dead.

More photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/Walkertshofen2009#

Jon's pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.de/jon.nesselwang/AprilTour2009#

The whole trip has been documented by Sepp in a superbly funny report at http://home.allgaeu.org/a3453/2009%20Bike%20Season%20ger.htm It is titled "April Weekend Tour 2009 18/19 April. "

And here is an email from the restaurant we visited for a coffee on Sunday

Hallo Biker!
beim Internet-Stöbern, bin ich auf eure Homepage gestoßen.
Vielen herzlichen Dank, dass ihr mich erwähnt in eurem netten Bericht und dass es euch bei mir gut gefallen hat freut mich sehr!
Da ich wenig Zeit hatte wegen der Kommunion, müsst ihr entschuldigen...aber jetzt kommts wenn ihr das nächste Mal kommt, werde ich mich revanchieren...es wäre dabei von Vorteil, wenn ihr euch vorher anmeldet unter: 08232-995691 oder 0172-8232947
www.gasthofzumloewen.de ihr könnt auch eine E-Mail schreiben an zum-loewen1@t-online.de
Mit freundlichen Grüssen
euer Löwen-Wirt Werner

With the Bike Group. Despite the promise of rain and a storm from the west, we were out cycling. Lots of woods to hide from the wind. Not much distance but lots of technical cycling.



Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=irewaktkaqggyrkb

Some more photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

Jons photos are at http://picasaweb.google.de/jon.nesselwang/Bike2009#

Sepp has (as always) written a superb report which you can read at http://home.allgaeu.org/a3453/2009%20Bike%20Season%20ger.htm
It starts "Zu unserer "Orkan-Tour" fanden .... Gruppe 2 waren die "eisernen ladies" Gabi und Karin ..."

With Max and the Tuesday Bikers we did much the same route that Heidi and I did last week - to Vils and back. Added a few improvements which really kept the amount of road to an absolute minimum.



Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=opcuuakokhpzgoke

Some more photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

Out with Max. On the climb to Maria rain he broke his chain. Luckily Jons Adventures opened extra to mend it (Thanks Jon). After that we cycled to Bayerstetten and then round the Grüntensee.



Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=oeappdlhkpwutzfr

With Alison, Daniel and Maximilian to Kögelweiher and Attlesee then down in to the Wertach Valley. Finished with an ice cream in Nesselwang.



Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=vxetpakwisooxdnp

Thursday evening with the bike club. A classic flat tour for the start of the season. A ride past seven small lakes.



Track at: http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=qdhdxntbxptxviwt

Some photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

Jon's photos are at http://picasaweb.google.de/jon.nesselwang/Bike2009#

The report written by Sepp is at http://home.allgaeu.org/a3453/2009%20Bike%20Season%20ger.htm and starts with "Zu unserer "Vollmond-Bike-Tour" ... Nach kurzer Diskussion fiel die Entscheidung ..."

First "Tuesday Ride". Just Heidi and I. Jon is starting after Easter. He must be fit enough already. A gentle flat ride to Vils and back. Showed Heidi some new bits of Pfronten that she didn't know :-)



Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=wvnmuukljkqauvhu

Some photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

A short spring tour after work. The route still had a lot of snow so I had to follow the "route of least resistance" where there was the least snow. I still ended up pushing or carrying my bike a few times.



Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=oyqlnjsjsnsuecpe

A few pictures at http://picasaweb.google.de/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

Sunday afternoon ride to the Alatsee and back. First time in shorts and short arm tricot this year. Some snow/ice on the south side of the Alatsee but otherwise a lovely spring day. I think this is the first time that I have ridden to the Alatsee from the Weissensee side. It seems a lot further than from the Vils side.



The track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=yebbhhtpqwrwvbib
and some pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

Rode to Kempten to collect the car from the garage. Cheaper than the train. Took a few attempts to find the bridge over the Iller.



The track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=izytarbyxwstqmvv
and some pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

First ride with the "Bike Club" this year. A nice flat ride to start the season. Mostly road because of all the snow but a few wet and muddy tracks.



The track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ijyfoanqeavrundo
and some pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

The text that Sepp wrote about the tour is at http://home.allgaeu.org/a3453/2009%20Bike%20Season%20ger.htm starting with "An alle Stubenhocker, Kanapeelieger und sonstigen Bewegungsmuffel: DER FRÜHLING IST DA!!!! Also bewegt Eure Hintern und kommt zum Radeln!!! ... Diese 14 wilden Radler ... "
The only thing he got wrong was that it was Martin and I that took the wrong turn after Jon shouted "LEFT".

Jon's photos are at http://picasaweb.google.de/jon.nesselwang/Bike2009#

Temperature +7 but an hour after work. Also stopped off at the joiners to discuss parts for a new cupboard. The track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=acoggfpppqgzfhez
and some pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

2nd ride this year. Same as yesterday but clockwise. Bottom was hurting all the way. Spring is definitely on its way and the snow is melting fast.



The track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=cdtvjmzrojleevaz
and some pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

First ride this year. All on road.



The track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=llolybduzwpkrhwv
and some pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2009Cycling#

I needed somewhere to save snippets of information while out having fun. Ideally it should be possible to do so from my IPAQ PDA, Internet cafes and my new E65 phone. Access from my laptop and my Kubuntu PC are also needed.

I have been using Evernotes for some time and while it is ideal for saving my notes, I can not use it to save the pictures from my camera as it does not yet offer a Symbian interface.

With this blog I can save text and pictures directly from the web browser on the various devices. This means that I can, for example, take a photo with my mobile while out on a bike tour and a few minutes later have it on line.

We'll see how it works the next few weeks.

[150525] The next few weeks obviously worked good. It is now the middle of 2015 and I am still blogging here.