Life is not a Practice

Sunny evening. Finished at work. No plans. So 1 hour on the race bike. Relaxing and fun!

23 km and 272 meters of climbing Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=hyzegdcsdhsinzqw

Just Jon and I this evening and Jon wanted to try mountain biking to see how he did after his accident last year. Obviously recovered - didn't fall off once :-)

22km und 476 meters of climbing. http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=tfneygmuyzgibbsk

The "2016 Racing Bike Adventure".

Heidi and I cycled from Nesselwang to Dubrovnik.
1200 kilometers with 17131 meters of climbing. Nearly two times Everest! Six international border crossings and numerous passes. Lunch in mountain alps and dinner on the harbour wall.



The complete route is shown at http://www.gpsies.com/viewStages.do?fileId=jngvnsvdgwvloizs&fileId=aquwepttwsnmxwhj&fileId=uoniecwqhavacqng&fileId=xygsfrjfocuvfuoh&fileId=jsenzmzjgmgmsuta&fileId=lahyrimykudsfpnz&fileId=xqyrooayatuiqofx&fileId=heexcgqrueavqrzr&fileId=oqkljabdiqzndpmt&fileId=ifmoxjajgquzjzsy



Day 1 - Nesselwang to Innsbruck (Austria)
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jngvnsvdgwvloizs
Left at lunchtime to get over the Fernpass and positioned for the Brenner tomorrow. The run down the Fernpass was fast and fun as we had no cars in front of or behind us.

Day 2 - Innsbruck to Reischach (Italy)
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=aquwepttwsnmxwhj
Across the Brenner Pass. We took three hours to the summit and cars were taking one and a half or more for the same stretch because of all the queues. On the Italian side we used cycle paths all the way.

Day 3 - Reischach to Villa Santina (Italy)
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=uoniecwqhavacqng
Two passes and lots of beautiful scenery. After the second pass it was all downhill to the pizzeria where we spent the night.

Day 4 - Villa Santina to Spondnja Idrija (Slovenia)
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xygsfrjfocuvfuoh
A nice easy ride to warm up next to the river and then the crossing of a "really" steep pass. Near the start we met a shocked swiss biker on his way down who said "you are not really going to cycle up there are you?"
Ended the day in an empty valley with only one hotel. But that one was enough.

Day 5 - Spondnja Idrija to Rijeka (Croatia)
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jsenzmzjgmgmsuta
The last day "in the mountains". A collection of small passes took us to the sea. It started raining at the Croatian border and we reached Rijeka soaked through.

Day 6 - Rijeka to Rab (Croatia)
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=lahyrimykudsfpnz
Hid from the morning rain in a bus shelter. Enjoyed the ride across the island of Krk and the ferry journey to the island of Rab. Hotel right on the harbour wall.

Day 7 - Rab to Skradin (Croatia)
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xqyrooayatuiqofx
Started the day with a water taxi trip to the island of Pag. First half of the day on the Island and second half in the war marked inland. Ruined, shot up houses still decaying 20 years later. Spent the night in the beautiful town of Skrada.

Day 8 - Skradin to Podstrana (Croatia)
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=heexcgqrueavqrzr
Cycled to the coast and then visited Split which was definitely not worth the effort. On along the coast until "rain stopped play" and we took refuge in the next hotel

Day 9 - Podstrana to Neum (Bosnia i Hercegovina)
Fantastic Adriatic coastline. Spent the night in Bosnia.
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=heexcgqrueavqrzr

Day 10 - Neum to Dubrovnik (Croatia)
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ifmoxjajgquzjzsy
An easy day to our destination. In the evening we enjoyed aperitif, main course and sweet in three different restaurants.

Day 11 - Dubrovnik to Airport (Croatia)
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=hgncxvxtmjiqavel
All day to do 20 kilometers so we added 8 kilometers with a kayak tour to the island of Supetar.


Some pictures at https://goo.gl/photos/gpMxUWAyBmVCWZFR8

Cold and wet on a Thursday night so, predictably, the cycle group was Wera, Heidi and I. We cycled up to the Obere Reuttewanne Alp via the quarry and then back down to Stuibental through the Pfeiferberg.

Luckily we were all well wrapped up.



20kms with 667 meters of climbingTrack is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=sghgudrglzjkgcim

More pictures at https://goo.gl/photos/jD4tuQEbUgCWmLDG9

Jon was still recovering from Egypt so Heidi and I cycled to the Falkenstein and back down through Benken.



28km and 592 meters of climbing. Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=whxakfsvggdtqbxb

It is awful weather but Caro convinced me that cycling in 10°C and rain & hail is fun so we cycled over the Ellegg and back via Haag. Going up hill was bearable but downhill it was ski gloves an 4 layers of clothes.

Still better than an afternoon sat at home.



33km and 730 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xfjxfwntvvgpyajb

More photos at https://goo.gl/photos/jD4tuQEbUgCWmLDG9

I had visitors but we still managed to sneak off for a few hours with the mountain bikes. Without a plan we cycled where ever fancy took us and up over the Eisenberg.



27km and 464 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=istijhcdxvrrhjtc

More photos at https://goo.gl/photos/jD4tuQEbUgCWmLDG9

Friday evening bike ride with Heidi. Through the "Königsstrasse" to Sonthofen and then back over the Jochpass. Heidi's first time out this week so she was feeling very fit. We averaged 9.5kmh UP the Jochpass.



59 km with 1021 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=glbprogjbfykldbs

Today is Father's Day in germany so Caro and Karin were abandoned by their husbands who had to party with their football friends. I took sympathy on them :-) and took them out biking :-)



We cycled to the Bärenmoos Alp which was officially closed but sold us a drink. Caro had some cake with her, others at the table had bread, cheese and schnapps and then we heard there was Bärlauch behind the hut and the meal was complete.



We eventually cycled on to the Hundelskopfhütte for hot chocolate with rum and cake before returning to Nesselwang. Biking is so strenuous.

37km with 1000 meters of climbing. We earned our food :-) Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=lzulskgmffaggclg

Photos are at https://goo.gl/photos/jD4tuQEbUgCWmLDG9

It was wet, muddy and cold so Heidi and I left our race bikes at home and took our mountain bikes out for a ride. We were covered in mud and, after an hour and a half, cold but we had more fun than staying at home.

I didn't have my GPS with me.

In four weeks we are off on a 1000 kilomteter tour so I needed a bit of training. Took the race bike out and cycled to scrounge a coffee off a colleague who lives 50 kilometers away. Took the long way round.



My first 100km ride this year.

When a device in our network has a problem, it sends us messages to our mobile phones. But when I am cycling my phone is in my rucsac so I would need to stop and see if it is something important. With my new Garmin GPS, the message gets sent straight to my GPS so I hear a "ping" in my rucsac, look down and see exactly what is happening. Cool!


116 km and 1236 meters of climbing. Route is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=pucbdqkvpmubrpqz

Thursday evening tour and Wera took us on a great tour through the backstreets and paths of Pfronten.



32km and 410 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=rjhitnxzaazjhggj

Team Farina and I out with mountain bikes.
Buron Hütte to get a few meters of climbing and then a relaxed ride home via Wertach.
And of course we finished in the ice cafe.



23km and 486 meters of climbing. Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=qnbaphvtyoqsdybp

Tuesday evening.
Jon, Heidi and I out on our race bikes. I thought it was a nice evening so I had shorts on. Jon and Heidi were pointing to the snow on the mountains and wrapped up like in winter.



We cycled out to Hopferau and then through the back lanes to Nesselwang.



34km and 435 meters of climbing. Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=yowtockfxxnkpxfz

I was planning a race bike tour but got mixed up getting ready and found myself sat on my mountain bike. No problem. I am flexible.

Up to Stubental and then back via Vilstal. Only a bit of snow in Stubental.



22km and 550 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=vszjggcorqndsmok

Caro wanted to go for a bike ride but it was raining. Later she messaged "it has stopped" and we left.

A dirty trip round the seven lakes. Typical early spring tour with green fields and white mountains.



22.6 km with 290 meters off climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=nrwoltdivqkvjfgy