Life is not a Practice

The weather forecast was rain, rain and rain but after breakfast it was still dry so Caro and I went for a mountain bike ride to the Allatsee.



There was a storm blowing from the West which helped us get there but made the way back slow and hard work.

40km with 650 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=hpqtjfymsqlqmygh

More pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/+NeillHogarth/albums/6123509302367272865

A sunny Saturday so in the afternoon I took my road bike out for a spin. Headed away from the mountains and away from the snow. Mostly on road except for a dirty excursion through the woods "Fuchsbau" near Wildpoldsried.



It was a "regenerative energy trip" as I passed solar panels, a wood driven power station, Biogas power plants and wind generators.



Once I reached Sulzberg station I couldn't get excited about the climb to Bodelsberg so I caught the train home.

71km with a thousand meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=tqzvykiwckumlkqm

Photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6123509302367272865

That time of year when you have to continually make decisions in life:
- mountain bike,
- snowboard,
- racebike,
- carving skis or
- ski touring.

Today I decided on race biking - the trip to Rome is getting closer. A gentle ride once round the lake with a bit of extra climbing for my training program.

26 km with 450 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=rgrfikoezfwzgyfc

My last time on a bike was Christmas Day just as it started snowing. That was 10 weeks ago. In 9 weeks we are cycling the 1000km to Rome.



So today I opened the cycling season with a race bike ride to Füssen for a Cappuccino. Then on the Hopfensee.



44 kms with 450 meters of climbing. Track is at
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=irchyspuctkfloue

Woke up to rain and 3°C. Perfect Christmas Day weather. The last years Max and I have spent Christmas morning skiing but this year there is no snow.

We had agreed to meet this year at 10:00 for a bike ride and sure enough, despite the weather, Max was at the door and ready to go five minutes early.



After 10 minutes of cycling up the mountain we had to stop and take off half the clothes we had on. Surprisingly we met no one on the way up. A few hundred meters before the top the rain turned to snow and we finished the ride on a thin cover of snow.



The hotel at the top of the mountain was open so we ordered two mulled wines and a hot soup. Great! Before cycling back down we put on every item of clothing we had with us - unfortunately we had no ski goggles.



On the way down we met Caro (the neighbour) on her way up so we aren't the only crazy people in town.

We stopped off at the Explorer Hotel for a Cappucino before cycling home.

Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=nkwmuczwhufznytb 10.8km with 600 meters of climbing.

More pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6050786238514201409?authkey=CM6y9qnHhfj9mAE

Max's blog at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2014/12/christmas-day-biking.html

This was my last cycle ride in 2015. The total distance I cycled in 2014 was 4410 kilometre -
1303 km with the mountain bike and 3107 km with the race bike. I think that tells you which I prefer nowadays.

Brunch with friends.
A bike ride above the clouds.
Cappucino
Spinning



The whole of Germany was covered in cloud. Everyone except us. We had beautiful sunshine and could look down on to the clouds below.

30kms and 430 meters of climbing.
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=cdiqgexllimtqhvp

Pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6050786238514201409?authkey=CM6y9qnHhfj9mAE

It is November but the weather forecast promised good weather so Heidi and I drove to Memmingen to do a race bike tour. It only takes 30 minutes to get to Memmingen but it put us in an unknown area of Allgäu. I had found a 70 kilometer route in the Internet ( http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jhehzkqqmfoaqqvm ) with over 700 meters of (sometimes steep) climbing.



We passed Schloß Zeil which is the family home of the Earl of Waldburg-Zeil and enjoyed the view from his terrace which has an unbelievable view in to the Alps.



At the end of the tour we cycled in to the center of the ancient city of Memmingen and enjoyed a hot chocolate with Baileys at a cafe next to the town hall.

A great quote to sum up today
"Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth... Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it."
-John Templeton.

78km and 980 meters of climbing.
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=phbygbtgwzzzbbdp

More pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6050786238514201409?authkey=CM6y9qnHhfj9mAE

I had taken a day off work today and the sun was shining so I went out for a ride on the race bike. Up the Ellegg and home via Faistenoy.



31km with 436 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xxhmgdzwgjgahzjy

A relaxed November bike ride through Tannheimertal. In the sun it was beautiful. Downhill in the shadows it was very cold. Going down the valley back in to Germany, it was absolutely freezing.



51km with 670 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=mdmtgfrrmeojerrc

Photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6050786238514201409?authkey=CM6y9qnHhfj9mAE

All summer Max has been wanting to cycle up the Grünten. Tomorrow he is skiing ( maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2014/11/stubai-glacier.html ) and next week diving so we went today.



we cycled up the incredibly steep "front side" to the Grüntenhütte and then across the shoulder and through the snow down to the Roßbergalpe. A cheese sandwich and two beers later we cycled back down and home.

43km with over 1000 mters of climbing (most of it in one go).
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ohazxqigmqeelmhh

Photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6050786238514201409?authkey=CM6y9qnHhfj9mAE

Max's blog at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2014/11/gruntenhutte-alpe-rossberg.html

Max's pictures at https://plus.google.com/photos/102257273463070793435/albums/6041584113415203297/6076752222594002146?pid=6076752222594002146&oid=102257273463070793435