A great day has been had. Yesterday my brand new red chain and standard colour sprocket took us 10 miles west of Hamburg where we spent the night. This morning after a large breakfast we decided , for the first time, to retrace our steps and revisit Hamburg as we had not paid sufficient hommage to this great Hansa city yesterday. We therefore cycled back to Reperbahn, St. Pauli, Altona, the lakes etc.it was a grey but pleasant morning and the city certainly possessed qualities other than the Queen of the Night sevices that we have not sampled ( any other suggestion is based on vicious and untrue rumours). The fact that a big fair took place did not dampen our enthusiasm. After refreshing ourselves on malted beverages we re-re-traced our steps westwards along the Elbe. And what a lovely cycle path it was - sunshine and strolling families and lots of coffee bars. Blue skies, a slight head wind, grey skies, very very black skies and torrential downpours (a real in-out weather day but we staid out!). As we had progressed so unexceptionally fast till now ( so you noticed that too? Thank you for mentioning it, we are too proud to do so) we had booked accommodation in Glücksburg after only 60-odd miles (never knowingly under 60 is our motto!). And we now have to report that not till now have we come across a lovelier city/town. A beautiful harbour, a lovely town square from where the streets radiate in a stellar fashion, an absolutely superb accommodation - an exquisite appartment with all facilities AND a very attractive hostess (who unfortunately recides elsewhere!). We spent the evening at Der Kleine Heinrick, a beautiful restaurant in a timber framed house with great food and beer and schnaps - and need I add very attentive waitresses!
So far the route from Hamburg have by far exceeded all previous expectations - the scenery is far less austere and "sheepy" and the villages are charming. If I was to do this trip again I would send my bike to Hamburg and cycle from thereand forget about the first section - sorry, Willem - but we never met up anyway. Perhaps visit Leer but only because the restaurant there was so great!. Oh, maybe I did forget to menyton that Glückstadt was founded by King Christian IV , king of Denmark and Schelswieg, Holstein, Lauenburg etc so this is OLD DANISH LAND!!!! And if it wasn't for count Bismarck and all his Kraut'ish followers it would still be part of Denmark ( as wouldb b..... England!!).. But anyway, it is a lovely part of the world and the local population even greets you when you cycle past them - please note that we are NEVER (knowingly) overtaken!
And did I mention that we have cleared about 700 miles and have only another 3-400 to do. Hardly worth getting up for!
And now we will all sing "there'll always be a Denmark..... " ( same tune!!!!)
Sunday 31 August 2014
Saturday 30 August 2014
How the Fixie got gefixed or not all Franks are Schlech(t) or how the dike knocked out my teeth
Again you are reading a two-day blog (it is great that in English "you" can indicate one, two or even more, so it may at least appear that I have a large following)
Well let's start withe yesterday. We left the great hotel in Eckwarden (did I say that it was as much Dover Sole (schollenfillet) as you could eat for 11€? Unfortunately the great Köstrizer lager and dark beer were charged by the glass. But what a meal!
We had a bit of raIn over the night but the weather was dry and the wind initially right smack.....- as usual. But this was the day where we were heading in all directions (and for once this was what we were meant to do) and we soon had a great tailwind and did 18-19 mph until a gravel road left me with a flat rear wheel (later the same day ditto front wheel so Gatorskin may not be the tyre to choose for this). As I removed the rear wheel I thought I would recheck and clean my sprocket and to my great surprise where I used to have 16 teeth I now had 10!! And this was inspite of me not putting sugar in my drinks! As some of you will know that the smaller number of teeth on the rear sprocket the faster the rear wheel turns - so it wasn't the tail wind after all but my low tooth sprocket (and a lighter bike as well that had increased my speed!!? ) Well unfortunately not and what had happened was that when cranking up the steep dikes I had heard a few crunching noises which i thought nothing off at the time - so the dikes got me teeth!! Bugger - well perhaps not the right word but the right sentiment.
And we were miles from bikeshops, so we pedaled on, as the two clowns in charge of New Labour some years ago said, with a "softly,softly approach". No trackstands, no sudden accelerations, no hill climbs (as if that was ever my forte) etc. and I had to disappoint the scores of jubilant cycling enthusiasts lining the roads begging me to show off my skills "Nein, keine Track Stehen heute, Leute"
We passed through Bremerhaven (no help), Cuxhaven (great bike shop, closed for some obscure holiday - the Lederhosen inauguration day?), Ottendorf (very pretty, not many of those places encountered!)and made it via Germany's Mildenhall, Hemmoor, to a charming little village, Osten on the other side of the canal. And here lies another story- the notel was a picture of blissful German delight and right behind it there was a metal contraption reaching approx 50 metres into the air and underneath it was suspended a kind of carriage. This is the "famous" 1909 Schwebefäahre i.e. a kind of a skilift carrying up to 100passengers at a time over a small stream. And why? For crying out loud every single villager had to be forced across the stream several times a day to make it financially viable! But it is still there to be seen and by some admired as well.
Anyway - the hotel was a delight with great food, beef and a charming young waitress. Mr Baker had a day of faste leaving me to enjoy the culinary delights.
Up early next morning (me to mend another puncture) and we headed off for Hamburg hoping for cyclic dentistry on my damaged teeth. The weather drizzly but the wind gentle. A bike shop in Stade tried to help but gave up, never having seen a fixie. In Hamburg I hailed a policeman dressed like an Imperial Stormtrooper (a big football match required some police attention) and he kindly directed me towards Cyclefactory in Altona where my second cyclists' guardian angel (remember I had one in Glasgow last year) called Frank inspected the damage and with great confidence daid that he could fix it! So whilst I imbibed a couple of ruby ales with some forcaccio he did miracles and when I returned the Mercian looked like a blushing young girl wearing a red chain and a new sprocket.
So if any of you are ever in need of emergency repairs east of Harwich and north of Cessinatico I know where you should go! And off we went to face new adventures!!
Well let's start withe yesterday. We left the great hotel in Eckwarden (did I say that it was as much Dover Sole (schollenfillet) as you could eat for 11€? Unfortunately the great Köstrizer lager and dark beer were charged by the glass. But what a meal!
We had a bit of raIn over the night but the weather was dry and the wind initially right smack.....- as usual. But this was the day where we were heading in all directions (and for once this was what we were meant to do) and we soon had a great tailwind and did 18-19 mph until a gravel road left me with a flat rear wheel (later the same day ditto front wheel so Gatorskin may not be the tyre to choose for this). As I removed the rear wheel I thought I would recheck and clean my sprocket and to my great surprise where I used to have 16 teeth I now had 10!! And this was inspite of me not putting sugar in my drinks! As some of you will know that the smaller number of teeth on the rear sprocket the faster the rear wheel turns - so it wasn't the tail wind after all but my low tooth sprocket (and a lighter bike as well that had increased my speed!!? ) Well unfortunately not and what had happened was that when cranking up the steep dikes I had heard a few crunching noises which i thought nothing off at the time - so the dikes got me teeth!! Bugger - well perhaps not the right word but the right sentiment.
And we were miles from bikeshops, so we pedaled on, as the two clowns in charge of New Labour some years ago said, with a "softly,softly approach". No trackstands, no sudden accelerations, no hill climbs (as if that was ever my forte) etc. and I had to disappoint the scores of jubilant cycling enthusiasts lining the roads begging me to show off my skills "Nein, keine Track Stehen heute, Leute"
We passed through Bremerhaven (no help), Cuxhaven (great bike shop, closed for some obscure holiday - the Lederhosen inauguration day?), Ottendorf (very pretty, not many of those places encountered!)and made it via Germany's Mildenhall, Hemmoor, to a charming little village, Osten on the other side of the canal. And here lies another story- the notel was a picture of blissful German delight and right behind it there was a metal contraption reaching approx 50 metres into the air and underneath it was suspended a kind of carriage. This is the "famous" 1909 Schwebefäahre i.e. a kind of a skilift carrying up to 100passengers at a time over a small stream. And why? For crying out loud every single villager had to be forced across the stream several times a day to make it financially viable! But it is still there to be seen and by some admired as well.
Anyway - the hotel was a delight with great food, beef and a charming young waitress. Mr Baker had a day of faste leaving me to enjoy the culinary delights.
Up early next morning (me to mend another puncture) and we headed off for Hamburg hoping for cyclic dentistry on my damaged teeth. The weather drizzly but the wind gentle. A bike shop in Stade tried to help but gave up, never having seen a fixie. In Hamburg I hailed a policeman dressed like an Imperial Stormtrooper (a big football match required some police attention) and he kindly directed me towards Cyclefactory in Altona where my second cyclists' guardian angel (remember I had one in Glasgow last year) called Frank inspected the damage and with great confidence daid that he could fix it! So whilst I imbibed a couple of ruby ales with some forcaccio he did miracles and when I returned the Mercian looked like a blushing young girl wearing a red chain and a new sprocket.
So if any of you are ever in need of emergency repairs east of Harwich and north of Cessinatico I know where you should go! And off we went to face new adventures!!
Thursday 28 August 2014
Lessons learned so far
It is difficult to plan for a trip like this not knowing weather , road surfaces etc.
But in General (top to bottom and below)
Wear a cap under the helmet - protects again sun and rain
Water proof breathable jacket
Bring two lycra tops, wash one every evening. Don't cycle in a cotton top - too heavy and will never dry. Bring a strap to tie to it to the pannier to dry during the day if necessary.
Cotswold has a universal shower and washing soap.
Base layer on wet days (merino or mesh)
Bring a gillet
Bibshorts x 2, as with the top wash one every day. I do not find two sets of shorts at a time necessary but it depends on the quality, mine are the Endura shorts from the club. Excellent.
Comfy saddle. Mine is a Charge Spoon - excellent. Last year I used a Rolls, not as good.
Chamois creme!
Merino sox two pairs, dries very quickly and are great regardless of sun or rain
SPD shoes - you need to be able to walk in towns where the layout has been modified by the RAF. Some of them seem in need of re-designing. Where is the RAF when we need them? I also use a metatarsal bar insole which spreads the load over the forefoot.
Overshoes.
Waterproof secure panniers. Mr Baker's have gone flying a few times on bumpy roads. mine, Ortlieb , have not.
Double bar tape. Even good European roads have uneven sections and your hands get sore.
Comfortable gloves plus spare set.
Mount a bell, walkers, dogs, cyclists etc need warning as we in general are much faster than they are.
Good quality Tyres - Darren's are Schwalbe Marathon plus, mine are Gatorskin (23 mm).
At least two inner tubes and repair kit, lots of cable ties, lubricant and gloves - the chain gets very dirty!
One very light lock.
Lights fore and aft.
Very little clothing for non cycling use. This is not a fashion parade!
A selection of bars, nuts and raisins to eat en route.
I use electrolyte tablets in the water (one bottle only) - no sugar, would like to have some teeth left when I reach home.
If you use specs bring a second set (just ask Mr B!)
Sunblock (SP20 last all day) lip balm, vaseline.
Don't even consider wearing a rucksack when you cycle all day!!
Big breakfast, lunch less important , perhaps a roll or two in the bag. Big evening meal with a moderate amount of the local, in general excellent, malted refreshment juices.
Garmin AND maps - using my Garmin as a mapper leaves it out of juice by lunch time.
A list of accommodation - book ahead as early as possible!
Plenty of charger cables for camera, phone, Garmin, IPod etc ( my favourite tune is There'll always be an England belted out on my small portable speakers which I bet will soon climb up the German charts!)
Speak a few words of the appropriate language and enjoy the ride!
But in General (top to bottom and below)
Wear a cap under the helmet - protects again sun and rain
Water proof breathable jacket
Bring two lycra tops, wash one every evening. Don't cycle in a cotton top - too heavy and will never dry. Bring a strap to tie to it to the pannier to dry during the day if necessary.
Cotswold has a universal shower and washing soap.
Base layer on wet days (merino or mesh)
Bring a gillet
Bibshorts x 2, as with the top wash one every day. I do not find two sets of shorts at a time necessary but it depends on the quality, mine are the Endura shorts from the club. Excellent.
Comfy saddle. Mine is a Charge Spoon - excellent. Last year I used a Rolls, not as good.
Chamois creme!
Merino sox two pairs, dries very quickly and are great regardless of sun or rain
SPD shoes - you need to be able to walk in towns where the layout has been modified by the RAF. Some of them seem in need of re-designing. Where is the RAF when we need them? I also use a metatarsal bar insole which spreads the load over the forefoot.
Overshoes.
Waterproof secure panniers. Mr Baker's have gone flying a few times on bumpy roads. mine, Ortlieb , have not.
Double bar tape. Even good European roads have uneven sections and your hands get sore.
Comfortable gloves plus spare set.
Mount a bell, walkers, dogs, cyclists etc need warning as we in general are much faster than they are.
Good quality Tyres - Darren's are Schwalbe Marathon plus, mine are Gatorskin (23 mm).
At least two inner tubes and repair kit, lots of cable ties, lubricant and gloves - the chain gets very dirty!
One very light lock.
Lights fore and aft.
Very little clothing for non cycling use. This is not a fashion parade!
A selection of bars, nuts and raisins to eat en route.
I use electrolyte tablets in the water (one bottle only) - no sugar, would like to have some teeth left when I reach home.
If you use specs bring a second set (just ask Mr B!)
Sunblock (SP20 last all day) lip balm, vaseline.
Don't even consider wearing a rucksack when you cycle all day!!
Big breakfast, lunch less important , perhaps a roll or two in the bag. Big evening meal with a moderate amount of the local, in general excellent, malted refreshment juices.
Garmin AND maps - using my Garmin as a mapper leaves it out of juice by lunch time.
A list of accommodation - book ahead as early as possible!
Plenty of charger cables for camera, phone, Garmin, IPod etc ( my favourite tune is There'll always be an England belted out on my small portable speakers which I bet will soon climb up the German charts!)
Speak a few words of the appropriate language and enjoy the ride!
Rule# 92 - laugh info the headwind and carry on!
DY 5 and we are moving steadily towards Hamburg which we expect to reach Saturday
This morning we left Dornumersiehl on the Northcoast in sunny weather - and a stiff headwind which was with us when we headed east and when we headed south and east again and finally lost interest in us when we headed north to Eckwaden where we are staying in Evkwaden hof - great rooms and good food (fish fish fish) and local beer. The waiter is ery pleasant and on the ball - and presumably has some himself - so further description is unwarranted.
We passed wilhelmshaven - not much to see - certainly not a must see (that either!). And several other towns and villages. In one a German chap approached me leaving his family trailing (rule #11 "family does not come first the bike does) and asked" are you travelling on a fixie?" - if his German had been better I am sure that he wanted to say " Are you the person I have read so much about who is travelling the NSCR on a Fixie?". I gave him the full slide show and I guess that his family had almost given him up as "lost in action" before he turned up agIn.
Along one of the very few beaches (yes there are very few sandy areas - which perhaps explains why the brochures showing the islands only have pictures of sand - which is why we decided to give them a miss) - anyway, back to the beaches - a very enthusiastid teacher/preacher/Gauleiterin was leading a group of children through some very loud shouting of whatever Mantra. It sounded very much like a sound track from the 1940s and when they started singing I was relieved that the song was not "Wir fahren gegen Engeland" , but something less politically incorrect.
We try to adhere to The Rules (for yhose of you not in the know these are the rules of the Velominati as handed down by Eddy, the Prophet. We lead by example #2), drink Tripels (or even quadrupels)but ride none such (#47), and don't litter (#77) although we almost had to break this rule yesterday having searched for a litter box everywhere in Dornumersiehl - neither the icecream stands, the cafes, the supermarkets, the kiosks had any. And the streets were spotless - what do they do with it? Do they eat it? Ours ended up in the dog pooh box - sorry dogs , we are giving you a bad name!
The weather forecast for tomorrow is Irish low pressure approaching which may mean westerly winds (hurrah!) but moisture (but we know that riding in bad weather means that we are badasses,#9).
Bring it on!!
This morning we left Dornumersiehl on the Northcoast in sunny weather - and a stiff headwind which was with us when we headed east and when we headed south and east again and finally lost interest in us when we headed north to Eckwaden where we are staying in Evkwaden hof - great rooms and good food (fish fish fish) and local beer. The waiter is ery pleasant and on the ball - and presumably has some himself - so further description is unwarranted.
We passed wilhelmshaven - not much to see - certainly not a must see (that either!). And several other towns and villages. In one a German chap approached me leaving his family trailing (rule #11 "family does not come first the bike does) and asked" are you travelling on a fixie?" - if his German had been better I am sure that he wanted to say " Are you the person I have read so much about who is travelling the NSCR on a Fixie?". I gave him the full slide show and I guess that his family had almost given him up as "lost in action" before he turned up agIn.
Along one of the very few beaches (yes there are very few sandy areas - which perhaps explains why the brochures showing the islands only have pictures of sand - which is why we decided to give them a miss) - anyway, back to the beaches - a very enthusiastid teacher/preacher/Gauleiterin was leading a group of children through some very loud shouting of whatever Mantra. It sounded very much like a sound track from the 1940s and when they started singing I was relieved that the song was not "Wir fahren gegen Engeland" , but something less politically incorrect.
We try to adhere to The Rules (for yhose of you not in the know these are the rules of the Velominati as handed down by Eddy, the Prophet. We lead by example #2), drink Tripels (or even quadrupels)but ride none such (#47), and don't litter (#77) although we almost had to break this rule yesterday having searched for a litter box everywhere in Dornumersiehl - neither the icecream stands, the cafes, the supermarkets, the kiosks had any. And the streets were spotless - what do they do with it? Do they eat it? Ours ended up in the dog pooh box - sorry dogs , we are giving you a bad name!
The weather forecast for tomorrow is Irish low pressure approaching which may mean westerly winds (hurrah!) but moisture (but we know that riding in bad weather means that we are badasses,#9).
Bring it on!!
Wednesday 27 August 2014
Two for the price of one! Day 3 and 4
Sorry that yesterday we were incommunicado (or is it -di?) internet problems!
We left our lodgings with all cyclegear freshly washed and dried by our new friend(who the night before had taken us to the local Michelin'ish (perhaps Continental, no more like heavy threaded Schwalbe!) restaurant where I had meatballs made by the Dutch meatball meister. Well I am glad that he won and even more glad that I did not have those by the other contestants! You certainly knew when they landed and I was slightly worried that they didn't go all they way through in one shot.
Anyway off we went on a beautiful sunny morning with the wind right smack in our snouts! And the flags were stretched! So we could keep it at around 10-12 mph (always double figures!), as we made progress through the land of dikes, sheep - and meatballs. It was pretty hard going and we could not bother to stop for coffee nor beer(!). We paid a quick visit to Delff (what a grim place!) and then headed for the German "border" at Nieuweschans. We thought that we would spend our last Dutch Euros in a local establishment but all was closed down! So on we went, hoping for accommodation in Bunde -sold out, in Weener - sold out, and then on to Leer which in spite of its German name (means empty) was also rather full. We got accommodation at a hotel about an hour outside in a street that noone had ever heard of. Nice enough place - great rooms, cycle parking (which we could not find so the bikes slept securely at our sides - we both had doubles). There was no restaurant but a note mentioned a nearby establishment which we managed to get lost several times trying to find. But did we find it and was it worth our troubles? It certainly was! The food (Italian) was wonderful, the beer (German ), absolutely great and the waitress was at least Miss Germany if not Miss A-Whole-Lot-Of-Other-Countries too. And she was a super waitress as well. We do notice these things!
A good night's sleep waited us until we were up at early hours, cleaned and oiled the bikes , had a massive breakfast and we were off.
We found that Leer centre was only 3-4 miles away (much easier by daylight!) and it was very charming, carried on to Emden, Norden and are now on the North German coast at Dornumersiel - no we have never heard of it either and don't bother to look for it! We wonder if we should pay a visit to the islands (well known to those of you have read the fantastic novel Riddle of the Sands, compulsary reading in the Admiralty when Churchill was First Sealord). But when we ask in the tourist office they just say that they are all very small- in this context possibly not a great selling point!
Yesterday we clocked up just over 100 miles and today 66, held back by various town visits.
The scenery in Holland and Germany is stunning. Stunningly mind-blowingly boring. If you like flat, if you can get excited by dikes (is that spelled correctly?) and if you like sheep , well then there is a lot to get excited over. But the coastline is non-existent, i.e the grass ends and the mud begins. The houses are functional but generally not pretty. The people a generally helpful (in northern Holland they do not smoke as much as in the south and they greet us without clearing their lower bronchi). We even had an old geezer follow us on his electric scooter to make sure that we went the right way - well he did not follow us, he took a shortcut and overtook us with an acceleration that must surely have almost caused a black-out! Most shops in Germany seem to be closed - they have made their surplus and need not open until Christmas?
The bikes are doing well, the legs ditto, the food is good , the beer is nourishing, and the tan linea are getting sharper by the day. All is well here in the flat lands!!!
We left our lodgings with all cyclegear freshly washed and dried by our new friend(who the night before had taken us to the local Michelin'ish (perhaps Continental, no more like heavy threaded Schwalbe!) restaurant where I had meatballs made by the Dutch meatball meister. Well I am glad that he won and even more glad that I did not have those by the other contestants! You certainly knew when they landed and I was slightly worried that they didn't go all they way through in one shot.
Anyway off we went on a beautiful sunny morning with the wind right smack in our snouts! And the flags were stretched! So we could keep it at around 10-12 mph (always double figures!), as we made progress through the land of dikes, sheep - and meatballs. It was pretty hard going and we could not bother to stop for coffee nor beer(!). We paid a quick visit to Delff (what a grim place!) and then headed for the German "border" at Nieuweschans. We thought that we would spend our last Dutch Euros in a local establishment but all was closed down! So on we went, hoping for accommodation in Bunde -sold out, in Weener - sold out, and then on to Leer which in spite of its German name (means empty) was also rather full. We got accommodation at a hotel about an hour outside in a street that noone had ever heard of. Nice enough place - great rooms, cycle parking (which we could not find so the bikes slept securely at our sides - we both had doubles). There was no restaurant but a note mentioned a nearby establishment which we managed to get lost several times trying to find. But did we find it and was it worth our troubles? It certainly was! The food (Italian) was wonderful, the beer (German ), absolutely great and the waitress was at least Miss Germany if not Miss A-Whole-Lot-Of-Other-Countries too. And she was a super waitress as well. We do notice these things!
A good night's sleep waited us until we were up at early hours, cleaned and oiled the bikes , had a massive breakfast and we were off.
We found that Leer centre was only 3-4 miles away (much easier by daylight!) and it was very charming, carried on to Emden, Norden and are now on the North German coast at Dornumersiel - no we have never heard of it either and don't bother to look for it! We wonder if we should pay a visit to the islands (well known to those of you have read the fantastic novel Riddle of the Sands, compulsary reading in the Admiralty when Churchill was First Sealord). But when we ask in the tourist office they just say that they are all very small- in this context possibly not a great selling point!
Yesterday we clocked up just over 100 miles and today 66, held back by various town visits.
The scenery in Holland and Germany is stunning. Stunningly mind-blowingly boring. If you like flat, if you can get excited by dikes (is that spelled correctly?) and if you like sheep , well then there is a lot to get excited over. But the coastline is non-existent, i.e the grass ends and the mud begins. The houses are functional but generally not pretty. The people a generally helpful (in northern Holland they do not smoke as much as in the south and they greet us without clearing their lower bronchi). We even had an old geezer follow us on his electric scooter to make sure that we went the right way - well he did not follow us, he took a shortcut and overtook us with an acceleration that must surely have almost caused a black-out! Most shops in Germany seem to be closed - they have made their surplus and need not open until Christmas?
The bikes are doing well, the legs ditto, the food is good , the beer is nourishing, and the tan linea are getting sharper by the day. All is well here in the flat lands!!!
Monday 25 August 2014
Two men on a Dike
A Good nights sleep was had Stayokay hotel in Egmond. Clean, good bar(!). Reasonable and very largely portioned food, good breakfast all for 100 e .
We headed off in not quite buy almost Bad-ass weather wearing waterproofs and shoecovers. We passed Alkmaar with hardly a sideways glance at the Beer museum (yes it was open) but the time had not yet come for malted rejuvenating beverages. Passed some absolutely massive dunes at Camperduin - got lost a few times - it is really not very easy to follow the route with its numerous 90* unmarked turnings. So in spite of our making 17-18 mph on the straight our average stays a disappointing 13.7 mph (Advice - don't believe that fully laden on an unknown route can do more!).
We reached the Dike across the Waddenzee. By now the weather was dry thanks to the wind being northeasterly (and guess where we were going!!!). Approx 20 miles of straight road across the massive dike - and we did not get lost once! We did have a heated discussion as to whether we should turn back to Stayokay with our room key. The lawyer convinced me that prosecution was unlikely and we pressed on (Although the barriers on the bridge came down just behind us - were they trying to " cut us off at the pass"?? On the northside we celebrated our arrival in Zurich which unbeknownst to us is not in Switzerland but in north Holland. We had some great pancakes and a couple of pints of Amstel lager at hotel The Stoneman. A certainly hit aempty spot but by then we had done about 60 miles since breakfast. We pressed on through very pretty Harlingen and lots of other pretty villages on and off (mostly!!!) off our planned route. We made it to pretty Holwerd where the landlord at our chosen hotel waited at one part of town and we at the other. Then he drove east and we drove west until we finally met up - and he was certainly not easy to miss (built a bit like Obelix). By then we had done 99 miles and burnt up about 400 KCal . We replaced our soiled garments and was by Obelix taken to a local restaurant where the double, tripleand quadruple Trappist beers from Dutch brewery La Trappe are soon filling our table. Espec the Quadruple is an absolute delight.
Tomorrow we aim for the German border - the weather forecast is "favourable" i.e not as wet as other parts of Holland.
And how is the Fixie ? Absolutely great although there was a time on the Dike where my legs were crying out for a bit of freewheeling -but it was nothing that pancakes and beer(s) could not cure!
And it did!!!
We headed off in not quite buy almost Bad-ass weather wearing waterproofs and shoecovers. We passed Alkmaar with hardly a sideways glance at the Beer museum (yes it was open) but the time had not yet come for malted rejuvenating beverages. Passed some absolutely massive dunes at Camperduin - got lost a few times - it is really not very easy to follow the route with its numerous 90* unmarked turnings. So in spite of our making 17-18 mph on the straight our average stays a disappointing 13.7 mph (Advice - don't believe that fully laden on an unknown route can do more!).
We reached the Dike across the Waddenzee. By now the weather was dry thanks to the wind being northeasterly (and guess where we were going!!!). Approx 20 miles of straight road across the massive dike - and we did not get lost once! We did have a heated discussion as to whether we should turn back to Stayokay with our room key. The lawyer convinced me that prosecution was unlikely and we pressed on (Although the barriers on the bridge came down just behind us - were they trying to " cut us off at the pass"?? On the northside we celebrated our arrival in Zurich which unbeknownst to us is not in Switzerland but in north Holland. We had some great pancakes and a couple of pints of Amstel lager at hotel The Stoneman. A certainly hit aempty spot but by then we had done about 60 miles since breakfast. We pressed on through very pretty Harlingen and lots of other pretty villages on and off (mostly!!!) off our planned route. We made it to pretty Holwerd where the landlord at our chosen hotel waited at one part of town and we at the other. Then he drove east and we drove west until we finally met up - and he was certainly not easy to miss (built a bit like Obelix). By then we had done 99 miles and burnt up about 400 KCal . We replaced our soiled garments and was by Obelix taken to a local restaurant where the double, tripleand quadruple Trappist beers from Dutch brewery La Trappe are soon filling our table. Espec the Quadruple is an absolute delight.
Tomorrow we aim for the German border - the weather forecast is "favourable" i.e not as wet as other parts of Holland.
And how is the Fixie ? Absolutely great although there was a time on the Dike where my legs were crying out for a bit of freewheeling -but it was nothing that pancakes and beer(s) could not cure!
And it did!!!
Sunday 24 August 2014
70 miles on three cups of coffee
Well we never made it to the Casino. The bright lights of Harwich had fatigued us (you know that the place is special if Morrison's is the jewell in the crown!) that we had a beer or two in one of our many luxurious cabins (a Hobgoblin 5.2% Ruby ale and an excellent Marstons 4.5% Oyster Stout - sublime). We also watched the Time Trial from Spain but thought they were cheating as they had no luggage - sissies!!).
We arrived at the Hook and headed off in cool sunshine 14.5*) expecting to stop for breakfast somewhere. Well we had plenty of coffee but skipped breakfast AND lunch AND BEER! But plodded on on coffee and nuts (yes we must be!) - well Darren did have an Apfelstrudel and I a sandwich at some point.
We found the route surprising difficult to navigate - signs were easily missed and we excelled in de-tours! The cycle routes are generally excellent although the last 15 miles on cobbles were "interesting" - an excellent method of reducing the risk of overpopulation - they should have thought of that earlier in this densely populated country. Masses of cyclists on the routes, most in lycra (and not a tattoo in sight!).. They seem to be a lot of smokers who respond to our greetings by clearing some very deep and phlegm filled part of their respiratory system in a very audible way. Anyway that seems to be their way of greeting.
We arrived at Egmond mid afternoon, cleaned up, had a couple of TUE supplements (Dutch and Belgian Trappist beers, had a carbo rich meal and are now having a quiet coffee. Tomorrow we are aiming for a 100 but getting lost more often tan we are getting found does not increase our progress.
We arrived at the Hook and headed off in cool sunshine 14.5*) expecting to stop for breakfast somewhere. Well we had plenty of coffee but skipped breakfast AND lunch AND BEER! But plodded on on coffee and nuts (yes we must be!) - well Darren did have an Apfelstrudel and I a sandwich at some point.
We found the route surprising difficult to navigate - signs were easily missed and we excelled in de-tours! The cycle routes are generally excellent although the last 15 miles on cobbles were "interesting" - an excellent method of reducing the risk of overpopulation - they should have thought of that earlier in this densely populated country. Masses of cyclists on the routes, most in lycra (and not a tattoo in sight!).. They seem to be a lot of smokers who respond to our greetings by clearing some very deep and phlegm filled part of their respiratory system in a very audible way. Anyway that seems to be their way of greeting.
We arrived at Egmond mid afternoon, cleaned up, had a couple of TUE supplements (Dutch and Belgian Trappist beers, had a carbo rich meal and are now having a quiet coffee. Tomorrow we are aiming for a 100 but getting lost more often tan we are getting found does not increase our progress.
Saturday 23 August 2014
The first day
And off we went - meeting up at Maglia Rosso with Leslie, Stephen, guy, Sue and Crispin Dunne and Alexandra who had accompanied me on the first ride to be picked up at the cafe by Helene. The sun was shining, the wind westerly, the coffee and cakes good but we expect the prices to drop when we cross the Channel. And off we went - Darren on his multipurpose suspended steed and me on the no cushions, no gears, no freewheel no nonsense 1957 Mercian. We made good progress until a puncture deflated me and my rear wheel. Onwards, upwards through beautiful Suffolk landscape, via Manningtree and Mistley to the less than scenic Harwich which we reached after just over 3 hours, 550 meters of hills, and and av speed of 14 mph.
We are now washed and scrubbed, punctures mended, cycling gear washed (oh yes!) and we are ready to hit the casino - but is the casino ready for us? More tomorrow where we hope to meet up with Willard the honorary Dutch Wheeler!
We are now washed and scrubbed, punctures mended, cycling gear washed (oh yes!) and we are ready to hit the casino - but is the casino ready for us? More tomorrow where we hope to meet up with Willard the honorary Dutch Wheeler!
Thursday 14 August 2014
NORTH SEA PROLOGUE
Here we go again!!
Having recovered from last year's LEJOG adventure I am now ready for the next one.
Darren Baker from the Wheelers suggested that a suitable challenge is to do part of the North Sea Cycle Route. "The what? "you may say!
The NSCR follows the coast of the North Sea (surprise, surprise!) from Harwich to Hook van Holland, along the Dutch, German and Danish coast, across the Skagerak to Sweden, the eastern Swedish coast and the southern and western Norwegian coast to Orkney, Shetland, Scotland and back home again. All in all approx 3,500 miles which unfortunately (!!!??) exceeds our holiday allowance But we will do an abbreviated version and return to the UK via Esbjerg in Denmark i.e. "only" do 1000 miles.
The terrain is (in contrast to last year's LEJOG route ) mainly flat and in theory the winds should be behind us (in theory!!! that's where we were mistaken last year). We will keep the water and the beaches to our left and the land and public houses to our right - how can we fail?
I have decided to up the physical challenge by doing the ride on my 1957 fixed-gear Mercian (i.e. no gears and no freewheel) whereas Darren will use his Cross bike or similar (but then he is a lawyer so clearly he knows better!). We will travel lightly mainly carry samples of the local beer houses internally and chamois creme externally (plus water proofs etc).
We will set off on Saturday August 23rd at 1400 hrs with a pit, coffee and cake stop at Maglia Rosa just outside Bury St Eds (come and join us if you live nearby- their Brownies are "formidable"!).
We expect to return 2 weeks later on one of the last ferry connections ( the crossing terminates in September).
And why do we do it? Well, I hope to come up with a sensible answer over the next couple of weeks but so far it is because the route is there, we are here and we are still not so infirm (at least we do not think so) that we should not. So it's back in the saddle again and off we go - 9 days to take off; better think about packing. Now where is that bottle opener.......?
Here we go again!!
Having recovered from last year's LEJOG adventure I am now ready for the next one.
Darren Baker from the Wheelers suggested that a suitable challenge is to do part of the North Sea Cycle Route. "The what? "you may say!
The NSCR follows the coast of the North Sea (surprise, surprise!) from Harwich to Hook van Holland, along the Dutch, German and Danish coast, across the Skagerak to Sweden, the eastern Swedish coast and the southern and western Norwegian coast to Orkney, Shetland, Scotland and back home again. All in all approx 3,500 miles which unfortunately (!!!??) exceeds our holiday allowance But we will do an abbreviated version and return to the UK via Esbjerg in Denmark i.e. "only" do 1000 miles.
The terrain is (in contrast to last year's LEJOG route ) mainly flat and in theory the winds should be behind us (in theory!!! that's where we were mistaken last year). We will keep the water and the beaches to our left and the land and public houses to our right - how can we fail?
I have decided to up the physical challenge by doing the ride on my 1957 fixed-gear Mercian (i.e. no gears and no freewheel) whereas Darren will use his Cross bike or similar (but then he is a lawyer so clearly he knows better!). We will travel lightly mainly carry samples of the local beer houses internally and chamois creme externally (plus water proofs etc).
We will set off on Saturday August 23rd at 1400 hrs with a pit, coffee and cake stop at Maglia Rosa just outside Bury St Eds (come and join us if you live nearby- their Brownies are "formidable"!).
We expect to return 2 weeks later on one of the last ferry connections ( the crossing terminates in September).
And why do we do it? Well, I hope to come up with a sensible answer over the next couple of weeks but so far it is because the route is there, we are here and we are still not so infirm (at least we do not think so) that we should not. So it's back in the saddle again and off we go - 9 days to take off; better think about packing. Now where is that bottle opener.......?
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