Day 2 and the festival of st. Someone

Another glorious day - we took it easy and did only 75 km but entertained ourselves on gravel roads in preparation for the Eroica. We visited a rather impressive Eateria for lunch - Victor Oribe in Paganos. Arrived an hour early so Jonny thought we should do a little loop. Almost did not make it back thanks to +10% gravel in- and declines. However we had a spectacular 8-9 course sampler menu which made steering our steeds back down the mountain “interesting”. However neither animals nor bikes or humans were injured!
The Garmin insisted  that the 10 km highway route be turned into a 47 (!!!) km gravrl detour. We ignored it snd took thr highway home!
Back in San Asensio there was a festival snd every house had bern turned into a tapas and beer serving tabernacle. And who were we to disappoint them?? We rest our case and our rather weiry bodies!!

Rioja day 1

Super accommodation in San Asensio - small drawback is that although the town has plenty of bars the restaurant(s?) are only open weekends. The bayonne jambon from Biarritz plus other items were wolfed down and then it was B&T time (beer and tapas!)
Today we toured the region on our old steeds - it is stunningly beautiful, empty well maintained roads, vineyards everywhere, lots of hills with a few descents

(my max downhill fixie record  has been broken by myself - 56km/hr (approx 35 mph).feet going like a drum roll!
In one village the post woman was doing her morning round holding on to a crutch. Very impressed. I was even more impressed when we saw her in the bext village - turbo crutches? Or are we that slow?we had a very abstinent day  - lots of agua and a single small beer. Got lost several times and clocked up 120 km and 1300 metres of climbs - not bad for a fixie and a Raleigh Clubman!

Ouverture part 2

Leaving behind us the grey wet and somewhat Brexit’esque local climate we reach Portsmouth where the nice girl at check-in asks whether we are aware that the return journey has been cancelled as well? Nobody had told us - the Imaginary ferry will remain an illusion for the entire Summer!! Ferry watchers and spotters don’t waste your energy - go somewhere else. As for us the scenic route Caen - Logrono will treat us to its charms twice! But it does go through Bordeaux - I guess every cloud has a Rouge lining!
The sea was calm and we approached the Normandy beaches and were given a view not disimilar to the one faced by thousands of frightened but very brave young men 75 years ago. That must never happen again.
We debarked and drove to the Ace Hotel in Le Mans for a nights “peace” - the fire alarm went off at 0200 - some nicotine addict had tried to dismantle it in his/her/room!! Anyway a highly recommendable hotel with secure parking (useful with bikes on and in the car). And they have fully working fire alarms! And very pleasant staff.
Wednesday a long drive (J at the wheel) to the beautiful Basque country (Lord of the Rings-like scenery - stunning!). We did a pit stop in Biarritz - absolutely lovely - worth a very long week end!
Now safely in San Asensio - off for tapas and Rioja!!

Eroica Hispania Overture

Jonny and I are heading south although in a slightly torturous fashion. The ferry booked ages ago connecting the towns folk of Portsmouth with those of Santander has temporarily given up the ghost (better in harbour than on the  Bay of Biscay ( Cpt Aubrey’s rule No 1 - “beware of the lee shore”  springs to mind. It may of course also be that the ferry was one of Mr Grayling’s imaginary ferries - flying Dutchmen - that was planned to rescue the nation in case of No Deal but actually never existed! But the bill did!!!!
Anyway a 700 mile detour via Caen and Le Mans should still allow us to arrive at our destination San Asensio bear Logrono  from where we will explore Rioja wine region (now why does that not surprise you!!) and do the Eroica ride. The ride is part of the rides all over the world where nutters dressed in period garments cycle on vintage bikes on gravel roads over a distance of 40-100 miles. Why? you may ask. Eh, because...  Last year I did a similar ride in Holland with my Belgian friend Tom. I used my Mercian Fixie and if the locals suspected that Brexit was a sign of madness they had it confirmed when I scaled and descaled hills in my one and only gear. I did manage to fracture my elbow 5 km before the finish line but as Tom prescribed large doses of Belgian beet I was able to carry on through 🇧🇪 To Calais and on  to Canterbury.
This year the Mercian (1962) is still with me and Jonathan is using a 1950’s Raleigh Clubman - with 4 (!!!) gears!! Anyway that is not until Sunday and before that we plan to explore the secrets (?) of Rioja i.e. taste all the local beverages.! More to follow!!

Eroica Limburg June 2018

My sturdy 1962 Mercian (fixie with 46-16)got loaded up and via Harwich to the Hook I cycled to Rotterdam and then by train to Maastricht. A lovely city which I got yo know very well as my Garmin thought that repeated loops along cobbled lanes were much better than the direct route to Valkenberg where the Eroica ride was taking place. By following the sun I found my own way and arrived to find my Danish friend Allan along with Lasse - a couple of welcome drinks later we registered for the ride. The Eroica is a series of rides in various parts if the world. The requirement is pre 1970 bike, similar kit and unspecified age of rider - although most were “mature” . Lots of stalls selling vintage equipment were visited and patronage paid!
Early breakfast with arrival of my Belgian prev Registrar Tom whom I had conned into accompanying us. The implication of 80% non-tarmac’ed roads had not registered.  Lots of glorious bikes but only one fixie! A beautiful sunny day soon turned into a heatwaved dehydrating ordeal! Up and down gravel and sandy tracks - hardly any traction on the rearwheel which sent flints and dirt in all directions. Keeping upright was a challenge and not all achieved this. The course was well marked but the drink stops (juice or water) were far between (only 3 on the 105 km course)!! A brewery stop with non-alcoholic or low -OH beer towards the end helped but we were tired and thirsty. The last vlimb was Dead Man’s Hill (16%) which Tom almost managed on his Flandia but I saw noone else cycle! Five km from the finish I missed a large wooden boom and flew over the top. The bike was fortunatrly ridesble - bent front fork but wheel true - steel always wins the day!!! - and I finished with a rather painful elbow! Nothing to dampen our spirits and a great night was had!!!
Next day Allan and Lasse headed home to Denmark (will miss their great company!!!) and Tom and I to Antwerpen where his parents entertained us in great style. Tom 30+ years younger than me is a strong climber! The next day we paid Tom’s hospital a visit and an Xray showed haemarthrosis (blood in the joint) of my right elbow ie a head of radius fracture! Treatment? Keep moving, carry on and painkillers (perhaps in different order!).
So the next day I cycled to Bruxelles along cycle tracks- well laid out but occasionally rather bumpy which was b.... painful! Some shouts or swearing did accompany my progress! Cycling with one hand on the bars was not always easy as the right could not bend enough to allow me to drink (water!!) and could not hold on to the bars for long on its own!
I spent three nights in Bruxelles looked after by our wonderful French friends- we visited Ghent (lovely!) and the sights of Bruxelles (very pretty) and I had lunch with my old school friend, Louis. Also witnessed various WC football events on latge screens (and this continued at my next destnation , Ypres). I cycled there on the Thursday- 125 km - hard work!! A beautiful rebuilt town with the moving daily remembrance ceremony at the Menin gate. It was the 90th anniversary of the ceremony so much pomp was displayed on the Thursday . On the Friday I cycled to the Passchendale museum and the Tyne Cot cemetary - the largest Commonwealth war grave - sad sad sad!! The weather was still too hot to sightsee after 1500 hrs (all trip 30+* and dry dry dry). And my elbow was still rather (!!!) painful - it was ok when it was straight for a while but then very painful to bend it. And ok when bent for a while but then etc etc!!
After 2 days in Ypres bike ride to Calais and on (via some rather unpleasant hills) to Canterbury where a certain football match outcome forced the bars to close down serving just as I arrived - dry as a stick!! Anyway - spent the night at excellent local micro brewery, the Foundry. Made it safely back to the hotel avoiding drunken fans. Sunday morning service at the majestic Cathedral and then train back to Suffolk.
A great trip - would’ve been even greater without my stupid crash. I eas impressed that the tubeless Giant tyres came to no harm on the Eroic flints! The Mercian as always a delight (needs a bit repair when I get home - new front fork??). The B &B in Ypres (Het Houden Paard) excellent.
The Belgians charming hosts but interesting that in Belgium cyclists (and some drivers!!) ignore cyclists whereas in France all cyclists give a waive. Or is that just because they felt dorty for me - fixie and fracture on one bike?

C to P final day and the one after

we left Perth in glorious sunshine and that stayed with us all the way to Pitlochry - well only 50 or so km. We followed the Tay along an excellent cyclepath until it suddenly disappeared - which what often happens with cycle facilities! So instead of gently rolling upstream  we again had to go up and down hills. Anyway the scenery was lovely and traffic was light - were they all at home watching the royal wedding? I hope not - it would be a waste of a lovely day!!
We stopped for coffee in Dunkeld - a wee village with an enormous cathedral and even bigger scones and slices of cake!! From there it was fairly flat till we reached our destination, Pitlochry where cyclists were gathering for the Etape de Caledonia. It is a large closed-roads event with 5000+ riders, unfortunately many of them with more testosterone than brains. I had decided not to tempt fate and ride but was talked into a compromise. I therefore got up at 0600, applied the usual ointments and potions, lycra etc (it was a cold morning with wet roads) and off I went to do the  short route of 40 miles. My decision was confirmed when I saw 3 crashed bikes and an ambulance within 5 km of the start!! The rest of the morning was relatively uneventful - a surprisingly big number of lycra dressed walkers were walking their bikes along the roads!!  I finished unscathed. Tomorrow the bike and I will travel by train to Suffolk. For a bit of rest!!
So was it worth it (the pain, exhaustion, sleepless nights etc)? It certainly was - it was the best 60% of LEJOG and done in glorious weather. The Airnimal bike behaved excellently and the company was great.  But it is interesting how long inclines are not so tiring - you know they will be followed by (normally equally) long descents. It is the short sharp hills that wear you out. You get nothing for your effort - but another hill around the corner. Just the ssme as head-wind. And when you have both - grrrrr. But it was a great great trip and can be much recommended!!

C to P day 6 - Moffat to Perth

We knew that we were in for a challenge when every Scot asking about today’s route said “oh, that’s a long uphill way”
Anyway we left our very pleasant B&B after breakfast with Haggis and the return of our laundered cycling kit - the only place we had this super service. A long 11 km climb along a green lovely valley in the morning sun took us up to Devil’s Thumbprint at the top, past the source of the River Tweed ( may have added to it myself!) and a 21 km great descent - watching the river swell to a decent stream. We stopped for coffee at Laurel Bank (I guess Hardy failed) and then pressed on via La Mancha (the man was out, presumably chasing windmills) and getting to the busy suburbs of Edinburgh. We passed through Fairmilehead where I used to work at the Princess Marg Rose Orthop Hosp just actoss from Hill End Skislope that provided us with do many injured thumbs! We circled the city and reached Forth Road Bridge (the old new bridge) which we had almost to ourselves. Spectacular views of the old railway bridge. Stopped for rolls and coffee on the norh shore - and what we thought was a flat’ish ride to Perth was rather up up and very little down. Most of the rides were on cycle lanes/tracks, rather gritty and bumpy - our tyres showed great resistance to all assaults from flints and sharps. Rehydration in Kinross ( irn Bru - 24 g of sugar per bottle!!!must be sponsored by Scottish dentists and Danish insulin producers!). We arrived in Perth at around 18 hrs after a long hard day- 155 km and a lot of climbing. A great Nepalese meal (Robin is an expert having visited that country 15 or so times) awaited us - and a couple of beers. Tomorrow will be a dhort 50’ish km ride to Pitlochry. I'm not sure that I’ll do the Etape - having just done close to 500 miles the thought of racing along with nutters who have never ridden in a peleton does not really appeal to me. Closed road races attract a strange dangerous crowd. I think that I have achieved what I wanted to by getting there on two wheels!