3 weeks to go
3 weeks to go. That means just two more training rides! I'm not really feeling the benefits from them, maybe I should have done more? Too late to change now, time is running out. That also means time to order and receive replacements from the nice budget places I shop online. Do I need more tyre milk? Do I have those spare valves and the removal tool? Is there anything missing from the toolbag? It's a good moment to do a full gear check, just to be sure.
Wish I'd thought of that earlier in the weekend, but I didn't until it was so late into Sunday evening that the hour had crossed from "weekend chore o'clock" into "nope".
Things were more successful with the ride to Germany. I've failed to get there over the last two weekends, because of waterlogged phones and a bad ankle respectively. But the ankle is better now, and Saturday had good weather so it's time for attempt #3.
Got moving at 9am, after only about half an hour of packing and checking gear - getting packed up is something worth practicing. I'm using the same route as last time, and one nice thing about retracing the route is that you don't really need directions. Komoot says something ambiguous like "turn right into into Stationsweg", but there's bikepaths on both sides of the road, and there's barriers to prevent crossing - which side should I take? I remember this from two weeks ago and know the next turnoff is further along and it doesn't matter, both sides are OK. So it does mean a few less stops.
From left to right: roadworks. View from the IJburg bridge. View back towards Amsterdam city. Another excellent rural bikepath.
It's still full autumn color. It's been like this for several weeks, now I think about it: orange leaves on the trees and in heaps on the ground. It's very pretty and colorful and I've stopped to take photos so often, I now pause and wonder if I really need another. Mostly the answer is "yes"... but I'll try to keep things balanced in the photo gallery.
It's about ten degrees, it's a nice blue sky with no clouds. The raincoat has been packed away all day. It's quite dry, it feels like there's no spray back from the wheel, but I suppose I won't know until I get home. Or use a chair.
On reflection, this is a great day to go for a ride - it's cold enough to keep you from getting hot and sweaty while spinning along the road, but not so cold that your fingers freeze.
From left to right: One of the many, many, many autumn photos I’ve taken. Green area near Hilversum. More autumn trees. With fog. And a cow. This bridge is covered in greenery, no asphalt; it’s just for animals to transit.
I'm definitely making better time than last time. Over the crossroads where I first saw the "Liquid has been detected in the Lightning connector". Past the McDonalds where I turned around last time. It's only 1130, at least an hour earlier than it was then. Considered taking the drive-through to get a coffee, but thought better of it. I regret it now though.
After this it's roads I haven't been on before. I'm beside a four lane, major road, but the bikepath is generously separated from it - in other countries this would be so exceptionally good it'd be worth mentioning, but here it's kinda expected. After a few kilometers it's among trees, on quiet back roads with no lane markings and more bikes than cars.
Leading to a ferry. It's hooked by an excitingly complicated chain cat's-cradle that keep it restrained. A chain runs from the side of the ferry, to a three small boats trailing downstream, whose job is to keep the chain above water for visibility. I guess that's there to stop the ferry escaping upstream? When it lands on my side a chain-and-pulley rig is pulled out of the water, it looks like it's there to prevent it from getting too close to the bank. Presumably there's a chain running across the river, but it's submerged so it doesn't block other riverboats. The river isn't wide and the trip across the river takes a only a few minutes so it's going to get a lot of use, but it's still surprising involved.
From left to right: I didn’t think there were any slopes in the Netherlands long and steep enough to require a warning sign! Another animal bridge. Unusually nice bikepath. The ferry I just missed. Bike on the next ferry. Approaching Nijmegen on a very nice road.
On the other side is a cafe, and I stop to rehydrate with a coffee and appletart. I wouldn't have dared come here when it was wet, for fear of smearing mud and gravel all over their chairs, but it's dry enough to be safe today. I suggest taking a seat on an easy-to-clean bench but I'm directed to a seat with back cushion. The waiter probably didn't understand the dangers here, but I leave the seat grit-free so it's OK.
After that it's not far to Nijmegen. The route approaches along the river, so there's a nice view of Nijmegen in the distance. There's a big bridge to get across ... and stairs to go up to it.
This seems to be a fact of life with long-distance cycling: once in a while, you need to carry the bike. Bike and panniers weigh under thirty kilograms so it's not too bad. I've done this an awful lot now. Grab the bike at the bottom of the seat tube, left hand for the handlebars. A few flights of stairs is no problem.
From left to right: Two flights of stairs to get up to Tacitus Bridge. The bridge stays. I took the wrong way, and getting back on the right route went up these stairs. Spectacular large locks. The end, in Germany.
Over Tacitus Bridge, four lanes of traffic going each way but with a cable-stayed fan-style which I do like. The bikepath is a two-way, and generously wide. I'm going to miss this extravagance when I'm on State Highway 6 in NZ with trucks and campervans and no road shoulders.
The German border approaches. This being Europe there's no buildings or fence or gates, no flags, not even a sign. I'd like a photo to commemerate the moment but there's nothing Germanic in sight. I continue on in search of anything, but run out of enthusiasm after half a kilometer. A selfie with trees obscuring a lake is all that's possible. Nothing that looks noticeably German at all. I give up and head for the Nijmegen station and the train home.
One reason I came this way is because there's direct trains home - but it's still nearly two hours of travelling. It's after dark when I arrive in Amsterdam, I still need to ride the final section from ArenA - once again, I'm riding home in the dark. Unlike last time I have charged lights! Maybe these training rides do brings some benefits after all.
