Where next?

I don’t generally plan large rides in consecutive years – partly to give my body a break, but mostly to give my mind a break from the constant need to stay reasonably fit. So I guess I’ll have to pretend this summer’s 1,800km ride is just a short little tour. Although as I finally get back to some actual training after a long bout of Flu it does not feel that way. The legs are surprisingly strong given my lack of riding – some leftover fitness still from all those kilometres last year. The lungs are in catchup though. Anyhow, enough about that – what is the tour all about?

Towards the end of last year, I threw out the idea to Christoper and Benjamin (buddies I met on NorthCape4000) that I visit them in Munich with my bike, and ride back home afterwards. It’s rare for me to stay in touch with people after a ride but these guys and I just seem to click. Plus Munich is a city I have cycled through twice now and not really seen. The fleeting glimpses I’ve had whilst whizzing along have looked lovely, so the idea of spending a little more time exploring it was immediately attractive.

At this point, you might be wondering about the “riding home” part, given the route above is clearly oriented the other way. That was an accident of our various diaries – we just couldn’t make a weekend work for all of us for the Munich part if I flew out. But switching directions, let me ride out in the 2 weeks I had free and arrive at a time the guys could be around for a few beers and some socials. It’s also quite fitting too – in a year I wouldn’t normally be doing a long ride, I’m also breaking my usual routine and riding out somewhere rather than back home. Have to say, although getting the legs spinning again is a battle I’m starting to really look forward to it. The route now planned, I also get to work on that other favourite of mine: kit planning. There’s a box from Tailfin sitting on the floor as I type this, which I’m very interested to see how it compares as a packing system. I’ve also swapped across to some heavy duty Schwalbe Green Marathon tyres with TPU tubes as an experiment versus the normal tubeless setup I’ve become used too. The idea came from riding buddy Simon and so far it seems good – the tyres are heavier and perhaps don’t roll quite as smoothly. But the extra weight isn’t really noticeable, and if they prove as tough as their reputation it’s one less thing to fiddle with when there are cafes and views to be enjoyed instead.