New Lake

Nice and sunny day today, so after college I went out on my first real mountainbike tour.

A friend of mine suggested a track so I cycled that today and it was super. Started of going towards Atlesee and after that past Kögelweiher. Turned of right at some point up a hill and came up behind two castles. After that downhill and past a lake I hadn't known before. One of the first times out this year and I find a new lake. My friend had warned me about some rest of snow on the way which turned out to now be mud. I didn't have my front mud guard on so I was splattered in dirt.

After that through Rebichel and then of home for a shower.

Track at GPSies and some pictures at Picasa.

Time in saddle: 1 hour

Distance: 19 km

Average speed: 19 km/h [ didn't need a calculator for that :) ]

Short Cycle

Just came home from Berufsschule today and as it was bright and sunny outside I thought I'd take a short bike trip round the Grüntensee. Still some snow on the ground, which I will get to later.

Set of, after trying to convince my bro to come with, which didn't work; towards Gschwend. As they are renewing the bridge spanning the Wertach I could cycle on the main road no problem. After Gschwend down into the valley and towards the dam.

Now to the snow bit. As I was cycling through the valley small snow patches appeared on the road, no problem for a mountain bike. Ice is a bit of a different matter and as fate wanted it I slipped on some and came crashing down on a nice ice-stone mix. Received two injuries for that with which I thought I should not carry on round the Grüntensee. Over the dam, past Haslach and back towards Gschwend and home to a shower and to clean my wounds.

Not as planned but here a track at GPSies and a picture at Picasa.

Time in saddle: 25min

Distance: 8,9 km

Average speed: 21,1 km/h

Cycling + Skiing

Skiing today and biking yesterday. Only really possible here and a few other places in the world.

Warm up bike tour round the Grüntensee yesterday with snow still abundant on the mountains. Makes some really interesting views.

Cycled with Dad towards Gschwend first and then further on over the Römerbrücke to Haslach. Of to Wertach where we meet a colleague of his who was also cycling. Whereas we stuck to the tarmac road he cycled on some of road tracks which where covered in snow. Wasn’t that easy apparently. After Wertach it was back toward home and a bath as it still does get cold here in the evenings. Track at GPSies.

Today was of to Schattwald with mum and dad in the morning for a bit of skiing. Brilliant pistes early in the morning which you could really stick to. Went up and down a few times, had a drink and enjoyed the views of the Alps. As dad would say: “shit life” (ironically)

Saturday Bikeride up Aplspitze

Didn't have a clue what to do today. Bright Saturday in summer and I am bored.

Luckily Matze (ex 12Ta) rang up and asked if I wanted to go cycling. I agreed and he asked me if we could do a route here by me as he was coming in the car from Kempten.
He got a bit lost but I meet him by the train station and we set of up the Alpspitze via Maria Trost. Strait at the start Matthias was clearly more trained than me and we hammered up the Alpspitze at 6-7km/h (which is fast for me). Had a few drink and photo stops and we got to Sportheim Böck and then the Fichtelhütte quite fast. Then I had the advantage. Going downhill I hammered past him, also I was the one that new the way. Along the Alpspitz until we meet the road going up to the Stubenthal-Alpe and Matze was faster again. But after that a long downhill race past the Haslacher Alm and on to Reichenbach. On the way we shocked a few people with our speed but nothing happened. Over Bayerstetten back to Nesselwang, said goodby to Matthias on the way to the station and then of home for a nice shower (with a short stop for a drink at Frenches).

Track at GPSies and some pictures at Picasa.

Time in saddle: 2 hours 5 min.

Distance: 25.1 km

Average: 12 km/h

Sunday Cycle up Breitenberg

A day or two ago Jon sent out an e-mail asking all of us who would come up the Breitenberg with him.

At 8.30 am Neill (Dad), Jon, Moni and me where at his house. A few minutes later Karin arrived because she had overslept a bit. She told us that she went to bes at 2 in the morning so she wouldn't be racing of as usual. Noticed nearly strait away that that was not true. She was at the front nearly all the time. We all had our long clothes on as it was about 7°C. On the way we had some discussion as Neill wanted to go via the main road to Kappel and Jon wanted to go the back way. As Jon is the “Boss” we went round the back and got a bit damp going through some high grass and offer a wet wood bridge where dad had his worst accident. Nothing happened this time so we carried on as planned. Through Kappel and then round the Kiemberg, up the back towards Grän and then the long climb up the Breitenberg. Was a bit chilly but no one got frostbite and at the foot of the Breitenberg we got our long clothes of, as it was getting warmer.

I hadn't cycled up a mountain for about 8 weeks so I took it nice and easy, whilst the “tired” Karin raced up the mountain. Thankfully they all stopped from time to time to wait and going up we had a nice view of the Alps. Reaching the top we got our long clothes on again for the downhill ride. Stopped at an Alm and had a drink and a piece of cake whilst the girls got an alcoholic drink to help them down the steep bits.

Just as we wanted to set of Dad had a flat tire and that had to be changed. The girls decided to get a head start and wait at a specific point. After the tire had been fixed I also left a bit early and after a while Jon was on my tail with Dad somewhere behind him. I still reached Karin and Moni first but all signs of Jon had vanished. We where wondering if someone had had an accident and waited a while when Moni looked behind of the hut we where waiting at. Dad and Jon where standing behind there and they where both laughing their heads of. As it turned out Jon had had an accident when he went across a short cut field. He had been getting deeper and deeper into mus when he went over his handlebar, got out of the klikis somehow, did a somersault over the bike and landed in some wet mud. Dad then came racing up behind him and told him to stay put so he could get a picture. Jon and, especially, his bike were completely mud-covered.

After that it was a whiz down the front of the Breitenberg and then of home so Jon wouldn't miss watching Formula 1.

Track at GPSies and pictures from Jon, Dad and me at Picasa.

Race Biking after England

So, back again, after 1 months of not cycling because of my f***ing tow. Destroyed my plan to cycle to England, but next year will hopefully be better.

Started cycling today with race biking, which I am not a that big fan of but today was really good. Just came back from England and before even packing out my suitcase put on two new race bike tires. Of to Jon's quickly to get them pumped up and some gears repaired.

At 18.45 o'clock there were four people there, Jon, Neill (Dad), Moni and me. Perhaps it was just to hot for the rest (about 30°C). Apparently the past week had been like this. Set of towards Marktoberdorf and were in Rückholz fast. Jon spent most of the time at the front as he had a low pulse today and was the GPS-Man. Shortly before Rückholz on a long downhill stretch to get some speed, my back reflector flew of and I bombarded Moni and myself with it. Nothing serious happened so we continued. After Rückholz we went some weird track which shouldn't be done with race bikes (gravel, grass,...) to reach a Geocache which was found fast.

After that of to the next Geocache towards Rückholz. Had to walk through some fields again and reached a nice spot at the edge of a forest overlooking a marsh towards the Alps. Took some time finding the Geocache ( found a heap of bones first) but Moni succeeded in doing so in the end.

Along the road next to the nearest lake and had a short swim. Nice and warm water, really refreshing. Of to Jon's last to have a drink, but exhausted ourself going up the steep hill behind Rückholz.

Nice track but not really for race bikes. My pictures at Picasa and also some from Jon an Neill.

Thursday Tour up to Stubentalalm

Looked outside today at about half past five and the sky had a nice blue, so it should be nice weather to cycle in. At 6o'clock it was looking a bit different with grey clouds coming from the west. But as it didn't look to bad and I had some new waterproof gear I set of on my own to Heidi's (Dad is in Italy working). Picked up Heidi and Gabi on the way to the gym and Karin C. meet us on the way. Arrived at the gym and waited for the rest to appear in the “gloomy” weather.

At exactly 18.45pm (plus/minus a few seconds) group one headed of to the Stubentalalm whilst group two went towards Pfronten. The route was well chosen, because if it started raining we could be home fast. So, of to Reichenbach through Bayerstetten and then up to the Haslacher Alm. Nice and easy up the steep parts to not be completely “ausgelaugt” halfway up and we passed a bench with my favourite saying on it (“Lange Leben will jeder, Alt werden will keiner”). Had a short stop at “the tree” and then up the steep gravel road to the Stubentalalm. A lot of people noticed my new bike (which I have had for a month now, but I haven't cycled that much with the group). Karin and I where just talking about how I might not fall on her that much any more when she fell on me. So had to get of and push a bit as it was steep. Arrived at the Stubentalalm and the whizzed down a tarmac road. Also with my new bike I am a lot more confident going downhill as I have disc brakes now.

After that along a trail to a bridge which had a hole at the other end (not that big, but not cycalble). Jon had to get of as the hole was just waiting for him to go in, so the rest got of too. Along forester roads to the Fichtelhütte, which included some long uphill tracks, but not to steep. Arrived at the Fichtelhütte and it started dripping a bit from the grey clouds. After the Fichtelhütte there is a downhill trail which I didn't cycle but some where mad enough to do it.

Arrived at the top before the downhill part and the wind was picking up, so long clothes on. On the way down Jon encouraged us to go over a “cow stopper” (don't know how they are really called) and I and the rest did it because we trust him.

Then a whiz down to the crossing at Nadelloch. Jon guessed I had gone down the piste as I was there so fast but it was thanks to the new disc brakes that I was confident enough to go faster down the normal trail.

After that it was of to the Bistro for a drink and a chat before home to bed.

Track at GPSies and pictures at Picasa.

Time in saddle: 2 hours 15 min.

Distance: 24.8 km

Average speed: 10.7 km/h