Tuesday 29 July 2014

2014-07-27 - Zadar (HR) - Split (HR)

On this day I could say that was divided in 2 parts: the cold, wet, wind and rainy, and the warmer, sunny and mountain part.
Left Zadar with nonstop rain, so testing my wys to have my baggage waterproof and seems it worked! However I was completely wet, specially on my feet and legs.
Then after pass Sibenik where I had a little break, the rainy clouds went away and I made the option to choose the hilly and shorter route! This route was also better as the traffic was much less intense than the Croatian national road number 8.
A few kilometres after Sibernik and in the mountain area, I saw a little bird stopped in the road. Of course I had to stop and bring him to safe place.
And so this was my day in photos:

The Island of love! Just a few km after Zadar.

This was how I made my baggage waterproof, should have done the same to the front part. Very close to Sibernik

In Sibernik and after a lunch break.

And the little bird, initially in the middle of the road on which I put him in a safer place, hope he is still alive!

Already able to see Split, but still around 25km to make

And finished in Split! Completely dry, except my feet!


Concerning about the route and statistics: 151,18km in 7:40:54, average 19,68km/h, max 59,30km/h. Trip total 1745,99km, Bike total 7102km
As for the Audio, perfect for rain and sunny moments: MQ3 - 26 July 2014

And here is an overview of what was done so far:





Saturday 26 July 2014

2014-07-25 - Rijeka (HR) - Zadar (HR)

This was the longest journey so far, with also several up and downhill but the view.... the view.... well... see for yourselves! No comments needed!













And as for the route and statistics with several elevations by the coast: 228,27km in 10:45:00, average 21,22km/h, max 60,96km/h, trip total 1579,67km, bike total 6936km

Thursday 24 July 2014

2014-07-23 - Ljubljana (SI) - Rijeka (HR-Croatia)

After a deserved 4 day rest in Ljubljana on which I was wise to delay the journey as I would face floods and intense rain, again on this day I was blessed with a very nice weather! Cloudy and not too hot as I had quite a few mountains to pedal! Also another fact is in both of my legs started to bleed in the upper part due to the use of Summer socks, now is mostly healed but with some attention to have. Not enough to stop me.
I had instructed the GPS to avoid dirt roads however it was indicated me to go on a more than 10km mainly uphill, but as the location was really beautiful, even though the trees didn't allowed to see much.
Back to the main roads, there were quite some intense traffic on the way yo the border, and after crossed the border (the border control didn't even care to open my passport), the road was mainly downhill but still with many mountains and I just saw the Adriatic sea just a few km before Rikeja. A beautiful arrival!


Still in Slovenia and on a dirt road constantly uphill 
Entering Croatia
And the first moment I saw the sea, right near Rijeka


As for the statistics: 144,91km in 7:57:44, average 18,19km/h, max 53,84km/h, trip total 1339,88km, bike total 6696km
And the audio: MQ3 - 19 July 2014

Tuesday 22 July 2014

2014-07-19 - Slovenska Bistrica (SI) - Ljubljana (SI)

Unlike the previous day and after leave my host also early morning, the journey was mostly hilly and with very big steep roads to cross, lucky the wind was a little helpful while riding uphill.
After reach the Trojane pass on which is considered the sweetest place in Slovenia, and seems I had to try the local sweet (which was my lunch), reaching the Slovenian capital was much easier!


Started riding early morning with the Sun on my back

In Trojane after climbed all the mountain

And the arrival to Ljubljana

As for the statistics: 124,86km in 7:05:55, Average 17,58km/h, max 61,53km/h, bike total: 6551km
And the audio set: MQ3 - 22 March 2014

2014-07-18 - Graz (AT) - Slovenska Bistrica (SI)

As my host had to leave early and with the new tyre on the rear wheel, my arrival to Slovenia was much earlier than usual.
The route by himself was also a very easy one and even arrived to Maribor earlier than lunch time!
No big facts to add on this day only another very host day.


Entering Slovenia

And passing by Maribor


As for the statistics: 99,68km in 5:58:36, average 16,67km/h, max 67,95 km/h, bike total 6425 and back wheel with new tyre

Thursday 17 July 2014

2014-07-16 Szombathely (HU) - Gleisdorf (AT)

On this day I believe I had the record of ups and downs! While leaving Hungary the road was mainly flat and even with side wind the journey was not that hard, once entered the Austrian side, It was full of hills on which in most cases I had to walk (would be useless to cycle and force the mechanics) and while going downhill the awesome feeling of going down didn't last long!
Adding to the gravity difficulties, the back wheel tyre made me be more cautious and as there were some stormy clouds approaching and with the tyre being wider with the imminence of a flat, I made the option to go to Graz by train and replace the tyre properly while I am in a populated area. After all I don't want to have the same experience that happened to me in Canada where the rear wheel simply broke up and I was stranded in the middle of nowhere!


Back to Austria

Hills hills and mountains

This time I had to catch a train as I do not trust the back wheel tire conditions


So the day was something like this: 102,08km in 5:57:29, average 17,13km/h, max speed 63,3km/h, trip total 925,43, bike total 6281km
And for the soundtrack: Caribou - Can't do without you

Tuesday 15 July 2014

2014-07-15 Vienna (AT) - Szombathely (HU)

Well, this day was a very hot day but this time with mostly good wind! That allowed me to have a good average until I got the hilly and mountain parts of the Austrian road B50.
Already on the Hungarian side the road was mostly flat but there is always an inconvenient side on the Hungarin roads that is complete nonsense.
I will explain on the next post.


A long (and only) uphill:

Another country passed: Hungary

And arrival to Szombathely

As for the statistics: 146,53km in 6:48:01 average 21,54km/h max speed 54,88km/h trip total: 823,35km, bike total 6179 km
And as for the audio and with the lack of the FM4 coverage, the Audio was this one: WhoMadeWho - Hiding In Darkness

Thursday 10 July 2014

2014-07-09 Bratislava (SK) - Vienna (AT)

These 2 capitals are quite close, completely flat, however what happens in flat places, and no mountains nearby, the wind gets stronger and stronger, actually I felt stronger than the stormy weather on the previous day!
I was planning to do a slow journey also, but again this wind.... the good part is that everything was so clear and perfect for pictures.

Austria on the left, leaving Slovakia on the right over the Moravia river

And after the bridge the Schloss Hof in Austria
Arrived to Vienna...

 .. with free (non alcoholic) beer on my arrival! That was a very nice arrival!


The statistical part was :72,93km in 5:08:24, Average 14,19km/h, Max Speed 47,04km/h, trip total 642,69km bike total 5998km

As for the audio and as Radio FM4 is from Austria and has FM coverage, this radio will be my main soundtrack as I love their diversity (spoken in English and German with news also in French), and of course by their music taste. This was the sound I listened once crossed the border: Oliver Koletzki feat. HVOB - Bones


Wednesday 9 July 2014

2014-07-08 - Trencin (SK) - Bratislava (SK)

This day was quite famous in some events.
Convinced the bike path would be asphalt most of the journey I decided to risk it, but after pass a construction site it turned out to be a dead end, as I am not the type to not return via same path and as the maps still shown some other routes, I have followed them and it lead me to the music festival venue, however the access gate was closed and had to go on non asphalted road.
As the bike is heavy and I have not lost enough weight, I had a flat which delayed me around 40 minutes:

Convinced this delay would be a bad thing, I actually have found that it was the best that happened to this trip, as we weather forecast predicted several thunderstorms and strong winds.
I faced random winds but still was able to pedal with the normal average.
On this image is easy to see the storm passing over Trnava (Slovakia), there was also another storm behind me as well. 



Once I cycled Trnava, the city was completely wet, some parts of trees broken and a messy traffic jam which made me not possible to make photos while riding however this broken tree shows how violent was the storm and what I have escaped from!



Continuing to Bratislava just some opposite wind and with more sunny moments.

So this was my riding day: 149.58km in 7:44:00 average 19.34km/h max 43,29km/h travel total 569,76km, bike total 5926km (A little note is the Sports tracker logs are mainly from city center to city center/point of interest and the bike computer ones includes also the journey to my hosting place, which of course is not shown on the Sports tracker)
About the soundtrack: MQ3-10-MAY-14 

Sunday 6 July 2014

2014-07-06 - Brno (CZ) - Trencin (SK)

The Czech and the Slovak road 50...
Started leaving Brno with some hills, then mostly flat but very few trees on the way and the sun was like a desert sun! Needed constant hydration. Once left the South Moravian region the first mountain appeared and as it was too steep and due to my heavy cargo, the best option was to walk as I intend the mechanical parts of the bike to last longer, I recovered some time in the wonderful downhill with speeds mostly above the 50km/h with refreshing wind on my face and the shadows in the forest area. Only the little bad thing is there was only one spot of water supply in Czech Republic since this journey. I also noticed Czechs love bikes (on the roof of the car ;) ). And was also cool to great other bikers and motobikers on my way! Beautiful!
Then crossing the border was even more steep and once reach Slovakia was just to admire the sun, the downhill and the mountains, very very relaxing!
Arriving to Trencin already in the flat part was also ok.
I am glad that little by little I will be more ready to climb more mountains, which I expect that will be much more!


And my quote of the day: What goes up....



... must go down (and vice versa, means you are alive!)

Slovakia, same road number 50

And hot arrival to Trencin

As for the route (I recommend you to have a look so you can compare the speed and altitude I had to made, was a real challenging one!): 145.19km in 7:36:46 average 19.07km/h max speed 67,95km/h Season total: 420,18km, bike total 5776km
As for the audio of the day, definitely the new set was perfect for climbing mountains! Listened more than 3 times! : MQ3 5 July 2014

Saturday 5 July 2014

2014-07-05 Pardubice (CZ) - Brno (CZ)

Today was more hilly and with several detours, the wind did not helped either, however lucky when going downhill with all the weight that I carry is kinda wind proof!
In Vraclav had the first flat which helped me to delay, but also seems this delay saved me a wet journey at lunch time. Anyway arriving to Brno still had some rain which actually was a good help, very refreshing!



Brezova Nad Svitavou

And arrival to Brno quite wet

This time there was no GPS crash so this was my day: Pardubice (CZ) - Brno (CZ): 161,89km in 8:40:00, average 18,68km/h max 50,96km/h bike total 5631km: detailed logs with photos in Sports Tracker

And for the audio of the day, very relaxing on dark light rainy days: MQ3 - 5 May 2014

2014-07-04 Prague (CZ) - Pardubice (CZ)

Hello all,
Back to undetermined bike riding and while I have no final proposals concerning work challenges, I decided to do what I mostly do in situations like this: Biking.
The weather was hot, days are still long, and have a few friends to visit on the way... so is a perfect combination!
This first journey have to say that was quite hard, even though the road was mostly flat. Too much initial weight and as I was not biking long distance since quite a big time made me even a bigger initial challenge! But still made it!
Now I will upload al tracks with sports tracker as daily as possible and hope without any application or GPS crash (which happened this first day, maybe too hot day?)
The track was logged here: http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/workout/sergiomfa/40cr0nuvgf99me85


The departure from Prague:


 This was actually my main lunch...
 And my arrival to Pardubice

As for the stats of the day: 113,1km in 6:18:51, average 17,91km/h max 46,15km/h bike total 5469km
The audio soundtrack was actually a set made by Miguel Quintao: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Miguel-Quintao/304953402954673?fref=ts
on which I chose the edition of the 5th October 2013 as initial song of the day: http://www.mixcloud.com/mquintao/mq3-05-10-13/
Enjoy and tomorrow more will come!