Austria 2011

Well after riding to the Austrian Alps for the past three years I thought it was time for a change so have decided to ride to the Alps again!!!

All Blog posts are being done from my iPhone as are the photos used. I am using BlogPress for iPhone to create it and will tidy the posts up as and when I can.

OK so it looks like a fourth year at Landeck in the Tyrol. Let me explain - besides being an absolutely superb base to ride out of, it is reasonably close ( about 1000 miles away) and the hospitality is second to none for a motorcyclist on tour.

What I want to do for this Blog is to write a bit more about the planning and preparation for the trip in the hope that having been there so many times I have now sorted both the bike and route out so that the maximum enjoyment can be had at the least cost.

Another factor affecting this years trip was a major upheaval in work which left me wondering if I would have a job at this time. I am pleased to record that after some stressful times I am still in post, a changed role and an impeding drop in salary but manageable - hence the focus this time on maximising the enjoyment for the costs.

So I am off to the Tyrol again, but hey it is biking heaven.

Luggage sorted out and all my bits and pieces carefully checked rechecked rejected and added again - will I never learn!


So bike packed and loaded ready to go.



The ride up from home to the ferry was uneventful - the usual motorway drag. Motorway food is kind of OK but I shudder at what our overseas gourmets think of it.



I stayed overnight at Ashford Travelodge so I could be up for the 8.15 Ferry.

You meet the strangest but nicest people biking - I don't think these bikes were up for a European Tour!




So here I am at the Ferry. At the front next to a guy who had an adventure bike but is going to Peage it to Germany!



The weather in France was quite dull and overcast today for the ride down to Charleville - Mezierre but it brightened up. I managed to get a wifi at McD! Where would we be without Maccie D ( if you want to use that slogan you are going to have to pay me!)



I called in at the Matisse Museum in Le Cateau - I have been there a few times so it was a flying visit.




So tonight it is rest, a natter with some other bikers in the F1 Hotel in Charleville and then tuck onto some Poule Fume et Salade et Baguette - cette formidable!


Up not so bright and early today because I forgot to change my watch - No worries I needed the sleep - This F1 had the creakiest floor known to mankind! It was clearly a tourist attraction because all of France came to see it last night!!!

Check out the new TVs I plugged in my iPhone and watched a film last night - good move F1.



Another legendary (not) F1 Brekkie and away to go.




Next stop Strasbourg.

Today is Friday and day 3 of the tour. I took all D roads today from Charleville to Strasbourg, just over 200 miles of twists, turns, villages and big landscape. Great riding roads in a country with very quiet roads.

You can tell you are in France when this happens - no cars for half an hour then this!!! I couldn't have done it better if I had planned it.


I saw a sign for a 1st World War Monument and found something quite moving - this little village was completely destroyed in the war and has been opened up as a memorial and stark reminder "lest we forget"

I was a little concerned walking around as a sign clearly asks that you stick to the paths as there are still potentially unexploded bombs etc in the ground - yikes!













Rest in peace mon amis et merci





One of the many great things about biking is that you can stop where you like - especially when something catches my photographic eye. The French just have a way with colour sometimes.



Did you know that French McDonalds signs are green and gold because they thought the French would take to the attack on the taste buds better! I kid you not. Great wraps though. Oh and in case you think I have a McD fetish it's only when biking - easy, simple, cheap and free wifi!!!




French D Roads are simply the best for biking - often twisty often straight often through villages and never ever boring.






Saturday - Disaster strikes!

 Saturday
Well today turned out to be a bit of an epic. I left the hotel bright and early for the ride from France through Germany and into Austria. The route was my usual D33 and D31 taking me over the Rhine and into the Black Forest - all was going well at that point - the sun was out and the roads well surfaced and interesting.

This is Black Forest Clock world! There is a lovely climb along the route with some testing twisties on it so off I went - I knew something was wrong when a Ford Fiesta passed me going up - my bike seemed a little twitchy - I put this down to me riding too quickly chasing a German boy racer and my heavy luggage.

I was to discover a little time later that I had a slow puncture in the rear wheel ! No big deal normally except this bike has tubes in it's tyres so no quick plug fix.

I know the theory and have seen the practice but have not done it myself so this was a challenge. To cut this post a bit short I managed to get the tyre off and tube out and fix the 2 yes 2 holes in the tube - fitted it all back and then started to inflate - but it was not holding the air so off with the tyre again and there was the offending 3rd hole!!! I patched it and refitted the tyre and the wheel and off I went en route for Austria.

The first puncture was repaired in a supermarket carpark near the Swiss border, the second attempt was in another Supermarket Carpark in Germany above Lake Konstanz. There were some really helpful people here with at least 6 or more coming over to offer help and words of encouragement. One guy even offered to get a van and take me to his house where he had tools and a compressor. Luckily I carry all that is needed including a small compressor (well worth having).





All was going well and the about 60 miles on and 25 miles short of my destination down it went again except this time just inside the mouth of a 6Km tunnel - no chance of stopping so I moved forward to take the weight off the wheel a bit and rode it flat keeping up the speed in order that centrifugal force kept it at least resembling a tyre. It squirmed and kicked and had me hanging on but eventually I got out of the tunnel and pulled over. The tyre is quite wide on a narrow rim as it is designed to protect the run in situations like this - it worked. The tyre was very hot but yet again off it came and I was pleased that the tube was still complete as was the valve but all 3 patches had come off. I think the tyre heat from the fully loaded bike probably melted the glue on the patches after a while.

So it was back to square one again - 3 more patches and an hour later I was back on the road - I had to wait for the tyre to cool down ( I can do it in 20 mins now!)

I got to Landeck a few hours later than planned but the great news was Klaus the hotel owner was in the yard when I arrived - I told him I needed a tube or two! so he phoned his mechanic and said I would have what I wanted in the morning. What service and the morning would be a Sunday!

Also at the hotel were two friends I met both last year and the year before so over dinner there was plenty of story telling.

Sunday

My room is great - good view and a flat screen TV with phono plugs so I can plug in my iPhone!
Here is the view from my veranda.






Today, true to his word, Didier the Mechanic turned up and opened the store at the hotel where a veritable selection of tyres and tubes awaited the traveller in need. I asked for 2 rears and 1 front tubes to be safe - mine for 35 euros - a bargain.

By 10.30am I had taken the wheel off and replaced the punctured tube with a fresh new one (ironically it had held air overnight - but better to be sure).

This meant I had the most part of the day free and the sun was shining so I went up to Imst and over the Hahntenn-joch Pass 1894Mts high followed by the Fernpass 1216Mts.
















I had lunch at a favorite spot overlooking some beautiful lakes and mountains.









There seemed to be a series a of festivals and gatherings today as the roads were congested so the ride back was not as good as previous years.

Anyhow back in time for afternoon tea and compare journeys with others. Tonight's menu choice is Duck, yum!

Monday

I felt quite tired today - I think the journey down and the punctures were taking their toll. But the riding is too good to miss and the sun is shining so make hay while the sun shines they say - I have no intention of making hay but saw lots on the run today!

I decided to do the Alberg and Silvretta Passes today - it is a round route and usually very pleasant - today was no different except I can now get around without a map and getting lost!

When I got to the top of the Alberg Pass I noticed 2 Africa Twin Bikes like mine - well not quite, it turned out to be the model before mine and the one before that - so 3 versions all next to each other.




The owners were a young couple from Austria who were touring to Switzerland and Croatia with plans to ride through Africa to Cape Town next year.




I was surprised to see a woman riding an Africa Twin because they are so high but clearly she had long legs! So stories were swopped and gadgets compared - I particularly liked the under bash plate tool box - mmm a winter project methinks.

They left before me but got held up in some traffic which meant we were able to ride as 3 bikes for quite a few miles - both were good riders and clearly knew their bikes.

We parted company at Bludenz with a toot and a wave they went on to the border while I turned left for the Silvretta.



Turning meant I now had the sun in my eyes but it was fine and very soon I was climbing the steep and twisty route to the top.



I stopped to get some photos from half way up and tried a new App that I downloaded this week which creates panoramic views of stitched photos - it's called Photosynth, it's free and is easy to use.




The top of the pass has a large cafe where a bikers parking area has been created.



There is an outside terrace overlooking the dam and so I lunched on what is really a dessert but is so so good and filling you don't need any more.




At the cafe I met up with some of the people at the hotel who were making their way around. Some nattering took place and an interest in the video kit I have was shown.

One of the bikers offered to have my GoPro camera fixed to the rear of the bike so I could be filmed! At last some film of me riding - I cannot post it now but will update the blog at a later date.



The ride down was very gentle and not anywhere as steep as going up the other side so gentle meandering was the order of the day.

Apparently they do!


Just before getting back to the hotel I noticed that Landeck now has a Lidl so just had to pay a visit - I am not that impressed but perhaps it was one of those nothing really much in stock weeks.

Back at the hotel I made use of the power washer and gave the bike it's first clean of the trip.

I am enjoying a cup of coffee while watching a Discovery programme in German on television oh yes and writing this blog post!

Tonight's menu choice for me is Veal casserole - they do it well here.

Tomorrow I hope to ride the Stelvio Pass into Italy.


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Location:From Wales to Austria