A warm day at last: Test ride to Mariabrunn

March 30, 2008

Last week it snowed and rained and snowed again. I was feeling desperate to get out on my new bike and prove to myself that it is really much better than the old one and that the purchase was by all means justified! The weather forecast for Sunday is warm and sunny at last and I am careful to keep the day free - no visits with dear grandchildren, no dates with family or friends.

We have a traditional day tour that we like to take around Easter. There is no particular reason why we like to go to Mariabrunn in the early spring instead of some place else, but we do. Over the course of years we have found our favorite route for leaving Munich to the north. It entails little traffic, some bike paths and soon we are in the country. Today we are really sailing along, my new bike is fast, and ... oh yes we have a tail wind, too. The ride seems effortless.

We leave Munich to the north through parks and on bike paths

Mariabrunn is the name of a picturesque chapel, completed in 1670, built on the site of a natural spring reputed to have healing powers. But that's not what draws the crowds today. At Mariabrunn there is also a popular beer garden and traditional Bavarian restaurant. Many of the guests have come either on foot or by bicycle.

Parking for the beer garden: Many cyclists out on the first warm day

What an atmosphere of contentment as the early-spring sun filters through the yet bare branches of the chestnut trees to warm the cyclists and hikers as they enjoy their food. Every one has heard of German beer gardens I suppose. But it's about more than just drinking beer. You can drink what you like, water or apple juice, or an Apfelschorle (fizzy water and apple juice mixed, very refreshing and not too sweet) or a Radlermass. You might translate Radlermass as a cyclist's pint, or if you ask for a large one it's a liter. It is a mixture of beer and a lemon-flavored soft drink like sprite. In England I think they call it a shandy and in France it's a panaché. On a hot summer day it hits the spot, not too much alcohol and not too sweet.

Another nice feature of the Bavarian beer gardens is that you usually bring your own picnic. At least that was so in the old days. Today it is also common to buy your food, but it's still self-service.

Beer garden and restaurant at Mariabrunn

North of Munich in early spring: Many hours of sun later and this will be a lush green

Zooming in on Munich at a distance of 26 kilometers: Skyline with Olympic stadium (the shiny roofs in the center) and television tower

As we set off for the return trip Janos gets a flat tire. Fortunately we have a pump and patches with us, unfortunately we don't have a spare tube. With the wind blowing Janos can't hear the air escaping and there is no water near by for him to make the bubble test, so how is he supposed to detect the leak? Several friendly souls stop and offer help and advice, but the only solution is to walk back to the beer garden and hold the tube under water in the rest room. While Janos is working on the inner tube, I examine the tire but am not successful in finding the culprit. Leak found and repaired. Good. Cause not found and removed. Not so good.

Nasty flat tire: Janos can't find the hole in the tube

As we continue on our way I notice that Janos is falling behind. Wow, my new bike is so fast he can't keep up with me. (He won't get his new bike until next week.) When I slow down I notice his rear tire - it has again lost a lot of air and Janos is struggling to cover any ground at all.

The rest of the way home we have to stop often for Janos to pump up his tire. That and the head wind make the ride home, in spite of the new bike, not quite as effortless as the ride out.

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