September 9, 2022
Day 7 - Glurns to Meran (Abandon at Göflan)
Rear hub failure forced us to taxi to Meran
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Rain this morning. And thunder. The weather report looked ominous. But maybe, just maybe, if we timed it right, we could get to Meran without getting soaked.
Breakfast in the Flurin suites was like everything else in the place. Very hip and somehow not very satisfying. We checked out and got the bike out of the barn it had stayed in overnight, sliding it out from beside the ancient tractor that had kept it company.
Out into the rain and traffic of Friday morning Glurns. For a small town, it’s incredibly busy! We set off down the bike path in a light rain and a cold wind. Not a great morning for riding. Or for taking pictures.
As we rode, though, the weather improved. The rain stopped and the big grey clouds in our direction of travel were moving faster than we were. We started looking around and we’re astounded by the number of apples on trees everywhere. So many apples!
The bike path was interesting. It alternated between beautiful tarmac and gravel. Due to the recent rains, there were lots of puddles and mud in the gravel portions. The bike and our bags were getting filthy! A good reminder in why we travel with fenders, even in the summer.
A long gravel segment took us across the valley to Prato Allo Stelvio, which is probably as close to the Stelvio as we’ll ever get. We then turned down the valley for a wonderful run between the apple trees.
Unfortunately, we then hit some trouble. We were rolling along gravel in the middle of nowhere and came to a beautiful covered bridge. The gravel at the edge of the bridge had washed away, creating a little “step” up to the wooden surface of the bridge. This step was evidently too much for our rear hub, because we immediately were serenaded by the sounds of grinding metal as our rear cassette threw the chain off the chain wheel.
We ground to a halt on the other side of the bridge. It was pretty clear that we were done riding. At least for the day. Google maps told us we were a 30 minute walk from the nearest town. So we gritted our teeth and coasted downhill, trying to ignore the awful noises emanating from the rear hub.
We popped out into the little town of Göflan, where, like a mirage, a small cafe appeared across the river. With bikes parked around it! We decided to have some coffee and decide what to do.
Double espressos are good for decison-making. Rich made a couple of calls and was able, in his horrible German, to get a taxi to agree to deliver us to Meran. But it would be a 90 minute wait. No problem! We were in a cafe!
While waiting, Rich shrunk the tandem. (He’s getting a lot of practice at this); The taxi service arrived at the appointed hour, and we were in Meran by 1500.
We went straight to the bike shop, “Gruber Bike Point” on the Via Portici. They were amazing! The mechanic came down to look at the bike, said “I’m not sure: Come back in 30 minutes”, and disappeared with the bike.
We went to our hotel (the Suite Seven Meran), checked in, and went back to the bike shop. When we got there, he had already fixed one broken bearing and was working on the freewheel bearing. It looked promising! He said to come back at 1800, so we went out to see the town a bit.
When we came back, our bike was done! With a tag on it specifying the parts replaced and labor. 70 euros and it looks like our tour can continue!
We took the bike back to the hotel and the happy staff vanished into the basement with it. We celebrated with our standard pizza and salad dinner.
We often marvel at our incredible luck, but this is beyond belief! Twice in this trip we’ve been at the point of abandoning, only to be rescued. It’s hard to express the gratitude we feel for this good fortune.
Tomorrow is a rest day, but we’ll be back on the road Sunday!
Today's ride: 24 km (15 miles)
Total: 329 km (204 miles)
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