Every trip needs a crisis, right?

October 31, 2021

Let's get it over with

Dinner at the hotel was okay, especially considering there's nowhere else within walking distance. We each had a big salad and a glass of white wine, plus Al had "pizarra" which I just learned via Google Translate means "board." The waiter had warned him that it was *not* pizza but couldn't describe it in English. He chose "caña de lomo Ibérico Bellota" which turned out to be thin slices of very nice ham (acorn-fed!) with a stack of toasted bread.

The buffet breakfast this morning was pretty good. There weren't many people in the dining room, probably because most of the other guests were from the wedding here last evening and were still sleeping it off. As Al noted, the only ones moving were the old (who had retired early) and the very young. It seemed to be quite a party but it wasn't too noisy.

Next order of business was putting our bikes back together. We had a great place to do it.

I really like this bike case. Easy to manoeuvre and collapsible for storage.

I've pulled the wheel bags out; this was easy to do at the airport for inspection too. One wheel and associated fender in each bag.

And the built-in work stand is fantastic. So much easier on the back!

Now for the crisis. Maple has Di2 (electronic) shifting, which I love, but when I unwrapped the rear derailleur, the wire was broken. No power, no shift. And of course, it's Sunday. Followed by Spain's only public holiday in November.

I contacted a bike shop that was actually open and even had an English-speaking mechanic. Once we'd finished assembly, we rode over. At least the route was reasonably flat since I had only two gears (large or small chainring). Unlike having a broken rear derailleur cable on a bike with mechanical shifting, the functioning cog was not the smallest but the fourth-largest (of 11).

At the shop, he confirmed the issue, took some photos, and said he'd try to locate the part tomorrow if he could find somewhere open. We might have to wait until Tuesday. Good thing we have a flexible schedule!

We wandered around central Malaga, ate a late, large lunch, and rode back to our hotel to sort our gear and be ready to leave tomorrow morning. If we need to spend a third night in Malaga, we'll stay in town or on the beach.

Marqués de Larios was beautifully decorated.

Al didn't bring a change purse and we are using cash for smaller purchases, like food. He hasn't used cash in BC in a couple of years and his (purchased in Girona on a previous trip) is in one of our storage lockers.

To the shop, which happened to be on a closed street so it took us a bit to find it. Then we walked and saved the ride at our lunch stop.

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The return trip was a bit more direct.

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Today's ride: 22 km (14 miles)
Total: 22 km (14 miles)

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Comment on this entry	Comment	8

Scott AndersonBad news about your bike. We’ve had more than our share of arrival crises so I know how unnerving that is. Good luck!

On the other hand, there are a lot of worse places to be held up than Malaga.
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3 years ago

David MathersNice to hear that you have arrived safely and are being well fed. I hope the shifting issue is easily sorted and you are able to hit the road soon. Looking forward to following along!
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3 years ago

Suzanne GibsonOh, to be in the sunny south! Your pictures from Malaga make me feel that even a multi-day car trip from Munich to get there would be worth it. And I really dislike long car trips. Hope your cable can be reapaired soon.
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3 years ago

Susan CarpenterHope you get the Di2 working again soon. I feel your pain as I was in similar situation with a crimped wire a few years ago in Bordeaux. They did not have the correct wire in stock so the bike store mechanic ended up replacing my wire with one off his bike! Looking forward to following your trip.
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3 years ago

Jacquie GaudetI wondered about the danger of this when I got the bike. I plan to look into getting a Shimano plug tool so I can unplug the wire when I pack my bike. Plus a spare wire (though I think it’s not something I’d replace myself).
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3 years ago

Rich FrasierWow, a bike shop open on a Sunday ?? That’s incredible! And those blue skies…we may be moving soon…
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3 years ago

Margie AndersonJust caught up on your whereabouts Jacquie! Look forward to hearing about your bike rental day. Way to go on the travel improvising right out of the shoot!! Did I say jealous? Heavy rain here today… Margie
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3 years ago

Jacquie GaudetTo Rich FrasierBike2Malaga is open every day because their core business is rental and bike tours. They do minor repairs but sent me elsewhere for the Di2 wire.
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3 years ago