July 28, 2024
To Vissingen
We've been apprehensive about today's ride. After easing ourselves into touring mode with shorter, flatter distances, the 70km climbing route that Tour Leader drafted all those months ago looms large in our minds, especially given the hot and humid temperatures of the past few days.
So we have a plan. To be first into breakfast and to be on the road by 8am. It's more like 8.11 (thanks, Strava) but we're off to a good start. Last night's rain showers have helped cool the air considerably. It remains a mystery to me how Strava calcuates the temperature info (average? starting time? finish time?) but yesterday's ride registered at 27 degrees while today's falls to 18. Phew!
Once loaded, we're immediately onto a cycle path to take us out of town. Again, the terrain is varied though very rural once we leave Singen. We initially follow a canal, an expressway and a train line, often surrounded by apple orchards. Later we find ourselves entirely on our own on a hillside concrete path in the midst of vast acres of wheat or maize. After the first quiet hour or so, the rest of Germany wakes up and puts on its cycling clothes to join us. The cavalcade is impressive. Not least, the evidence of a culture of family outings on bikes that one sees in Europe. Twice today, we come across very small children on their bikes pushing hard at the front of their respective family peletons while Mutter and Vater cruise along behind with the baby.
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At around the 16km mark, the ascent begins. It's a 6.5km climb at around 4% gradient - a good reminder for both of us of what lies ahead. At some point, we miss a bike path turn-off so finish the climb on the road. Conveniently, there's an open bar-restaurant at the top. Inconveniently, we waste 8 Euro on the worst coffee we've drunk in ages. We stand outside (no indoor space for the likes of us) in the light rain that just then decides to fall. I console myself with the knowledge that the town at the bottom of the hill has two bakeries, according to Google, and probably sweet treats as a fitting reward for reaching the summit.
Raincoats on, we swoop all the way downhill (exhilarating!) to Geisingen, where - very inconveniently - we remember it's Sunday. No treats for us then.
Just after we cross the Danube, we realise that our bike computers have turned us off the cycle path in favour of a road. We convene a quick route planning session and agree to ditch the pre-loaded RWGPS route in favour of the RadNETZ path (State-wide cycle netwok) for the rest of the day. And what a great job it does of steering us to our destination.
Lunch, at the milestone 50km mark, is in popular Donaueschingen. Nothing's closed here and tourists are milling around the Donauquelle, thinking they're seeing the birth of the Danube. Good on them, but we're smug in the knowledge that we've crossed this legendary waterway twice already this morning. Ha! After a picnic lunch and boil-up in the sun, we join the hordes at an outdoor bar for a cold drink before tackling the last leg of today's ride.
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4 months ago
4 months ago
After the morning's excitement and a big lunch, the final 15km seem a bit of an effort. The sun has emerged, though, and it's a pleasantly warm and straightforward afternoon ride to our hotel in the suburbs of Vissingen. Nothing more to report today.
Today's ride: 65 km (40 miles)
Total: 175 km (109 miles)
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3 months ago