Fredicia to Vejen: Another bike shop and lots of hills
Dan Hostel in Fredicia has a level of luxury unlike other hostels so far. Each suite has a view over a small lake and a miniature replica of Fredricia in the 1800's. It is quite charming. As you walked into the reception area, the lobby feels like a nice hotel. In hopes of fixing our Rohloff hub we found an excellent bike shop nearby. The owner/mechanic has been working on bikes for over 40 years, has never worked on or seen a Rohloff hub, yet he figured out the problem. The cables inside the rear clasp were twisted which prevented it from working properly. What a relief, we now have our granny gear back!! He refused our offer of payment for his work, even though he had spent some time on our bike. His 5 year old grandson was his shadow in the shop and was most curious about our bike. Apparently, when he was four, he was given some bike tools and has shown much aptitude. The owner also explained to us that this time of the year, the flint on the roads is very dangerous for bike tires. Appparently, when there has been rain, the flint angles up and pierces tires. This certainly explains our recent run of bad luck. He also told us that the flint is so sharp that one could even shave with it. Considering that Barry hasn't had a hair cut or beard trim in 3 months, we think that he might defeat the flint...but if we find some, perhaps we'll give it a try. One of the fellows at the shop gave us good advice on our route to Vejen. After yesterday, we are not too anxious to stick closely to cycle routes. His option followed #191 which is more direct. The ride was very hilly but doable as we now have all of our gears working. We are tired from the ride, but it has been a good day. It seems to be out pattern/good fortune? to share hostels with large groups of students - but Vejen Hostel presented an extreme situation in that there are 1500 boys here for the weekend participating in a football(soccer) camp. The level of excitement and energy was off the charts when we checked in. Boys were coming up to us in groups wanting to see our bike. After the solitude of riding for hours, it was a bit overwhelming. Luckily the wing we are staying in is quiet and away from the lads.
The lobby/front lounge of the Dan Hostel at Fredricia. It feels and looks like a 5 star hotel with a great view. Denmark excels at offering great value in their hostels. They welcome all age groups and cater to business conferences as well.
In the distance you can see the miniature reconstruction of Fredricia from the 1800's complete with the fortifications and moat - quite interesting to see from the terrace outside our room.
A truly great bike shop in Fredricia - Cykle Service. The owner has been working on bikes for over 40 years and his staff share his passion for bikes and excellence of service. We are so grateful that he fixed our Rohloff hub.
Outside the bike shop was a group assembled to promote mountain biking for women. They were doing 2 rides that day - the bike store supports the undertaking. The sponsor was Dini Tours who do supported bike tours in Europe, Scandinavia and are also going to do some in California. We were intrigued by the 8 day tour they do from Denmark to Paris to see the final stage of the Tour de France. The woman who owns the Tour Company, saw us and came over to offer us food for the road - cookies, cakes, crackers, etc. An amazing load of stuff.
Christine at Vejen Hostel was a very helpful and energetic worker. She had travelled in Asia and we enjoyed talking to her about travelling. Christine typifies the high calibre of workers at the Hostels in Denmark.
