June 4, 2022
Day 53: Bischofshofen to Bad Gastein
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We have to begin with a shoutout to Alexander Lacher and his shop in Bischofshoven. Alexander not only diagnosed the problem with my rear brake, but he had the parts, the expertise, and the timing to put it right before we needed to leave this morning.
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Our second shoutout goes to Dodie. She guessed the problem as a fluid leak, long ago. Also, to build on her cycle mechanic credentials, she et some folks at the bike garage of our Pension, an talk turned to the likelihood of pushing the ebikes up the hill at Bad Gastein. Dodie commented that at least there is the walk assist, but the people denied having that on their bikes. Dodie showed them how to do it, and it was all news. Now that we have been through Bad Gastein, we know for sure that this tip will have been of very great use to them.
The Pension helped us by doing their breakfast as set plates of stuff brought to the table. The amounts were generous and the arrangement allowed us to easily take a good bit along with us for the road. With this particular road, that was a big boost.
I have been tiresomely, here in the blog, deriding the beautiful ebikes from Netherlands that we are using, and drooling over the mountain versions that are passing us in droves. It used to be that we looked at oncoming bikes (like in northern Germany) and remarked that 90% were ebikes. Now, here, 90% are still ebikes, but 100% of those (minus ours) are mountain versions. Here, standing outside Radsport Lacher is an example of one. Note the 11 speed derailleur system, incredibly compact motor - twice as powerful as ours, battery in the downtube > 50% more storage than mine, 29" wheels, and disc brakes. Just 3,699 euros and I'd be off! (Oh oh, no fenders or racks, so forget it!)
With one last look out our window, and a wave to the church downtown, we set off on what had been touted as potentially one of the most exciting days of the tour. This was to be when we would really confront some Alps.
One leaving town, we did not immediately "confront" any Alps, but they certainly were standing all around, many very tall, rocky, and some fairly snow covered. Another huge aspect of the scenery were the meadows (Alm) to be seen climbing most of the lower slopes, with huts or houses or even villages to be seen way up there. I must admit this far surpasses anything Heidi was able to muster, for Heididorf!
A first adventure for the day came in the vicinity of St Johann. It began with a sign seeming to offer a "difficult route" for anyone who - might be interested? We naturally swept past this one. But further down the line and over a bridge, some teeth were added to the difficult route offer, given that the normal route was blockaded.
The people who set this up had made several errors. The first was in marketing. Instead of calling it the "difficult route" they just needed to say "alternate" or "detour". But Dodie refused to accept the "difficult" deal. Some bureaucrat had taken the trouble to make a large map, showing the regular and difficult arrangement. Dodie was still not buying it. We were mulling the options when three mountain bikers came along. Like us, the read the signs, they traced the routes on the map with their fingers and tried to see the best way to go back and get onto the difficult option. But like Dodie, they then decided "screw it" , cycled over, and dismantled the barricade.
That was a Grampie type move, but it is risky, because several km down the way there could be a giant impassable crater, or some other good reason the construction crew had gone to such lengths to keep you out. Anyway, the die was cast, and we followed the mountain bikers in.
Yes sure, the crew had a couple of toys set out, like a mini excavator, and they had thrown down some rough gravel here and there, but that was it!
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The plot abut really being in the Alps today had two major acts, as I imagined them. The first was something about a long tunnel, and the second was a supposed big hill at "Bad Gastein". But reality turned out a little differently. Reality set in not far from the detour thing, when the track just quietly took a turn for the "up". From then it was up and up, and up. It was just at the limit of our ability. First gear and turbo assist, and push those pedals as hard as you can.
The inevitable result of this turbo-ing and pushing was that we rose high into the sides of the mountains. I am a little, ok a lot, afraid of heights, and I was not comfortable. The ups also had some downs, and now I could see that what would have been the plan had the rear brake not been repaired - just use the front - would not have worked. I tried it, and the bike just kept accelerating. I would have had to hit the eject, or crash, or both.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geranium
2 years ago
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The often mentioned tunnel did then appear. Cyclists that we have been playing tag with on and off came along and charged right in. We stopped, to take off our sun glasses and turn on our lights. Then we went in. There turned out to be a first, shortish, tunnel and then the long one. In between, the other eight cyclists came shooting back, seeming to say "wrong way". But we relied on our own judgement, and carried on.
The 1 1/2 km tunnel was noisy, with cars going through far too fast. However it was also cool, which was appreciated on this hot day. We emerged at the other end in good order, and eventually saw the other cyclists. Not sure at all what they did or where they went.
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2 years ago
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After the tunnel, we were lulled by a long spell of cycling on the relative flat of the valley floor. The valley is called the Gastein valley after the river that runs through it, naturally.
The scenario in my head, having no previous knowledge, involved some sort of long long slope, leading up to the little village "Bad Gastein". That scenario comes from the Canadian rockies, like somewhere on the Icefields Parkway. But guess what, Steve, you are not in Alberta any more!
The actual story is that Bad Gastein is an old a very famous city, which hit its peak during the Belle Epoque in the late 1800's. It is stuffed with elegant hotels that seem to be from that era. Most significantly it is built in on and around a mountain, and there are hundreds of feet from the roofs of some buildings up to the entrances of others. Also very exciting, the river gushes down through the middle of the city in quite a waterfall.
So the Bad Gastein thing is that you go up up through sort of city streets, then up and up again - all in the city. We cycled some of the slopes in Bad Gastein, but also used walk assist and trudged up others. Naturally, our Pension is near the top. That is actually a good thing, because perhaps we have already done most of it and will have an easier time tomorrow.
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Tomorrow is Sunday, and Monday is Pfingst (Pentecost). It's a pesky combo. We stopped into a "Hofer" grocery and bought a pile of cookie like products. With these we hope to survive if food is scarce in the next days!
What gave Meaning to Life today? Playing leapfrog with new cycling friends on the same route as we are.
Today's ride: 52 km (32 miles)
Total: 3,006 km (1,867 miles)
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