Day 14, Děčin, Czech Republic - Dodging Rain into the Czech Republic 

Tony's View

Once again, we woke up to an ever-changing weather forecast. Last night, the rain was supposed to hold off until around 4:00 p.m. I checked the Weather.com radar at 6:00 a.m., and everything looked clear. Then Joan got up at 7:30 a.m. and, boom, the forecast changed. Suddenly, we were getting rain until 11:00 a.m. So, it was time to sit around, wait, and put my legendary patience to good use.

Yesterday, I made arrangements for an early check-in at noon. With no rain in the morning forecast and only 40 miles to ride, I figured we could get an early start and enjoy an early arrival. Instead, I sent a WhatsApp message to our host saying that we planned to stay dry and probably wouldn't arrive until around 2:00 p.m.

He replied that was perfectly fine. He also added that the weather near the Elbe River is sometimes very unpredictable, so the rain might not come at all. Local people know their weather. The rest of us just refresh the forecast every 15 minutes and hope for the best. ☔🚴‍♂️😆

We finally decided to head out at 10:30 a.m. and started putting our bicycle back together outside our lodging. Speaking of my legendary patience, I decided to put the fairing back on by myself instead of waiting for Joan to help. As it turns out, trying to do three hands' worth of work with only two hands is not an effective strategy. The fairing slipped out of my hands and hit the ground.

If you remember our crash, you'll also remember the hero mechanic who managed to bend some of the cast aluminum parts back into shape just far enough to work without snapping them. Well, it turns out he had used up the last remaining bit of luck in that metal. When I dropped it, it snapped completely.

So, it was back to the high-tech engineering solution: zip ties, tape, and even some Velcro that I had thoughtfully packed from my Brew Room "just in case." Sometimes experience isn't knowing how to fix things. Sometimes it's knowing exactly which emergency supplies to bring when things inevitably break again. 🚴‍♂️😂🔧

I was able to get it back together fairly well, and amazingly, it stayed together all day today. Joan now has the added challenge of climbing in and out without touching the fairing. Fortunately, we're a little over halfway through the trip, so the fairing only has to survive a 7 more ride days. At this point, part of this fairing is probably destined for the trash, either before the trip ends or at the last AIrbnb before we board the plane home.

So after my engineering masterpiece of zip ties, tape, and Brew Room Velcro was completed, we finally got underway a little after 11:00 a.m. The good news was that we were rolling again. The bad news was that every bump, vibration, and strange noise had us wondering if my latest repair was holding together or preparing for its next dramatic failure.

The fairing, Joan and I have now reached an understanding: it pretends to stay attached, and we pretend not to notice that it's mostly being held together by hope and zip ties. 🚴‍♂️😂🔧

Along the route, wecame across a cool road sign that read: "Frog Crossing Ahead."  The first thing that ran through my mind was our friend Jerry Newell, better known as Frog. They definitely need one of these signs posted at their lake house. I'm pretty sure the sign was intended for amphibians, but let's be honest, it looked like a personalized warning for Jerry. Jane, I'm going to need you to get on this. 😂🐸

If possible, see if you can find one that says "Caution: Frog Crossing. May be carrying a cold beverage." That would be even more accurate. 😂🐸🍺

We encountered our first big climb of the trip today, and thankfully, someone had the foresight to place a bench near the top of the hill. Whether it was intended as a scenic overlook or an emergency recovery station for weary cyclists, we were grateful. After we caught our breath, Joan asked if I had intentionally chosen this route as a training ride for the big climbs waiting for us tomorrow and over the next few days. I assured her that it was completely unintentional. At least, that's my story.

Of course, after surviving the climb, sitting on the bench, and admiring the view, it did seem like pretty good preparation for what's ahead. Unfortunately, I suspect tomorrow's hills won't be nearly as considerate when it comes to providing conveniently placed seating near the top 😂. For now, we'll call today's climb a "warm-up." Tomorrow may provide evidence to the contrary. 😅

As you can see from the pictures above, we came across yet another one of those super-tight gate crossings that were clearly designed for single bikes, not tandems. Joan got off and went exploring for alternatives. When she came back, she announced that our best option appeared to be going over a large rock beside the gate. What could possibly go wrong?

The picture in the upper right shows exactly how far we got. We managed to get the front wheel up on the rock, but there was no way I could lift the rear wheel high enough to get the tandem the rest of the way over. We decided to remove the rear bags and try again. Unfortunately, even without the bags, the bike was still plenty heavy. That's when our new friend Jay stepped in and offered to help lift. With our superhero Jay providing the extra muscle, we finally got the bike over the obstacle and were ready to roll again.

We had actually first met Jay when we were sitting on that bench near the top of the hill. Joan asked her, "Are you out of school already today?" Jay smiled and replied, "I'm 27 years old." 😂We chatted with her for a while before continuing on our way. Then, when she later saw us struggling with our tandem-versus-rock challenge, she came over and volunteered to help.

Encounters like that are one of the best parts of traveling. One minute you're resting on a bench talking to a stranger, and the next minute that stranger has become the hero who saves your day and helps get your heavy tandem back on the trail. 💪😄

We eventually cam across signs along the bike path letting us know that we had officially made it to the Czech Republic. Naturally, we celebrated by sitting on the benches next to the signs and eating more plums. At this point, I think plums have become an official part of our ride nutrition plan.

While we were sitting there, Joan asked me to check the radar and see if we had enough time to stop at a biergarten before heading to the Airbnb. We were feeling pretty good because we had managed to stay dry all day up to that point. In fact, we had already passed up eight biergartens in our ongoing effort to avoid getting caught in the rain. But who's counting? 😂

I pulled up the radar, and it appeared that we had about 45 minutes before the rain arrived. Faced with the difficult decision between beer and staying dry, we did what any sensible cyclists would do, that doesn't want to clean the bike. We immediately went into race mode and booked it toward the Airbnb. As much as we wanted to stop, the thought of unloading gear, hanging up wet clothes, and listening to me complain about riding in the rain was apparently enough motivation to keep pedaling.

So we blew right past biergarten number nine and made a run for the finish, hoping to beat the weather one more time. 🍺🚴‍♂️🌧️😂 It's amazing how quickly a relaxing bike tour can turn into a time trial when a rain cloud appears on the radar.

This is what the barriers look like that you have to navigate around in the Czech Republic. I like these a whole lot better than the ones we dealt with in Germany. The Czech version seems to have been designed by someone who had actually seen a bicycle before. The German versions often felt like they were specifically engineered to test the patience of tandem riders. With these, you can actually get through without removing luggage, lifting the bike, performing advanced geometry calculations, or recruiting random strangers to help.

So far, the Czech Republic is winning the bicycle-barrier competition by a landslide. Sorry, Germany, but after wrestling our tandem through what felt like a series of bicycle obstacle courses, I'm giving this round to the Czechs. 😂🚴‍♂️. Joan is still defending the Germans as you can imagine.

Back at the Airbnb, I made an important cultural excursion to a local beer and wine shop and picked up a few Czech beers. The Czechs are famous for their beer, and so far, I can confirm they seem to know what they're doing. Every one I've tried has been pretty good.

One thing that caught my eye was the bottle cap on one of the beers. Take a look at it. Doesn't it look like a Pepsi cap?  Fortunately, after opening the bottle, I can report that it tastes much better than Pepsi. 🍺😂 Kinda like the previous Pepsi I had and Doug Borchers noted that when in Germany to get that same Pepsi.😂

After pouring myself a glass from the bottle with the Pepsi-looking cap, I noticed something pretty clever. The cap had a built-in attachment that kept it connected to the bottle after opening. Instead of falling on the floor, rolling under a table, or disappearing into another dimension, it just stayed attached. I thought that was a pretty cool design and had to share it.

As someone who occasionally drops things, breaks things, and then repairs them with zip ties, tape, and Brew Room Velcro, I can definitely appreciate simple engineering solutions that actually work. 😂

So far, Czech beer is scoring points on both taste and packaging. The cap may look like it belongs on a Pepsi bottle, but the contents are much more to my liking. 🍺 Between the quality beer and the clever cap design, the Czechs seem to have put some serious thought into the drinking experience.

We are surrounded by mountains now, and before long they're going to start demanding that we climb them. Three of the next four riding days feature some serious elevation gain. We have never attempted this much climbing before. Those days are about 65 miles with roughly 5,000 feet of climbing, which sounds much more impressive when you're reading it than when you're pedaling it.

I'm already working on backup plans, including the possibility of a quick battery charge somewhere around the halfway point. My goal is to make sure the bike has enough power left to help us reach the top of the mountains that seem determined to stand in our way.

These are the three days I was complaining about back at Choice One before we left. As everyone knows, complaining is one of my specialties. In fact, I like to think of it as a valuable planning tool. If I complain enough beforehand, then when the challenge finally arrives, I can honestly say, "See, I told you this was going to be hard." The mountains have finally arrived, and unfortunately, they don't appear to care about my opinions on the matter. 🚴‍♂️⛰️😂

Over the next few days, we'll find out whether determination, battery power, and strategic complaining are enough to get a tandem and two slightly nervous riders over the hills of northern Czechia. Tomorrow I have two routes to consider, one going 62 miles and 3000 feet of climb and one going 72 miles and 2000 feet of climb. Which one would you choose? we are still undecided. Stay tuned. 😅🚵‍♂️🔋

Joan's Extras

The ride was mostly along the Elbe today which was sort of like riding along the Rhine except it was a much faster pace today. There were some drops of rain on us in places, but mostly it was a bug shower. There were lots of small bugs, but some big bugs that hurt when they died on your face. I had to wipe a few off of my glasses. 

Missing grandkids today. I got an update from Cara today that Jane has decided she wants to go on our next trip with us. She'll be 3 in a few months. Maybe Tony will have a lot cuter rider with him on the front of the tandem on the next bike trip. 😃

Day 13 - Dresden, Germany - Dresden Day

Joan's View

Today was a day to explore Dresden. First, a picture about what it's like when your tandem is critical to your trip. In each Airbnb we find the best place to park it, inside is a high priority. In Dresden, we walk around it to get to the kitchen and bathroom. Tony took off the fairing so that we can get around it easier, especially at night. It also can double as a laundry rack. 😁

Now for today's exploring - Dresden Castle was just huge with massive multiples courtyards. The former rulers of this area definitely lived a grand life.

This possibly longest porcelain mural in the world. It was a painting of the rulers of Dresden in order. It was put on porcelain in the early 1900s so that it would be more durable.

Not sure about this one, but people obviously rub it for luck, so why not?

We are back on the WCT, Bud! For those unaware of Bud's acronym of our trips, being a faithful follower, Bud wisely named it the World Catholic Tour. The huge Cathedral of the Holy Trinity put us back on track, Bud.

Tony planned today's travels so that we could be at Frauenkirche for their 12:00 organ recital. It actually, was more like a prayer service but the altar was fascinating.

Our next stop was through the Kunsthoffpassage. It was full of artistic buildings and walkways. Loved this building and it's truly unique rain gutter.

Die Hutte

Amongst the approximately 11 miles of walking with temps in the 80s today, we stopped into a bike shop to see if they had a replacement clip for our Ortlieb bag since one of the back panniers has a broken clip and dangles on one clip at times. At that bike shop, the repair person looked through his stash of clips, but had none to fit ours. He recommended that we try Die Hutte, an outdoor supply store nearby. They offered us 2 options so we now have a replacement and Tony put it on tonight. Yea!

We needed a break from the heat, and Tony wanted a beer so we stopped at a Cafe outside of the former VW plant. We tried to get a tour but there were no English tours today so we checked out what we could see.

Look, Wade, my new VW! Probably loves being driven faster than yours did!

From there we hiked it several more miles to see the Grand Gardens of Dresden. I was expecting lots more flowers to share with my gardening friends, but it really was a huge park loved by locals. There is a nice palace too.

Dinner was at an Irish Bar on the way back to the room. They had schnitzel for Tony, his first of the trip, and beer.

Tony's Extras

Now that I think about it, when I suggested a day off to rest our legs, I definitely wasn't thinking of walking more than 11 miles! But it gave us the chance to see a lot of this impressive city.

Today was our last full day in Germany. Tomorrow, we're off to the Czech Republic. The tandem bicycle is in the best shape since the chain guides broke. All of our bags are in better holding position, and we're ready for the second half of the trip.

It's a good thing we've had this "training session" up to this point. The rides ahead are only going to get tougher, with plenty more vertical climbing in the Alps. Apparently, our idea of recovery days involves replacing pedaling with marathon walking!😂

Day 12 - Dresden, Germany - Rain and Grit

Tony's View

We woke up this morning, and Joan checked the forecast. Somehow, overnight it had completely changed. What was supposed to be a decent riding day had transformed into a rainy one... and we had 65 miles on the schedule. What luck. After a brief discussion that mostly consisted of staring at the radar and wishing for a different forecast, we decided to do the only sensible thing: suit up and head out into the light rain. After all, the miles weren't going to ride themselves.

We got down the road and spotted a group of kids running across the countryside. Based on our extensive observational skills, we concluded they were probably cross-country runners. The runner out front was wearing a backpack, so we immediately promoted him to "Coach." It seemed only fitting. Nick is usually the one leading the charge and, as an Eagle Scout, he's no stranger to carrying gear and making good decisions. But after watching these kids sprint through the rain and mud, we're starting to think the coaches over here might just be tougher. 😂

We saw sheep farms all day long, and every flock seemed to have gotten a fresh haircut. It must be sheep-shearing season because there wasn't much wool left to admire. The sheep looked a little surprised by their new streamlined appearance, but I'm sure they're enjoying the lighter load. In the picture, you can see one of the farm dogs diligently keeping an eye on its sheep. While the sheep may have lost their wool, they certainly haven't lost their supervision.

We also spotted a set of twin lambs having a snack from their mother. Of course, by the time we got our phones out and ready for the perfect photo, they had already wandered off. That's a universal law of photography for us. Seeing the twins immediately made us think of Rafi and Santi, Wade and Linda's twin boys. Unlike the lambs, though, we're pretty sure those two will be much harder to herd. 😂

We managed to get a picture of one of the many Army helicopters flying overhead today. Seeing them brought Branden Barhorst to mind. This could very well be the kind of area where he would have been flying during his time in Germany. As far as we know, he's flying in Texas now, although we think he was stationed in Germany at one point and may even be headed back someday. We weren't close enough to ask the pilot, so we'll just assume it was Branden making sure we were staying on course. 😂 It's amazing how often these helicopters buzz by. They certainly break up the scenery and remind you that while we're working hard to cover 65 miles on bicycles, someone else is covering a whole lot more ground a lot faster. 

Here I am with my fellow Suburban Scarecrows, apparently searching the countryside for lost luggage. Judging by our appearance, we looked highly qualified for the job.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for anyone missing a bag. After all, I know exactly what that feels like. Fortunately, these scarecrows seemed willing to help with the search. They may not cover much ground, but they certainly have plenty of time on their hands. 😂

If you zoom in close enough, you can see the grit everywhere: on my legs, all over the bike, and even on the bag cover in the back. This was the result of riding in the rain on a gravel path, which turned into a mud-slinging machine.

By the time we stopped, it looked like we'd been competing in a cycling version of a Tough Mudder event. Every puddle seemed determined to leave its mark, and judging by the amount of gravel stuck to us, a good portion of the trail came along for the ride.

We did our best to wipe everything down before continuing, but it was one of those situations where you clean off a pound of mud and immediately pick up another pound a mile later. 😂 At least the rain kept the dust down. Unfortunately, it replaced it with something much stickier.

After wiping everything down earlier on the route, we eventually ran into more gravel paths. So much for our cleaning effort. Before long, the bike was once again sounding like it was grinding coffee beans instead of rolling down the trail. As I flew past this roadside restroom, something we almost never see out here, Joan suggested it might have water. I was ready to keep going, but she convinced me to turn around and check. Reluctantly, I agreed. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of the day.

The restroom had water, and we were able to thoroughly rinse off the bike, the drivetrain, and a good portion of the gravel we'd been carrying around with us. After a little trail-side maintenance, the bike was running smoothly and quietly again, with no more crunching, grinding, or mysterious grit noises. It's amazing how happy a cyclist can get over a functioning faucet. 😂

Sometimes the highlights of a ride aren't the castles, churches, or scenic overlooks. Sometimes it's finding a roadside restroom with water just when your bicycle sounds like it's eating rocks.

We came across this monastery today, which is attached to an old church just behind where the picture was taken. It appeared to be quite the tourist attraction, with plenty of cars and parking areas nearby. After riding through small villages and countryside most of the day, it was surprising to see so many visitors gathered in one place.

Of course, I also had to get the picture below. Now, I have absolutely no idea what it really is, but I'm convinced it's either an old Soviet missile silo or a refinery like the ones back home in Lima.

The logical explanation is probably that it's some sort of industrial facility. The much more entertaining explanation is that we've accidentally discovered a secret Cold War installation that everyone else has overlooked for the last 40 years. 😃 So until someone proves otherwise, I'm voting for the missile silo theory. It makes for a much better story than "interesting industrial equipment." 

We stopped at a biergarten along the bike path and, before long, a few people wandered over to check out the bike. That seems to happen quite a bit over here. I think they are amazed with it's the setup, Either way, we finally decided to get a picture of the attraction.

Below, you'll see me enjoying a large German beer with only about five miles left to our Airbnb. This was a carefully calculated decision based on advanced cycling logistics and emergency restroom planning. Five miles felt like the perfect distance. Far enough to earn the beer, but close enough that a sudden "pee emergency" wouldn't turn into a major expedition. 😂

After a long day of rain, gravel, grit, bike washing, and more gravel, that beer tasted especially good. Sometimes the best part of a ride isn't the destination. Sometimes it's knowing the destination is only five miles away and you're already holding a cold beer. 🍻

We had many countryside views today that were really neat to see. The rolling fields, small villages, and endless bike paths made the miles go by a little easier, even after all the rain and gravel adventures.

When we finally made it to the Airbnb, we unloaded all the bags and batteries and started a rough cleaning of the bikes before heading over to the Bike Hospital. By then, the bikes looked like they had completed a military training exercise instead of a bike tour.

When I got there, the gifts from Matt Hoying were waiting for us. I was able to get them installed and configured in a way that has Joan's chain working much better. It was one of those small adjustments that makes a big difference.

I asked what I owed them for the help, and they simply said, "Pay it forward." 😁👌 Just another great example of people helping people. Although, if we're being honest, I'm pretty sure "paying it forward" in this case actually means thanking Matt Hoying, because he's the one who started the whole chain reaction of kindness in the first place.  Meaning I don't have to pay him back either. 😁

It's been amazing how often complete strangers have gone out of their way to help us on this trip. The bike community really does seem to operate on a simple principle: if someone needs help, you help them. And then hopefully someday they get the chance to do the same for someone else.

Joan's Extras

Today started out as a 4 layer day, meaning I started out wearing 4 layers of shirts / jackets / coats. I usually make that strategic decision when checking the weather before we head out. Tony started out at 1 and then went to 2 when the rain got a little heavier, then back to 1 when the engine got sweaty. That lovely fairing did a great job of keeping ME dry. 😃

Lots of turns and curves today also, and when you are concerned about what the condition of the road ahead looks like, you are keeping an eye out for what's just around the corner. While I definitely prefer riding in the countryside over the city, one of the risks is rain and gravel. Tony did a great job keeping us upright again!

We hit the jackpot for dinner tonight as we were walking around searching for a nearby restaurant on Google Maps., Restaurant brennNessel. Everything was chef made with lots of fresh veggies.

Day 11 - Torgau, Germany - Schröder's Have Ice Cream and Beer

Joan's View

Nice warm day for a 62 mile ride even if the wind was gusting right at us the last 25 miles. 

While it's flooding around home, the fields here seem to be needing a serious dousing of rain. We saw a field of corn that was maybe knee high with almost no ears on it. This field of sunflowers looked so sad and droopy.

I was commenting to Tony while we were riding that for going through so many woods, you'd think we'd see more wildlife. Soon after that a jack rabbit crossed our path. 😌😏

Our first stop to refuel the engine in the back.

Our next stop, in Wittenberg, was only a few miles farther, but there was a bakery in the heart of the town near the square, so we had to stop. We found out that Martin Luther Halle-Wittenberg University is there and Wittenberg is Martin Luther's birthplace and home. It had lots of beautiful old buildings so we got some pictures. Tony parked the bike by this tiny canal which was probably part of their first
water system.

On the square in Wittenberg

After all that great refueling, we rode for what seemed like miles and miles. At one point, we ran into a major roadblock near an overpass. We stopped to think while Tony started studying the roads in that area to decide how we could get around this major roadblock. Then our hero for the day stopped to help us! He only spoke German and was trying to explain it to me, but it was a lot for me to understand. Finally, he said, " Komm mit," and he waved us to follow him. We were off roading it while I was trying to get pictures of our hero. Like Tony said later, "We would have never figured that out." It's another example of the millions of kind people in this world.

Still following our hero.

Following our hero.

 

Riding along the bike path entering a small town was this house which seemed fascinating that they would fly the German, US, Scotland (I think), and Denmark. flags There's gotta be a interesting story there.

This picture shows the old and the new, but centuries later still using the same source of power. We have passed hundreds of wind turbines on this trip. The one thing that we've learned, all from our plentiful wind encounters, is that the turbines face the direction that the wind is coming from. That means if the turbines are turning fast and facing the direction that we are peddling, look out!

Tony suggested that we stop to get a picture of the Elbe River since we saw it in many places. You can see where he is on the bike path in the shade. I climbed the levee and came back with this picture. "Bye bye American Pie. We took our Bilenky to the levee but the levee was dry."

There are several unidentified noises coming from the bike. The chain guide being sent to Dresden (thank you Matt) hopefully will fix one. The engine, aka Tony, needed a break so we stopped in the shade of a hazelnut tree while Tony tightened bolts thinking that would fix another squeaky noise. It didn't fix it, but it got him closer to the source of one.

 

Back into another pine forest, we rode for maybe a mile among stacked timbers. Tony called it a timber tunnel. Once again, the smell was amazing. 

The engine needed some substantial refueling by now, so we found a Netto in the small town of Annaburg. Tony ate his pretzel hotdog and pretzel near this cool parking spot for dogs. We could use these in the US especially when we are traveling with Luna. Thanks also, Wade & Linda, for doggie sitting Luna!

Tackling the wind some more, and riding into the town of Großtreben, Tony hit the brakes because we found this amazing place! 

Better yet, besides being a bakery, they sell two of Tony's favorites. Can you guess what they are?

Back on the road, we got an actual picture of the Elbe.

Cruising into Torgau, it took a little while to find our Airbnb. Sometimes, it's like a break out room following the clues only we are trying to get in. 

Tony's Extras

AJ (aka Tony Jr. 😁) checked in and informed us that the construction equipment we saw yesterday was a Dingo. Thanks, AJ—you’re the best! Apparently, we now have our own official Heavy Equipment Consultant. Maybe someday part of Choice One.

I really enjoyed the ride today, even though I was completely exhausted from battling the wind. It was so windy that it nearly blew Joan’s helmet off while we were riding. At one point, I’m pretty sure we were pedaling forward and moving sideways at the same time.

I really liked Wittenberg. If I ever do this trip again, it will definitely be a planned stop overnight rather than just a happy surprise.

We’re looking forward to getting the parts Matt ordered and paid for on our behalf. Amazingly, he actually believed me when I said I’d pay him back! Hopefully they work, even though they’re not exactly the right size. I’ll let you know the results tomorrow, assuming the parts fit better