Day 8 - Berlin, Germany, Were in Berlin

Tony's View

We headed out today for another round of bumpy trails. As I mentioned in the last blog, we had a planned route of 62 miles. What I forgot to factor in was actually getting to the start of the route, which somehow added an extra 2.5 miles of "surprise adventure." I'm still not entirely sure how that happened.

Once we got rolling, we ran into another mechanical challenge. One of the chain guide rollers broke. To be fair, one had already broken the day before, and I managed to shuffle parts around and make it work. This time, though, I wasn't so lucky. I had to realign the chain and improvise a fix just to keep moving.

The top picture shows my "engineering masterpiece" from yesterday. The roller is supposed to have four knobs, but ours was running on only three. The bottom picture shows another roller hanging on with just a single knob on one side. These aren't parts you can pick up at the local hardware store or bicycle shop. They're rather unusual pieces that have to be specially ordered. Apparently, they're rare enough that breaking them is easier than finding replacements, according to the bicycle shop we stopped at!

If some of you remember, I stripped the tandem down to its bare bones and rebuilt it with almost all new parts. After 17+ years and more than 20,000 miles, it was definitely time. I replaced everything except three items: the chain guide rollers, the derailleur hangers, and the front wheel. Well, of those three holdouts, the chain guide rollers are now breaking, and the derailleur hangers are bending. The front wheel, however, is still hanging in there like a champ.

So I guess 2 out of 3 is bad. So much for Meatloaf fans. 😂

Any guesses what's going to be at the top of the replacement list when we get back home? The chain guide rollers and derailleur hangers have clearly decided they want some attention too! 🚴‍♂️🔧

We've passed a lot of deer stands along the way—every shape, size, and location you can imagine. But this one was so unique that we had to turn around and take a picture.

Yep, it's a deer stand on wheels!

I'm not entirely sure what the intended purpose is, but my first thought was, "Just add a motor and chase the deer instead." 😂😂

I have to admit, after seeing countless deer stands during this trip, this one easily wins the award for the most creative design. 🚴‍♂️🦌🏆

I never used to pay much attention to deer stands. They were just another thing along the side of the road. But thanks to our son-in-law, Nick Balog, I notice them everywhere now. It's kind of like buying a new car and suddenly seeing the same model on every road. Once Nick got me looking for deer stands, I realized they're absolutely everywhere—and apparently some of them even come with wheels! 😂😂

A great way to use round bales.

A round a bout with an old train engine.

Another great way to use round bales.

We found a Lidl about 25 miles into the ride and decided it would be our bakery stop for the day. As we pulled in, I figured I'd get on Google Maps and search for bakeries nearby. Surely there had to be something in the area. Google quickly informed me there was a bakery just 20 meters away. Turns out it was attached to the Lidl. 😂 It was a bullseye and made for a perfect bakery stop. 

Rode by several miles of beautiful canal today

I gave my phone to Joan and asked her to get a picture of this mini houseboat. We had seen lots of boats cruising along the canal all day, puttering along at about 10–15 mph, but this one really caught my eye. It looked like a tiny floating house, so naturally it deserved a photo.

Well, after Joan took the picture, I looked at it and noticed something we hadn't seen at first. Let's just say the captain was... taking care of some personal business off the side of the boat. Oops. 😂😂

Cool boat regardless! 😆

We were about 18 miles from our final destination when we spotted a Biergarten right along the bicycle path.

At that point, we really had no choice. I'm pretty sure it's German law that cyclists must stop at any Biergarten they encounter. 🍺

I briefly considered riding past it, but didn't want to risk an international incident. So, being the law-abiding travelers that we are, we pulled in, took a well-deserved break, and enjoyed the moment.

Eighteen miles left to go is much easier to think about when you're sitting in a Biergarten instead of pedaling toward it. 😂

We were sitting in the second row of those cool chairs, and if you look closely, you can spot our bicycle leaning against the tree.

I'd also like to offer a strong advice for anyone who hasn't done a bike tour like this before. If you're 18 miles from your Airbnb, decide to stop at a Biergarten, and then order a large beer—especially when you're no longer 25 years old—the math is very simple:

1 large beer = 2 pee breaks before you get to your destination. 😂🍺🚴‍♂️

I tested this formula extensively and can confirm the results are highly repeatable. The good news is that the extra stops give you more opportunities to admire the scenery. The bad news is that you're not stopping to admire the scenery. 😂😂

When we got to the Airbnb, I decided to visit the closest bicycle shop and see if they could help with my chain guide roller problem.

When I arrived, Mom, Dad, and their young daughters were sitting on a bench in front of the shop. The mom smiled and said, "Here's the mechanic," as she pointed to her husband. We talked for a while, and then he went inside to see if he could find or order one of those chain guide rollers. He admitted he'd never seen anything quite like it before. While he was searching, I ended up making friends with his wife and daughters. We chatted and passed the time while hoping for some good news from the shop. Unfortunately, after digging around, he couldn't find anything that would help with my unusual repair. But then something much better happened. His daughters came out and presented me with this beautiful picture they had drawn for me. It was completely unexpected and absolutely precious.

Sometimes the best part of traveling isn't fixing the bike—it's meeting kind people along the way. ❤️😊

Joan's Extras

The wind was kind to us today. We have been biking into some fairly strong headwinds since we started this trip, but today was a much appreciated break. We noticed the wind today though when these long hanging greeneries coming into Berlin blew into our faces and gave us a big shove. Still trying to figure out what plant hit us.

Lastly, Matt, you will be happy to hear that Tony has learned enough German that he is reading signs here too now. 🙄