Day 18 -České Budějovice, Czech Republic -  Recovery and Warm Up Day

Tony's View

We were both running on fumes this morning, but we hit the road anyway knowing that we had only 42 miles and 2,200 feet of climbing ahead. We were hoping for nothing more than a recovery ride and a chance to warm up for tomorrow. After yesterday’s adventure, pretty much any ride would have qualified as recovery.

As it turned out, it was a beautiful day on the bike with plenty of stunning scenery. The climbs were manageable, the miles rolled by easily, and for once we weren’t negotiating with our legs every five minutes. It was the kind of ride that reminds you why you put up with the hard days in the first place. All in all, a perfect recovery day... assuming recovery now includes riding 42 miles and climbing 2,200 feet! 😄

Our first stop out of Tabor was a tower that visitors could climb for a panoramic view. At the bottom was a kiosk ready to take your credit card for admission. I gave it some serious thought... for about three seconds. Then I remembered that yesterday there was  a beer kiosk and decided that was a much better investment. After all, one option involved climbing more stairs, and the other involved refreshing local culture. The beer kiosk would win by a landslide. 🍺😄

We rolled a little farther down the trail and, lo and behold, the asphalt suddenly turned into grass. Thankfully, it was dry and only lasted about half a mile. Apparently, this little detail managed to escape my route planning research. Shocking, I know. 😀

I’m still not sure how I missed it. I had studied the route, analyzed the elevation, checked the weather, and probably overthought every mile and climb. Yet somehow the part where the bike path turned into a lawn never made it onto my radar. Fortunately, the dry conditions saved the day, and we made it through without needing a tractor or a lawn mower. 

It was nice to see so many roadside shrines, especially in a country that was once part of the Soviet sphere. I would have thought many of them would have been destroyed over the years. Instead, they seem to have been carefully preserved. This particular shrine was erected in 1884, making it nearly a century and a half old. It’s amazing to think about how much history it has witnessed while quietly being by the side of the road.

We stopped to snap a picture of these two horses giving each other a back rub. It was pretty amazing to watch because it reminded me that horse back rubs apparently go both ways. With Joan and me, the back-rub system is a little different. The traffic only seems to flow in one direction. To be fair, I do get a thank you, which I suppose is the human equivalent of a horse returning the favor. 😂

Here’s a picture taken from the top, looking out over some absolutely glorious mountains. The view was spectacular and made all that climbing seem almost worthwhile. One thing nobody mentions about reaching the top of a mountain, however, is that the wind has apparently been up there all day waiting for cyclists to arrive. The scenery was breathtaking, and a few minutes later, so was pedaling into the headwind.

It turns out that getting to the top doesn't mean the work is over. Sometimes it just means you've earned the privilege of battling stronger winds with a better view. 😄

We could see these four cooling towers from miles away, so naturally we figured they were important enough to share with everyone. After all, who doesn't get excited about giant concrete cylinders rising majestically from the landscape? 😄 I know you're probably sitting on the edge of your seat right now, completely awestruck by this engineering wonder. If not, just pretend to be impressed for my sake. We climbed a lot of hills to bring you this exciting cooling tower content! 😂

We saw a lot of these 12% grade signs today, but we chose to stop and take a picture of this one because these were our favorite kind... the ones pointing downhill. 😄

With our fully loaded bikes, these descents felt like launching a small freight train. We'd come flying down the hills, sometimes touching the brakes lightly while cruising along at 35 mph. There were even a few stretches where we topped 40 mph, but I intentionally kept it below 35. At those speeds, every pothole starts looking like a life-changing event.

After spending plenty of time climbing all day, these downhill sections felt like the cycling gods were finally giving us a little something back. 😂

We saw this castle from several different viewpoints, and this is the photo we ended up with. Not bad, but here's the frustrating part: the castle actually overlooks a huge lake, and apparently I rode right past the best view without realizing it. Oops. 😠

It's amazing how you can spend hours carefully planning a route, watching the road, checking traffic, dodging potholes, and admiring the scenery, yet somehow miss the one picture that belongs on the postcard. So instead of a dramatic castle-and-lake masterpiece, you get this shot and a cautionary tale about paying attention when sightseeing by bicycle. 😂

This was a beautiful trail we rode today, lined with huge, mature white oak trees. Some of them were absolutely massive. I’d bet a few had trunks close to five feet in diameter.

After we got to our Airbnb, I decided to take the bike to a local bicycle shop and have them look at the rear wheel since a few of the spokes were starting to feel a little loose. I can adjust and even replace spokes well enough to get us to the next bike shop, but wheel truing is one of those skills where I could definitely use a bit more practice.

The mechanic said it would take about an hour, so rather than sit around. I headed off to explore the town. During my wandering, I stumbled across this beautiful cathedral.

Here is a picture of the organ in the rear of the church

The altar, beautiful crucifix and you can see the bishop's chair

While I was getting the bike fixed and touring around town, Joan was back at the Airbnb doing the smart thing: taking a nap and getting ready for tomorrow's ride.

And yes, Cousin Mary, I know I spend a lot of time working on the bike. 😂 But when your bicycle is your only mode of transportation, it’s not exactly a hobby, it's more like preventive maintenance (well actually it is a hobby, too).

Besides, a few minutes spent checking things over beats a few hours spent pushing a fully loaded bike up the next hill. 😄

As part of my "waiting for the bike" tour, I somehow managed to find the city square and a place to get a beer. Imagine that. 🍺😄 I considered it an important part of my preparation for tomorrow's ride.

Afterward, I picked up the repaired rear wheel, got the tandem back to the Airbnb, and gave it a thorough wipe-down and cleaning. With tomorrow shaping up to be one of, if not the biggest ride day of the trip, I decided to go all in on bike preparation.

Naturally, that meant waxing the chain to squeeze out every last bit of efficiency. Some people prepare for big days by resting. I prepare by obsessing over drivetrain friction and convincing myself that a freshly waxed chain is worth at least a few extra miles. Whether that's true or not, it certainly makes me feel faster. 😂

Meanwhile, Joan's preparation involved much less work and much more relaxation. I'm not saying she has the better system, but she was taking a nap while I was cleaning a bicycle with the dedication of a race car pit crew. 😆

Joan's Extras

Yes, thankfully we got into our place today around noon and I was "resting." After all, who likes to ride up mountains day after day (besides Tony & Wade)? 😜