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Imperial Capitals Bike Ride

July - August 2023
A 12-day adventure by John Read more
  • 19footprints
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  • 510kilometers
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  • John BickerstaffImperial Capitals Bike Ride
    Day 1

    Wheelchair jam

    July 21, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Departure from Liverpool and a dilemma - paid drop off & limited carrying of the bike or free drop off and a quarter mile hike with a 23kg bike box. No choice but wasn't keen - a friendly Irish guy offered to help but pride is a bad thing. Something of a sweaty mess while queuing up to drop the bike off. The Lufthansa check in was next door to the God express to Lourdes. An epic wheelchair jam full of geriatric catholic scousers heading out for 'salvation' or something like that. Nice and easy through security to find the Frankfurt flight was delayed. On the face of it - less time waiting for the transfer, that is assuming it's not horrendously late and the connection is missed. Eventually boarded onto the rather small hopper plane. Had jets though. Bit of a bumpy flight but there was 'free' chocolate. Coming into land and there was an awful lot of circling going on. Apparently there was a fierce thunderstorm over the airport so landing was postponed in until it passed. As if getting to the gate wasn't going to be tight enough. Once off, the bus ride reinforced just how massive Frankfurt airport was. Hectic up and down dash only to find the Prague flight was delayed. Due in at midnight(ish) Really hoping the transfer will take the bike...Read more

  • John BickerstaffImperial Capitals Bike Ride
    Day 2

    A tale of 2 stadiums.

    July 22, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The final leg from Frankfurt to Prague didn't quite go as smoothly as hoped. Obviously there were delays & it was touch & go whether it would go at all - there was an 11pm curfew but exceptions were made due to the storms. Flagged up the delay to the hotel & was assured the transfer company took delays into consideration. It wouldn't be a problem - someone would be there and or get in touch. No queue at immigration. All good. Pannier was first off the belt. Then the wait. All bags off but no bike. Asked & was pointed to the oversized area. No sign coming in the other direction. Ho hum but bike was there & box was relatively unscathed. Off to find the transfer. Out & 1 taxi guy looking for Martha. Went outside, waited a few minutes but clearly no transfer. Either phone or get the bike out. Went with the bike & managed to get myself in a right panic - couldn't get the chain right on the derailleur. Had to walk away & calm down. Still annoyed but sorted the bike, got the lights on & off into the darkness. Once away from the airport it really was dark. Dodged potholes & puddles & made it to the hotel for around 2ish. Hotel a bit non-plussed by it. Eventually came out that this often happens. Anyway that meant a rather groggy start and lots of cakes for breakie. Quick dash to the nearby bike shop for a bike lock, except it was closed. Next stop the Great Stahrov Stadium - site of the 3rd biggest stadium attendance ever in the world. A Soviet throwback that had definitely fallen on hard times. Unusually, though, you could get in without paying so that brightened the mood. Convoluted route to the next bike shop, which was open. Didn't speak English but understood bike lock. Sorted. Decided to head to the hotel to dump the panniers & then head off to the Slavia Prague stadium - a little more cared for. Managed to get in there as well - setting up for the match later on & a gate was open. Wandered in - a couple of guys saw but clearly weren't bothered. On the way back, stopped off at TV transmitter tower - it'd be rude not to. Except they only took cash & all I had was Euros. Tried the cash point & the first card wouldn't work, the second was asking for £4 just to hand over money. Nope. The guy settled for Euros. Nice views and some bizarre chairs. And as for the baby sculptures crawling up the side of the tower ..Read more

  • John BickerstaffImperial Capitals Bike Ride
    Day 2

    Hike to stay awake.

    July 22, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Checked in & immediately knew that lying down was a bad idea. Especially if any more of Prague was to be seen. Ambled for that was the pace of the day down to the old town to discover, unsurprisingly since it was a Saturday and it was sunny, that everywhere was busy. And those who were out and about consisted of a large number of stag dos. Managed to take in the astronomical clock. Bit peckish so the first of what will probably be a number of sausages. Nice. Braved Charles Bridge & it was bad. Tour parties stopping & blocking coupled with numerous artists bottlenecking the bridge. Braved for a massive queue at the South Tower - where you can get panoramic views of the bridge. No-one was there so it was quiet panoramic views. Priceless. On the way upto the castle - popped over to Lennon Wall - a symbol of defiance against communist rule. Surprisingly the castle was pretty quiet as well. Yet another tower to climb & some of the characters doing it really should have paid attention to the sign at the bottom. The gardens below the castle walls, again staved off the headache that loomed and offered views and tranquility - no stags up here.Read more

  • John BickerstaffImperial Capitals Bike Ride
    Day 3

    Wooded, shady goodness.

    July 23, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Proper fill up at breakie and then onto the serious stuff - getting out of Prague. Initial SATNAV message to start off informed of 14 climbs for the day. Nice to know. So lots of climbing & in Prague lots of traffic lights - slow progress. All went by fairly uneventfully - stopped at a couple of supermarkets - sponge their WiFi & try and gauge lunch stops, which works if Google can estimate the route. It did not. Still picked up some cereal bars & bananas. Stopped at Konopiste Castle, 25 miles in. Nice place - bugger to get a photo of - too many trees. Not that the forested nature of Czechia is bad. With high 20's and lots of climbing the shade from the trees and the wind were helping. From the castle there was a good 10 miles of really busy road - relief to get off but hillier off it. Also no towns or villages to speak of so lunch was likely to be cereal bars and bananas. Water was the problem. Resorted to chancing a hand pump. In haste the output wasn't checked & when eventually needed, it was a little metallic in taste. Back on the main road & almost on the motorway - quick u-turn. Took in a petrol station for sustenance & the water tipped out looked decidedly brown. Hoping it was rust. We'll see how that affects me. Mostly downhill to Tabor. Hostel found easily - warden not so much. Buzzer & phone call both seemed unsuccessful but eventually she rocked up. Cleaned up & explored the old town - v pretty.Read more

  • John BickerstaffImperial Capitals Bike Ride
    Day 4

    Endless trees & carp lakes.

    July 24, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Early start - no breakie binge, just a couple of pastries. Nice easy start as well - down to the river & then along for a few miles. Then hit the dreaded E55 - the busy road endured yesterday. Managed a couple of cut throughs. Rain loomed & took a break at a bus stop. Old lady actually waiting for a bus looked suspiciously or just confusion. Pushed on but took shelter in Lidl. Stocked up - not making that mistake again. No climbs listed today and progress was good, if a little busy. Made it to Trebon, after negotiating a veritable maze of carp ponds & lakes. Primarily feeding this areas Chrimbo feast where live carp are bought & kept in the bath tub until the day. An early lunch in Trebon by one of the said carp lakes. It was shortly after Trebon that the route became a little tougher. There'd been a mile or so of gravel shortly before Trebon & the SATNAV had indicated 95% of the route was on sealed routes. Assumed the rest now would be straightforward. Indicted route had concrete slabs so strictly speaking it was sealed but boy was it rough - big gaps between, uneven levels & hefty pot holes. No traffic though, apart from mountain bikers - hmmm. Got to take the rough with the smooth. Had little choice - this seemed the only route through this seemingly endless forest. Ended up going with the gravel in the middle. Heard a few woodpeckers but saw nothing - eyes were trained on what was ahead and avoiding pot holes. Eventually tarmac was rediscovered. Add to that the wind was behind me and the miles were rattled off. Ended hitting Gmünd at around 3ish & the most unobtrusive border crossing ever. Rickety footbridge & a little sign at the edge of a park. Cycle out to the hotel suggested Gmünd was nothing more than an industrial border town & the hotel was based in service station - nice. Once washed, wandered into town & it had a little more to it than first appeared.Read more

  • John BickerstaffImperial Capitals Bike Ride
    Day 5

    The glorious bus stops of Lower Austria

    July 25, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Throughout the night it was forecast for thunderstorms. Nothing materialised and all was dry when I woke up. Decided to make a quick dash into town to make use of the bike service zone. If nothing else a full on foot pump should do wonders for my tyres. Managed to get back in the dry. Every little helps. Epic breakie negotiated, decided to push on ASAP only to encounter roadwork issues. Tried translating the warning sign & Google wasn't exactly crystal clear. Asked a passing old lady & she seemed to suggest it was ok. Again, something might have got lost in translation. it was ok if cycling on a gravel road is your thing - I've cycled on worse ... in the the last 24 hours. By now the first few spots were falling and it wasn't long before I'd be sampling the first of many bus stops in my magical mystery tour of the bus stops of Lower Austria. This was merely an overhang from a workshop - poor. Eventually eased & I made it to Zwettl - next bus stop. More lengthy, functional and view of a tyre workshop. By now the rain was pretty grim and the forecasts were equally grim. So after about 30 mins of waiting & hoping I bowed to the inevitable soaking. What was decided was that the long route was binned off. Unfortunately the climb count went up. Couple of climbs in, soaked and hungry, another bus stop - flowers, view and even a phone - proper job... Lots of rolling stuff and eventually the rain did subside. All that was left to decide was steep b road or more shallow a road with manic drivers. Ended up mixing it up. Final climb 8 miles from home - downhill all the way, except there was a bit of a cock-up. In changing the route I hadn't checked the final destination & it took me to the hotel I'd originally planned to stay at - the opposite side of town. Got a sinking feeling when signs advertising it appeared. Never mind, the sun was out. Checked in - big room, cooking facilities and stiflingly hot. Borrowed receptions fan. Washed myself and clothes then off to explore. Down to the Danube. On the way passed an Aldi & had a brainwave - cook some pasta - easy. Had a short walk along the river and then picked some bits for tea. Should've thought. Got back & not a single bit of kit & the microwave wasn't working. Fuming. Went out to find reception was closed. What to do. Quick dash back to Aldi to pick up a cheap baking tray. Had a short cycle a bit further towards where the route should have come into Krems. Then back for some bodged pasta. Wasn't bad.Read more

  • John BickerstaffImperial Capitals Bike Ride
    Day 6

    Soaked again.

    July 26, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Ominous sounds of rainfall were heard throughout the night so it was with some trepidation the curtains were drawn. Damp but not raining. Breakfast, grabbed bike & paid. Back down to the Danube for that was the basis of the next 3 or so days cycling - should be flat. Looked like there was a tailwind into the bargain. Quickly into my stride but all that came to a grinding halt - there was a guy squatted by his bike hammering away with what turned out to be a stone. Stopped & offered help. Darius was on a 4 month cycle without any tools. I hid my horror (I think) and offered the use of my sparse kit. We botched it up but his front carrier needed refitting. We chatted away trying to ignore the annoying noise and he made a sharp exit at the next town hoping for a bike shop. Ambled away for a little - saw a huge carp jump out the water. Crossed one of the many hydro-electric damns and spotted a nearby pier to try and get a better view - not chained off. Just as I left a family approached - the little lad instantly wanted to wander over seeing that I had - parents didn't look keen. Big kid... Flat with a tailwind meant the miles rattled off and was only disturbed by some uber professional cyclists zooming past me then slowing up. All matching gear no idea. Just before stopping for lunch, coming off the main path a deer darted in front of me - not sure who was more shocked. Lunch was with around 12 to go. Settled down by a lake just as a game old lady was heading in for a dip. Looked cold - she maintained not. She was impressed by the idea of cycling from Prague to Budapest - I maintained it wasn't so much. Pondered climbing upto the nearby castle but apparently it was closed and you couldn't get to see the impressive views. Saved me a climb I guess. Approaching Vienna and the first spots of rain were felt. Managed to shelter under an underpass. Was I going to be lucky - nope. Managed to get a bit lost & while trying to decipher the SATNAV the heavens opened. Absolutely drenched before I could even look for a bus stop. Glad to get to the hostel to dry out. Early tea at the hostel and then chanced my arm going back out to the big wheel. Be rude not to. Thought about heading to one of the palaces after but felt a few spots so dashed back. As it happened it didn't rain.Read more

  • John BickerstaffImperial Capitals Bike Ride
    Day 7

    Korean camera carnage.

    July 27, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Route had been adjusted to try and have a bit of a mooch around Vienna, without fearing for a soaking. For once the weather played. Just the small matter of figuring out Vienna's bike lane setup. They can be superb, vanish, allow you to go down 1 way roads but not always. They can be pavement, sometimes indicated but again not always. And as for the cobbles and tram lines - the devil has a hand in those bastard inventions. Took in the ornate roof of Stephan's Cathedral - didn't climb but have many moons ago. Up the hill to Belvedere Palace - scooted round the parks - v posh. As for the Koreans taking endless photos with endless poses - not impressed. As it happened the SATNAV on the way out took a route past the Rapid Vienna stadium. The vast number of lorries suggested something was happening. The characters queuing suggested it wasn't something to my taste - Rammstein as it turned out. Again, a gate open, but guarded this time. Chanced my arm and the bloke was wavering but the women with him jumped in with a flat no. Nothing lost, though it would've been interesting to see. Now to getting across the Danube - and the spiral access to the bridge was great fun on the way down. All a slow start to the day in terms of distance. Flat market farming land, a tailwind, well maintained road & little to distract meant the next 20 miles rattled along very quickly. A final Austrian bus stop break and a final Austrian palace. Then the small matter of the border.Read more

  • John BickerstaffImperial Capitals Bike Ride
    Day 7

    The Iron Curtain

    July 27, 2023 in Slovakia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Curiously, I entered Austria on a cycle bridge and left that way as well. On this occasion, the Freedom Cycle bridge, had been talked about for decades but only enacted in 2012. The original route missed this and Devin Castle out. Would've been a mistake. Ummed and ahhed about paying to go in. But the views from the higher castle were stunning - all with the backdrop of the Danube. Caught a glimpse of the bridge with the help of a telescope - too many trees around it. Around here, there were a number of memorials to those who lost their lives trying to get across the border during communist rule. The heart of Europe monument was made with barbed wire from the fences. Had a late lunch watching the epically big cruisers battle against the current of the Danube.Read more

  • John BickerstaffImperial Capitals Bike Ride
    Day 7

    Brilliant Bratislava.

    July 27, 2023 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Just the small matter of 7 miles to Bratislava. Checked in and located my 'pod' - a more secluded version of a dorm - there are 10 pods in the room but you wouldn't know it. Cleaned up & off to explore. Headed down to the UFO observation deck, so called because it looks like a UFO. Ambled through the old town taking in the Cumil statue in honour of the country's sewage workers. Lots of shady green spaces and pedestrian areas - all very civilised. No queue at all for the observation deck which was good. Cursed not taking my glasses but still some stunning views. Back down and thoughts of tea. Further down the river had been recommended as a possible area & what do you know - there was a Wagamama. Nice stroll along the river, past the 'beach' Noodles by the river & in the sun. Happy days. Took a different route back taking in the inverted pyramid that is the Slovak Radio building and the water based madness that is freedom square. All in all, really like Bratislava - very walkable and pretty place.Read more

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