Category Archives: Sports

Nature, Sports, Tours Bike-Club, Vacation

The long tours with 2 top tours

After the planned break, it first continued to rain on Friday. But it stopped around mid-day so we started at 14:00 and then the sun also came out. So we visited Eremita Betlem, that we missed on one of our first tours. On the way back we tried a “new” route and must have missed the bike-road. The “road” we then had to endure for 10km may only be used as a mountain-bike test-terrain, not suitable for road bikes. Anyway, day’s result: 111,7km with 1650m altitude and 23,9 km/h average speed.

Then the first top tour: Valdemossa and Soller, so over two passes. This year we did not go via the “bike road” because of too much cyclist traffic, we chose the main road from Sineu to Santa Eugenia… very good pavement and fast to go although a few meters altitude to do. The climb to Valdemossa is good, not too steep. The town is really nice, but as it is so nice, that there are too many tourists there.

Mallorca 2014, 5.4. Valdemossa
Mallorca 2014, 5.4. Valdemossa

Then we continued via Deia to Soller, I was a little frightened of this section as the up/down/up/down can really kill you in the mountains. But that was not the case: just one further climb directly after Valdemossa and then the route is flat and downhill all the way to Soller. 🙂 Now the Soller-Pass, for me the first time in this direction. It is a little steeper this way, but still OK to ride.

Mallorca 2014, Sa 5.4., Soller Pass
Mallorca 2014, Sa 5.4., Soller Pass

So this was the first top tour: 160,5 km with 2100m altitude and 24,2 km/h average speed.

After such a tour, next day needs some “recovery-training”: going again to the coast (Colonia Sant Pere), in the mountains there would anyway be too much traffic on a Sunday. As flat as possible and a coffee/cake break in Petra. The day: 110,5 km with 1290m altitude and 25,4 km/h average speed.

Monday: second top tour! As this was such a great tour last year, we repeated the same as in 2013. Again (as two days earlier) via the highway to Bunyola and over the Soller-Pass. FOG! We did not get the best day. Due to the fog, it was really cold, on the ship we had to sit inside as it was freezing cold outside. It looks like we started much earlier last year, we just arrive at the harbor around 12:40 … just in time to get the ticket. Never mind: in Calobra there was also fog, but after the first 50m altitude behind, we were above fog and could continue the climb in the sun with pleasant temperature. Not such much sweat… but heavy breathing anyway, with 7% average rise and 700m altitude. Such much breathing that on top, I just thought about calming down, buy something to drink and forgot to take photos. Therefor picture from last year:

Serpentinen bei Sa Calobra
Serpentines at Sa Calobra

On the way back, we shortly visited the Monastery Lluc for a quick break. The day: 143,4 km with 2140m altitude and 22,8 km/h average speed.

For our small group, Tuesday was the finishing tour: trip towards Cap Formentor, but only till the first platform, as the total tour would have been a bit too much for the day. Something left for the next time…

Erste Aussichtsplatform, Blick Richtung Cap Formentor
Tue 8.4.2014: First platform view towards Cap Formentor

The day: 104,7 km with 970m altitude and 24,1 km/h

As Jürgen, Andi and Ralf traveled home Wednesday, I was left to do a small tour in my own speed… I chose again the Monastery Lluc, but with time for sightseeing. But for that I first had to go over another pass from Caimari:

Coll de sa Batalla, Pass von Caimari zum Kloster Lluc
Coll de sa Batalla, Pass von Caimari zum Kloster Lluc

The climb was OK to do, not steep. But at the beginning a lot of traffic, cyclists, cars and busses 🙁 … Fortunately this was over after the first kilometer or so. At the monastery I took an hour to walk around and enjoy the location and scenery. The day: 100,6 km (I had to do some detours, otherwise I would have been back with only ~85km), estimated 1200m altitude and 24,2 km/h average speed.

Thursday was then a slow “rolling out” tour: 61,7 km with estimated 500m altitude and 25,7 km/h average speed. A short visit at the Roadbike Festival, which started on this day. But only “window shopping” and checking out the new stuff… nothing to buy (forgot the credit card in the hotel).

For me this was pretty hard training. I had done only 3-4 small rides before going to Mallorca, not enough as preparation, and Jürgen’s tours were tough. But I really enjoyed it!!!

Summary:

  • 13 Tours with two top runs
  • 1.505,8 Kilometers
  • 62 hours, 20 Minutes pure cycling time
  • 18.450m of altitude

For the following weekend, I will just rest and leave my legs to recover. But I already look forward to the next time. 🙂

 

Sports, Vacation

Second set of training rides

After the first recovery day on Sunday, now follow another 3 rides.

First we went to the Sant Salvador. It looks like we were early birds, there were only few people going up at that time. The weather was rather good, but this first section was just the first third of this tour, so we continued after only a short rest! At the end of the day we did 143km and 1650 m of altitude with average speed of 25,2 km/h.

On Tuesday we visited for the first time the Sierra Tramuntana, the coastal mountains. Via Bunyola to Orient, a quite frequent tour, so a lot of cyclists there. As the Café in Orient was quite full, we directly continued and raced down the great downhill road towards Alaró… for once I’m first, waiting for the others, when they usually have to wait for me after the uphill sections…

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We continued onwards to Inca for the coffee break and “refreshed” we then also climbed the Puig de Inca:

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So this tour ended with 120,5 km and 1450m altitude and average speed of 23,2 km/h.

On Wednesday then long and flat. Right? Well, depends on your definition. First visiting Randa, that was quite OK. With the road from Montuïri this is a nice start, not very steep to start with, then going up the Randa climb. Nice, a bit windy and not so warm today. So we continued in direction Santanyi and onwards to Cala Figuera. This second part of the ride was god-awful, all the time head-winds.  but finally at Cala Figuera we had some sun to relax:

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Now for once we had some luck. With head-winds on the way there, we had back-winds on the way home… unusual, normally you only have headwinds 😉 . During the tour we had average speed of only around 22km/h lag, so the way home was a pleasure going really fast! The final tour dates: 160,2 km with 1750m altitude and average speed of 25,0 km/h.

After three days riding, we now have another day break… and promptly it rains again. Currently at 14:00 there is a short break, but clouds are dark… however the forecast for the next days is great.

Sports, Vacation

Pausing…

These first three days were really hard for me. Having skipped training mostly during winter, yes of course: my own fault, and then on day 2 90km and day 3 111km with altitudes of 1420m and 1700m, and with respectable speed.

OK, three days training and then one day for regeneration… As if planned that way, it started to rain today in the morning. We’ll see, if it clears and drys, maybe a few slow km later.

Sports, Vacation

Mallorca … the start

For today a strike was announced to affect also the Stuttgart Airport… so sleep was not so well, and also very short. Got up at 3:00 for departure at 5:50. Then at the airport everything was quiet and we arrived in Palma around 7:50 as planned to get our bus transfer at 9 to Can Picafort.

… But what… Started to rain heavily!?!? Whats that?

Well, around 12 it stopped again and with the sun coming out, the streets were soon drying up.

With that, on to Cala Sant Vincenç…

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Our standard starter tour, today with 87km, 630m altitude and 24,5 km/h average speed.

Sports, Tours Bike-Club

Bike Season 2013 finished

For me the bike reason goes from October 1st to September 30th. So today was the last tour of the season, all tours still coming in 2013 will count to the season 2014 as “winter training”.

So what’s the statistic for the year?

  • At the end of December and in January, a couple of times working on the Ergometer in the living room, 960km to be more exact. Not enough to really conserve fitness into the spring, so I had to start slowly again.
  • Road-bike:
    • 5225 km in total, 57 tours, average 91,7km per tour;
      comparing to last year, a bit less km, fewer tours, but longer tours.
    • In total 210 hours of riding time; 25,22km/h total average speed
    • 43.300 meters total altitude
    • 34 Tours < 100km (Ø 70,1 km; 555m altitude, 25,19 km/h)
    • 23 Tours > 100km (Ø 123,6 km; 1063m altitude, 25,26 km/h)
  • Mountainbike: only used 4 times, 130km

Already looking forward to the next season (and hopefully that starts on coming Thursday) 🙂 and a “golden autumn”.

Link to my biking-page

Nature, Sports, Tours Bike-Club

Black Forest Tour

A few weeks ago on a Saturday tour, we found out that we have a common week of vacation. We, that is Brigitte and Hartmut Krist-Priem, we were on Mallorca in spring this year. So… what not ride a black-forest tour? Like ordered, the sun came out today, after two cold days, and presented a nice summer day. After my weekly biking announcement, another cyclist joined, Michael Strang.

So we started out at 10, still a little cold. After the first downhill, the first real UPhill section, from Station Teinach to Sommenhardt helped to warm up. The typical black forest terrain, up, down, up, down, … helps to stay warm further 😉

We reached Simmersfeld early enough, shortly after 1pm. I had announce that here we can decide how to continue… as we felt OK, we decided for the slightly longer tour. So we took the downhill to Enzklösterle, nice and freshly paved, I was here 2-3 years ago the last time. The uphill via the “Poppeltal” is not steep, rolling upwards easily pedaling.

After the next downhill part, we reach Erzgrube, where we can refresh with some cake, coffee, and typical local mixed fruit drink (“Schorle”). Re-charged, we continue the fast way down to Altensteig, Nagold, Wildberg… we had enough hills now. Just a last climb via Gültlingen to Deckenpfronn and then rolling home.

In summary: 161,9km with 24,5 kmh average 1545m altitude.

I think all of us liked it, for sure I did! 🙂

(German version including GPS-Track also on our RSG-Website)

Nature, Sports, Tours Bike-Club

Black-Forest Tour via Altensteig and Simmersfeld

The tour today: from the bike-club in Böblingen via Ehningen, Kuppingen, Mötzingen, Iselshausen, Unter-/Oberschwandorf, Egenhausen to Altensteig. On the road downhills from Egenhausen to Altensteig there is a great view on Altensteig, good opportunity for a small break and calorie-intake in form of a Banana.

Blick auf Altensteig

Afterwards down to Altensteig, but immediately up the hill again via Überberg to Simmersfeld. From there onwards via Aichhalden, Hofstett and Neuweiler to Bad Teinach. From there it’s one last uphill section via Wildberg and Gültlingen to Deckenprfonn… and then rolling easily back home via Gärtringen and Ehningen.

After the flat but very fast tour yesterday (Saturday), this was a pretty heavy tour today, pretty tired legs in the end. But it’s always very, very nice in the black forest, worth it, every kilometer: 127,6 km with 1340 meter altitude and avg speed 24,2 kmh.

Nature, Sports, Tours Bike-Club

First time black forst tour this season

The first weekend with really great weather this summer… After a easy-going tour (70km) yesterday to warm up, a first highlight today: a real black-forest tour. We are two as three others were bound otherwise and could not come with us.

So starting with the usual way via “7-Tannen” to Station Teinach, the side-way up to Sommenhardt and onwards direction Oberreichenbach. Before reaching that, turning left via Agenbach to Neuweiler (found a really nice side-road here) and on via Hofstett and Aichhalden to Simmersfeld (picture).

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We reached here in record speed… just about 12:00, so we continue to Besenfeld. Well, the main road has a lot of motor bikes, but OK. Than the fantastic down-hill section to Erzgrube, and already announced here “motor-free upper Nagold-Tal” today!

So we continued the downhill road to Altensteig together with thousands of bikers (non-motor!) and Inline-skaters… not a single car or motor-cycle, fantastic!

The usual break in Altensteig… Cake and Coffee … onwards in more record-breaking speed via Nagold until Wildberg, the motor-free section continued until here, almost 50km in total! So with free road and wind-shade riding, we reached 27 km/h as total average. After Wildberg we split up. Otfried was in better shape and we would split after the climb anyway, so no need for him to wait for me.

Total: 155km with 26,4 km/h average, roughly 6 hours riding time with 1375m altitude. Not bad 😉