I write, comfy and dry, this morning from the rustic Château de Crécy in the heart of Bordeaux wine country. Birds chirp in the cool stillness of the morn. It’s so relaxing one finds themselves irrationally trying to uncover things worth worrying about. Yesterday there was no need to try. Plenty of bike touring worries were… Read More Tour, Days 13-15: Flooded in Bordeaux

How can anyone, even Lance at his druggiest, ride a bicycle from Vila Praia de Ancora, Portugal to Linxe, France in four days? Here’s how: Above is a touring bike in what might be the single worst job of “protective wrapping” in the history of transportation. I’m almost proud of how badly I “wrapped” this… Read More Tour, Days 10-12: Three Countries, Three Beaches

Having had flighty wi-fi and/or nonexistent chair and desk (we slightly aging folks do so prefer typing in comfort) the past few days, I’ll intro some more photos here in Ponte de Lima, after having traveled to and through several towns with really long names. The country has been in the world news the past… Read More Tour Days 7, 8 & 9: A Triple-Header in Northern Portugal

I still have a few days left in Portugal before crossing into Spain, but I have an observation rolling around, waiting for further confirmation. Portugal seems, up to now, to be the following: Portugal is the California we wish still existed. A few similarities: Weather Ocean Surfing Lemon, orange and other fruit trees not found… Read More Tour Interlude: Weekend in Braga

Less prose and more photos today, inadequately capturing two very nice short rides, first downhill to the coast from steep Coimbra, followed by a jaunt amid the dunes along the beach running north to Aveiro. Here’s the Strava blow-by-blow for each Day 5 https://www.strava.com/activities/1036917090/embed/3ea74af3aa072a07eb1e2ef625577d58e59a3442 Day 6 https://www.strava.com/activities/1037859198/embed/fc5ca74602a0c6d5ae2b5126d2fc5947ddcfe7f0 And now on to snaps… The not-quite-high season-scene… Read More Tour Days 5 & 6: Coimbra to Praia de Mira to Aveiro

There are three chainrings on most bikes these days, and the second, middle, ring usually gets almost all the work. It’s the go-to ring when things are flat. Yesterday was a day with very little second chainring usage. https://www.strava.com/activities/1034845304/embed/fd0b2c3874d7650c268444e6d77fa5144f41fe4c For those not clicking on the Strava embed (apologies that I’ve not yet figured how to… Read More Tour Day 4: Leiria to Coimbra