Suzanne's Cycling Site
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      • Continuing on the Romantic Road >
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        • 8. Holed up in Sankt Veit
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        • 10. Inching Our Way: Kolbnitz to Spittal
        • 11. Flat and Dry: Spittal to Arnoldstein
        • 12. Buongiorno Bella Italia: Arnoldstein to Chiusaforte
        • 13. Best Bike Path Ever: Chiusaforte to Tavagnacco
        • 14. Closer to the Sea: Tavagnacco to Palmanova
        • 15. Last Day on the Road: Palmanova to Grado
        • 16. Grado and How We Got Home
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Day 1: To Friedberg, a rainy start

Thursday July 15, 2021
Rain was forecast and rain it is. Same as last week. We had originally planned to leave on Thursday a week earlier but decided against it due to the heavy rains predicted. We cancelled all or hotel bookings and booked anew. As it turned out, it didn't rain last Thursday but it is raining today. But we are riding today, rain or shine.

Before we leave I ask Janos to pump my tires a wee bit more, they are feeling very soft. Somehow there is a problem with the pump and valve, the tire loses all its air and then Janos manages to get it pumped up enough for me to cycle to the local bike shop. The bike mechanic takes care of my tires quickly, and at the same time informs me that my front suspension shocks don't look right, I should get it taken care of as soon as possible. That's a problem since as soon as possible will be at the end of our tour.

For a while it had stopped raining, but by the time we are finally ready to set out, it has started again.
Picture
Janos and me, ready to roll and waiting for the rain to stop, which it doesn't
We are well enough equipped for rain. The shoes are more or less water proof, the rain jacket with hood works well and we both have "rain legs", not rain pants which are so uncomfortable and a big nuisance to put on and take off.
Picture
Rain legs are a great invention, they keep you much drier than you'd think to look at them.
Our first stop will be in Fürstenfeldbruck. In the rain we don't see much of the pretty ride, but we have pedaled these 17 km often.
Picture
Wet - but it's not pouring cats and dogs and it's not windy - count your blessings.
Picture
Queen Anne's lace and cornflowers add a friendly note
When we reach Fürstenfeldbruck, I'm more interested in getting out of the rain for a meal than visiting Fürstenfeldbruck's lovely baroque church. When we come out it has stopped raining!
Picture
Taking cover with view to the facade of the Fürstenfeld Abbey Church of The Ascension of the Virgin Mary (St. Mariä Himmelfahrt)
That was the good news. The bad news is that Janos discovers that he has left his wallet at home with ID and credit cards. I have credit cards but traveling without any identification isn't a good idea. We do some brainstorming. Cycling back is the least appealing solution. Take the city train from Fürstenfeldbruck to Munich and then another city train out to Gauting? That would take forever. We come up with and reject various scenarios and decide the best thing will be to ride to Friedberg, our destination for the day, and from there Janos can take a train back to Munich and Gauting, retrieve his wallet and then return to Friedberg by train.
Picture
We continue in the Bavarian countryside under a grey sky and with dampened spirits.
Picture
Wayside votive chapel from 1888
We have a nice route through farming country, mainly fields of grain and corn, many good bike paths separate from the road, and in the end even a tail wind to push us along. Friedberg, located to the east of Augsburg, has a historical old town and is located on a hill which we should have known since "berg" is in its name.

We are in Hotel zum Brunnen and the reception is friendly and helpful. The young man at the desk seems to enjoy the challenge of finding the best train connections to get Janos to Gauting and back as quickly as possible. So after a quick change of clothes, Janos is off down the hill to the train station and with two changes of trains he is in Gauting. When he gets back to Friedberg it's 9 pm. I meet him at the train station and we have a meal at the nearby Greek restaurant.

In the meantime the sky clears and the sun comes out. I stroll around town and take a few pictures.
Picture
This might be Friedberg's town hall, I'm not sure though.
Picture
Traditional wall painting depicting a medieval cow slaughter
Picture
Main square with fountain and St. Mary's column
Picture
Look at all those cars, they kind of ruin the scene, don't you think?

  • Home
  • Bicycle Tours
    • 2021 >
      • Autumn in the Allgäu
      • Austria Again
      • A Dip into Tyrol
      • Wertheim and Beyond
      • We got as far as Wertheim
      • Bavarian Getaways
    • 2020 >
      • Out and About in Bavaria >
        • Day 1: Gauting - Bad Tölz
        • Day 2: Bad Tölz - Bad Kohlgrub
        • Day 3: Bad Kohlgrub - Landsberg
        • Day 4: Landsberg - Gauting
    • 2019 >
      • The Season Has Begun
      • Pedaling and Shooting in Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
      • More Pedaling in Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
      • Cycling the Inn in Austria >
        • Day 1 Gautig to Tölz
        • Day 2 Tölz to Jenbach
        • Day 3 Jenbach to Innsbruck
        • Day 4 Innsbruck to Rietz
        • Day 5 Rietz to Landeck
        • Day 6 Landeck and Home
    • 2018 >
      • A Two Day Outing
      • A nine-day tour in Lower Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
        • Day 3
        • Day 4
        • Day 5
        • Day 6
        • Day 7
        • Day 8
        • Day 9
      • The Romantic Road >
        • Day 1 - Füssen to Peiting
        • Day 2 - Peiting to Klosterlechfeld
        • Day 3 - Kosterlechfeld to Gersthofen
        • Day 4 - Gersthofen to Donauwörth
        • Day 5 - Train Ride Home
      • Continuing on the Romantic Road >
        • Day 1 - Donauwörth to Raustetten
        • Day 2 - Raustetten to Dorfgütingen
        • Day 3 - Dorfgütingen to Creglingen
        • Day 4 - Creglingen to Hochhausen
        • Day 5: Hochhausen to Uettingen
        • Day 6 - Uettingen to Würzburg
      • Alpe-Adria Tour 2018 >
        • 1. Alsace or the Alps?
        • 2. We're Off: Munich to Bruckmühl
        • 3. Mountains Aready? Bruckmühl to Übersee
        • 4. Almost Salzburg: Übersee to Freilassing
        • 5. On the Ciclovia Alpe-Adria: Freilassing to Golling
        • 6. A Short Ride: Golling to Werfen
        • 7. A Patch of Blue Sky: Werfen to Sankt Veit
        • 8. Holed up in Sankt Veit
        • 9. The Big Climb: Sankt Veit to Unterkolbnitz
        • 10. Inching Our Way: Kolbnitz to Spittal
        • 11. Flat and Dry: Spittal to Arnoldstein
        • 12. Buongiorno Bella Italia: Arnoldstein to Chiusaforte
        • 13. Best Bike Path Ever: Chiusaforte to Tavagnacco
        • 14. Closer to the Sea: Tavagnacco to Palmanova
        • 15. Last Day on the Road: Palmanova to Grado
        • 16. Grado and How We Got Home
    • 2016 >
      • To Berlin and Beyond
    • 2013 >
      • Eight Wheels in Transit
    • 2011 >
      • From Passau to Vienna
    • 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006
  • Day Rides
    • Rides 2023
    • 2022 Rides
    • 2021 Walks and Rides
    • 2020 Bicycle Days
    • 2019 Rides >
      • Bicycle Days 2019
    • 2018 Rides >
      • Bicycle Days 2018
      • 2018 Monthly Challenges
      • Cycling in Circles
    • 2017 Rides and Challenges >
      • Late to the Party
      • The Munich Kaffeeklatsch
  • Bicycle Memories
    • 1981: Bicycling with Daniel
    • 1981 - Passau to Vienna
    • 1982 - Provence with Daniel
    • 1985: Believe It or Not
    • 1986 - Southwest France
  • About
  • Contact
  • My Blog
  • Miscellaneous
    • Hochbunkers in Munich