Előzmények:
After the nightride around the Lake Balaton I planned a last tour for this year. The bike path between Budapest and Lake Balaton was promising. There was an organised tour on the first day of October. I thought this is a great opportunity for us. It is even better we ride with other cyclists. Unfortunately the weather was really unpredictable and he decided not to take part at this event. I woke up around 6 am and I heard some rain noises from outside. It was not really pleasant. I hoped on a train and rode to the start area. I got lost a little bit, but after a short breakfast I was able to start the tour at 9 am.
Location and date:
Kelenföld
Saturday, 01.10.2022
Equipment:
I took with me my saddle bag, where I stored my SOS bike kit (spare tube, tube repair kit, some tools, spd, bolts etc.) I stored some bars and pears in my handlebar bag. I had an aerobar for additional comfort. I think it is really nice on flat surfaces. I also had a small backpack with me, because I needed extra storage room for warm clothes.
Tactics:
I wanted to hold on to my own, sporty pace during the entire tour.
Experience report:
Unfortunately I couldn’t get rid off my rain coat in the first 2-2,5 hours. After that the sky slowly changed to its original blue color. The sun was already too hot for my taste. The temperature was mild. We had a lot of small climbs on the tour. They provided additional heat to the body. They weren’t particularly long and steep, but the 1000 m (or 3280 ft) elevation gain – which equals to the biggest mountain of Hungary (Kékes) – was remarkable.
80% of the course had a good quality. The remaining 20% was bad, sometimes really bad. I wouldn’t really recommend it with a road bike. These sections suck your energy away. So did the headwind before reaching the lake.
The atmosphere was at the finish line amazing. Music, beer, food, girls. You couldn’t wish yourself more. One of the organizers briefly interviewed me about the tour, whether the rain, the hills or the wind was the most problematic. I answered yes, because every element made the tour difficult. If they hadn’t been there, the whole tour would have been fun. But that’s not what ultracycling is about.
After lunch I continued my tour to the west side of Lake Balaton. I was maintaining a really good pace. The straight roads and the boring surroundings wore out my patience. It was already offseason and after the sunset the area was basically deserted. I left my rear light at home. I would have been much calmer with one. I put some trust into my visibility vest and I rode mainly on bike path. I reached Balatonberény and I got a ride to home. 210 km (130 M) was more than enough for today.
The route contains multiple sights:
Az út során több látványosságot is meg lehet tekinteni. A teljesség igénye nélkül:
The viaduct of Biatorbágy.
The resting place in Pázmánd, where you can find several wooden sculptures.
Lake Venice is a great photo subject.
The military memorial park in Pákozd, which can be visited for an entrance fee.
The Monument of Golden Bull of 1222 and the castle of Bory in Székesfehérvár.
The second half of the course doesn’t have many sights apart from Lake Balaton. You can find programs for a full weekend.
I survived the trip with a strong muscle fever. The old bike paths were in bad shape and they caused upper body fatigue. Riding on a road bike isn’t a good idea. If you want to do this I recommend at least 32 mm wide tires front and rear. I wasn’t cautious and the sun burned my face. The bike suffered multiple paint damage due to the mudguard. I am not really satisfied with these Raceblades. They don’t offer much protection against water and mud and they eat paint. They were only a temporaly solution, till I can mount a – hopefully – better mudguard.
Data:
Place| Nr. | Name | Time | Avg.
20 | 060 | Farkas Péter | 07:00:09 | 21 kph (13 mph)
This was a sporty pace with multiple breaks (changing clothes, eating, filling up bottle etc.). I finished 20th out of 85th.
Conclusion:
Overall, I liked the bike path. Unfortunately there are parts that neither I nor the bike want to be on again. The route is difficult, but the beautiful landscape compensates for your efforts. It’s hard to define, who it is made for. It’s more challanging than the Lake Balaton bike path. I think most people wouldn’t do it on a single day.
A kerékpárút összeségében nekem tetszett. Sajnos vannak olyan részek, amik miatt sem én, sem a bringa nem szeretné újra teljesíteni. Az útvonal nehéz, de kárpótolja a kerekest a táj. Nehéz behatárolni, hogy kiknek készült. Egy Balatonkörhöz képest nagyobb kihívást jelent. Az egy nap alatti teljesítést szerintem nem sokan vállalják be.
Ajánlás:
If you liked the Lake Balaton bike path, you will enjoy this for sure!
Video: