BuBa Bike Tour

Posted on 2022-10-05 by Blue-Wanderer

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:

Alpe-Adria Cycling Journey

Posted on 2022-09-23 by Blue-Wanderer

Prologue:

I wanted to do this for ages! This cycling path belongs to the most beautiful cycling paths in the Alps. You can cross the mountain region relative easily on this route. Of course you still need to do a lot of climbing, but you can avoid the 3000-4000 m peaks. An average man with an average fitness level can do this. You will meet with billions of bridges, mountain peaks, endless and calm paved and gravel routes along rivers. This is an adventurous cycling journey. You can ride it with a road bike, but I recommend 28 mm tires to feel yourself comfortable.

Location and date:

Salzburg

Friday, 02.09.2022

Preparations:

I bought different train tickets in advance, uploaded the track to Garmin, I fastened my sleeping bag and matte on the handlebar, packed the most necessary clothing and skincare items, charged every electronic device. If you leave your home for multiple days, you have to do a lot of things beforehand. My journey began on Friday afternoon on a train. I met with Sigi, my Austrian friend in Salzburg. We are going to ride together.

First Day: Along the River

As usual, the tour started with small technical problems. My gopro fell down and its mounting piece broke. After that the zipper on my framebag wasn’t working well.

The scenery was magnificent. Ups and downs, paved and unpaved sections followed each other. Thankfully Sigi already rode this cycling path and he was a good leader. We ate in one of the local restaurants before the darkness broke in. The menu was Frittaten Soup and Salzburgschnitzel with some kind of potato croquettes. And with some beer of course! We should have stayed hydrated. We cycled in the darkness for a couple of hours. The temperature was pretty chilly. We found a cozy place in a village (Dorfgastein) and we slept under the roof of an office. I slept in my clothes, because 7 °C at night wasn’t comfortable at all. It was below the comfort temperature of my sleeping bag.

Second Day: Tasting the Alps

It was so cold in the morning. Sleeping outside at 800 meters in September wasn’t really a heart-warming feeling. The bakery opened at 6 am, so we got a warm tea and a couple of bites, before the steep uphills bit our legs. Bad Gastein is a wonderful tourist town. Monumental hotels, waterfall in the middle of the town, cafe houses at every corner. It was really quiet in the morning. The road ends after the town. Cars, cyclists and passengers have to catch a train and go through the tunnel.

On the other side we had a really fast and enjoyable downhill. Slowly the sunlight warmed us up. Instead of warm clothes, sunscreen got on the skin. A quite zig-zag path takes through the river valley. Sometimes gravel, sometimes asphalt.

In Villach I tried to cool myself down with some ice creams. My mate decided not to do the Italian part of the tour and went home. I think my pace was too slow for him.

I reached Arnordstern just before closing. I bought some food and batteries for my Garmin sensor. After the rest I continued my journey. This was my first time in Italy. After Tarvisio begins a motorway for cyclists. I cycled for a couple of hours in the darkness and I found a half made house beside the cycling path. The canalisation and piping weren’t yet complete. It was a perfect shelter.

Third Day: Italian Landscapes

I already did a couple of bikepacking tours, but this place for overnighting was absolutely superb. They even put wood to the wall for my bicycle handlebar. I didn’t wanted to leavy any marks on the nicely painted walls. I really needed some kind of cover against the rain, because it rained a lot at night.

Before noon I made the most beautiful part of the whole tour. It was a really good mixture of cycling path, bridges, rivers, valleys, mountains, steep cliffs and tunnels. I got lost a couple of times, but I always found some kind of unpaved road.

I left the mountain area slowly like a snake. Gravel and paved roads followed each other. If you are in a hurry or you want to ride fast, this trail is not for you. But if you are into adventure, you have found your dream trail.

Buying food in Italy on Sunday wasn’t easy. Fortunately the path crossed bigger towns, where I was able to refuel. I went through numerous small, but nice villages. Almost every town had a water tap. Refilling my bottle was necessary. I tried to cool my body down with beer, cold drink, meal, ice cream, but nothing worked. I had to make a longer pause at a cemetery (not so long… yet… haha), where I washed myself and I put my wet towel on the top of my head. Slowly I felt myself better. Due to the heat I reached Grado just before sunset.

There were a billion people. It was a strong contrast to what I experienced during daylight. I took a walk in the sunset and tried to leave as soon as possible. I cycled to Monfalcone with Fantaenergy. I was pretty tired and my phone, gps and light were running out of battery. I slept at a parking loot. This idea was liked by dozens of mosquitos. At 2 pm even a boar visited me. It was pretty loud. I was able to hear it for a long time after it ran away from me.

Conclusion:

The bike handled this challenge well. It was advertised as a city bike. I think this rig is perfect for touring purposes. Who the hell would buy a Di2 and Gates equipped bike for shopping in the city?!

The weather was nice during the whole tour. I haven’t washed the bike nor the belt. The 28 mm tires were too narrow to my taste. If they wear down, I will get dicker tires.

Bathing in the sea was a really nice feeling. I cycled in the cold, and in the heat for almost 3 days. My hair felt like a fatty haystack. The temperatur of the water was around 24 °C. It was pleasant and salty. I missed this feeling of how easy it is to float in salty water.

Recommendation:

This is one of the nicest and easiest way to cross the alps. I would recommend this tour to everyone. For your own enjoyment, you should hit these road with at least 32 mm wide tires. You can do it on a road bike, but you have to pay extra attention on the flat, sharp corners. You can lose traction easily. This is a week-long bike adventure. In this case you will have enough time for other programs and sightseeing.

Sometimes somewhere someone makes a photo about me

When others are still resting in the warm bed…

Although the main road was busy, the view was beautiful

Video:

Dark Round Around Balaton

Posted on 2022-08-31 by Blue-Wanderer

Prologue:

This idea is related to my friend. I was really busy in the summer, but finally we were able to do it. There were other wannabe participants as well. Some of them didn’t have time, someone fall asleep, someone didn’t like the weather forecast. There are two types of cycling weather: good cycling weather and bad cycling weather. This night belongs to the second group. After all I and my friend were on the „start line” and ready to embrace the darkness.

Place and date:

Balatönfüred

27.08.2022 Saturday

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 had to carry a powerbank for charging my front light and GPS. I used my handlebar bag. It had plenty of room for my security vest and chocolates. I mounted my aerobar for addicitonal comfort. I think it is really nice on flat surfaces.

Tactic:

I wanted to reach the starting town with a moderate speed then survive the night.

Experience report:

It’s been while since I rode those streets of Zala and Balaton Upperland. I was in a good form for ultra cycling, therefore I decided to cycle all the way down to the starting town. I didn’t want to use a car, because the trip would have been dangerous after so much cycling. The train was out of question. There were ongoing repairs on the railway. I estimated a 25 kph average speed. It was a bit optimistic due to the high temperature and I had to do many small climbs. I started at 2 pm to reach my destination in time and have a dinner before the start. Firstly the temperature caused a little bit of trouble and I had to make multiple stops at cemeteries. I tried to drink as much water as I could and keep my head cool. After Kapolcs the street was wet and the air was really humid. I was struggling with breathing. My head was a bit dizzy after I reached Balatonfüred. I wasn’t able to drink enough water in the heat. I fueled myself up with a ham pizza. It was super tasty

After the darkness has fallen, we started our journey. My body was still to hot. Finally we reached the high coast and I felt myself much better. The lightning accompanied us during the whole night. We saw it sometimes in front of us, sometimes behinds us, sometimes to the side. One lost cloud even soaked us after Siófok. Fortunately Zala County received the largest amount of precipitation. We chose the right, clockweise direction. Of course we had to fight with the wind, and the pavement was partly wet. The crowd was crazy in Siófok. A lot of young guys and girls wanted to have a party at the last summer weekend.

I wanted to have a hot drink at the train station of Keszthely. I was out of order. Nevertheless we eat a bit of food and continued the route. Our muscles were cold, the first couple of kilometers weren’t really enjoyable. The pavement was also absolutely garbage for road bikes. It was a pure punishment for body-soul-bike. The sunrise was interesting. It took a while till we were able to actually see the sun. The last dark clouds from the night passed away slowly. And suddenly it felt like someone turned the light on. My whole body was sore. Fortunately the grocery store was already open after we completed the big circle.

Conclusion:

Despite the bad weather circumstances, it was an interesting experience. This was the first time I cycled through the whole night. Continuation? Maybe there will be a Bu(dapest)-Ba(laton) bicycle tour in October.

Recommendation:

Round around the Lake at night isn’t a bad idea after all. The course doesn’t really lead on the coast, so the view to the lake is limited even at daylight. The mild temperature and traffic would be also beneficial. I recommend a storm-free and full moon night.

2022 Bükk Maraton Long Course

Posted on 2022-08-112022-12-05 by Blue-Wanderer

Prologue:

Unfortunately the hardest MTB marathon of Hungary (Mátra Maraton) will not be in the race calender anymore. The Hungary’s Most Difficult Marathon Title goes to the Bükk Maraton. I like challenges so – of course – I had to be there and I picked the longest course (77 km, 2000 m). I held a last before-the-race-training at weekend and it wasn’t really flawless. I felt myself weak and tired on the climbs. My body got better in the second half. In the end, I could even feel some power in the legs. I tried to rest as much as I could before the race.

Place and date:

Bélapátfalva

07.08.2022 Sunday

Equipment:

I took a saddle bag with me with the most necessary items: one spare tube, puncture repairment-kit, rear derailleur hanger, chainlinks, spd-cleat, and some bolts. I even had a couple of spare braking pads with me. The sealing of the brakes are crap and they has to be replaced. I was afraid, if I change the brake pads, air might can go into the brakefluid and I will be busted.

Tactics:

Own, but a little bit uncomfortable pace. I want to avoid any accident.

Bükk Maraton 0. Day:

Finally my new fully bike was ready to roll. I didn’t really had many opportunities to ride the new bike. I had to train for the marathons. I decided to take two bikes with me. I droped the beast in and I went to Lillafüred. Cyclist can also use the chairlift. And multiple lines are available for enduro and downhill riders. It is similar experience like aqua worlds in the childhood. You slide now and you can’t wait to do that again. It’s never get boring. The lift does the hard work, you can chill out. On the top of the hill you take off your bike, choose a line and let the gravity do its work.

Of course this isn’t as easy as it looks like. You need really good balance and good bike handling skills. The big bike helps a lot. I was surprised how easily the suspension sucked up the big holes.

After closing time I picked a route through the mountain. The pavement was incredibly bad, but the scenery was delightful. I inveted myself for a tasty mushroom soup and I get some puff pastry filled with cherry and poppy seeds. And I drank one beer, because I have earned it. I didn’t want to set up the tent. I made some place besides the donkeys and I slept in the car.

Raceday Report:

A storm passed during the night. It bought wind and rain. When I woke up in the morning the air was unusually cold and drafty. I forget to close the first two windows. My mattress lose some air in the night and my right shoulder got sore. I packed my sleeping gear, went to get my starter package and I prepared my bike. We got a red full cap which I do like a lot. I also received a backpack with water storage. It will suit to my fully well, because it doesn’t have bottle holder.

The race started at 10 am, so pretty late. After the start we immediately had a climb. It was perfect for warmup. Most of the time I was racing in my own pace. I was surprised that I could hold that pace for the entire race. This isn’t an easy thing to do for a longer period of time.

The course war dreamful. Finally we got pedallable gravel up-and downhill sections. A few people have got some technical issues. One guy folded his wheel, some people got flat tires. Sometimes I feel myself a bit frustrated, because I can’t really help them. And I saw a guy on the top, who tried to blow up the spare tube with his mouth. It was surreal. How much pressure can the human lungs produce? The answer is: 9.8 kPa = 1.4 psi = 0,1 bar. A tubeless wheel has 1,5 bar overpressure. Brass players have advantage!

In the first round I could overtake a lot of riders. I could really understand it, but the bike was flying under me. The first ascent of the secound round was brutal. It was a torture against my body and soul. It was a long and moderately steep ascent with millions of rocks and stones. I tried to get as much rest in the downhills as I could. A hardtail bike can reach its limits sooner, and 26er chainring wasn’t made for descents. I couldn’t follow Flash.

I applied my camel tactic in the refreshing points. I always filled my bottles up, because the weather was warm. Sometimes I had take of my helmet for cooling reasons. I almost caught a guy on the last uphill, but he ignited his missiles and I couldn’t follow him in the descent.

After I reached the finish line the assistants take down the finish area. I think 5 hours was a good results for me. The start of the longer distance could be at 8 am. Or maybe he could put this event on Saturday. It’s not fun, if you have to drive 5-6 hours after a demanding race. Not everyone has Holiday or a private driver.

Conclusion:

Hála az időben érkező lehűlésnek, a szép tájnak és a remek nyomvonalnak, nagyon szuper rendezvény volt. Most is a drágább nevezés mellett tettem le a voksom. Végre nem bringás sapkát adtak, amik kb. fél-egy év alatt tönkremennek nálam. Ez a full cap számomra új stílus, de sokallta időtállóbbnak tűnik. Az ivóhátizsák csak hab volt a torta tetején!

Ajánlás:

Kezdők-haladók számára egyaránt ajánlott rendezvény. Annyiféle táv van, hogy mindenki megtalálja a magának megfelelőt.