EuroVelo 9
Sep. 19th, 2025 11:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rbarclayOr, getting from home, a tad north of Vienna, to my birthplace and childhood home, Wr. Neustadt, on a bicycle.
Now, I did nearly (because of a wrong turn) that route a couple years back, visiting my grandmother. But then I only rode there, and was taken back by car. This time around, a.) I went with my wife, and b.) back again on the bicycle, too.
And ye gods, it's been even worse than memory served. At least half of it, once out of Vienna proper, is some form of gravel. Some decently fine, some with lots of large-ish (2-5cm diameter) and sharp stones thrown in.
Last time, I rode a bike with a front suspension (see posting icon), this time I didn't. And my upper arms and shoulder area have suffered for it, lots. Last time, I also had some suspension under my seat ("Thudbuster LT", IIRC), this time I didn't. And my butt and spine suffered for it, lots.
EuroVelo 9 is (mostly, or at least somewhat) built along a canal which opened in 1803, and was designed for moving bulk (for the time) freight on water, drawn by horses on paths along both sides. Some of these paths are now called a "bicycle highway". Yes, really. But it just fucking ain't. See https://youtu.be/us8MOc3Hb7E
(And don't even get me started on the signage. Which's often repeated utterly & completely without sense - say, on a straight bit of way with no possibilities of making a turn - and otherwise often missing - say, when going through sidestreets in villages.)
Now, I did nearly (because of a wrong turn) that route a couple years back, visiting my grandmother. But then I only rode there, and was taken back by car. This time around, a.) I went with my wife, and b.) back again on the bicycle, too.
And ye gods, it's been even worse than memory served. At least half of it, once out of Vienna proper, is some form of gravel. Some decently fine, some with lots of large-ish (2-5cm diameter) and sharp stones thrown in.
Last time, I rode a bike with a front suspension (see posting icon), this time I didn't. And my upper arms and shoulder area have suffered for it, lots. Last time, I also had some suspension under my seat ("Thudbuster LT", IIRC), this time I didn't. And my butt and spine suffered for it, lots.
EuroVelo 9 is (mostly, or at least somewhat) built along a canal which opened in 1803, and was designed for moving bulk (for the time) freight on water, drawn by horses on paths along both sides. Some of these paths are now called a "bicycle highway". Yes, really. But it just fucking ain't. See https://youtu.be/us8MOc3Hb7E
(And don't even get me started on the signage. Which's often repeated utterly & completely without sense - say, on a straight bit of way with no possibilities of making a turn - and otherwise often missing - say, when going through sidestreets in villages.)