So we broke the 100 mile barrier today! Big whoop whoop for all the Raiders. We all had a decent breakfast (not ham and cheese) that set us up well for the rest of the day. Well until we stopped for coffee and then lunch but still we were fuelled up adequately for the first 25 miles. We covered lots of ground at a good pace today which in turn had a slight effect on some Raiders coming into the last few miles but nothing that wasn’t worth it.
Since cycling through Croatia we have found that they have a new National sport. Since lawn mowers became illegal to use in 2007 the game of strimming has taken over. We usually see anything between 5-6 strimmers working on technique every day.
The first 25 miles today we’re all coastal roads that swung past lots of villages and little beaches. Very very beautiful scenery all around. We went past a few different things today. Giant wine corks in the sea, Luka Modric’s hometown, mine fields and lots of signs for wild bores. We are still yet to see one of these roaming loose in the undergrowth but we still live on in hope. One animal we do see a lot of down the Dalmatian coast is the dog. These don’t tend to like cyclists much, barking and yapping at every opportunity!
After our first coffee break we managed to knuckle down and churn out some serious miles. We hit what was the longest bit of straight road we have rode all week. It must have been for about 10 miles and was the first time all week that we could ride along side one another in pairs!
1 mile into the last 40, which was also straight after lunch Birgit had a puncture. This was quickly swapped out by Gary (who is now also sporting a moustache). We think the puncture may have been caused by Birgit running over a snake earlier in the day! Birgit loves snakes!
After a lovely stop for afternoon drinks Sam and Duncan decided to jump on the back of the lady train! Letting the ladies do all the work for a few miles. Something I’m sure the boys weren’t complaining about!
We came across a man on a boat in the afternoon, anchored up in a little bag having a snooze. I’m not going to say much but we easily would have had somewhere to park the bike! Starkers!
We arrived at the hotel earlier than we have done all week. Which considering we had rode the longest ride of the week it was impressive. Not as impressive as the cold showers that everyone had to take! We should have known the showers would be shoddy when we were told upon arrival “if you like your bike you’ll take it to your room tonight”. Not that the hotel has to be like Fort Knox but something to lock them in usually helps. This didn’t dampen spirits and we were soon out for dinner in Trogir. A lovely town with cobble streets. Finding a lovely bar and restaurant along the way.
So this now only leaves 2 more days of cycling. Although the week seems to have been really long we can’t actually believe that it’s still only Tuesday.
Little pic of where these blogs are written before bed time.
Below highlights some of the stats from today’s ride!
Riding Time 6:26:54
Miles 101.3
Average mph 15.7
On a personal note today saw me hit a top speed of 34.7mph. I’ve consumed 4.97 litres of water and burnt 4367 calories!
That’s all folks
Raiders Media Man
I Just Felt Like Cycling 