But I Digress

On the trail below Hanspaulka, and above the road known as V Šáreckém údolí.

Took off on a quick ride after work today. From Prague 6, through Hanspaulka, to Divoká Šárka, out to the beer garden, Hostinec Divci Skok, and then back along V Šáreckém údolí to the Vltava near Podbaba, and then back home.

It was a cool evening, but the sun was setting, and everything was bathed in that wonderful golden glow.

I wasn't feeling particularly energetic, but found that the route that Stewart and I would usually take from Prague 6 to Hanspaulka has been blocked by new construction. So I was forced to take a path that basically was a straight climb for quite awhile.

It was no Hill of Doom, but it was tough, and not the way that I had envisioned the ride in my mind, so it sort of deflated me.

But from there, it was all basically flat or downhill, so I can't complain too much.

I heard some woodpeckers in Divoká Šárka, had a nice view of the moon rising beside an old smokestack near Stromovka park, and saw a man standing along the path in front of his squatting wife or girlfriend, who was obviously peeing. The Czechs have elevated urination au naturelle to an art form. Kids do it. Women do it. And men do it. Boy, do men do it. You see it at least once a day, every day, if you're living in Prague.

But I digress.

Ride stats:

Distance of ride: 21 kilometers
Time on bike: 1.14.32
Average speed: 16.7 kph
Top speed: 36.9 kph
Total distance for 2007: 549 kilometers


A view from the trail through Divoká Šárka.

Quit Yer Stalin

This is the view of Prague from the site of the old Stalin memorial (pictured below right). The view is memorable, the disrepair of the site lamentable.

Saturday (April 28) was a glorious day in Prague. The weather was picture-perfect -- sunshine, around 75 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, lilacs and horse chestnut trees abloom.

I went out on a ride with Mark Baker and with Nino Tasca, a colleague from work who's also a serious athlete (like the Ironman kind). He recently arrived in Prague from New York and wanted to know some cycling routes.

He lives in Smichov, so we decided to do the Bakerloo Run, but in reverse.

Mark and I met at the metronome in Letna park, overlooking Prague. It's the site where a massive 50-meter-high marble statue of Stalin and a line of Soviet "workers" used to look out over the city. It was erected in 1955, and only stood for seven years.

Soviet leader Nikita Kruschev denounced Stalin's reign, and Moscow ordered that the statue be removed. It was, in 1962, with something like 800 kg of explosives.

It's said that many of those who were associated with the monument died mysterious and tragic deaths. The only thing tragic about the site now is its decrepitude.

A giant metronome was placed on the site in the early '90s. The metronome is actually kinda cool (when it's actually working, that is), and the location overlooking all of Prague draws hundreds of tourists and locals every day.

The problem is that the site is filled with trash and broken glass and covered in graffiti. The paving stones are missing in several large patches. It's an eyesore. Imagine if the terraces at Sacre Coeur in Paris were in the same condition. It's disgraceful.

I'll never understand why the city of Prague doesn't spend a few thousands dollars to clean up places like this. They seem to have plenty of money to cut down trees in the city!


Nino and Mark crossing the very busy highway bridge near Branik, and the view from the bridge (below right).

Anyway, Mark and I cycled through Mala Strana and met Nino at Frank Gehry's famous "Dancing Building" along the river. We then cycled up the Vltava along a very nice bike path, and then crossed the river on a busy highway bridge near Branik to connect with another riverside path opposite.

We then headed up a highway to Hlubocepy, and through a beautiful park that winds its way up a valley to Nova Ves.


Cyclists along the river are treated to some funky urban art.

There's a very, very steep path up the side of a hill that takes you up to Stodulky. I'd never gone up it, only down. Let me just say it gives the Hill of Doom a run for its money. But I made it.

We then cycled on a bike path that snakes its way through the panelaks of Stodulky before connecting with Repy. Another very steep hill connects you with Bila Hora. I had doubts three-quarters of the way up that hill about whether I could make it. I was hurting. But I stuck it out and reached the top.

The worst was over.

At Bila Hora, we came across a five-car accident that had just happened. Five cars that were all stuck together, front to end. Still more testament to the awful driving skills of Czech drivers. They were all obviously following one another too closely. Cyclists don't stand a chance in this kind of environment.


It doesn't appear as if Czech drivers ever learned that old adage about keeping one car length between you and the driver ahead.

We continued to cycle through Hvezda park, past the Star House, onto Veleslavin, through Brevnov and Stresovice, and back to Prague 6.

At 36.5 kilometers, it wasn't a particularly long ride, but it was very difficult, at least for me.


Nino and I take a breather in front of the Star House in Obora Hvezda.

Let me just say for the record that the so-called Bakerloo Run is a bitch going backward!

Ride stats:

Length of ride: 36. 5 kilometers
Average speed: 15.8 kph
Maximum speed: 39.1 kph
Time on the bike: 2.17.27
Temperature: 75 degrees F.
Total distance for 2007: 528 kilometers


Nino was a great cycling companion. (He's also desperate to find out where he can buy real Gatorade in Prague. Anyone know?)

We conquered some tough hills, saw some lovely sights, and avoided any flats (despite a run-in along the Vltava with another thorny branch (pictured right).

We somehow also managed to avoid any beer stops along the way.

OK, so it wasn't a perfect ride ...


It's impossible not to stop and admire spectacular displays like this one, of tulips and pansies in Stresovice. (photo by Mark Baker © 2007)

In The Gloaming

Mark and I went out on an evening run last night. It was a beautiful evening, but we got a late start. My fault. Meetings at work.

And Mark already one beer ahead of me.

We finally started out around 6:30 p.m. and headed to Okor. I figured we'd be biking home in the dark (not my favorite pastime), but decided to live dangerously.

First of all, in Roztoky, we cycled into huge swarms of lovebugs. I was riding ahead, with Mark drafting behind, so it was I who had the misfortune of becoming covered in a few dozen of these pesky flies.

I felt like a giant windshield.

One flew up my nose.

Mark eventually had his own close encounters with them.

We cycled the usual route through Unetice, Statenice and Lichoceves and on to Okor. And what a beautiful ride it was. As we heading down the long road into the village, we passed field after field of rapeseed, aglow in the golden light from the setting sun.

We also had a European brown hare race cross the road just in front of Mark's tires.

After a quick glass of Gambrinus in Okor, we headed back into the gloaming.

About halfway, I had to turn on my front headlamp and rear light. The trails were dark, but it a nice ride. No one around. The woods quiet and still.



It was only once we got to Roztoky and the highway where things turned unpleasant, with all the cars and trucks racing past, and nowhere for us to escape to. Again, cars and trucks traveling unnecessarily fast.

It caused us to pedal faster, however, and we made good time. I recorded my fastest average speed yet.

Ride stats:

Distance: 41.5 kilometers
Average speed: 18.4 kph
Maximum speed: 42.8 kph
Length of ride: 2.14.26
Number of flats in 2007: 3
Total distance for 2007: 491.5

Somehow, I never get bored with this route. It feels like you've gone someplace, accomplished something, when it's all over. And it's still a thrill to see the castle ruins peeking out from above the hills as we near the village.

Highly recommended.


The lilacs have exploded in Prague.

A Birthday Beer & Flat #3

It was my birthday today, so I took the day off from work, went by myself to an early morning movie ("300") at Novy Smichov (the audience for which was me and, despite the graphic violence, a gaggle of 8-year-olds (shouldn't they be in school?)) and then headed out on my bike.

The day started off warm and rainy, but improved considerably throughout the afternoon. I headed through Letna, then Stromovka park, then felt inexorably drawn to the Hill of Doom. It was taunting me. Telling me I too out of shape. Too tired. Too, well, old.

Not quite yet. I made it to the top, spent but exhilarated.

Grant 2, Hill of Doom 0.

Cycled through Divoká Šárka and figured I'd reward myself with a Herold Wheat Lager and a kolbasy at the beer garden. It's my birthday, after all. I deserved it.

Two things ended up thwarting that enticing plan, however.

1.) The beer garden was closed.
2.) I simultaneously discovered that I had a flat front tire, my third of the season.

Of all the luck.


That's three flats already this year. Not that I'm counting.

Luckily, I had a spare tube, and with minimal difficulty managed to fix it and be on my way. I couldn't find the specific leak, so I'm not sure what the cause was.

Now I really deserved a reward, I figured. I'll bike to Koliba in Roztoky, one of my all-time favorite oases, and have a tall, cool Budvar.

I did.

Koliba was closed for the day.

Which gave me a chance to check out a tiny pub near Koliba, on Tiché údolí, that James Gogarty had recommended, and which I had passed dozens of times but never bothered to try.

It's called Hospůdka Zvířátka (Little Animal), and it's a welcoming stop for cyclists. They've got a bike stand, and even sell a few bike accessories, like tubes and such.


Hospůdka Zvířátka in Roztoky is a welcoming pit stop for weary, or thirsty, cyclists.

Best of all, they sell Černá Hora beer on tap for 18 kc (87 U.S. cents) for a half-liter of the pilsner. It's hard to beat that price anywhere in Prague. The beer itself was delicious, and the head was as creamy as frothed milk. The brewery dates from 1530. I just like saying that. 1530!

In the end, it was a perfect way to wrap up the ride.

But jeez, a flat on my birthday?!

Ride stats:

Distance: 42 kilometers
Average speed: 18.1 kph
Maximum speed: 37.6 kph
Length of ride: 2.17.54
Number of flats in 2007: 3
Distance so far in 2007: 450 kilometers

I posted my fastest average speed of the year so far today. I'm not sure if that's because I was riding alone, and wasn't slowed by socializing, or because I really wanted that beer. Hmmmm.


I'm confident enough in my masculinity that I can take time from my ride to stop in Letna and take pictures of beautiful tulips.

Hitting the big time

My friend James Gogarty, who's the web manager at provokator.org, was kind enough to write a little article about this blog on his site. Check it out.

I'm grateful for any publicity I can get.

And his site is definitely worth bookmarking.

I met James at Koliba a few weeks back, while I was out on a ride. He'd been reading the blog himself and actually recognized me as I was sipping a beer. It was kind of freaky, but also very cool.

We haven't yet been able to schedule a ride together, but I'm sure we will soon.

He's talking about cycling to Dresden sometime. That would certainly get me the so-called "century" that many cyclists aspire to -- that is, 100 miles (160 kilometers) in a day. I've already completed a "metric century" -- 100 kilometers in a day.

If anyone out there has any experiences with these long bike trips from Prague, drop me a comment.

Fields Of Gold

Went on a ride today with Daisy to Okoř. Sunny and beautiful, but pretty chilly. We did more or less the usual run (Roztoky, Unetice, Statenice, Tuchoměřice, etc.), with a few minor variations.

Everything was abloom, as it has been for the past few weeks.

This ride was highlighted by vast fields of bright rapeseed, yellow as a rain slicker. I also saw many cherry trees, frosted with white blossoms.

Near Tuchoměřice, we rode by a farmer's field alive with numerous European brown hares. They're huge, bigger than our fat cat, and run more like deer than rabbits. I tried to take a photograph, but only managed to catch one as he was running away. That's it in the photo at right.

It turns out they don't nest in burrows, but in shallow depressions or nests of grass called forms. There's a piece of trivia for you.

We stopped at the Hotel Okoř, as we always do, for a glass of white wine and a light, deliciously simple lunch of spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, and a dish they call hamandeggs, which is just what it says it is, but done with flair.

Ride stats:

Distance: 48 kilometers
Average speed: 16.2 kph
Maximum speed: 36.2 kph
Length of ride: 2.51.28
Distance ridden in 2007: 408 kilometers

A man's gotta eat

I like to ride, but I also like to eat. And drink.

I'm friends with Brewsta, the author of the blog Czech Please, which looks at the food and drink scene in Prague and beyond.

But Brewsta can only eat out so many times.

So after a recent discussion about the best hamburger in Prague, he asked me to write a guest entry on his blog on the topic.

I also weigh in with some thoughts of my own about Prague's best all-around restaurant experience.

You can find my post here. It's a great blog. Check it out.

Now, if I could only get Brewsta out on a bike ...

Critical Mass -- More Harm Than Good?

Hundreds of cyclists take over Legerova, a main artery through the heart of Prague. Meanwhile, hundreds of motorists in the oncoming lane sit and seethe.


I participated in the Critical Mass bike rally last night in Prague. It was the first time I'd ever participated in such a social protest action.

I did it because I believe the city of Prague needs to do more in support of cyclists. I also wanted to make a statement, to let Czech drivers know that they need to pay more attention to the rights of cyclists on the road.

Like many cyclists in the city, I've had my share of nasty run-ins with drivers. As the Critical Mass slogan says, "We Are Traffic." And I truly believe that.

In hindsight, however, I count myself among that group of cyclists (a minority, perhaps) who believe these Critical Mass rides, which are held all over the world, probably do more harm than good. That they may be counterproductive to our cause.


The Critical Mass ride paused briefly in Wenceslaus Square.

I know this isn't going to make me many new friends, but I feel like I have to say it.

My friends and I estimated there were about 500 to 800 of us riding last night. We rode through the streets of Vinohrady, and then onto Wilsonova and Legerova, right through the heart of the city. It felt great to be riding my bike, unfettered, on these normally crowded highways. Traffic was backed up for many, many kilometers in both directions to give us the room to ride.

But that's part of the problem, in my view. Cyclists already have enough problems with Czech motorists. In my opinion, we don't need to piss off thousands more of them, give them another reason to target us.

Yes, cars normally have control of the road, and it felt kinda cool to "take over" the streets and highways for a change, but I don't see the point.

Why stage a protest that only angers those you are trying to sway to your side?

As we rode by, motorists yelled at us, honked their horns, raised their fists. Many drivers used their cars to intimidate the cyclists, or simply tried to swerve around us, threatening our safety. It's hard to understand the mind-set of a Czech driver who, even in the midst of a bike rally, resorts to such crazy behavior. If it's this bad while the cops are around, imagine what it's like for cyclists out on the country roads.

It's truly unconscionable behavior.

I personally saw three very unpleasant altercations at Critical Mass between drivers and cyclists (one of which is pictured above). Two of these cases I thought were going to devolve into violence. I know that in each of these instances, it was the drivers who were at fault.

But then there was the behavior of the cyclists themselves.

The overwhelming majority were there for the same reasons I was. To make a stand for cyclists' rights.

There were lots of families with kids (including my friend Stewart Moore and his two boys, Jules and Ronan, pictured here). Young people. Old people. Skateboarders and unicyclists. Tandem and recumbent bikers. James Gogarty from provakator.org. My friend Mark Baker. David Murphy, regional coordinator of Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Development, whom I met through Stewart and Mark.

We all rode peacefully and safely.

But I saw many cyclists during the event acting recklessly, cycling against traffic or riding fast on crowded sidewalks. They also taunted the motorists.

Earlier this month, at a Critical Mass rally in San Francisco, a family of seven, including small children, were driving in their minivan when they apparently found themselves trapped amidst a swarm of cyclists. As the stories goes, the driver, not knowing what was happening, tried to move out of the way, angering the cyclists, one of whom she may have bumped with her van. The cyclists began pounding on the vehicle. One of the cyclists threw his bike at the rear window of the van, shattering the glass and terrifying the kids inside. More than $5,000 in damage was done to the minivan.

I can now understand how something like this could happen.

Wouldn't it make more sense, instead of these rides, to get Prague's tens of thousands of cyclists to sign a petition that could be presented to national or local authorities for more bike lanes and education programs? To hold mass rallies where our numbers can be seen, but without inconveniencing a good chunk of the city?

It was supposed to be a "green" protest, but to be honest, it made me see red.

I'd like to know what you think.

Ride stats

Distance: 16.5 kilometers
Average speed: 10.1 kph
Maximum speed: 30.8 kph
Length of ride: 1.37.56
Total distance in 2007: 360 kilometers

Halfway to straight up

Went out on Monday night, April 16, after work. Got going just after 6 p.m. Figured I had about two hours of riding time before it got too dark.

Stewart and Mark were already out on what we now call the Bakerloo Run. It's a meandering route partly of our own creation and partly on established bike paths.

The Bakerloo starts in Prague 6, winds its way through the neighborhoods known as Stresovice and Veleslavin, around or through the park known as Obora Hvezda (near the "Star" house), through Maly Brevnov, on the outskirts of Repy, through the endless panelaks of Stodulky, and through a lovely, little-known park at Hlubocepy.

You come out near Barrandov, along the Vltava River, and can then either head back to Prague, or bike up river some more.

It's all a bit complicated, but it's got the perfect mix of urban and rural, roads and trails, and downhills and uphills, including a short but wicked little hill that features a 24% gradient. That's really steep.

I call it halfway to straight up. That's what it seems like anyway.


The communist panelaks of Stodulky. Tens of thousands of Praguers live in panelaks, in vast neighborhoods of dozens of these buidlings, and I've never felt worried about violence or crime when I'm passing through. They're kept relatively neatly. Kids are out playing on the swingsets. These panelaks are not much to look at, but they seem to work, still, after so many years.

I didn't do the whole route, though, since Stewart and Mark ended up backtracking and meeting up with me when I was in Stodulky somewhere. I turned around and headed back with them.

Ride stats:

Length of ride: 34 kilometers
Average speed: 16.3 kph
Maximum speed: 44 kph
Length of ride: 2.04.15
Distance so far this season: 343.5 kilometers

It was a nice little run. Gorgeous weather. Some challenging hills. Good company. No punctures. I felt strong.

There's more to write about when I next do the complete Bakerloo, including a cool little pub housed in what could easily pass for some sort of blues shack from America's Deep South.

Stay tuned.


Who needs the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C.?

Come join us at Critical Mass

Just a quick note to let you know about Prague's spring Critical Mass ride, an effort to promote cycling as a legitimate, safe means of transport in the Czech Republic.

It's starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 19, at Jiřího z Poděbrad Square in Prague 3.

I've never participated in one of these before, so I'm not quite sure what to expect, but it sounds like fun. I'll be there, and I hope many of my friends will be, too.

This ride seems to be featuring bikes wired for sound, which should be interesting.

You can find out a bit more about the ride and the cause behind it at either provokator.org or at Auto*Mat. There's also cyklojizdy.cz.

I'll certainly be writing more about the Critical Mass ride here on Friday.

I also went on a ride last night, which I'll write more about in a bit...

'Would you sign this petition, please?'

Olga Buchtova scans the scrum of cyclists at Koliba for more potential petition signers.

The restaurant called Koliba in Roztoky never ceases to amaze me. Not only is it a great place -- maybe it's THE place -- to sit around and sip a beer after a long ride, but the most interesting things happen there. Odd coincidences. Chance meetings.

A few weeks ago, this guy came up to me at Koliba and asked me if I was the guy who wrote the bike blog! He'd recognized me from the blog and was a cyclist himself. Turns out it was James Gogarty from provokator.org. We've yet to ride together but we're staying in touch.

And just yesterday, I was out riding to Roztoky and Okor with my friends, Stewart and Mark. On our way back, we stopped at Koliba and ran into a woman named Olga Buchtova.

She asked us if we'd mind signing a petition she is helping to organize.

Seems as if there are plans to expand the highway from Roztoky to Prague, a beautiful stretch of road along the Vltava River, but there are no plans to also install a bicycle lane or path.

Even now, this stretch of road is inhospitable to cyclists. The cars drive way too fast for conditions, and there's no shoulder for cyclists to ride on. It can be a pretty hairy ride sometimes. Lots of truck, too.

There's little time to enjoy the views. You're too busy trying not to die.

I don't mind it as much as Stewart does, but there's no denying it's a very unpleasant part of the journey. The weird thing is, we had all just been talking about how great it would be if there were some sort of bicycle path along that stretch, from Sedlec to Roztoky. And then we met Olga but an hour or two later ...

Of course, we signed our names to the petition at once, and I told Olga I would do what I could to publicize her cause in my blog. She helping someone else, Dr. Libor Krasny of Roztoky, who's really leading the charge on this issue.

As soon as I find out from Olga where sympathetic Prague cyclists can send their e-mails or perhaps even sign an e-petition, I'll let you know.

I do know that the two bike shops in Roztoky have the petition, so if you're biking in that area between now and the end of April, please stop in and do your duty.

No pains, no strains

As for the ride itself yesterday, we headed from Prague 6 to Roztoky, but then headed up behind Koliba on some new trails we found, eventually connecting to Unetice and Statenice, then on to Tuchomerice, following a back trail that tooks us into Okor.

It was an absolute stunner of a day, and we sat outside at the Family Restaurant Okor and had a few beers and some lunch. There are tons of cyclists out. The place was hopping.


Stewart and I enjoy a pint in the sunshine at Okor.

I felt as good on the bike as I have all year. No pains, no strains.

We came home via some trails behind the castle ruin, eventually ending up in Velke Prilepy before we connected back to the road that leads back into Statenice. We went back through Unetice and ended up at Koliba.

Ride stats:

Distance: 48.5 kilometers
Average speed: 15.2 kph
Maximum speed: 43.7 kph
Temperature: Around 68 F.
Time on bike: 3.10.18
Total distance for 2007: 309.5 kilometers

We had one run-in with a car, when Mark (that's him on the trail at right) and I were riding two abreast on a country road, chatting.

I realize that it's against the rules in the Czech Republic for cyclists to ride two abreast, but it certainly doesn't give drivers the license to behave like idiots.

This ass was, once again, driving way too fast and laid on his horn as he passed us at high speed. There was simply no need for that. I just don't understand their mindset.

Grant 1, Hill of Doom 0

I managed my first summiting of the dreaded Hill of Doom last evening. That's it, above. Have you ever seen anything so ugly? I can't stand to look at it, frankly.

And yes, to answer my own question, it's a hell of a lot easier on a mountain bike than on my old trekking bike. That's me, at left, taking a breather afterward. (The sign commemorates the number of attempts I made before I actually made it to the top the first time.)

I always had to stand up on my old bike to get up the hill, and the size of my tires and my gear ratio would mean I would fly ahead of my mountain-biking compatriots. But it wasn't of my choosing or because I was a great hill climber. My bike couldn't do it any other way. And I can honestly say it took every ounce of energy and muscle and breath to finally make it to the top.

I had to try many times with my old bike before I could finally do it.

I made it to the top last night sitting down the whole way.

The Hill of Doom is almost 1 kilometer long. It begins on the road V Šáreckém údolí and connects to Hanspaulka. It twists and turns. It's semi-paved. There are two or three stretches that must be around 15% gradient. I hate them with all my heart. I wish I had some sort of meter to truly measure their steepness.


The entrance to Hell.

Somehow, the Hill of Doom has became some sort of psychological bogeyman. It taunts me and insults me and dares me to scale it. It probably doesn't look like much to most people, and really good cyclists probably summit it every day without giving it a second thought.

Not me.

It is a monster. But last night, at least, I slew the beast.

My ride stats:

Distance of ride: 16 kms
Length of ride: 59 min.
Maximum speed: 34.8 kph
Average speed: 16.2 kph
Distance for 2007: 261.25 kms

It was a short ride. I ran out of daylight. Too much time spent at the bike shop.

**********

"Do you know what 'sloppy' means?"

Before my ride last night, I stopped at my local bike shop to complain about the poor work they had done on my bike last week. One of the guys there was very apologetic, said something about one of their regular mechanics being away in New Zealand or something and having to hire inexperienced replacement(s).

He was nice enough to fix my upside-down odometer on the spot, and give me a replacement reflector. He found my old handlebars (or a set pretty similar) and gave them to me. Unfortunately, I didn't have the wrong-size tube they sold me with me, so I'll get that replaced on another day.

Jeez. I'd switch shops if only they weren't so convenient to where I live.


A beautiful little church -- Sv. Matej, or Saint Matthew's -- that looks out over the valley and V Šáreckém údolí that connects Podbaba to Jeneralka.

Of hiking, biking and weißbier

The view from the top of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain at almost 3,000 meters.

We drove to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in southern Bavaria, over the Easter weekend. It was our second visit, and we had a great time. Hiking. Eating. And drinking liters of weißbier. I think I probably ate a whole pig over the course of the three days.

This blog is supposed to be about biking, I realize (and I do have one biking-related comment below). But I thought I'd share a few photos from the trip.

Garmisch's main attraction is the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain at 2,962 meters (9,717 feet). On this trip, we decided to see what it looks like from the top. First, you take a regular train about one-third of the way up, then switch to a cog-wheel train that ascends on a track drilled straight through the mountain (about 25 minutes in the dark), until you emerge on a bright, vast glacier. I've never seen anything like it. Unspoiled snow as far as you could see. Not a tree to be found. It was a skier's paradise.


This glacier on the Zugspitze is where skiers go when they die.

Then you hop into a cablecar for the final ascent to the summit. The whole trip took about 1.5 hours. The views, of course, were stunning. They say you can see four countries and 300 peaks.

We descended via a separate, even-more-spectacular cablecar that takes only about 10 minutes to make its way down to the Eibsee, a beautiful lake near Garmisch. Then we took the train back to the town.

We also did a little hiking of our own, through a dramatic gorge called the Partnachklamm, cut by a river swollen by the spring thaw, and then up through forest trails and alpine meadows sprinkled with wildflowers to the top of the 1,237-meter Eckbauer (4,058 feet).

At the top, you're rewarded with more breathtaking views, and the tradition is to have a glass of fresh buttermilk at the Bergasthof at the top.

Somehow, a glass or two of weißbier also seemed appropriate. Believe it or not, they seemed to go well with one another. But then again, maybe I was lightheaded from the climb and altitude.


Two great tastes that taste great together.

OK, here's where the tenuous link to biking comes in.


We missed the last cablecar down to the bottom of the Eckbauer, so we hiked down, on a different trail.

It was a two-hour hike down, on a very steep trail that was sometimes paved, sometimes dirt and rocks and roots.

Just as we were starting our descent, a mountain biker, his face contorted and drenched in sweat, pedaled past us, heading for the top. I was too stunned to think about pulling my camera out.

After a little while, he raced by us, going down.



My feeling, after hiking down those trails, is that he couldn't actually ridden the entire way up the mountain.

I thought the dreaded Hill of Doom was steep! And could anyone be in that good a shape?

Many parts must have been around 18% to 20% gradient, and there was no letup, no way to rest, to catch your breath. But part of me figures that he probably did do it, and if he did, it certainly makes my own cycling efforts seem puny -- no, totally inconsequential -- by comparison.

Perhaps I would be just as incredulous if I saw for myself the types of ascents, and the length of ascents, that the Tour de France cyclists routinely make. But at least they're on paved roads. My pictures of the Eckbauer trail don't do justice to the ruts and roots and rocks.

Anyway, Mr. Eckbauer is the guy who should be writing a blog. If you're reading this, my friend, I salute you.

But I still want to know, did you really cycle the entire way up??

Back in the saddle

Finally, I went on a ride yesterday. I was away for the long holiday weekend to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany. More about that in a future post ...


I passed these speed signs yesterday near the railroad tracks between Sedlec and Roztoky. I admire the effort (I hope the fate of cyclists was somewhat in mind, since the road narrows considerably after the last sign), but that's kinda crazy. In my opinion, cars shouldn't be traveling at 70 kph on that part of the highway anyway.

And no, I didn't suffer a puncture (although I did pass a guy with a flat. It was a pleasure to offer him my spare tube, but it turned out to be the wrong size).

I rode from Prague 6, out to Koliba in Roztoky, and then took a different way back, following a trail behind Koliba that actually turned out to be too steep to ride for some of the way.

The trail linked up with the road from Sedlec to Roztoky, and I rode back to Prague 6, where I met up with my girlfriend, Daisy, on her bike in Stromovka park.

It was her first time out this season, so we took it relatively easy.

We rode on one of our traditional routes, along the river to Podbaba, turning toward Lysolaje, up along the road V Šáreckém údolí to Jeneralka, near the Croatian restaurant Mlýn (where we were tantalized by the smell of a whole pig roasting over a wood fire, left), and then into the vast park known as Divoká Šárka.


The picturesque beer garden, called Hostinec Divci Skok (or Girls' Jump, named after an episode in a Czech legend) in the middle of Divoká Šárka.

We rode past the beer garden in the middle of the park (I really wanted a beer and a sausage, but after we stopped, I realized I had forgotten my wallet!), up toward Evropská, and then took a route that twists back toward Nebušice.

Down the big hill past the International School of Prague in Nebušice, and then reconnected with V Šáreckém údolí and back home.

It's what Stewart derisively calls the Tutu Run, although I think it's longer and just as difficult as his so-called Booda Run over the hill in Hanspaulka and down to V Šáreckém údolí.


I've meant to take a picture of this for quite some time. I've always been fascinated by this graffiti on this crumbling, but once beautiful, little building along a main thoroughfare in Stromovka park. The graffiti has been there for many years. I understand the sentiment. I just think it's funny that park personnel have made absolutely no effort to remove it after all this time.

It was a very nice ride, although quite windy down near the river. Lots of birds and flowering bushes and trees. Even saw a deer, briefly, as it bounded across a trail in Divoká Šárka.

My stats for the day:

Distance: 47.25 kms
Average speed: 17.0 kph
Maximum speed: 55.1 kph
Length of ride: 2 hours 45 minutes
Temperature: Around 60 F. (15.5 C)
Distance for 2007: 245.25 kms

Man, I've got some riding to do. Rob's already past 500 for the season.

The bike felt good yesterday, but even with my new higher handlebars, my neck still was sore at the end of the ride. Maybe I just have to get my body used to the new posture. I have yet to tackle any of the serious hills on my new bike, especially the dreaded Hill of Doom that connects Hanspaulka to V Sareckem Udoli.

I keep telling myself I need to get in better shape first (although I did manage to summit the Beer Garden Hill, behind the Divoká Šárka beer garden, on my old bike back in February). It's just as much a mental thing, though.

The Hill of Doom has played with my mind for so long, I don't want to attempt it and then fail. It deserves its own post (which I'm sure I will give it once I conquer it for the first time this season).

But I can say that it is definitely much easier to ascend hills on my new bike than it was on my old trekking bike. So maybe the Hill of Doom won't be such a chore after all. If I could do it on my trekking bike ...

Postscript to April 2

Of course, when I went into my bike shop to pick up my bike today, they asked me for a ticket or receipt. I told the guy that I was told that I didn't need one. Much huffing and puffing. Rolling of the eyes.

I told them what kind of bike I had, and the work done. They eventually found it. The whole process took about three times as long as it needed to.

Ah, Prague.

And in the end, they installed my new handlebars, but put my odometer on backwards, and also installed my front wheel the wrong way around, so the odometer didn't work. (I fixed it myself.) I also didn't get credit for the bad tube they sold me last week, and a reflector that was attached to my original handlebars didn't make the transfer.

My usual friend Mate wasn't there today. I hope he can work all this out for me when I see him next. But in the end, not a very impressive performance from my local shop for routine repairs.

I did find out it's possible to order these Schwalbe reinforced tires, though. I think he said they were around 700 kc each. That's about $33 each. I guess it's worth it if it means I don't get stranded out on the trail.

For now, I just bought two new tubes and hope that does the trick.

'It's Very Rare.' Well, let's hope so, anyway.

I took my GT Avalanche into my local bike shop this morning to get my two flat tires fixed (which I could have done myself), and more importantly to have higher handlebars put on (which I would not attempt).

I gave them my bike and my name, but they didn't give me a receipt of any kind.

"Don't I need a ticket or something to pick up my bike tomorrow?" I asked.

"Don't worry. You have two flats. It's very rare," the guy behind the counter said. "We'll know who you are."

I still can't believe my bad luck.

I asked them about these Kevlar-coated tubes and tires that I'd heard about, but they said they don't carry them. They're only for serious long-distance cyclists or something. Perhaps I can order some from the United States. One of the readers of my blog, Benjamin, told me he's had good luck with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, which have Kevlar.

If anyone has had any experience with these kinds of tires/tubes, please leave a comment. I'm sick of punctures, and it's only April 2.

By the way, for the first time in about one month, I actually felt really good. Almost normal, even. I can't wait to get my bike back. There's even enough daylight now to sneak in a ride after work.

And now for something completely different ...


The magnolias are bursting out all over Prague. I passed this one on my ill-fated ride on April 1 near Suchdol.


Nothing to do with cycling, but I feel I must mention

I was at my local Delvita grocery store on Sunday, on Jugoslavskych Partyzanu, buying supplies. I was pushing my cart down the frozen-food aisle, and who should I bump into?

Former Czech President Vaclav Havel.

I doubled back a few times to make sure it was him. Yep. He was just doing his weekly shop, I guess. His cart was near to overflowing. And he kept glancing at a shopping list. He lives in the Stresovice neighborhood, I believe, which is very close, so it kind of makes sense. He had someone helping him, but he wasn't a bodyguard. There were three high-end BMWs and Audis in the parking lot, all with drivers or people standing around them.

Prague gets on my nerves sometimes, but it's very cool when a former president and global personality feels comfortable enough to go shopping in a dinky local grocery store. No one bothered him, at least as long as I was there.

I just wish I'd had my camera.

Riding the Suchdol Flats (or, If It Wasn't For Bad Luck ...)

My biking buddies and I having been plagued last year by what seemed like an inordinate number of punctures, one of the aims of this blog was to record the number and circumstances of this year's punctures and try to detect a pattern. Is it us, our bikes, our tubes, or just plain dumb luck?

I just never expected to have to get down to business so soon in the season.

I was out yesterday with Stewart. A beautiful day, around 54 degrees F. We decided to get off the beaten track somewhat and explore some new routes around Suchdol. It was my second ride on my new bike.

I was riding behind Stewart, talking and looking at the scenery. We'd ridden about 8 kilometers. I looked down at the trail, briefly. I saw two large stalks from a rose bush stretched right across the path. Massive thorns sticking up like the spikes on the back of a stegosaurus. Of course, I ran right over them. By the time I'd seen them, it was too late to react.

I rode for 100 meters or so and then called out to Stewart. I wanted to check my tires, just to be safe. Sure enough, in the front tire, one large thorn was sticking out of the rubber. Damn. What about the back tire? Hmmm, let's see. Oh, yes, two large thorns deeply imbedded in the rubber. Great. The front tire was definitely losing air. The back tire seemed OK, for now.


The damnable rose stalks in question.


Stewart pauses for a moment of silence over the fallen.


We rode down to a nice little pub on Pod Rybnickem in Suchdol to make the repair. I had a new tube with me, and all the tools. I took the punctured tube out of the front tire. Slid in the new tube. We pumped it up. (By the way, am I the only one who has trouble fitting the portable air pump correctly over the valve when I'm out in the field??!!! It always seems to take forever to get a proper seal.)

Also, it just seems that the tubes that you get here are crap. I don't recall having so many punctures when riding in the United States. Should a lowly rose thorn really cause so much trouble for a mountain bike??!! Stewart says you can buy tubes and tires reinforced with Kevlar (!) at our local bike shop. I think that's what I'll be doing this week.


Grant attempts to look like he knows what he's doing.

The new tube wouldn't seem to hold air. We tried a few more times. We took the new tube out of the tire. Pumped it up again. Guess what? My "new" tube had a puncture in it, right out of the box. I'm not sure how that happened. Bad tube from my bike shop? Did it somehow get punctured while I was replacing it? We checked the tire itself for lingering thorns, but nothing.

By this time, however, my back tire was obviously getting flat. Stewart didn't have an extra tube with him. Two flat tires, and one punctured replacement tube. It was time to call a taxi to take me back home. Stewart set off on his own.

I thought my riding was over for the day, until I came home and my girlfriend, Daisy, reminded me that I still had my old bike! Of course! How could I be so stupid. I called Stewart. We arranged to meet back at the Riverside School in Sedlec.


Old Bessie -- my trekking bike that is there when I need her.

We rode for another 27 kilometers or so. Mostly through Suchdol and Unetice. I was feeling a bit tired, still not totally well. We decided to head back to Koliba for a beer.


As we were drinking our beers outside (man, they tasted sweet), watching the carp jumping in the restaurant's small pond, basking in the late afternoon sunshine, a man approached us.

"Are you the guy with the biking blog?" he asked me. My first encounter with a fan. OK, a reader.

"Yes," I said. "That's me."

But I was communing with my beer, so I told him to go away.

OK, that's not true. I was actually very pleased to me someone who's actually reading this thing. We had a great chat.


That's James, left, and Stewart at Koliba.

His name is James Gogarty, and he's the web manager at provokator.org. A great guy (who also said he'd suffered a puncture from thorns while riding near Okor the other day). We exchanged phone numbers and promised to go cycling together soon. He lives in Roztoky and knows a lot of trails in that area that we don't. I'm still astounded that he recognized me and reads the blog. Cool.

My stats for the day:

Total distance: 35.72 kilometers
Temperature: Around 55 degrees F. (13 C.)
Total distance in 2007: 198 kilometers

All in all, a pretty incredible day. I wouldn't have met James if I hadn't had my punctures, or if Daisy hadn't reminded me that I had another bike waiting for me. Sure, I gained three punctures in one day (that could be a new Czech record), but I also gained a new biking buddy. And Stewart and I had a great time regardless.