Birt: 31.05.2017
So that I can start the morning off right or for whatever reason, after the first hundred meters of riding, a Rottweiler jumped out of a hedge and growled and barked at me. In the first moment, I thought that was it and then, maybe he'll stay in his territory. Which he did after 4-5 meters. Heart rate was high, adrenaline level too, and nothing happened.
The first 30 km were planned with some inclines. Fortunately, most of them were off-road. Then the route led through a forest. Rough gravel with an incline. Wasn't very nice. In the middle of it, there was a barrier that I should have taken seriously. But I didn't. The following "forest path" was probably more suitable for hikers, which is why I "walked" large parts of this section. After lunch, there was a newly constructed bike path of about 15 km. Finally, smooth asphalt again. The paths through the vineyards, through the forest, and also the "bike paths" along the canal that accompanies the Marne are quite bumpy. The holder for the smartphone couldn't handle it and broke off at a connection piece. Fatigue fracture due to constant vibrations. The gearshift for the front chainring also somehow got misaligned in the forest and only shifted for two gears initially. But I was able to fix it tonight.
The weather is still cooperating. The sun has made frequent appearances, but it wasn't too hot.
31-05-2017
Distance traveled: 66.66 km
Total travel time: 4:53:07 h
Average speed: 13.6 km/h
Max speed: 44.7 km/h
Total elevation gain: 428 m
Overnight stay in Chalons-en-Champagne