Wrap-Up and Lessons Learned

For what it's worth here it is.  One great thing about cycle touring, you can always improve on the way you do the next one. Taking the points from the tour we did last year from Zurich to Amsterdam, here’s what we improved on, and where we still need improvement. 

Navigation System.  As the success of using Google Maps on Wendy’s iPhone with a local sim last year, we both decided to get local sims and both navigate.  This was a real bonus as there were times when one could guide the other if we were ever a tad geographically embarrassed.

Cycle Routes.  After riding on some really scary roads with no verge last year, all the routes this year were more carefully planned.  There was the occasional day when we were on the roads, but most of them had decent verges and we never felt threatened at all.  We also caught the train on a few occasions to overcome the lack of a decent cycle path. 

Kit.  We didn’t take the water heating element nor coffee cups as we decided we would just have to find a coffee shop and drink the coffee no matter how bad it was.  It was to be an enforced stop.
Greg did get a pair of SPD sandals and found the riding more enjoyable, and we did leave the waterproof pants and shoe covers at home and we didn’t need them once – thank fully. 

Greg purchased a lighter fleece jacket, and Wendy bought a quick-dry long-sleeved shirt for those evenings that were quite cool, especially at the start of the tour.  She also traded the 3/4 pants for convertible, quick dry shorts/trousers option.
Both Greg and Wendy replaced their walking shoes for light-weight Keen sandals, which were worn with socks if it was cold. 

Although he took very little stuff, Greg says he can cut it down even further???  Wendy added an iPad to her luggage, accounting for an extra 1.1 kg.

Bikes.  Both bikes, Trek 7.4 FX (Greg) and Merida T3 (Wendy) fitted with Schwalbe Marathon 35c took everything the terrain threw at them, including cobbles, rough tracks and loose gravel paths.

Flying into one city and out of another.  We liked the one country at a time concept (although we briefly entered Austria) but it did become a little repetitive occasionally. While the villages, towns and cities each had their unique features, some of the "stunningly beautiful" palaces and cathedrals in Bavaria started to look similar. Maybe at least two or three culturally different countries (Germany, France & Czech Republic) would have improved that. 

Tour length and stop lengths.   Last year, Wendy felt that 7 weeks was too long and that 5 weeks would be better.  This tour was 6 weeks and was just about right.  She also suggested that the daily length be kept to 60km wherever possible and that at least 2 nights be spent at each stop, except where there is really nothing of interest to see in that town or near it; this did not happen this year and there were plenty of places we could have easily spent another day.  However, that means one of two things then has to happen: you either cover less distance and therefore see less, or increase the length of the tour??  Greg votes for a longer tour! 

Travelling in a group.  While more people in the group means that it can be "merrier", it does remove some flexibility when booking accommodation, and in doing the actual riding. Smaller hotels or B&Bs in quaint villages are great but they are generally not geared up for eight people. And, a group of eight on the road almost constitutes a peloton and takes up a long stretch of road, making it difficult for motorists to overtake. There will also be this person that doesn’t get on with that person, which can create tension, not the case with this group as everyone got on well. 

Point of departure.  Flying in and out of Hervey Bay Airport with more than one bike box is problematic due to the small aircraft. Connecting flights are also difficult, resulting in long waiting times in Sydney or Brisbane. It is much easier to drive to and from Brisbane and fly out/in there. It was OK when QANTAS wasn't an airline of delays and missed connections, so in future, we’ll be driving to Brisbane. 

Safe travel in Europe.  In light of the terrorist activities in France and Belgium, and the refugee crisis, both Greg and Wendy have decided they will probably skip 2016 for cycle touring, concentrating instead on caravanning in Australia.  They will re-assess the situation for 2017.