Pat's bike forks are not good. The left side is the damperside and filled with oil, the seal has gone. The right side is air filled and can be pressurised up to 12bar max to give the shock absorbant properties. The pressure keeps reducing so Pat pops into bike shops on route and they are very happy to loan a pump for a couple of minutes. Pat went to the bike shop in Konigswater and the guy was definately not a member of the cycling brotherhood and refused to loan Pat a fork pump but made him pay for one. €35 - thanks for the help mate - if any of you guys are cycling this route I would definately give Vogt Bike Shop a miss - an unhelpful, money grabbing geezer.
Thursday 14th. This was to be our last day together - Pat and Di have a deadline and instead of cycling through the industrial area Pat was keen to see Arnhem. Di was meeting Pat at Koln Station and heading north. Half way to Koln, just after a coffee break, there was a pop followed by a ssssh - the seal on the airside of the fork went. Bike now pretty much kaput. Pat made Koln but any further cycling is now out of the question. We parted company just by the chocolate musem and after Pat left indulged in a large hot chocolate with lashings of fresh cream.
Koln Distance 47.92 Odom1058.8km
Friday 15th
A good days pedalling mainly on good cycle paths on top of the dykes. I was expecting more industry but just a couple of chemical works or refineries. There are hardly any touring cycles now I guess they all stop at Koln. We are now in Dusseldorf and from what we have seen it is far nicer than Koln - a pleasant old quarter and interesting streets.
This is a much wealthier part of Germany, there is a certain step about the people, smart, business like and confident. However there are now immigrants drinking cans of lager on the waterfront, people begging in the street, folk searching litter bins for plastic bottles to get the 10c refund. I guess just like any big city in Western Europe.
Dusseldorf Distance 47.35 Odo 1106.2k.
Someone has suggested that the Mosel would be a nicer ride. I am not sure I agree. On this trip we have had the rugged Rhine in the Alps, the young Rhine down through Switzerland and Lichtenstein with it's milky water flowing quickly. The sedantry Rhine in the Bodensee with the touristy towns along the north coast. The angry Rhine through the Gorge with growing boat traffic, we have traversed the wineries of Alsac growing their Riesling grapes. Seen numerous quaint villages with squares and churches dating back many hundreds of years. We are now on the ecconomic Rhine with coal barges laden to the gunnals, barges ploughing up and down with containers and the towns growing in size and industry as we head down stream. I guess the Mosel will have many small wine villages and quaint towns but the Rhine is oozing the power of mainland Europes strongest ecconomy and dominant country. Tomorrow we get into the Ruhr - it may not be quaint or 'nice' but it will be interesting. This to me has been a facinating journey - far 'nicer' than just looking at old churches and supping a beer in an old Inn.
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