The word epic is epically over used, but it doesn’t even begin to describe Barry Mitchell’s ride in the Berlin-Munich-Berlin Audax this summer. As a special Christmas long read treat, here is the story… (And a huge thank you to Barry for taking the time to share his story with us).
The secret diary of a wannabe randonneur, aged 40 and a quarter
My cycling plan for 2024 year was to do the Wild Atlantic Way Audax. However, due to a clash with the busiest week in work, I had to revise plans to scratch the itch of a multiple day audax. At last year’s Celtic Knot Audax I met a group of cyclists from Germany…..one of which (Ben) organised his own annual super brevet of 1,500km between Berlin and Munich in August!!! It ticked all the boxes for me so in February 24 I registered for Berlin-Munich-Berlin (BMB) 24 and booked flights to go…..turning it into a bit of a family get away with my parents and the girls (Vikki was unable to come due to work commitments).
2024 was a very bitty year and I was unable to do much consistent training. My preparation for BMB was limited to:
- A long commute home from work via the Sperrins, Derry and Magilligan one Friday afternoon – intention was to get used to eating McDonalds at 11.30pm and nighttime cycling, and to identify problems. One big problem was feeling sick and shivering for the last few hours. A quick google diagnosis identified an issue with hydration.
- The Ulster 600 – intention was to address feeling sick and get used to cycling for over 24hrs. Despite needing a toilet break every 45 mins, hydration was sorted and I didn’t feel sick.
- A cycle to Rostrevor – intention was just to do something longer than 50 miles. I had not trained much post the Ulster 600 and I was in panic mode.
- A 5 mile spin around the Carrowdore road race circuit – intention was to get used to cycling with 15kg of cargo.
Physical prep (a bit of a stretch for sure) aside, my main focus in the weeks running up to BMB was to analyse the route and identify landmarks, bakeries, garages, bike shops, McDonalds, and calculate my expected arrival point at each based on estimated speed, breaks and control point opening hours. Having no knowledge of Germany, I relied heavily on a painstaking trawl through the route, Google maps and associated ‘about’ information.
Diary
Wednesday 31 July
Severely undercooked, but with informed assurance of Richard Hanna that it would be grand, I left for Dublin airport (and a 4.30am check in!!). After a quick bike build on arrival in Berlin and my first bratwurst of the trip, it was to the pre-registration vegan* pasta party to eye up the competition and get a safety briefing entirely in German. It was at this meeting that I met Ben (Organiser) and Alex (cover photo – middle) from the Celtic Knot again. While this was great, the heads up provided by Alex on what was to come….especially on the third leg between Dresden and Markredtwitz…….stirred my nerves and serious doubt crept in.
* A feature of BMB is that all food offered is vegan
It was also at this meeting that I heard a friendly accent from home (well…..an Irish accent from Cork) and met a legend called Sean Lynch (cover photo – right). Sean is a veteran of many Audaxes and we had even done the Ulster 600 in 2023 together (albeit I did it a day early due to swimming galas). Sean’s strategy was to do BMB the way it was intended – to enjoy the experience and take in the sights. His plan was to arrive back in Berlin no earlier than the time limit of Tuesday at 4pm….and he had booked some accommodation off route to take in sights, particularly in Munich and Leipzig on the way home.
After a late night pizza, it was back to the apartment for final packing and a few hours sleep.
Thursday 1 August
Early morning antics included getting dressed, downing a couple of pots of porridge, eating a banana and having a coffee in the dark to avoid waking up the girls who were on a sofa bed beside the kitchen. Disappointingly I succeeded, and only Dad got up to wish me on my way!
BMB started at the Olympic Stadium and the early morning cycle to it was equally spectacular and concerning.
Spectacular because the 7 mile cycle took me past amazing and very grand architecture…..while I had no idea at the time, on the way out I cycled past the Tiergarten and Charlottenburger Tor – this got me reminiscing about what these sites had witnessed across the history of the last 100 years.
Concerning because it was 7.30 in the morning and I was absolutely dripping with sweat. Once I got to the Olympic Stadium (which is also amazing architecture with a lot of history…….including the recent Euro 24 final victory by Spain) it was time to strip off the base layer and gilet, and top up the suncream.
At the Olympic Stadium I caught up with Sean and Alex again, checked out the various bikes (ranging from full time trial bikes to a recumbent and a brompton), and lined up for a big group photo (think there were around 130 cyclists).
Shortly after 8am the group rolled out from the Olympic Stadium for the first checkpoint at Cottbus.
Leg 1 – Berlin to Cottbus (106 miles, 1,400ft elevation)
This leg went past in a bit of a blur. I had no idea where I was and nor who I was cycling with…..at this stage it was just – guy with pink socks, strong German with glasses, English guy in TT set-up etc etc and Alex. In a group which was whittled down to 5 riders, we managed to cover the 103 miles to Cottbus with a 21.4mph average. It was reasonably flat and settled………but very hot. While the pace was grand, I had concerns about cramp, de-hydration and sun burn. The trip down was reasonably uneventful and it was reassuring to see some of the bakeries, petrol stations and supermarkets I had researched on Google maps!!! A bonus was that there was a burger option from the control in Cottbus – it didn’t taste vegan and was very much appreciated. After a quick splash of water on my face, a banana, some cereal bars, and a few glasses of coke, it was back on the road for leg 2 to Dreden.
Leg 2 – Cottbus to Dresden (78 miles, 2,000ft elevation)
This leg involved a lot of forest paths and cycle paths initially. Setting off with a group of 8 or so and the sun on our backs, I started to settle into the challenge. However, disaster struck after 15 minutes or so when confusion at a junction caused a collision between 2 of the group, unfortunately resulting in a tumble, a protruding broken wrist (for Alex) and a buckled wheel (strong German with glasses). Stopping to ensure Alex was ok and able to make arrangements for treatment etc, disrupted the group significantly and I ended up in a reduced group with just 1 other cyclist (TT bike guy from Switzerland). However, we soon caught those ahead and ended up as a group of 3 with ‘Pink Socks’. Doing pulls at 28mph with the TT guy had my HR well over threshold and after 40 mins or so I decided to drop back, wary I still had another 800 miles or so ahead of me. Pink Socks, who was surfing wheels, also dropped leaving us 50 miles or so to work as a pair to get to Dresden. During this time, I learned that he was called Rich, he was originally from England but had been living near Hamburg for the previous 20 years on a small holding (sheep farm) in an alternative community. It was during a petrol station stop that I learned the absolute relief of taking off your shoes at every opportunity to allow your feet to cool down. En route we passed TT guy who had stopped in a town square for refreshments. Cycling along the Elbe into Dresden during early evening as the sun was going down was very scenic…..it was also amazing to see so many locals out enjoying the last of the afternoon sun and strolling/lounging by the river.
The stop in Dresden was at a sports complex. Unfortunately there was no hot food offering, but some bread and chocolate spread, bananas, coffee and water were greatly appreciated. Equally, it was great to rinse down my legs/feet in the shower and get some of the salt out of my jersey.
After an hour of rest, it was back on the bike with a guy called Mark from Swindon and strong German guy with glasses, who had managed to get his spokes fixed and was back on the road. With the opportunity to chat, I found out he was called Andreas and was a music teacher from Dresden.
Leg 3 – Dresden to Markredwitz (143 miles, 10,875ft elevation)
Having reached the most easterly point of the super brevet, it was time to move west, skirting Czechia. This was the leg which I was most worried about – big distance, a lot of elevation, cycling through the night, wilderness, bears (who knows!!) and a thunderstorm rolling in. Unfortunately riding with Andreas only confirmed my fears, as he was able to tell me about the many climbs ahead of us. Mark dropped back on the first climb, and Andreas stopped for shelter at a bus stop after the first couple of climbs and some initial downpours – in fairness he had an upset stomach and needed some rest.
Friday 2 August
This left me in the middle of nowhere at midnight on my own, with the prospect of a lonely, difficult and wet night ahead of me. What was most bizarre was that a random van stopped as it approached me and a guy I had never seen, and would not see again, asked me if I was ok and knew the route – all I could do was shrug and move on. After a few navigational mishaps (one which involved walking down a set of stairs through someone’s garden area and along a river!!), I was pleased to see some lights in the distance behind me and, after a short time, I was joined by TT guy again (Alex from Switzerland) and Dia from Switzerland (going one way to Munich). A bit of company was appreciated and helped the time and elevation pass.
The main concern for this leg was the remoteness of the cycling, with no large towns/cities with 24hr garages on route. However, from my many hours of searching Google maps, I had identified a garage 5-8 hilly miles off route. Alex and Dia put their trust in me and followed me off route on the understanding there was a 24hr garage where we could top up on water and coffee. After a slog we reached the 24hr garage only to find it was closed!!! Not good – but I apportion full fault with Google (still showing as a 24hr garage!)
After a quick search of Google maps (the irony), we found there was cemetery in the nearby village and at 2.30 in the morning I found myself filling up my water bottles from a garden tap in a graveyard at Eibenstock.
Once back on route we picked up Rich again and set off for the final 70 miles or so for Markredwitz….now starting to head south, but continuing to skirt the border with Czechia. After the completion of over 41 ‘Wahoo’ climbs, I was pleased to see there were only 4 climbs remaining in the last 10 miles or so. However, all hope was dashed when I saw 2 of the climbs averaged 14%+ over the course of 0.6 and 0.8 miles respectively, with ramps/walls touching 20%. With a laden bike, heavy legs and exhaustion, as a group we managed to crawl and zig zag over these climbs and drop into Markredwitz at 5.30ish on a damp Friday morning.
As the control in Markredwitz didn’t open until 7am, we made our way to an early morning bakery for some food and coffee. A lack of salvia and severe nausea meant I was unable to swallow my almond croissant and instead I sat outside (with shoes off) trying not to be sick.
(Don’t know what is up with this filter – I blame it being my daughter’s old phone)
The control in Markredwitz offered the opportunity to replenish fluids, grab a shower and change bib shorts. There was also a makeshift sleeping area in a sports hall, fully equipped with foam mats akin to those used in school PE. Despite exhaustion, earplugs and an eye mask, sleep was not happening for me. After a couple hours trying to sleep with my mind racing, I decided it wasn’t going to happen and I got up to go again.
Post crisps, jelly sweets, a cup of baked beans, lemonade and coffee, I re-packed the bike, gathered up my various lights and bike computers, and waited on a couple of others to wake and get ready for the next leg.
Leg 4 – Markredwitz to Regensberg (86 miles, 2,725ft elevation)
At around 11ish and just as it was starting to rain again, Rich, Andreas and I set off. However, the rain soon became torrential, to such an extent it was difficult to see on fast descents. After 20 miles or so, and a couple of unexpectedly long climbs, we decided to abandon and take cover in a small bakery/coffee shop in Neustadt an der Waldnaab. Despite dripping with soaked clothes, the two members of staff could not have been more welcoming and happy to see us. After a coffee and cereal bar, and with rain jackets on, we set off again for the CX/rough track element of this leg – cycling on muddy tractor paths which had become rivers was a lot of fun, but this, combined with a lack of sleep, started to make me wonder if I had taken on too much.
The remainder of the day, and I suppose BMB, was a mix of heavy downpours, thunder and lightning, and sunny intervals. Ironically, the rain jacket was soon abandoned and was not called on again apart from a bit of nighttime cycling and maybe one particularly heavy downpour. Socks and shoes aside, the heat meant my clothes would dry out in an hour or so….especially if I put in a bit of effort.
In addition to the offroad aspect of this leg, it also included a level crossing where you had to buzz for someone working remotely to open the gate for you to cross the rail line. Thankfully Andreas knew what to do (hold down a lever to get in contact with a controller……they say something in German……..we reply to say yes and a couple of minutes later the gate opens to cross. My observation would come in handy for the return leg).
As the sun shone in the sky, we made our way into Regensburg along the Danube on Friday afternoon. It was amazing to see large cruise boats on the river.
The control in Regensberg was at a sports complex by the river. With shoes quickly taken off and some pea soup and pretzels consumed, I was determined to try and get some sleep and said goodbye to Andreas and Rich as they set off for Munich. However, despite earplugs and so on, after over an hour of lying down I knew this was a pointless task and sleep was not coming. I was now very concerned by a lack of sleep and was considering abandoning and making my way back to Berlin to enjoy the rest of the week with the girls. With morale at a very low point, I decided to pack up the bike, put on my shoes and push towards Munich – knowing the route passed close to a couple of McDonalds.
Leg 5 – Regensberg to Munich (83 miles, 2,900ft elevation)
The perfect tonic for my morale was the late evening sunshine striking the majestic cliffs to my left and glistening on the Danube river to my right. This energized me and lifted my spirits. Shortly after leaving Regensberg I came across a Lion monument and memorial carved into a cliff face – with sunset not far away I decided to push on, but made a note to stop and get some photos on my way home.
The first half of this leg had some challenging climbs and valley cycling through farmland and vineyards. A bonus was the chance to see some tractors working into the night.
As night fell, the route became long straight roads on the outskirts of forests which passed closed to Munich airport……and a couple of McDonalds. The activity of planes in the sky was a nice distraction and kept sleep at bay…..for a few miles anyway.
Saturday 2 August
Struggling to stay awake and needing comfort breaks every 45 mins or so, I decided to push on to Munich rather than detour to McDonalds. The last couple of hours were a struggle, but I eventually made it to Munich around 1.30 in the morning. The buzz of the city gave me the energy to negotiate a number of tram lines and search for the control – a closed café.
Despite not being a designated sleep control, the big guy in charge inflated a bed for me and allowed me to get some rest in the mezzanine. This was a game changer and turned the fortunes of the trip. Getting three hours rest lifted the exhaustion and gave me energy to continue. After a few trips to the bathroom, a green tea, a lot of watermelon and a number of vegan weenies covered in mustard and ketchup, I was ready to go again. During my downtime, there were a number of further heavy downpours, but thankfully the big guy had brought my bike inside. Re-united with Rich and Andreas, at around 5.30 on a very wet Saturday morning we set off on the return trip to Berlin.
Leg 6 – Munich to Regensberg (83 miles, 2,275ft elevation)
Much the same. After a very wet start, the sun came through for a couple of hours. It was good to re-trace the journey from the night before, with milestones such as the airport good distractions and progress markers. The late morning was fantastic, cycling through the farmland valleys of the night before and even getting a nice croissant and coffee in a bakery in one of the small villages we went through. With everyone’s spirits up it was good to get to know Rich and Andreas better.
I managed to co-ordinate a comfort break with the Lion monument 8 miles or so before Regensberg. From a bit of subsequent research this is an 18th century memorial to Carl-Theodore, Prince-Elector of Bavaria, to commemorate a difficult road construction. This sums up Germany for me…..spectacular countryside and grand architecture. It is definitely a country which is worth visiting – I only scratched the surface of east Germany, but from what I saw there are a lot of stories and sites to be explored.
We got back to Regensberg around midday on a sunny Saturday. After a quick wash and re-application of suncream, I set about a few cups of cold pea stew and pretzels, with fruit and lemonade on the side – my stomach could not face another spicy vegan sausage following the early morning indulgence in Munich.
Leg 7 – Regensberg to Markredwitz (87 miles, 3,700ft elevation)
Similar to the previous leg, this was an exact retrace of the outward leg, including the level crossing and tractor tracks in fields. Unfortunately, similar to the outbound leg, this also involved a number of significant downpours – easily the heaviest rain I have ever cycled in. However with no bakeries to take cover, within the first 10 miles or so we were forced to take shelter under a bridge and in a very continental bus shelter. Thankfully, the heat and a bit of effort soon dried me out. It was during one of these downpours that I saw Sean on his outward leg to Regensberg…..doing it the proper way.
Hourly comfort breaks continued, with me chasing back to Rich and Andreas after each one. However, I mistimed one just before the offroad section, leaving me to negotiate the level crossing on my own. Applying what I observed the day before, I pushed the lever down, listened to the instruction in German, responded with ‘Ya, danke’ and managed to get across the rail tracks!!
Unfortunately, I missed Rich and Andreas when they stopped for ice-cream (I was detoured off route in the next village) and I was left to solo the final 30 miles or so…..where I suffered more mental fatigue. The total elevation for this leg was only 3,700 feet, however with less than 15 miles to Markredwitz, my computer was showing I still had 2,000 feet to climb. In blistering heat, with exhaustion very real and empty water bottles, I was confronted with a 5 mile climb at around 5% or so. This was a mental challenge from the outset, with me desperately looking for a tap/fountain etc on the way up the hill. After 30 minutes of battling I was very happy to crest and crawl over the remaining miles to Markredwitz, passing Cube bikes’ headquarters on my way.
After ditching the shoes on arrival at the school sports hall and downing a lot of water and lemonade, I was pleased to see Andreas and Rich roll in. Being a Saturday evening it was quickly decided to ditch the baked beans on offer and instead order in pizza. The midges feasting on my chest did nothing to spoil the joy of the ham pizza, coke and chips. Before a quick shower, I took off my bike tyres to release some of the slushing water picked up from the torrential downpours earlier in the day.
I tried to get a couple of hours sleep around 8ish. However, I got distracted watching highlights of the Olympic road race and Rhys McClenaghan’s gold winning pommel horse routine (Up the Ards). But thankfully I did manage to get around an hour of sleep before the alarm went off at 11.30. The leftover pizza from earlier tasted even better at this sitting, at which I also managed a banana, crisps, baked beans and some haribo. Packed up and crusty bib shorts back on (a big mistake), Andreas, Rich and I set off at midnight with sheet lightning for company to take on the final two legs of BMB.
Sunday 3 August
Leg 8 – Markredwitz to Leipzig (134 miles, 5,800ft elevation)
The first few hours of this leg involved a lot of backroads, a bit of a headwind, rain (!!) and some steep ramps……with the absolute darkness only interrupted with the occasional flash of sheet lightning.
The backroads eventually gave way to some main roads and the odd village. As we skirted the border with Czechia once again, the conversation turned to East Germany, the rapid establishment of checkpoints in the past, the misery of what the locals endured, the equally rapid removal of checkpoints in 1989, and the lasting environmental consequences of the various ‘brown’ coal mines in areas such as Leipzig.
At around 3.30am in the morning, just as the rain was at its strongest, we found a 24hr petrol station in Plauen. A few locals had gathered in the forecourt for a bit of a night out (??), which continued inside with some gathered around listening to rave music on the TV with beers in hand. Blending in as best I could dressed in lycra and soaked through, I had my own party with a large bar of Milka, a Snickers duo, a large coffee and a coke – ROCK ON.
This break re-energized us all, and as we set off again at 4ish the rain had stopped and darkness was lifting. As night turned to morning, the scenery continued to be spectacular, with the route passing through forests and towns with amazing castles. Unfortunately, however, some of the route around early morning also included rough paths….and this is when disaster struck for me – 3 punctures in the space of 500 meters (one self-inflicted in the act of changing the second puncture). Thankfully this was my first and last mechanical of the trip!!!
The remainder of the morning involved a lot of cycling on park roads and gravel paths. I soon learned from Andreas that the beauty of the parks and the lakes was masking the devastation of the former coal mines. The run into Leipzig was reasonably flat and with the sun rising in the sky, we pushed on a bit and upped the pace, knowing the end was in sight.
The control in Leipzig was a hipster/urban café. Thankfully it was open by the time we arrived at 10am. The food offering was minestrone soup and bread. It tasted amazing and was perfect for how I was feeling – really easy to eat and digest. This was washed down with some banana bread, a coffee and a few glasses of water.
After a few trips to the toilet and a bit of a leg wash with wet tissues, we were ready to go again……until we found Rich had a rear puncture. This is when real delays set in. Rich was using tubeless tyres (tyres which should reseal for any punctures), however as he had sliced his tyre on some glass the day before, he was having to put in tubes. This is the downfall of the tubeless tyre. His trye was a couple of years old and had resealed several times…..each time bringing in some shrapnel (glass, thorns, flint, shells etc) to the inside of the tyre…..meaning each tube subsequently punctured against this debris. After an hour of trial and error, and attempting to cover the worst areas inside the tyre with small cuts of old tyre which I had with me, we managed to fix the issue and were ready for the final leg, some 2.5 hours after we first arrived in Leipzig. My main concern was that we were down to our last spare tube and air cannister for the final 136 miles.
Leg 9 – Leipzig to Berlin (136 miles, 2,375ft elevation)
Further roadworks in Leipzig caused us a bit of an offroad detour through a park, but we soon got on track, skirting past the airport and a large DHL depot.
The tailwind home which had been forecast, had changed direction into a gusting cross/headwind, soon to be accompanied by driving rain and a realisation the last leg would be a slow struggle.
The first 50 miles or so was largely made up of waterlogged cycle paths and park roads. To help pass the time and take the focus from the pain, we got into the rhythm of us each doing 1-2 mile turns on the front – no conversation and just head down.
After a few hours we came across more roadworks which necessitated a significant and prolonged detour off route. As it was a Sunday, most shops were closed and with no petrol stations etc off route it meant we couldn’t restock with water and snacks to keep us going. I had to dip into my reserves of nutri-grain bars (I had brought 36 to Germany…..and ended up bringing 27 home 😉).
We managed to get back onto route at a place called Wittenberg and decided to go in search of a very late lunch. Once again, the architecture was stunning and the town very picturesque. As part of his ongoing history lesson, Andreas informed me this was where Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church and started the Reformation in the 16th century. On a much more trivial note, I was unable to face anything substantial to eat and instead settled for a large sundae and coffee.
The remaining 80 miles or so back to Berlin were an absolute struggle. It seemed that we were making no progress and the longer we cycled the further away Berlin seemed to get. In this struggle there is not a lot to report other than the crusty bib shorts had the last laugh, with me spending the majority of the last 5 hours out of the saddle 😉.
Unfortunately we also passed time with further puncture issues for Rich. The last of these happened on a rough path/farmer type track through the middle of a forest. Definitely the sort of place where you could have imagined lines of tanks and troops trundling along 80 years prior. As we struggled to get his tyre sorted and used the last of our repair kits and air to get a fix, I was fearing a night spent in the forest with bears and wolves (probably aren’t any) while we waited for the next group of cyclists to come along. Thankfully our fixes took effect and we squeezed the last charge out of my small air compressor to get Rich back on the path.
As dusk settled, we reached Potsdam. Knowing this is where Alex lives and commutes to Berlin from, I told myself this was simply an extended district of Berlin and the end was in sight. Again, the scenery was amazing as we skirted a lake and some parkland on route to Berlin. The last 15 miles seemed to go on forever and as we cycled through a large park on the outskirts of Berlin, tempers became a little frayed when Rich struggled to switch on his front light – however, having cycled 940 miles together nothing was taken personally and we let it slide.
The grand architecture of Berlin was magnificent once again (Charlottenburger Tor, Tiergarten, Brandenbeug gate etc), and was only spoiled by the challenge of pedestrians on cycle paths and being unable to sit down 😉.
We thankfully made it to the hostel for 10ish on the Sunday night, picked up the stamp for the last control and took our group selfie!! Maybe a bit of an anticlimax, but I was exhausted and just wanted to get back to the apartment to see the girls. However, a tracking app I had switched on in Leipzig had drained my phone battery and I had to use Rich’s phone to ring Dad and ask him to keep an eye out for me in 20 minutes or so.
I said my goodbyes and attempted to track my way across Berlin to the apartment. Unfortunately, a combination of exhaustion and no knowledge of Berlin meant I inadvertently went the opposite direction back towards the Olympic Stadium. I soon realised I was lost!!!! After going around in circles for a bit with no phone for help, I used a main road and some landmarks I familarised myself with on my walk to the pasta party on Wednesday (Prison, a University Museum, a Netto and tram lines) to get me heading in the general direction of Berlin City Centre. An hour and 8 miles after I had set off for a 2 mile journey, I eventually made it back to the apartment and hugs from the girls!!! Having prioritised ordering an Indian takeaway, I quickly got to work stripping down and packing away the bike on the footpath (maybe never to be seen again!!).
Stats for my BMB 24 adventure are as follows:
- 86hrs (8am Thursday to 10pm Sunday)
- 56hrs moving time
- 960ish miles (incl lost miles and 6 miles paused)
- 40,656ft elevation
- Some solo, but largely in a group with two others
- 4hrs sleep
- 60hrs of thunderstorms
- 3 punctures
- Many lifelong memories
Getting back for Sunday night meant I had 3 days to enjoy being a tourist in Berlin. These days were made up with limited sleep (despite exhaustion), a lot of hobbling about, absolute hunger, a trip to the Zoo (the photo below of Gustavo seems to be appropriate), visiting the DDR museum (Wow!!), a bike tour of all the landmarks, burgers (Peter Pane Burger!!!), bratwurst and the BMB medal presentation (where I caught up with Sean once again).
Due to work commitments, Vikki was unable to come (though she did manage a long weekend in Mallorca with her sister???). So, we have a reason to go back to Berlin as a family and do it again!!!!
I can’t recommend Germany, and Berlin in particular, enough as a holiday destination. An amazing place with amazing people. Ben has set me a challenge of gathering up at least 20 cyclists from Ireland for next year’s BMB edition which may take in Czechia – who is in?
Big thanks to:
- Ian Carson for providing me with his tailfin bike bag (game changer);
- Glenn Kinning for sorting out my bottom bracket and making it run perfectly for the duration;
- Richard Hanna for his sound advice;
- the faultless performance of Hunt wheels; and
- Vikki for her support and encouragement to take part in BMB!!!!!
If fitness allows, the seed has been planted for a 1,000 mile cycle……watch this space!!