BIKETRAVEL247
1000 KILOMETERS CYCLING IN 60 HOURS ON A ROAD BIKE
STAGE1: Ljubljana - Postojna (56KM)
Easy beginning - hard end. New topspeed of 53,7 km/h reached. Acces to the Cave in Postojna isnt payable to eather locals or tourists. For 25€ you get an 30 minutes tour through the cave. There is good and free camping possibilities just across the road from the cave.
STAGE2: Postojna - Ilirska Bistrica (62KM)
Flat beginning at 500 meter followed by a ride down towards sea-level. Lunch in Ilirska Bistrica. Then start towards the border and Rijeka. To avoid the direct border-crossing did we find an alternativ route which turned out to be a huge fault. After ca. 2km extrem climb on our alternativ route we tried to contact the satelite to get our real position but had no luck. So we trusted our feeling and continued the route - bad idea! After endless climbs and dozends of serpentines we hoped to find the border behind every hill but found ourselfs after 25km back in Ilirska Bistrica. So dinner in the same Restaurant and we found a very nice pension to stay for the night. Nice rooms, TV, showers, 20 meter to the park and good breakfast.
STAGE3: Ilirska Bistrica - Rijeka (50KM)
Croatian border. A friend of a friend knew some guy that got busted for bringing a few grams of hash with him and had to pay 250€ fee for it. So better leave your "maui maui" at home. After the border very nice road to Rijeka. In the city you have to watch out for the murderous busdrivers and huge wholes in the road. Shortly after Rijeka you can find beautiful stone beaches which might be very quiet unless you have DJ Oetzi on stage 200 meters away playing his crap at 30000watt speakers and the local youth going bananas to it.
STAGE4: Rijeka - Klenovica (51KM)
After a allmost sleepless night on the beach did it on top start to rain in the morning and the beach cleaning crew did end any hopes for some sleep. In hellish bad mood and rain in the back did we start our fight up the mountain. Breakfast at a great Truckerstop close to Senj.
Fantastic view (see picture). After the breakfast more climbing till Selec.
Very idylic little village with the most beautiful beach. Drink-suggestion: Union-Radler Bloodorange. After relaxing at the beach we rode another 20km up and down till Klenovica. If you come with a tent you can basicly set it up for free at the camping-site because you can easily find your way around the main entrance (see video)...the rest was all super,super,super.
STAGE5
Klenovika - Jablanac [Ferry Rab] (56KM)
Untill Senj everything rolled fine. After that we had to climb a good 15km up the hill. Found a road to the ferries and hoped to escape the mountains by boat - but no chance. So we had to stay in Jablanac. Nice room with very helpful landlord and good Slivovice. If you are a smoker - bring your own ziggys because there is only 1 shop and its surely gonna be closed when you get there...
STAGE6: Jablanac [Ferry Rab] - Tribanj (66KM)
Pretty easy ups and downs along the coastline. 30km no chance to buy any food or drinks but "apartmani" all over...Waited for a bus without luck. Food-Suggestion: cucumber-salad.
STAGE7: Tribanj - Pakostane (88KM)
Best stage so far. Flat as holland. Swimming when needed because there is never more than 10 meters to the beautiful coastline. Longest stage so far toped by the best mobile home for the night so far (2 rooms, TV, beers and 3 meter to the water for quiet little money..)
STAGE8: Pakostane - Bilac (82KM)
Nice stage along the coast. Swiming at every stop. Sea urchins indicate good water-quality. Many huge bridges across the bays. The open ocean for the first time without islands in front. heavy breakers. beautiful sinset. Exelent "Apartmani" for the night. Cooked for ourselfs for the first time with best croatian ingredients.
Cool beachbar with internet, pool table, kicker and soccer on the tv..all a man could wish for. drink suggestion: PAN Radler.
STAGE9: Bilac - Split (64KM)
Shity road, cultural shock, wicked seaport, Croatia-Italy, Blueline is the low cost ferry with daily ships and phillipino-crew, nice conversations on the sundeck with 2 israelis, learned a lot about sohar, tora and kabbala, extremly drunk to bed and woken up with: "...Mooorning Wake Up Folks,..Mooorning Wake Up Folks,.. ",
STAGE10: Rom - Bracchiano (80KM)
Rolled pretty nicely out of Rom. Good cycling path. Bad road-signs. Pretty flat until the vulcano around Bracchiano. Beautiful and warm vulcano-lake with black sand. Found a very nice and cheap (bikers discount) camping site with the best Pizza so far. Watched football and got drunk on grappa. very recommendable...
STAGE11: Bracchiano - Civitavechia (74KM)
Murder mountain stage. Barbaric heat and no shadow. Close to collapse. A well on the way to the top saved our lives. Pushed the bikes over the "cupetto". Fantastic downhill ride with new topspeed of 61,45KMH
The camping site we found was all full so we found a Bed and Breakfast which also was occupied but the gardner let us sleep in his yard for free. Drink suggestion Cuba Libre x 4 at the beautiful little beach bar. Meet really nice people (Franscesca and Roberto) that showed us around town next day. Fantastic warm sea water. Crab overpopulation. Sportcigarettes. Hard and troublesome way back to the B&B
STAGE12: Chivitavecchia - Capalbio (67KM)
Fast ride along the Aurelia (SS1) to the beach of Capalbio. No Tennis on the camping site without rackets...
STAGE13: Capalbio - Orbetello - Capalbio (42KM)
Small day trip to the half island Orbetello and back to Capalbio. Visited the old castle and found it to be private property appartments...
STAGE14: Capalbio - Principina a Mare (63KM)
Started along the SS1 towards Grosetto and turned left to the sea. Found a mobile home to stay for 2 days. The classic italian "Fun-Troup" started their typical childrens program at 22.00..every night!!!
STAGE15: Principina a Mare - Castagneto Carducci (78KM)
STAGE16: Castagneto Carducci - Pisa (76KM)
