Passau to Feldkirchen to Linz 98km

A beautiful day on the bike with mostly riverside riding. There were a few climbs but nothing more than 8% and most around 4-5%. The cycling infrastructure today was fantastic, completely sealed apart from a very small section. I crossed into my fifth country, Austria with Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Germany also visited. The Danube signage here seems amazing with very little need for a GPS apart from in the cities. 

I had planned to camp just outside of Feldkirchen. Unfortunately, campgrounds are closed in the afternoon, not opening anywhere from 2 to 5pm which can be tricky. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the campground when I arrived so decided to do the extra 22km into Linz. Campgrounds tend to be outside the cities which is a bit different to my experience in France. I opted for accommodation again in the heart of Linz to allow me to easily see the city on my day off. 

Deggendorf to Passau 58km

A relatively easy ride today with fairly good signage for the most part but with a few detours that required gps assistance. The EV6 and Danube route took me through some questionable paths particularly when the locals who I’d passed earlier circumvented the shitty route I was taken on. Local knowledge is the best. I also ran the gauntlet across a main road rather than navigate the bike down a very steep ramp! 

I made it to Passau, where I had booked for last night but couldn’t get here given the storms. The apartment is comfortable with cooking facilities and enough room for the bike and washing! The town of Passau is lovely and I wish I’d been here yesterday with a bit more time to explore. 

I’ll head off to Feldkirchen tomorrow. Kelvin assures me it’s a lovely ride! Thanks Kelvin! And by the way, for my GF friends, Snickers are doing protein bars now! Yummy! 

Straubing to Deggendorf 42km

Today was one of those days on tour that just happen. It was forecast to be wet but it looked okay. The weather was fine when I left Straubing but within ten kilometres, the storms hit. The Danube cycle path had a detour which was not rideable in my opinion, and the challenges kept coming. 

I had planned to make it to Passau having paid for a room there tonight expecting wet weather. After riding on the main road, having my wheels sink on the Danube cycle path, stopping to wash the derailleurs and chain multiple times, I eventually made it to Deggendorf in torrential rain, and decided to pull the pin. I wasn’t having fun. I found a room within 100m of where I was sheltering from the rain. It’s fancy with a spa, sauna, pool, restaurant, etc, but I needed to get dry, clean and warm. I had to clean everything on the bike including panniers. Hopefully, I’ve washed enough grit out of the chain and derailleurs to make it a smooth-ish ride. The rain eventually stopped around 4pm so I’m glad I didn’t wait it out. I’ll head to Passau tomorrow morning.

Regensberg to Straubing 54km

After a lovely stay at the Hotel am Peterstor in Regensberg, I chose a shorter ride today due to the forecast bad weather. Apart from a light sprinkle, the rain didn’t eventuate. Nevertheless, I’d already booked and paid for my accommodation in Straubing. It’s a nice place and well worth a visit.

The route was a mixture of tarmac and gravel. Much of the gravel is a bit sketchy and requires quite a bit of concentration and therefore takes more time.

Regensberg

After a few days in the relentless heat, I took the train to Regensberg for a couple of days rest and some air conditioning to allow my body to recover. I realised once I arrived, that I was suffering from mild heatstroke with a headache, no appetite, dry skin and throat, and a few other symptoms that don’t need mentioning here. Seven hours without shade in 39C heat is challenging to say the least.

It’s been an interesting few days with finally coming across some other cyclists in the campgrounds. I met Els, Bertrand, Helen, and Vincent from the Netherlands. I also met Lia and her one year old son Lucas, from Germany. Lia is an absolute star towing Lucas in a trailer using a Specialised Diverge (I think). She loves cycling and wanted to give it a go with her young son. Truly incredible. Many people are on electric bikes which clearly have their advantages.

The weather is going from extreme heat to rain and storms so I’m working my way towards Passau but will likely need to use the train again as I’m not keen on cycling in stormy weather, nor camping in the same. The gravel paths take a l more energy than tarmac cycling so I need to be mindful of that when planning ahead. Big kms will be a challenge. 

Regensberg is lovely and I’ve spent my time wandering the streets, doing laundry, resting and making the most of fueling and hydrating.