Some very heavy downpours taking place as I write up the trip blog for the day. I was aiming for more miles, but looking at the forecast, I had a short window to get as far as Avilla before things got very bad. So I managed get cover 55KM with a small sprinkle drizzle.
The usual map is below and in the pictures I will tell you about the bike I am using.
Ride itself was fine with plenty of climbing.
Tomorrow, I head for the Jerte Valley. May take a day off from riding if weather is suitable…
Shortly after leaving the hotel, I took a look back. Plenty of weather around to avoid.
So this is the flight deck. The larger Garmin is 1030 series which can be purchased for £300 (August 2023). This replaced the old Garmin Colorado which I used up to last year. The 1030 has a great battery life and links for my Komoot app. At the end of the day, I still have 60 to 70% battery left.
The large screen is great for navigating as its easy to switch from map to other screens using the touch function. I would definitely recommend the 1030 whilst you can still get one. The ridiculously cheap price is because there is a new model on the market.
The smaller GPS is just a back up. On these long tours I don’t want to loose any tracking data. On last year’s tour, having a second GPS was useful as the Garmin 820 died on me.
About the bike:
I am using the Specialized Allez Elite which I purchased in 2016. So on this rig, its my fifth tour. Its a good solid bike with standard Shimano Tiagra parts. Generally if something breaks, I can normally source what I need in the nearest Decathlon.
New wheels were purchased for this trip as I had major issues last year with spokes breaking. Metal fatigue should never be under estimated, especially when roads are made of pebbledash!
At home I have bikes which are lighter. The S-Works SL6 would definitely be my preferred choice to ride but parts are more complex an not easily sourced in a local bike store. I did use my SL6 for the first leg from Bath to Portsmouth Harbour.
I previously mentioned that there is an ample supply of petrol stations on the N Roads where its easy to source water and food. On this leg, this was not the case. A new motorway now runs parallel to the N Road and this is one of two stations now gone to ruin. At least it was a place to shelter for a while as a shower passed by.
Not long after I arrived, the heavy rains stated. Hoping all is dry for tomorrow as I have a 80 mile route planned.
