Today we decided to call off the tour, though only a day early. The European heatwave we are experiencing this last week just became too unhealthy to continue riding all day. Seeing 48C on our Wahoo GPS was a novelty for a while, until it was clear the heat was too much.
Despite having plenty of cool water, and the right clothing and equipment, cycling for hours without shade or a breeze takes a heavy toll on the body. Heatstroke is no joke.
We cut our tour short by about 15 km to catch a train ride to our destination at Brombachsee. Getting into the cool lake water was great! Pizza and beer and card playing came next, which was super relaxing after a stressful day.
For our last day, we planned a 50 km easy ride to Nürnberg to cap off a great couple of weeks on the bikes. Instead, we will first enjoy some leisure time at the lake, then take a train to meet friends in the city. No stress. After all, it’s a holiday.
Interestingly, while we were riding through a forested section, overhead was a buzz with helicopters delivering water bags to a nearby forest fire. This is something we’ve seen in TV but never in person. We later encountered a fire brigade rushing to the fire area. We didn’t see smoke or any indications a fire was close to us.
As for the tour day, besides the heat, we had lunch in a Biergarten in Hipolstein, which, despite being lovely, was mainly deserted. It’s worth a visit to walk around the Altstadt and enjoy a few hours.





