Today we had a lazy morning then made the most of our free train tickets to get into the heart of the Black Forest without even working up a sweat.  We met another tourer on the train and had nice chats.  Then before we knew it, there were 13 bikes in the train all at once!  Dave got a few tips of adjusting his Brooks saddle from a man who’d had his for decades and everyone was busy admiring each other’s bikes.

Bikes on a train

We got off the train in Triberg, which we’d heard was tourist central.  It didn’t seem too bad though, apart from a busy main road.  We headed down through the outskirts of town and passed a few cuckoo clock attractions – this area is famous for its cuckoo clocks.

Giant clock here (actually it’s inside, where you have to pay)

I had envisaged us riding down the valley along a lovely cycle path through the forest, but there wasn’t one.  So we got on the main road and headed downhill as fast as we could, holding up the trucks and the cars.  Every now and then, there was a cycle route around a tunnel and we enjoyed some relative safety.  Except for one that went through the works yard of a saw mill and I nearly got taken out by a logging truck!  (Okay, it was my fault for overtaking a street cleaning buggy on a corner.  But the swept up grit was going in my eyes!)

We carried on for a bit along parts of cycle path and parts of the main road, stopping by a field for lunch.

Lunch break

When we reached the town of Gutach, we went to the supermarket, then found ourselves a cycle path and headed for the Rodelbahn.  We found it and its beer garden full of families and made ourselves at home for an hour or so.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have ordered a whole pint?

Once our beer-legs had stabilised a little, we each had a go on the Rodelbahn.  It was fun – went up really really steeply then whooshed all the way down, trying to remember to brake for the corners! The adrenaline subsided and we had to admit that it really was time to head for the campsite.

Going up the Rodelbahn

Just a little more downhill coasting before we turned off along another main valley heading upstream.  Then we turned off again down a quieter road uphill alongside a little river.  We were feeling surprisingly good post-beer and coasted uphill in the late afternoon sun.  My bum is getting pretty sore now but luckily Dave’s back is better.

One short but insanely steep hill to the campsite and we’d arrived.  We pitched up intending to stay for two nights and go for a walk tomorrow.

– Anna