Bike tour report Bassano (Venice)-Munich August 2011

( searching for the Isa Radweg)

The path recorded by the navigation system:

Total km: Trip: 963 km

Path in GPS eXchange file format (gpx): file

Generics:

This is the 5^th time that I cycle Bassano – Munich (and also reporting it on the web). This time I did my best to follow routes for bicycles (where possible). As I did not have a mountain bike, but a sport bike instead, this was not always possible. The bike ways that I used now for the first time were from Bressanone/Brixen to Brenner, from Innsbruck to Jenbach, and a portion of the Isarradweg (river Isar bike way) in Munich area.

Day 1 / Saturday – 30 July 2010 / Bassano del Grappa – Fortezza (Franzenfeste)

From Bassano to Caldonazzo it is pretty flat and easy, good portion of km are on bike way. From Caldonazzo to Trento you go on normal street (low trafficated) but street is up hills and pretty hard. From Trento to Fortezza (Franzenfeste) it is mostly on asphalted bike way. Probably the best one that I know (for landscape and separation from normal traffic). Just a pity that in Bressanone (Brixen) it is not asphalted for some short parts.

Day 2 / Sunday – 31 July 2011 / Fortezza (Franzenfeste)- Achenkirch

Bike way from Fortezza to Brenner is very good. There are however some parts pretty hard (up hills) but approx never longer than 200 meter. From Brenner to Innsbruck I take the normal street, which has not so much traffic. In Innsbruck I take the bike way that goes along the Inn river, to Jenbach. There I take the normal street again, which goes through Jenbach center. From Jenbach to Achensee I take a small road, “climbing” by the 15% for about 3 km. I could not make it and the last 300 meters I had to get off and push the bike :-( Along the Achensee (lake) again a very good bike way to Achenkich town.

Day 3 / Monday - 1 August 2011 / Achenkirch – Munich

The bike way up to the border with Germany is pretty easy, even if some parts are not asphalted. From the border to Sylvensteinsee (lake) I use normal street (low traffic). Previous years I proceeded on with the normal street, but this year I try the bike way tunnel at the bridge, which drives me through the wood (fantastic!) and then again to the usual bike way. Once in Wies, I take to ordinary street (low traffic parallel street to the main street). If you try to follow the bike way sings, you end up to a not asphalted track.

Once arrived in Bad Tölz, I always need my navigation system to go through. From Bad Tölz to the Grünwald wood I use normal streets. Then bike ways start again, up to Munich.

This is where to take the tunnel bike way at Sylvensteinse:

Arrival in Munich:

Day 4 / Wednesday - 3 August 2011 / Munich – Innsbruck

After one day of rest spent tasting beer, it's time to start the way back. There is a bike way along the Isar river (Isarradweg), which should take me to Bad Tölz, but I was never able to discover it. With the help of the hotel guy, I find out on the map where it starts. Once reached it with the bicycle, I can only say it is fantastic and I am fully envious. It is full of people cycling to work, and I think I would like also to cycle to work via such a bike way... And moreover, some of the girls and so pretty :-)

The Isarradweg goes on to Grünwalder wood (not always along the river!) where it becomes not asphalted :-( So I follow another bike way for about 1 km, and then the ordinary streets, pretty much like during the way in.

On day 2, after getting off the bike because of too hard cycling up to reach the Achensee (lake), I had noticed a sign to a bike way pointing to the Innradweg (bike way along the Inn River which I want to take). I hope that this deviation will make me to discover a way to avoid the hard part, but this is also not-asphalted :-( So I take to same street of day 2. No optimization for next time :-(

After the down hill (very deep DOWN hill) and after the center of Jenbach, I get back to the Innradweg (River Inn bike way). There I meet a (beautiful) Swiss girl, also doing a trip on the bicycle, who needs help because she lost the bike way.

The last 20 km to Innsbruck are the only one of the whole trip where I get serious (and cold!) rain! Brrr... However, this is also not a bad experience, because of that I have a break under a roof with the Swiss girl :-)

After some tons of cold rain, I arrive in Innsbruck, and where I am happy to have a smart phone which let me to find and book an hotel via Internet. I also payed 7 Euro for International data roaming, but it was worthy!

Munich has a huge bike path net:

Backward camera shot while cycling (note the tongue):

Was he stealing an apple ???

Day 5 / Thursday - 4 August 2011 / Innsbruck – Chiusa(Klausen)

Innsbruck to Brenner is pretty up hill, but mostly it not so hard. I go via the ordinary street and there is not much traffic. There is also a workaround for it, from Hall im Tyrol to Matrei am Brenner. I went it many times, it has nearly no traffic (very small mountain street) but it is really and endless up and down, which takes ages to be gone. So this time I prefer the more direct Innsbruck-Brenner.

Once passed the Austrain/Italian border at the Brenner, I get again the bike way, but today it is not my day... Indeed first I break the hook of the left pedal. I can still proceed, but I can not stand up on pedals because the shoe is not hooked to the pedal. And then, I have a flat...Replacing the inner tube, another cyclist (form Berlin) stops and ask me if I am ok. I could fix it by myself, but however I am always happy if somebody stops offering for help :-)

In Bressanone(Brixen), in a Sportler shop, I get replaced the pedals, so now the bike is ok again. I proceed a little bit more on the bike way but with all those problems, today I go only 112 km.

Also in Bressanone area there are some parts where the bike way is not asphalted.

Arrgh ! I did not ask any contacts to the guy from Berlin. I should have invited him for a beer to thank him the next time it happens I am in Berlin :-( Regretting now ...

Broke the hook of the pedal, and then had a flat. Not my lucky day ...

Day 6 / Friday - 4 August 2011 / Chiusa(Klausen) – Bassano del Grappa

Bike way from Brennero proceeds through Bolzano(Bolzen) and arrive to Trento. It proceeds (to Verona?) but I leave it to go (hard up hill and the down hill) to Caldonazzo. From there I have another bike way which ends 20 km before Bassano. The last 20 km are on ordinary street (with low traffic). Then I am back to Bassano.

Report written on 8 august 2011

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