Garmin Activity: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1469048841
158km, 2032m elevation, 6h58. Trip rating 80%
Today, I finally did another long range ride. I had been sick for two weeks and because of that no long trips for two weekends. Must have been a virus, since many people have been sick. Anyway, I left Cakovice early on Saturday, when it was still dark.
My goal for today was to cycle to Hrensko, then to Usti nad Labem and to take train back to Prague from there.
I had visited Hrensko once in February, but today the GPS sent me through another set of roads. I was sent to Kostelec nad Labem, Vsetaty, Bysice into the Kokorinsko park.
It was very cold, so I dressed up well. Several layers everywhere.
The first leg of the ride was very well known territory, I have been here at least five - six times. Once when I came back from Belgium. The weather was different nowadays, with grey overtones and an arctic wind flow.
A look from the positive side: at least it was dry: Last week I wanted to set out to Karlovy vary, but I was soaked after 10 km and was forced to head back. Today was a lot better
Nearing Melnik... This is where the Kokorinsko area starts/ I took a left, which goes uphill to a place ironically called Vysoka (which means HIGH in Czech).
For me these roads already have epic dimensions, so many memories spent here
Approaching the town of Kokorin
My purchase from this year, disc brake road bike: Still love it!
I just had to take a picture here. Narmin will know what it is about...
The little town of Dobren... Jak se mame? - Dobren!!
This area used to be part of the German owned protectorate. Hence the German style houses, which in local language are called Fachwerkhauser
This building at the left is nowadays functioning as convenient store. Pretty impressive
Entering the Liberec region, bye bye Central Bohemia...
Grey cold and silent out here. It is my second Czech Autumn and I noticed almost nobody sets foot outside in these conditions. Which makes it safer for my cycling
The Kokorinsko Natural Park. Google it if you want to know more about it
I was sent through a very tiny lane with crappy road conditions.
At a certain point it also got mighty steep with 14% downhill
Amazing discoveries on this grey, frosty Saturday morning
You just got to take the time to study these maps along the road, which provide free geographic information. I am pinpointing my own position and I noticed Ceska Lipa was not very far.
Your average Czech little village. People say there are 6,500 of them nation-wide
I stopped here for a moment so I could behold these swans. It struck me that they where having such a good time in that super cold water
It makes me understand that us humans could well use a fur from time to time
Up till here, the whole trip was territory I already knew. This little town of Zahradky is the spot where I had a meal on my ride from Belgium to Prague. On the sixth day I stopped at a Hospoda for a Czech meal of 120 Czk. It was very warm that day. That was 2.5 months ago.
On to the next Cyclo Trasa
The views are always beautiful
Nearly frozen rider
I passed through Ceska Lipa and from there it went slightly to the West, which led me into the Ustecky region.
Here, I was finally seeing some new terrain
More typical German style houses
Ain't no Czech bike ride without some forest area
It was already after 12.00 and still it was -1.7 degrees. It would not be very warm today
15 km left to Hrensko and I was fairly on schedule
That balaclave around my face is the best purchase ever!
All of the sudden Hrensko was very near. I noticed I was approaching the town from a different side compared to my first visit here.
Entering the Cesko Svycarsko area, a park divided between Czechia and Germany
A nice stinger in the middle of the town
Did I hear downhill? This was a fairly long one, dropping from 300 to 120 meters/
I remember this from my previous ride here. The view over the town Hrensko
Following this road will lead to Germany
Hrensko
Nicely located between several rock formations
I navigated to Usti nad Labem and my GPS told me to go back the same way. I did not want to repeat that section so I took the time to study this area and find another solution.
Decin was that solution. I rode along the Labe to Decin and from there I would head back to Usti nad Labem. It would offer me some new roads/
To the right is the German border, been there done that. Now I was going to Decin
Hotel Labe, an original name for a hotel located next to... the Labe
One last look at the tourist area of Hrensko
From Hrensko to Decin was 10km along the Labe. It was pretty flat and straight.
From my various cycling trips combined, I have learned that the Labe river originates in the Krkonose mountains, more specifically at Zlate Navrsi. From there it passes Hrensko, Decin and somehow makes it to Dresden and continues like that in the direction of Leipzig.
A little break in Decin to eat a snack. From here it was 25 km to Usti nad Labem. It was still relatively early but in the winter daylight dies at 16.00. So actually there still was a slight time presusre.
Crossing that bridge over the Labe and going back inland
From there it went slightly up. I stopped at one potraviny for a last snack and then I continued to Usti.
When I was cycling along the Labe, my elevation was about 110 meters. I dropped a lot right before entering Hrensko. I already had the feeling I would have to take back some of that elevation.
That is why right after the Potraviny, there was already an ascent.
I thought I would have to go back to 250, maybe 300 meters/
But it turned out to be quite a different story. This section was relentlessly steep, varying between 12-15% all the time./ It did not take long to reach 200 and even 300 was there fast enough. But it did not stop there...
A few more curves, all around 13%, brought me to 400 meters. It did not stop there either...
Admittedly the views were very stunning. But this climb was very steep and long. I could not believe I was already approaching 500 meters of elevation.
As my elevation rose, the view over the surroundings got better also.
500 meters was not the end mark either, there was still more...
The peak of the climb was located at 575 meters. So I climbed from 110 to 575 meters in one go, all around 13%. Honestly that was a rough section, but it gave the ride some nice dimension. Because of that, I had more than 2000m elevation gain.
At 575m, there was a very long descent, that continued within the town of Usti nad Labem.
There was a slight time pressure as I wanted to catch the 16.13 train and I had suffered delay because of that very long climb. However, in the descent it appeared I would arrive at 16.00
Entering a more dense population area
In Usti nad Labem my elevation was still 300, but it kept dropping. I made it to the railway station at 16.00
Unfortunately the 16.13 train did not take bikes, so I had to wait for the 17.13 one. Not a big deal. I played with my phone, uploaded pictures etc.
I was happy that I did a nice 100 miles, 160 km, 2000+ elevation ride of about seven hours.
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