Vienna -> Udine in April

[dimrub]

Jinxing it big time, given that I haven't booked the flight yet, but these days you can't be sure of anything until you start pedalling (and not even then), so be as it may.

As I wrote a while ago, the plan for the Passover break was to do C2C Bristol to The Wash. But then I started monitoring the flight prices. The ones to London were pretty outrageous. So I changed tack and decided on the flight prices as a point of departure, taking a look at the direct flights to other destinations. Vienna was ok, so here's what I did (I realize this might be controversial for some). I asked ChatGPT to plan me a cycling trip starting in Vienna and ending either back in Vienna, or somewhere that has a good train service back. After some deliberations I've settled on a route from Vienna to Udine (Italy) by way of Villach. ChatGPT followed by Komoot among them did a decent job of planning the route, which I then verified with some local forums. The initial route had some high passes in it, which it may be too early to go through at this time of the year, so I changed things around a bit. Easy, comfortable, beautiful views (I'm sure) and pretty good food (for me, at least). Accidentally, I wanted to cross the Alps for a while now, and I love it when a plan comes together (*lights up a cigar*).

The route has very little Euro Velo in it, which is a first for me. Another first is that I plan to ride light, no panniers, just a massive saddle bag, handlebar bag, and frame bags. Well, some would say it's not that light, but it's feather weight for me, for sure. No laptop for once, which I'm really looking forward to. This will also be the first time I'm making a trip with my Kona Sutra, now 1.5 years old (yes, by now I planned to have completed EV13 on it - well, big plans are like good wine). I deliberated whether to take it or the Canyon, but Canyon's 1x is probably not well suited for the terrain. Flighing back from the same city means I can reuse the same bicycle box that I bring with me, and I've already made an arrangement with a hotel in Vienna to keep it for me. I'm also going to try a new contraption for moving the bike in the box all the way from the airport to the hotel, which is basically half a skateboard that I plan to attach to the box with some belts (there will be photos). Yes, sounds a trivial point, but there was nothing trivial about lagging the box from the train to the hotel the last time we did it (in Paris).

And in general, I'm really looking forward to being back in the saddle - since that last trip to Scotland the longest I've ridden was some 50k in the desert a couple of months ago, and I'm itching for the road.

 

[chriswoody]

Funny you should post this, I've been planning a gravel trip in the self same area for the summer. I'm planning on starting in Spittal an der Drau and working my way over the hills into Slovenia and over the Juliana Alps before hitting the Adriatic near Trieste. You should enjoy that on the Kona Sutra, I'm planning on taking my own Kona Sutra LTD this summer it's such a comfy long distance bike.

From Villach to Udine is the official Alp Adria Radweg, is that the way your planning to cycle? it looks a good route without any high Alpine passes, if I had the time I'd be riding back that way, but as it is I'm looking to return on public transport. The big issue for me is getting back to Villach, I've been looking at Udine to Villach or Trieste to Villach, but there doesn't seem to be any public transport at all that's guaranteed to get me back. How are you planning to get back to Villach from Udine?

 

[dimrub]

Funny you should post this, I've been planning a gravel trip in the self same area for the summer.

Ah nice - great minds think alike!

I'm planning on starting in Spittal an der Drau and working my way over the hills into Slovenia and over the Juliana Alps before hitting the Adriatic near Trieste. You should enjoy that on the Kona Sutra, I'm planning on taking my own Kona Sutra LTD this summer it's such a comfy long distance bike.

It is! I can't wait to try it out on this route!

From Villach to Udine is the official Alp Adria Radweg, is that the way your planning to cycle?

Yep!

it looks a good route without any high Alpine passes, if I had the time I'd be riding back that way, but as it is I'm looking to return on public transport. The big issue for me is getting back to Villach, I've been looking at Udine to Villach or Trieste to Villach, but there doesn't seem to be any public transport at all that's guaranteed to get me back. How are you planning to get back to Villach from Udine?

There's a direct train from Udine to Vienna, and I plan to take it (got the ticket already).

 

[dimrub]

Booked the flight. The level of jinx is down a notch.

 

[dimrub]

A perfect arrangement - sourcing a bike box at a LBS, then leaving it at the hotel in Vienna, then reusing it on the way back, since I'm flying back from Vienna too. The only snag: how do I get the heavy box all the way from the airport to the hotel and back? I've had this problem before, and the solution was always either expensive (take a large taxi from/to the airport) or very inconvenient (drag the heavy boxes everywhere). I think I landed on a good solution at last.

Fashioned this contraption out of a spare parts for a skateboard, some flower pot legs and a couple of luggage belts.

This is what it looks like in operation:

I think it's light and compact enough that if I were travelling from A to B, I could have taken it with me to use on a box sourced at the destination.

 

[dimrub]

Put my setup together for testing today.