Kiribane Photography

121 kilometers. One battery. One rider. One increasingly unhappy backside.

Savanna and I set off under perfect skies, enjoying a glorious descent toward Koblenz while gravity did most of the work and I accepted all the credit.

Then came the climbs.

Including an 8% gradient that looked innocent on the route profile and considerably less innocent from the saddle.

The motor helped.
I helped.
Gravity declined to participate.

By kilometer 75 I checked the battery, fully expecting to swap to my spare.

The spare battery spent the entire day in the bag, proving once again that emergency equipment is most effective when never actually needed.

As temperatures climbed from 20°C to 29°C, we rolled through valleys, followed the Rhine, conquered hills, and somehow arrived in Brühl 121 kilometers later with battery power still remaining.

My legs felt strong.
My lungs had no complaints.

My backside, however, had formally ended all negotiations.

Still, there are worse ways to spend a day than crossing the Rhineland on two wheels, chasing roads, sunshine, and questionable decisions.

After the Sauna I caught myself thinking:

“121 kilometers weren’t actually that bad.”

A dangerous thought. History suggests I’ll be testing that theory again soon.

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