Day 144 10th December
71miles ( Malaga to Torreguadiaro) Average speed 14.3mph Top speed 34 mph
Up at 8.30. Brekkie of toasted sardines and tea. I checked out and went to collect my bike. €154 but I had a new bike! New transmission with 2 new front cogs, new rear cassette and chain. Bike was cleaned and polished with new brake and gear cables. Nico and Greg had done a great job.
Trigger’s bike
I went back to the hostel to pack up the bike and say goodbye to everyone and as I left the sun came out. It had been dicey walking to and riding from the Recyclo shop. I touched the rear brake and nearly lost the back end more than once due to the new brakes.
Brian’s kind of beach
I hit the beach road and was drafted by a girl in lycra.
(Ermintrude ; I had to ask for an explanation : “drafting is a cycling term for tucking in behind the rider in front to reduce drag”. Thank you, Brian)
We stopped at a red light and she asked where I was heading. Lovely girl, but I left her standing from the lights, even with the weight I was carrying. I carried on and joined the A7 to Fuengirola where I stopped to fix the chain as it came off while going at top speed downhill. The chain was trapped between the frame and the screw holding the rack so I had to undo that and retrieve the chain. I carried on, but had forgotten to tighten the screw and realised when the rack was bouncing, so stopped and fixed it. Then had a drink at Lidl and went all the way through on the A7. I was flying and averaging 15mph so kept going into Marbella.
Brian the Snail (Mark III) enjoying the beach
Straight on through after a magdalena on the beach before rejoining the main road through Estapona, and found Itzabar in Sabanillas, where I had a pint and watched the footy results (O’s finally won a home game 1-0!)
ItZabar
Used their wifi to let Mandy know I was on my way. When I got there, Mandy welcomed me and said she thought that snail pace may have to change its name!
A quick shower and then we went to K club for drinks and the Hairy Lemon for steak – delicious.
I am staying with Mandy for a few days now.