Hi, Graham. Funny. You probably didn’t notice the date, but this tour was six years ago. I only updated it yesterday because the Classens were following one of my tracks and discovers it’s no longer passable. I put a note on the map of that page to warn people, and forgot to indicate not to update the time stamp..

As far as flats go though, you probably misunderstood my comment. We vary rarely get flats, now and on this tour. We use Schwalbe Marathons, tend to start with new tires before long tours, and typically will have at most one or two flats on the entire tour. On our current tour in Spain we’re almost at the end and still haven’t flattened. Spanish backroads in general are clean and excellent. I think it’s become my favorite country to tour in.

The comment was really about tire levers, and how hard these tires were to get on and off the rims until I started carrying Pedros..

Cheers,
Scott

Thanks Scott and Rachael,

Very interesting and useful reflections, especially to us Bike Friday riders. Why do you think you had so many flat tyres? Were the Spanish roads littered with tyre wire or glass? Or thorns?

In NZ I had problems with flat tyres on my BF NWT in wet riding conditions, and on steep hills. I eventually worked out that there was some sort of slippage between tyres & tubes occurring. Not punctures.

This slight movement was causing tiny tears on the tubes, especially near the valve stem.

I now put talcum powder on the tubes. This reduces the friction.

Well it’s about time! We’ve been waiting six years for you to finally say something.

Welcome home!

This, and the ones on either side. Amazing country.

I'm daydreaming in your journal!

Jacinto would love this day.

We haven’t been in Andorra, but within a few miles of it. We crossed from Spain into France over the Col de Crueta about six years ago but didn’t detour through Andorra because it sounds like a pretty unattractive place to show up on a bike, unless you just want to stay there.

We could continue this off line if you want, but one thought to consider - fly in and out from Toulouse instead of Madrid. It’s a great location for an itinerary like the one you’re suggesting, and much better than Madrid.

Here I am, back at this route again. We are still on tour and we are already dreaming. Jacinto says to ask you if you've been to Andorra. It has caught his fancy. What he is interested in right now, is starting in Madrid, riding into France, swinging by Andorra, and back to Madrid.

Corrected. These were all done after the fact, because the original maps were lost when the original journal was migrated, I’m pretty sure this is right though.

Oh, for goodness sakes. Thanks for noticing, I’ll peer into my impressive memory bank and try to do better. Thanks for noticing.

Somehow this doesn't look like the route you describe!

Looking back, I see that the post isn’t quite accurate. The hospital stay wasn’t free - just nearly so. They sent me a bill the next month for €50, which I paid through their website.

I forgot to mention though is that I do have a Pendleton along, but not that one. I always have one, and wear it daily. When I get back to the states I get it dry cleaned for the next tour and wear a different one. I’ve probably gone through more than a dozen of them in my life, wearing them out or losing them.

For years mom would buy me a new one each year as a birthday present.

Sickest I’ve ever been. There are several photos of me wearing that shirt in the next few pages while I was recovering. I’ve still got the shirt back in Portland, but it doesn’t go traveling much because it’s gotten too worn.

Interesting I was just asking you about travel medical insurance. The Great Divide rider I was talking about was in Canada. I'm sure? Maybe I'm not sure . . . Seven broken ribs and $38,000. later . .