We really like the hostel here in Augsburg. We have met some fellow cyclists who are also riding the Via Claudia Augusta, but none of them are self supported and hauling camping gear. We do love to be self sufficient - camping, solar panels for charging our devices and cooking our meals. But sometimes we look at other bikes loaded with 2 panniers of clothes, and we wonder, did we miss something? The weight of our load makes everything harder. The value of these hostels for us is that they provide a welcome change from our usual routines - buffet breakfast is included, a hot 3 course dinner is available for 6€ and most importantly, we have our own bathroom and shower We are staying here for 2 nights so that we can go to the local Rohloff specialist and change our sprocket to improve our granny gear for the Alps. Since he is closed until tomorrow it makes sense to use his expertise. We forgot to factor in the Euro Bike Expo that is happening nearby - got up early and discovered that he is closed...and that was just the beginning. We visited other shops and found the same thing. Finally we found a Rohloff shop and we were able to buy the sprocket but the shop wouldn't instal it as he was on his way to the Euro Bike Expo! Well, at least we have the part, but we must find another dealer to instal it as it requires a special Rohloff tool. The day improved when we gave up on our search, parked our bike at the hostel, and strolled through this historic city full of treasures to explore. It was good to stop worrying about the challenges of the Alps that we couldn't fix and to focus on where we are.
The youth hostel in Augsburg is an excellent facility with a bit of a different approach. It offers "comfort" rooms with TV and wifi at usual prices for a double room.
Sabine the manager at the Youth Hostel in Augsburg is also an avid touring cyclist. She heard me asking at the front desk about a bike shop and she came out to chat with me. We enjoyed comparing notes on tips and places we have travelled.
Grrrrr! The city's Rohloff expert, Rudi is away on holidays for a month. If it isn't Eurobike, it's vacation time. We especially wanted to go to this shop as Rudi handbuilds his own line of bikes and the shop looked amazing.
