Cycle Day 4. Sep 6th Achensee to Innsbruck - and bike problems

 Today we got to ride the rest of the way down the east side of Achensee which was gorgeous, and we had perfect sunny weather. Lingered over a coffee part way along as we were reluctant to leave this picturesque spot.

Riding along the lake on dedicated cycle path

 Hundreds of runners taking part in a race around the lake




Next we had a very steep descent from this high mountain valley to the River Inn valley en route to Innsbruck. Great fun but must have been hard on the brake pads with all that weight on the bike!

Look at that descent!


Strange things started happening with my bike today - I couldn't shift into my two small rear rings (rear gears), and I also couldn't free-wheel properly without things going wonky. Where was Frank when I needed him!!! It was Sunday, so nothing is open here - would not be able to get a bike shop till Monday. Luckily I could manage just fine without those gears for the day along the pretty Inn valley - I just had to be very careful not to force the shifting and just baby it along. 66 km later and we were in a campground west of Innsbruck, eagerly anticipating a visit to a bike mechanic next day.




My lunch spot along the river

Ornate town hall in one of the towns along the Inn Valley 

A photogenic feature in front of the
 Swarovski Kristallweltenin Wattens
(Crystal factory)
We also learned that they make binoculars here


Just for interest, we paid 47 euro for a small "pitch" in the campground west of Innsbruck - we could just fit our 2 tiny tents, and had neighbour's up close. But the place had a great pizza restaurant and beer on tap! That is one of the more expensive campgrounds we've come across.






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