Chillaxing

Yep, I'm still in Bordeaux. I was supposed to get up and pack up and ride on this morning, but that was really an arbitrary decision anyhow. Moving everyday when I know I really haven't seen all a place has to offer can get tiring. That's where touring a place like the PCH, or Pacific Coast Highway makes more sense. I rode that always wondering if a better viewpoint were just up the road, and it really was more about the scenery than the cities we passed. Sure, one could spend a busy weekend seeing any of them, but the route and destination was already picked. Since I haven't picked my destination (other than Paris in three days or so) I saw no pressing reason to rush out. I ended up chatting with and then eating breakfast with some new Australian friends, three people touring that were just intercepting the tour here, not necessarily following it. They are from Kaiwa, about 2 hrs drive from Melbourne, as I recall. We exchanged information, and they tried to sell me a Dahon folding bicycle for touring. Not theirs, but just sell me on the idea of it. I could see some pluses, as I already mentioned some frustrations with train travel with my loaded bike. I also saw a few other neat pieces of gear. I had known if I buy panniers again I'd like to get Ortleib (sp?) and they were very happy with theirs. They showed me a backpack strap attachment that they could convert a pannier into a backpack quickly for leaving the bike behind. Also they showed me some quick release pedals, basically pull a plastic C-clip, push a spring lock back and pull the pedal out. I think I'll be fine using my multi-tool to insert and remove mine for the time being, but if you do a lot of touring I could definitely see the advantages of such a system. Perhaps the neatest idea, was that a bike pump was integrated into the seat/seatpost. You take it out with the quicik release, pull out the inflation tube and a lever to stand on, and lift up and down on the seat itself to pump.

Goals for today: find computer & empty CF cards, buy some produce and bread, reserve campsite in Versailles & train ride there, get cycleways map from tourist office. Basically bike around Bordeaux liesurely, then go for a swim, fix dinner, and go to bed. No prob.