Dalian update: 3h10 training ride with a hint of spring

I did not get much sleep last night after hitting a jazz club, but at 9.30 a.m. I was wide awake, got up, had coffee and by 10 I was out on the racebike for what turned out to be a solid and pleasant exercise for 3 hours and 10 minutes. No clue about distance or AVS, but the Polar did record 1000Hm. After a rainy saturday, the sky turned blue again this morning and even the wind was minimal. Yes, wind is something that I will have to battle against on each ride here in Dalian I have gotten the impression after three weeks. Bah, coming from Flanders that isn't too bad actually if in return you get much drier weather. Plus, putting a wheelsucker in the wind suddenly is always a pleasant aspect of cycling. Non-cyclists probably regard it as 'mean', but cycling is a 'mean' sport. Nothing goes on your nerves more than someone sitting in your wheel while you are struggling against a fierce headwind. Today it happened to me. Yes, indeed: on Sunday morning even here local cycling groups go out on rides. On my way out of town, on an endless piece of false flat going against a headwind, I overtook some ten Chinese riders. Two of which decided to attach themselves to my rear wheel. My first idea was to start a conversation. After all, I'm here to learn to communicate in Mandarin, right? Nah, this was cycling, no giving in to wheelsuckers. On the next strappo, the next steeper bit, I stood on the pedals and swung left so they got the wind in their faces. Gone they were. As I said, cycling is a mean sport :-)

This weekend I did not get word from the Bianchi store people, I guess due to the foul weather yesterday. I went out with these guys, about 20 of them, last weekend. Martin, a British CEO at Knorr-Bremse I had had contact with already before moving down here, and Giovanni, an Italian expat from Torino who has done many granfondos over the years, were the other non-Chinese in the group. Because it was still so bloody cold, the ride was kept to minimum length, but it was good to get know the people. The Chinese guy running the store, where they sell genuine Bianchi, Colnago and Campagnolo material, was a successful racer a few years ago, judging by the many trophies on display in the store. He told me to join him and a few others on "races all over China" this season. Well, sure ;-) Curious to see what will happen eventually.

For the first time since I'm here it was not cold on the bike today, and I even felt I was wearing too many clothes. Has spring finally arrived here as well? I hope so. It has been very nice weather here, blue skies on most days, but still very cold and subzero temperatures at nights. The latter was a problem. It caused 'black ice' as daytime temperatures would rise only slightly above zero.

Scoop: three weeks ago this black ice nearly ruined my whole plan! I was out on the coastal route, continuously up & down and extremely scenic with views to the sea on your right. My second full day in Dalian, my first ride. Already on the way back, a fast descent approaching a right-hand corner. Going into the corner I spotted the icy spots on the road. Too late. My rear wheel slipped and I smacked down hard on my right side, sliding further down for some 25-30 metres until I bumped onto the elevated sidewalk on the other side of the road. Phew, there was no traffic whatsoever at the time! Dazed, I got up and was happy to discover there was no bike damage. The right side of my body was pretty bruised up and of course the familiar bump on my right hip was back, too. I did bleed somewhat and my long bibshorts were torn here and there. Lucky the Chinese are world champions in knitting.

I did not tell anybody upon my return to my flat. The previous day a German student from Hamburg told me she had had a cold, mentioned it to a Chinese teacher, was forced to go to hospital where she was given two vitamin infusions. I wasn't in the mood for that. And I had even been bleeding..

So, yes, my stay in China started with a bang. Literally..