May 29: Into Croatia, 96 km

Got up later than planned due to sleepless night before and nervously ordered bread and jam for breakfast. Got what I ordered but also butter and cheese. Opened butter packet and this realeased and rancid smell and revealed green fur all over packet. The smell was nauseating and the plate was pushed as far away on table as space would allow. Happily, bread and jam went down and stayed down.

Crossed into Croatia around 10 am. The terrain was now flat. Good for the legs potentially as they could recover a little after all the climbing, but very boring. After 28 km, I heard the familiar 'crack' of a spoke break. I had broken one late in the evening the day before and had trued the wheel without replacing the spoke. Now I had two to fix. Pulled over at next petrol garage and began work. Quickly realised that I could only fix one - the second needed the cassette to be removed to thread the spoke. Fixed what I could and rode on. I had lost over an hour changing the spoke and was now facing a head wind and recalculating how I would keep to my schedule. The thought of taking the train entered my mind for the first time.

The roads were mindnumbingly flat and monotonous. NO challenge, no rest. Another storm swept over me as I neared Osijek - I had changed route on the advice of a bike mechanic who I had hoped could fix bike was unable as he did not have the cassette removal tool.


I entered Osijek cold, wet and very hungry. I had to eat. I had already decided I at least needed to check the train schedule and think about my options over 'lunch' - it was now alrady 3:30 pm. And then it happened - Pulling away from a traffic light. "Snap!", the bike lurched right as I fell forward. How I avoided the curb and stayed upright I do not know. I looked down, though I already knew what had happened: my new chain had snapped!! The Sarajevo mechanic must have put the pin in incorrectly. Mind made up - train to Budapest it would be.

Some local lads helped me get to a bike store where I had everythign possible done to the bike: relaced all spokes on the rear wheel, new bottom bracket, new chain obviously, new bottle cage, new gloves and even a pair of socks. The mechanics were great, ordering pizza and coke and working on my bike for about 3 hours.

They asked where I was staying and I said I hoped to find a cheap hotel. Once we established I would pay 20 euros for a room they called a friend with an apartment and hooked me up for said price, including breakfast. Top blokes!

Silvio, bike store owner cycled with me to train station and I purchased my ticket for the direct train to Budapest tomorrow. 6 hour to go about 250 km as the crow flies - not sure exactly where train is going (?). Then we cycled the 6 or so km to the apartment. We said our goodbyes and thank yous on my behalf and then it was time for a shower and sleep.