Sealskinz tm waterproof gloves
bike shorts
Arktis tm waterproof iPhone holder
Pink Violin Case looking unhappy because mud-bespattered

The Komoot app took me on a really lovely journey through fields and far from traffic between Gotha and Mühlhausen. For 2 out of 4 hours it rained, and with a headwind and fairly low temperature of 14 degrees C this was the first test for my cycling gear.

Here’s a quick summary:

– win: the Sealskinz “lifetime guarantee” waterproof gloves, which kept my hands warm and dry;

– question mark: not sure how waterproof the jacket was and went to buy waterproofing spray when I got to Mühlhausen;

– win: the Assos cycling shorts, which were well worth the investment as i hardly felt the saddle;

– win: the waterproof shoes which I bought 15 years ago because my kids had some and said i would be able to run as fast as them if i got some too;

– win: the Arktis waterproof iPhone cover that sits on the handlebars of my bike and was everything it was supposed to be;

– win: the Komoot app, which chooses great routes and gives good directions;

– win: my Accord violin case (looking mud-bespattered and peeved here), which kept the violin dry;

– challenge: avoiding armies of slugs and snails out and about all over the place;

– learning curve: negotiations inclines when you have approximately 15kg of luggage on the back of the bike;

– appreciation: 28 gears! especially the low ones!

Despite the weather I really enjoyed the journey.