From Narvik to Lyngseidet
Better weather an strange folks
At Narvik I replace two broken spokes and buy a new, red front pack to be
fixed at the handle-bar. Furthermore I carry new links as I can't get a
new chain. I leave Narvik in heavy rain but the sun recovers soon. I have
my first break at Bjerkvik where I meat a very unusual guy, Dave.
He claims to be one of the owners of a restaurant at the Yellowstone National
Park, working on the books in winter and cycling six month a year in summer.
There are other fellows on their way in the north. A german, who started
at the cape, is on his way south to Gibraltar, someone else is carrying
his guitare - and there is even one french cyclist going north, very
strange, because frenchmen unfortunately never get on any bike except for
racing. Anyhow, Dave tells me that he has tons of money and invites me
for dinner at a real restaurant. And he's got what I have never seen before,
a mountain bike, as he calls it.
Well, that item is very impressive. To me it looks like wonder. A bike
so light, spokes so strong, (centilever) brakes so efficient and three
sprocket wheels at the pedals is unknown to the average german cyclist
at that time, 1984. A year later I shall implement a bike about like that,
though not that light weight. A cycle that will accompany me on every single
trip afterwards - and the idea is based on the experience with Dave's bike.
All in all I ride three days with Dave. But soon I realize that his bike
enables him to go very slowly for a very long time. I can't do that. I
have to overpower the hills and take longer rests afterwards. We part in
the end but meet again here and there on our trip north - for the last
time we will spend a night in the hostel in Honningsvåg.
