Monthly Archives: July 2018

FeCT 2018-07-21 – Wien Viertel with a touch of Czech

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The is the second leg of riding about 500km of the Iron Curtain Trail or FeCT.  The first blog, So it Begins, included an overview of the trail but let’s right to the ride.

Wien Viertel with a Touch of Czech – Retz to Laa (53km)

Date: July 21, 2018
Starting Point (via): Retz Bahnhof
Weather Partially cloudy, moderate to strong south winds.
Route: East from Retz with a small North jog into the Czech Republic (52km and all FeCT riding).

The section takes you through the Wien Viertel and includes lots of vistas, wine cellars, pretty little towns with a glimpse into the other side of the Czech border to make it interesting.  East-west is down hill with one moderate climb in the middle.  Trip notes:

  • The Austrian section is nearly 100% on trails or country roads.
  • Lots of zigs and zags so keep an eye out for signs but also carry a map (and either a GPS or google maps to complete the ensemble).
  • The Czech section is interesting by way of contrast but can be skipped if pressed for time or if the riders are not keen riding on the roads.
  • The Czech markers are fewer so extra attention is critical.
  • There is one sandy section otherwise in the Czech section.  If you skip the Czech jog north you can safely ride it all with a road bike.
  • Lots of services as you go through numerous towns.
  • Consider stopping for local wine and definitely enjoy the cellars that dot both sides of the route.

FeCT Retz to Laa

52km of the FeCT. Map courtesy of bikemap.net.

A Few Pics

Top-Left, Clockwise: Me at the top of the one climb, an anti-climatic border crossing in the Czech Republic, Austrian Cycling Route signs and two cyclists head west across the rural landscape.

The Score!

Date Distance Impressions/Comments
2018-07-21 52.7 km A great section with lots of things to see.
2018-07-15 66 km Green and very flat; accessible from Vienna.

FeCT 2018-07-15 – And so it begins…

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Goals are like thinking about where you want to go for dinner tonight. A good destination to walk toward until you pass something better. So, here is my goal – I want to ride at ~500km of the Iron Curtain Trail or FeCT.

The FeCT runs from the Arctic to the Black Sea along the former borders of the Iron Curtain.  At 4,127km long, it is not my intent to ride the whole thing… this year… but instead the sections that are reasonably accessible by train from Vienna.  I might do a few longer trips in Fall if weekends and work permit, but for the moment, 500km is a nice round number.

Ohhh, here are my rules for myself.  KM only count if they are on the trail and doing a section twice does not double the distance.  I will attempt to do a blog to remember the ride, make some notes in case I go back (or someone stumbles on this via Google).  Finally, I also get to changes these rules at my whim.

Full Route of the Iron Curtain Trail (www.ironcurtaintrail.eu – All rights reserved)

And So It Begins – Hohenau to Devinska Nova Ves (66km)

Date: July 15, 2018
Starting Point (via): Hohenau an der March via Wien Mittel
Weather Sunny, hot with strong North/North West Winds
Route: East from Hohenau and the south to the Friendship bridge returning to Wien via Marchegg Bahnhof (7km of non FeCT riding).

The section is definitely bucolic and only moderately busy (closer to Bratislav) and flat.  Trip notes:

  • About ~20% of the route is on roads but almost all are low traffic.
  • The trail section surface runs from smooth asphalt to rocks and broken pavement.
  • Because of the road surface, leave your road bike at home.  A hybrid is fine, a mountain bike with non-aggressive tires is perfect.
  • There are a few points along the way to buy a radler and fill your water bottle, nevertheless, plan to be self-sufficient.
  • There are some areas that are relatively remote and a way from the roads (e.g. 1-2km+); plan your travel accordingly (e.g. single women, etc.).
  • Once you leave Hohenau, there are only two bridges across the March at Angern an der March and the Friendship bridge.

The first 66km of the FeCT. Map courtesy of bikemap.net.

A Few Pics

An old guard-house at the border with a control gate and customs house.  Notice the decoy electrical box with a camera pointing toward Slovakia from the Austrian side.

Former Border Control just east of Hohenau.

And so it begins, at the Slovakia border.

Austrian / Slovak border.

Lots of Oil and Gas activity.  It could have been Alberta….

A derrick working the Slovak oil fields.

An abandoned bunker along the berm on the former Czechoslovakian side.

Abandoned bunker. There were at least 6 all spaced ~200M apart.

The Score!

Date Distance Impressions/Comments
2018-07-15 66 km Green and very flat; accessible from Vienna.