It's autumn in Spain, we're on the road again

4°c here this morning in the higher parts of Murcia (1317m) which is the same as Glasgow as per BBC weather presenter,Carol Kirkwood....compared with 15°c on the Med coast.
Very quiet night in this fairly remote location.. although on P4N I cannot imagine the ruggedness and remoteness would be too much of a pull for average motorhomers...but for us...that's what we like...😀🇪🇦
 
4°c here this morning in the higher parts of Murcia (1317m) which is the same as Glasgow as per BBC weather presenter,Carol Kirkwood....compared with 15°c on the Med coast.
Very quiet night in this fairly remote location.. although on P4N I cannot imagine the ruggedness and remoteness would be too much of a pull for average motorhomers...but for us...that's what we like...😀🇪🇦
Same here. Having a trip to Hispavan in Almeria in a couple of weeks to have an additional solar panel fitted followed by the van's ITV so I'll have a week or so inland then I should get to the Sierra Espuna area in mid-January for an extended stay hiking and biking. So looking forward to it as I couldn't make it this year due to circumstances.
 
Same here. Having a trip to Hispavan in Almeria in a couple of weeks to have an additional solar panel fitted followed by the van's ITV so I'll have a week or so inland then I should get to the Sierra Espuna area in mid-January for an extended stay hiking and biking. So looking forward to it as I couldn't make it this year due to circumstances.

If you want any info about Sierra Espuña, please ask.
 
Martin's just been looking at his planning app. Yesterday, when he planned our route, the app was on hiking mode, hence the narrow path it took us up.

It will be double or even triple checked in future.

We're off to Puebla de Don Fadrique motorhome area for the service point this morning and then heading down to Huescar. A trip to Castril is postponed because the gorge walkway may be temporarily closed (according to Google) so we'll go another time.

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If you want any info about Sierra Espuña, please ask.
Thank you for your offer, we've been going to the area for several years now staying at Camping Sierra Espuna where we catch up with seasonal friends. Love the biking and the area in general, it's a bootcamp for me!
 
Thank you for your offer, we've been going to the area for several years now staying at Camping Sierra Espuna where we catch up with seasonal friends. Love the biking and the area in general, it's a bootcamp for me!

I half thought you knew the area. The camping is lovely, if basic, and we also have friends up there.

Have a great time.
 
3° overnight temperatures, we put the heating on again this morning. We were in full sun just before we left but we could see a cloud inversion below us and we wondered whether we'd drive into it. Luckily we just touched the edge after we'd serviced the van and done a bit of shopping at Puebla de Don Fadrique.

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We pulled into the Piscina Fuencaliente on the outskirts of Huescar. There's a nice big parking area but it was too early to park up to stay so we had a wander around, looked at the fish, and continued to Galera.

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It's a natural (warm) swimming pool, but you have to share with the fish.
 
Galera, a village with cave houses, we've visited before, but mainly on the bikes so we didn't see much then. Today we parked up at the end of the iron bridge and set off to climb up to the Chapel on the hill. Two youths sitting on the bridge worried Martin sufficiently for him to turn back to the motorhome. I continued.

Some of the cave houses are beautiful. I took photos of lots of them and, one of them I later got to look inside. I was just descending from the Chapel past a ruined cave for sale when a woman (Caroline) came out of the next house carrying a paint pot. I heard her say, in English, to her husband that she was going to paint something in the bathroom.

I spoke to her in Spanish and then asked if she was English 😄. We had a long chat and she invited me to look inside. It was perfect, in my opinion, and I told her so.

They are about to leave, for three months of the winter, to their apartment in Malaga. It gets very cold here in the winter and very hot in the summer. As much as I'd love a cave house I'm happy with our apartment, and the motorhome.

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Caroline's cave house
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C’mon then spill the beans - which super-spec, hi-tech machine is he getting now?
Well actually, what I've paid is only part of the deal, what I've saved is of greater importance, well to me anyway.
I've bought another YT Decoy...the last one I had was bought during Covid..used extensively. re-built and sold to my neighbour, who remains totally delighted with it..🤓

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When we were at Henley on Thames last weekend we saw three of those identical sized penny farthings being ridden by three gents all dressed in the appropriate dress of the day. I’ve never seen them there before do not sure who or why now. We see tons of road riders in this area, particularly on a Sunday as we head home through the Chiltern’s. Reminds me of my racing youth 😜
 
They say things come in threes. We've already had two oooops rides and today was the third when Martin's bike (maybe knowing he's ordered a new one) threw a wobbly and broke its chain. Never in all his years of riding a bike has Martin had a broken chain to repair whilst out riding. Luckily he can put his hand to bike mechanics and carries a good selection of tools and, with the use of two Spanish river pebbles, he managed to take out three links and reattach the chain. It got us back. He'll change the chain in the morning before our next ride.

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They say things come in threes. We've already had two oooops rides and today was the third when Martin's bike (maybe knowing he's ordered a new one) threw a wobbly and broke its chain. Never in all his years of riding a bike has Martin had a broken chain to repair whilst out riding. Luckily he can put his hand to bike mechanics and carries a good selection of tools and, with the use of two Spanish river pebbles, he managed to take out three links and reattach the chain. It got us back. He'll change the chain in the morning before our next ride.

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My bike tool has a chain link breaker, and I try to carry a spare link... which reminds me I need a new one!
 
My bike tool has a chain link breaker, and I try to carry a spare link... which reminds me I need a new one!
Mine too. But the quick link wasn't compatible, I had my tools nicked a while back and although I replaced them, I didn't put the right link in...will be doing tomorrow when I put my reserve chain on..bit of improvisation saved the day fortunately..😀🇪🇺
 
I once found myself in the same situation. I was staying at Harrogate and took my bike with me. One evening I rode out to Knaresborough and my chain broke whilst down by the river, so no houses around. A passing motorist stopped and he had tools at home so offered help. I bought a chain splitter after that. First and last time I’ve experienced that.
 
E bikes must put a fair bit more pressure on the chain, mine is two and a half years old so may be worth changing as a precaution :unsure: especially as I mostly use it on tracks and red runs in a local forest in all weathers.
I swap the chains religiously every 1000km to even the wear on all the components...this way I can get good service out of the cassettes...each bike has 2 active chains..when it's time to change the cassette the whole lot, chains and all get scrapped.
What may have happened yesterday is a troublesome chain guide came off, jammed against the chainring and forced a link open..I was going on flat surface about 10kph turning right on gravel..putting another chain on this and checking everything...did finish ride yesterday with shortened chain..😃🇪🇺

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I swap the chains religiously every 1000km to even the wear on all the components...this way I can get good service out of the cassettes...each bike has 2 active chains..when it's time to change the cassette the whole lot, chains and all get scrapped.
What may have happened yesterday is a troublesome chain guide came off, jammed against the chainring and forced a link open..I was going on flat surface about 10kph turning right on gravel..putting another chain on this and checking everything...did finish ride yesterday with shortened chain..😃🇪🇺
Yes I agree, if it's stretched the whole lot has to be changed. I tend to check ours and change when it gets near tolerances.
 
Yes I agree, if it's stretched the whole lot has to be changed. I tend to check ours and change when it gets near tolerances.
By regular swapping of chains and Judith only
weighing in at 50 kg more or less she got 12,000km out of one 12 speed cassette..but a few chains along the way...
 
By regular swapping of chains and Judith only
weighing in at 50 kg more or less she got 12,000km out of one 12 speed cassette..but a few chains along the way...

They obviously don’t make chains like they used too..🤔

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