Frauke and I formed a prestigious club today. The “Dritter Gang” was its name and being so prestigious it has only two members. Those two members ride their mountain bikes in nothing easier than the third gear, one out of necessity and the other for moral support. Unfortunately after a few minutes of riding we discovered that Frauke’s derailleur hanger was bent and as a result she could not change into her second gear without the derailleur poking into the spokes. We surmised this was probably from a crash she had at the end of the ride yesterday.

The ride today was from the tourist town of Oberstaufen up into the hills. We found a nice little track along a ridge which we followed. Apparently some snotty German trekking types found this aggravating. Luckily I was totally oblivious to their complaints. We cruised up and down through the hills in the still autumn afternoon. Very tasty. For dessert we went climbing.

Frauke ascending in dem Dritter Gang (Allgaeu, Germany) resize Frauke climbing in Kempten (Allgaeu, Germany) resize

Above left: Frauke ascending in her third gear. Technical difficulties meant that her easiest gear was the third one. Above right: Frauke climbing in Kempten in the evening.

Below: Frauke riding in Der Dritter Gang.

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