The joys of the Western Algarve didn’t really appeal to me. After yesterday’s rather dull day (scenery wise) I took a good look at the map and there’s pretty much non stop urban sprawl heading west until you pass Lagos. I would have liked to have done the whole coast, but don’t see the point if it’s not enjoyable, added to that the Brompton is in need of some TLC and I don’t want push my luck with long rides and train deadlines to meet. In addition to the punctures and loose gear lever, the rear tyre is pretty cut up, with one gash in the sidewall, which whilst it doesn’t go the whole way through is an obvious weak point, which could lead to a potential blow out. With that in mind I fashioned a “tyre boot” and slid it in to give the sidewall a bit more strength.
When I next go touring on the Brompton, I’ll definitely change to stronger tyres and carry a few spare nuts and bolts !
So today was to become a relaxing day, I did a bit of domestic stuff in the apartment, read the paper and generally took it easy. I decided I’d cycle out to Cabanas the next town and grab some lunch and the carry on to Cacela Velha the small fishing village I’d briefly visited on Sunday. Then a nice ride home via the backroads.
The journey out covered the same route as my first ride on Sunday, out past the salt lagoons that litter this area. They’re home to a great variety of bird life, so this time of year there are lots of “twitchers” about.
A quick lunch and a short ride later I arrived at Cacela Velha, no throngs of tourists this time, in fact not much going on at all. I had a gentle stroll around and took a few more pictures.
Job done, I headed back to Tavira. A different route this time just using backroads, but no gravel tracks. It was relaxing riding, seeing the non touristy areas of the Algarve.
There was just one thing missing from this ride. It really wouldn’t have been complete without another puncture, rear wheel of course. This time I managed to get it sorted in under 15 mins, clearly all the practice is paying off. Annoyingly this was one of my own making – my “tyre boot” had rubbed against the tube causing it to puncture !
Once sorted it was a trouble free ride back, the route took me over one of the more modern road bridges on the edge of the town, which gave me a good vantage point for a photo.
Tavira certainly has character, there’s a good mix of old a new here, it’s a bit grubby around the edges, but quite charming.
Steady Pedals 