But more often, it’s just stupid people like me doing them!

Along with crappy signage, Germany doesn’t have street lighting between towns.

It seems they also lucked out when it came to moonlight or starlight – a stark contrast to Mildura’s wonderfully bright night skies.

What does this mean?

It means that I was riding from Mannheim back to Heidelberg last night in pitch darkness!

In actual fact, my healthy dose of paranoia had led me to pack my lights, but due to the handle bar bag, the S-SUN’s mounting position meant it was only useful for being seen (maybe) and not for seeing with.

I stuck to the roads, mostly, because I could at least steer along the white lines!

Some bikepath descents were “interesting”:

“Is that path or is that a gully?”

“Is that path or is that a shrub?”

“Where’d the path go?!”

“Is this a smooth edge or a wheel-wrecking gutter?”

I made it home alive, but not before riding past a downed cyclist surrounded by cars, people and flashing lights. Thanks for rubbing it in! He was alive, btw.

I was supposed to go to Cologne today with Renee but I woke up this morning with a killer headache! I drank more water than usual yesterday (it’s been over 30degC for the last few days!) but I guess it wasn’t enough? It could also be a lack of salts or, more likely, the fact I gave up caffeine yesterday – not a single coffee, iced coffee, chocolate.. nothing! Not even a beer! What a sad life.. 😛