Volga Ride Nizhny Novgorod to Lyskovo

Saturday 21st July 2018

Today was a nightmare of biking alongside endless convoys of articulated trucks etc, so much for my theory the main E22/M7 road would be quieter at the weekend 🙁

The first 8km or so was interesting to see all the new detached housing developments & the huge builders merchants, the economy sure seems to be booming here. Even the fields have sweet corn etc growing in them.

Ridewithgps got me into a sticky situation at the E2 motorway but finally I found a gap in the barriers near a bus stop 🙂 must say the drivers can be really considerate.

I went past a piston heads meet-up not sure where they drive their lowered cars with only one inch of ground clearance! Although the main roads today were pretty good. I spent time admiring the guys building wooden log cabins using a chain saw to notch the log joints – a real no nails construction.

The awful traffic started as the E22 joined the road I was on, a total logjam of huge trucks the noise & fumes non stop for the rest of the ride 🙁 it wasn’t so bad where the hard shoulder was good but where it detoriated to gravel or worse still sand and even worse where it disappeared. I stuck in my Airpods at full volume and ground on.

I spotted a stationary police car parked with the two guys waiting for me to turn up – I discreetly removed the Airpods – I was totally amazed when they asked me what the bikes frame number was! So I quickly inverted the bike and let him clean my bottom bracket 🙂 radioing in the number and the bikes make & model. All was well so they said I could go I gave them a couple of my sweets and they went away smiling wishing me the best of luck – which I certainly need.

I eventually made it up and down the many hills & in fact the countryside is really beautiful, if the trucks would go away and arrived in Lyskovo to find my booking.com hotel had made an error so they showed me the way to The Parus hotel on the Volga bank near where the ferry goes to Makar’yevo 5 times a day. Unfortunately a wedding party is in full swing so no sleep tonight with the noisy DJ, the music is ok.