The good ol switcharoo

Day 21-22

As we ascended the Italian side of the Alps towards brenner pass and Austria, the weather looked grim. I didn't want the kids biking over the pass in the rain, especially because there wasn't a bike path on the Austrian descent and we'd be near cars. So I decided to stop at a hotel for the afternoon and wait until the next morning to hit the pass in better weather.

The closer to Austria you go, the more expensive everything becomes. I just wanted to find a room with one bed and we could sleep on our mats and bags on the floor. I still haven't figured out how to find cheap lodging. You don't pay for a room in Europe; you pay for the room and then each person. Kids age 10 are not free.

I went to the cheapest hotel on google maps which said one person, $85. When I showed up, the lady insisted I needed the family suite for $200. I told her I just need one bed and I have linen and everything. She said I still had to pay for the kids because they would use the pool. And eat breakfast. I said but I wouldn't use the pool or need breakfast or shower. So she settled on 2 beds for $150. Basically each kid cost me an extra $50 to swim and eat a croissant or 2.

So we left and continued our ascent in the drizzling rain while I booked a hotel on a website...where they couldn't see how many people I had. When we arrived, I paid for 1 kid and 1 double bed and the other kid hid in the street. Darien and I brought up all our belongings from a garage and then he stayed in the room and Sawyer continued to help me....
the rule was they could never walk the hallway at the same time, or eat breakfast together; one would eat and then 'go to the bathroom' and then the other would come down and continue eating.

It worked. It was awesome. The pool was crowded with kids. No one noticed. Saved a solid $50. That's 25 more ice creams.

We did get some weird looks at brekkie for all the cups of hot chocolate and empty plates from baked goods. I figured we just fit the stereotype of hungry bikers and overeating Americans...

The first twin switcheroo worked better than expected.

About 2 minutes after we left the hotel, Sawyer said his back brakes didn't work. They really didn't. The wheel spun no matter how hard I pressed the lever and the brake pad was thin. I needed new pads and the only shop was 60km in the wrong direction. I didn't want Sawyer descending on highway with almost extinct brakes, but didn't want to work hard for the pass and not enjoy the downhill. That thought sucked. One passing biker said there was a bike rental shop at the pass who maybe could help.

When we reached a little cafe halfway up the mountain that a bunch of bikers stop at, two men helped me with the brakes...but it made no difference. They turned the same knobs I did, and twisted the same dials. Then basically said you need new brake pads, good luck. No new knowledge that I hadn't already deduced.

When we reached the pass, it was non-eventful. Not super scenic, and Sawyers morale about his brakes was difficult to deal with. I went to the bike rental shop and explained my concerns and they said, "Yeah, we don't have the supplies for that here. Good luck." I was hoping for some awesome burly man who thought like MacGyver and who would save the day.

So we rode to Austria.

At the border was a kebab shop...I rarely eat food outside the ethnic culture I'm traveling in because I figure, when in Rome, eat the Roman food. But there was a space to work on the bike and the kids were hungry. So we stopped for kebabs. With my tools splayed everywhere in the parking lot, I would be MacGyver with duct tape and mole skin.

The owner came out with food and asked if I needed help. I told him my plight...through Google translate from english to Persian. He came back with French fries and his tools and proceeded to work on the bike. I asked him if he was a bike mechanic, he said no. He basically turned the same dials and twiddle the same switches....but for some reason, the brakes started working. Turns out he was a car mechanic in Afghanistan and had been living on the border....literally...for 8 years. And got the brakes working...a little too well; they actually braked sometimes on the downhill when we didn't want them too. But extra safety is better than no safety.

So along we descended...slowly down to Innsbruck.

All the brake delays (no pun intended) seriously hindered our mileage. Plus we took a reroute off the highway that turned out to add a ton of elevation gain to our descent. I was stressed about lodging and didn't think we'd make it to the only shelter 20 miles away.

Earlier I had contacted Adam, originally from Poland, on warmshowers-- which is a bike site that helps bike travelers with lodging. Super last minute, he let us stay at his place. It was such a lucky encounter. He made us a heaping bowl of pasta, gave us his room and bed to sleep in, and had breakfast foods for us. But mostly he fixed Sawyers' bike. And I don't mean tinkered with it; he literally took off the brakes from one of his bikes and installed a different brake set with new brake pads. He used the excuse he wanted to upgrade his brakes, but I don't think he would have upgraded that quickly.

My dad always said it's our responsibility to take care of our stuff and we are accountable for our situations, but if something goes wrong, you can pray that good people come to your help. The kebab man helped Sawyer get down the mountain and Adam helped Sawyer finish the trip with less frustration.

There are not enough thank yous I can give them for giving me their time and skill.
Truly. Now if I can find someone to stop the headwinds so we can make it back to Salzburg with smiles. At least there are cherries and blackberries along the path as motivation.