Madrid

Day 31
Distance: 78.59 km, Top Speed: 55.0 kmph

Cycling into city centres isn't normally all that difficult. Trying to read a map road for road is silly and overly ambitious, so I normally pick a direction which looks central, and cycle towards it until the buildings get big and the traffic gets heavy.

Madrid was in no way this simple.

For the second time since Toulouse I was taken by surprise when a normal road seamlessly merged into a motorway without prior warning. In my panicked haste to exit as soon as possible, I failed to spot an upcoming crater of a pothole which ended up snapping a spoke on my back wheel.

The punishment didn't stop, as only a few kilometres later I rode over something extremely sharp, which left me with my fourth flat and a gaping hole in my rear tyre.

Since my back rim was now in a position where it could buckle easily, I removed as much weight as possible and strapped it to my back. Cycling off balance in a city where the road markings are merely suggestions was a truly terrifying experience, but I eventually arrived safely in my hostel.

Second leg complete!