Category: B(H)iking Page 14 of 38

For me, Body Logistics is more important than Bike Statistics. The latter one follows the first one. The body will take you forward, the bike is just the toy & tool to get there, finally.

Already during the adventure planning stage I tried to estimate, what my body will accept ensuring, that I do not overstretch myself. This would result in non-enjoyable rides, whatever the scenery offers.

Strain, Tolerance, Cardio Load come as a daily tripple and result in one of the four Fitness Levels under the Polar terminology. I had to ensure, that I will stay within Productive and Maintaining, not getting into Detraining and Overreaching levels, which are both counterproductive on the longer run.

The Nightly Recharge, a combination out of Sleep Score and ANS Charge, have a huge impact on the Body Recovery, which then impacts again the Fitness Level provided on daily basis. Although resting in many different places under very different condition, my sleep recovery was extraordinary high during this trip.

Another important contributing factor is the Heartbeat Zone while biking. I managed mostly to stay in Zone 2 and slowed down as and when needed. Obviously some Zone 3 and 4 have to be accepted but the duration shall be limited in order not to drain on the long term. The bloody dogs took me to Zone 5 and beyond, no doubt! Glad it did not become an interval training and remained a one-off.

The last decisive factor to me is the nutrition intake. Besides plenty of water with some mineral tablets, I tried to eat as healthy as possible. Omelettes became my standard breakfast. The Moroccan food is very healthy in the first place but unfortunately more and more fast food is taking over, much worse within the bigger cities. To the contrary, in terms of plastic rubbish flying around, the cities are much cleaner than some parts of the country side roads. Different topic.

All in all, I would conclude: I sailed along the edge between physical demand and scenic bike riding, staying towards the side of enjoyment rather than fighting for strenght – the sweet spot of my motivation and satisfaction for this kind of adventure.

It is over…until the next one will come.

Fair winds…Morocco!

My very last leg rotating trip here in Morocco got devoted to Siri’s Home rather than Rick’s Café. I preferred spiritual heritage versa cheeky tourist trap.

After Siri – a holy man – arrived from Bagdad  in the 19th century and settled on this rock, his influence was not limited to Casablanca but the whole region. The rock became a tiny village, which the government has now turned into a heritage site respecting his last will to get buried on this little island, thus a Mausoleum. An inspiring legend, which now lives on. Moroccan opinion polls supported the transition from a hippy village to a proper pilgrim spot as another gem for the city of Casablanca.

The bike is packed up by now.

Fair winds…

My late afternoon walk took me to the Petite Place Des Habous and its surroundings. It is also known as the new medina in Casablanca, a very charming place and excellent example for tradition and tourism going hand in hand. On my way I passed some posh living areas and l’Hermitage Garden.

Fair winds…

Zouheir operates the nearby bikeshop in Casablanca and is a friend of Ismail, who did the service on our reliable CO₂ free two-wheeler in Marrakesh. A concise biker community.

Zouheir helped me out on the bended rear derailleur upon arrival in Morocco and to find his shop in the first place was an early adventure into Morocco. At that time I had no option than to find his boot within the labyrinth of the souk in Derb Ghallef. It is close to where we are staying, a 10min walk.

The guide reads as follows:

“Derb Ghallef Flea Market“

“Derb Ghallef is a vibrant, bustling district in Morocco’s largest city, Casablanca. Located in the Maârif neighbourhood, this busy, commercial area offers visitors an insight into the real Casablanca, away from touristy hotspots and landmarks, but still offering plenty to explore and experience.

Putting this neighbourhood on the map is the vast flea market – one of the biggest permanent second-hand markets in Morocco. If you enjoy rummaging through cluttered stalls packed full of antiques, books, garments and furniture, then you could spend days at Derb Ghallef Flea Market. However, it’s most famous for its electrical items, with many stalls selling phones, laptops and gadgets. The unpaved passageways can become sweltering in the hot summer months, while during rainy season water can cascade down the narrow walkways. The souk is also one of the best spots in Casablanca for sampling kebabs and tagines from one of the many street vendors and tiny, independent restaurants.“

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While searching for the boot in the labyrinth, supported by some locals, I asked myself, if I am on the right mission here or just challenging fortune. The moment Zouheir grabbed my bike and put it up into the bike stand, I knew, it will all be good – and it was. Professional! I have all confidence.

The bike was now back for a mini-service-cleaning before hitting the road on some final miles through Casablanca and getting it subsequently packed for the flight.

Fair winds…

We are back to what used to be part of my home: Marriott. The circle is closed, bikepacking Morocco as well. Few more nights here in Casa and off we go.

It was an A to B ride today, and while getting closer towards the biggest city of Morocco, urbanisation and traffic increased. For me, only one option works: ignore the law, go with the flow and stay on your toes more than ever. I am used to it and the biggest risk for me remain the potholes. Well, I should add the bloody aggressive dogs or keep this as a one-off threat. Inshallah!

Fair winds…

Without breakfast, and on top changing route and accommodation for the night last minute with the help of my host, I got on the road 9:30am, half an hour later than planned. Finally I decided not to go on a 40km provincial road without a clear confirmation on the tarmac conditions and hardly any infrastructure along. Too risky. 

Therefore I ended up in Settat after a fast and fascinating ride. The landscape is playing between fulminant surplus and pure scarcity. Endless kilometres of lands trying to be cultivated, big time. Not much growing yet but but huge areas under development.

A local on a motorbike coming along tried to encourage me two times to stop but I signalled him, that I want to proceed and kept paddling. On the final attempt, we moved side by side at the same speed for a while and he wanted to give me some oranges, which he placed into his helmet now hanging at the steering bar of his two-wheeler. He did not want money, just supporting me on my ride.

While passing through a village hundreds of school kids finished school and were on their way home. They always get super excited at the moment they see me, cheering and waving their hands. A group of young boys at some distance were eagerly trying to stop me, the normal reaction, but again, I would still be in the village now, stopping at each and every occasion. When one of the boys did throw a stone behind me, which hit the bike frame, I stopped. This happened before on my trip to Ourika the other day. Yelling at him did show some signs of misbehaviour and regret and I kept it there and moved on. It is a fine balance sometimes between being welcome despite not playing by their rules. Finally they will ask for money or some sweets. An absolut exception and I have great sympathy with them. My overall experience with the local people is overwhelming positive while travelling this country.

Tomorrow we will get back to start in Casablanca.

Fair winds…