44 miles (70 km), 3967 ft (1210m) of climbing, and 9 climbs in total (yep, that's according to Garmin). I'm riding my Felt Endurance bike with Di2, a 50/34 Shimano Ultegra setup, and a 34 cassette—fingers crossed it’s enough to tackle these hills!
Alright, day 1—here we go! Flew into Porto, Northern Portugal, we got a lift to Paradela Dam to kick things off. And, as expected, it's absolutely chucking it down with rain 🌧️. Just my luck, right?
For all my fellow bike geeks out there (yep, I’m one too), I’ve included the daily distances, the number of climbs Garmin keeps reminding me of, and the total elevation. It’s nice to have the stats handy so we can all give ourselves a big pat on the back and brag about how awesome we are 🤣🤣.
So, the route kicked off with some "undulations" as we headed towards Mondim de Basto. I snapped a couple of pics to show the start – the first one is all sunny and promising, and the second one, well, 20-ish minutes later, the mist rolled in 😱. Thanks to the rain, the roads were a cocktail of silt, leaves 🍁, grit, and shale, which made the uphill parts a bit nerve-wracking and the downhill ones downright terrifying 😧. Pretty sure my brake pads are crying for help already... and it's only day one 😂.
We had been warned about wild dogs! Apparently, they like to give cyclists a hard time 🤯. Luckily, today they were pretty quiet – probably because it was ridiculously wet out there! We ended up hanging back after lunch because of a full-on thunderstorm ⛈️. The rain wasn’t just heavy; it was like buckets being dumped on us. (I’m starting to think me and cycling holidays have a bit of a cursed relationship when it comes to weather 😳😂).
Once the mist finally cleared, we got why the roads were such a mess. The summer wildfires here have scorched the land, leaving it blackened and destroyed. I tried to snap a pic, but honestly, it doesn’t do it justice. Can’t imagine how terrifying it must have been for the local communities to live through that.
In the foreground of the photo, you’ll notice the fresh fern shoots emerging—a beautiful reminder of nature’s incredible ability to heal and thrive over time.
Later in the day, while descending one of the hills, we found ourselves weaving through a herd of mountain goats 🐐—definitely not your everyday experience in Leicestershire! 😂
The last 400 meters to the hotel? Absolute chaos. Wet, slippery cobbles on a 9% incline—let’s just say there was a lot of muttering (and maybe a few choice words). 🤬 But, the hotel is gorgeous, so totally worth it. The last pic is the view from my room. The mist and gloom? Still going strong. Pretty sure the scenery is stunning... if only you could actually see it!
Big shoutout to two absolute legends today: Sean Gannon from Wendy’s Wheelers (and a fab runner 🏃). He hooked me up with the lowdown on different coffees and some must-know Portuguese phrases 🇵🇹. Total lifesaver. And Sara Kirk? MVP of the left turn + cobbles warning—couldn’t have done it without you both. Thank you! xx
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Oh Wendy, what an eventful day 1!!!!
Your blog is inspirational and educational!
Heartbreaking for the communities affected by the forest fires.
You have experienced a lot with the hills …. Rain … mist… steep hills, wet cobbled streets and goats 🤣
I hope your brakes last the duration.
Sounds like you deserve a good nights rest, some good food and wine 🍷
Thank you Sean, you are very kind. A variety on rides makes life more interesting, although I could do without the rain 🌧️
Hopefully the weather will pick up stay away from the wild dogs you are right nature is amazing
Thank you Chris, I’ve got my fingers crossed we don’t see any more wild dogs 🐕 😳🤞
Glad you made it through Day 1. It’s all downhill from now (apart from the odd uphill). Hope the weather improves for you. Lovely to see see Peter and Christine Briggs are sharing the journey with you xx
Thank you Sara, I was sat with Christine this evening at supper, what a small world it is xx
awesome - keep going - almost makes me want to saddle up - but not quite. Ran in torrential rain today - nowhere near as bad as yours!
Thanks Liz, hope you are both well. We will try and get you out on your bike at some point 😳👍
Wow Wendy what an amazing person you are! What a ride! I’ll show Richard - he’ll b v interested in the stats.
In complete contrast, we were v thrilled last Fri to cycle to Foxton Locks for the jazz band there - our biggest total mileage on the chariot - 36 miles!! Today’s stunning -we’ll b out & out soon - v addictive isn’t it?
Thank you Mary. I’m really glad you got to cycle to Foxton Locks it’s a lovely place to go. I think cycling is addictive others may disagree with us 😳
Intrepid as usual Wendy. I am in Monaco -a much gentler option !! Well done you, keep going!
Thank you Lesley, given all the rain we have had Monaco sounds like a very nice option & probs slightly warmer and dryer! Enjoy & have a fab time xx
Amazing 🤩 hope you having a lovely time ❤️