We showed up at the garage this morning this as requested, but unfortunately did not have other news, except that the mechanic was not there yet and that the part would arrive in the afternoon, after which the van should be ready to roll at around 1800. As we had hours to kill, we kitted up and fired up the bikes for another shakedown test, but this time with fully loaded panniers.

We rode around gravel and some enduro type terrain for about 160 km, and everything seems to be dialed down. The new double ten panniers are perfect, and don’t shake or bounce around. Another thing that I’m really enjoying is the tires; the Michelin AC 10’s with the BIB mousses are working really well. In fact I feel that it’s the best tire setup I’ve had yet.

Arriving back at the garage in the afternoon brought some bad news. The faulty part had been acquired, but the mechanic was still in Riga. I was told that he would start work at 0730 the next morning, which should put us on the road before noon if all goes well. So we’re back at our accommodation, with the hope that we will finally push towards Bucharest tomorrow. Still, a pretty good day of riding with a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.