Day #3 How I was going to use pepper spray for the first time

A wide shot of a hazy, mountainous landscape. In the foreground, a field of golden-brown grass extends across the bottom, with a few small trees and bushes scattered within it. On the right, a pine branch with bright green needles extends into the frame, partially obscuring the view. Beyond the field, a valley unfolds, filled with dark green, dense forest covering rolling hills. In the distance, multiple layers of blue-tinted mountains fade into the pale sky, indicating a vast expanse.

Two of my co-racers got up a little earlier. I didn’t know where they were getting their energy from. I found out that it was going to be super hot today. There was a warning that people shouldn’t leave their homes. It will be a hell ride. I got out of my sleeping bag later because I was waiting for the opening of the local shop. I didn’t have anything for breakfast.

And then it came…

A slightly blurry landscape photo shows a dirt road curving left, with dense green foliage on either side. In the foreground on the right, a white and purple sign is posted on a rusty brown metal pole. The left side of the sign has a red circle with a diagonal line through it, over a black silhouette of a person walking. The right side of the sign, which is purple, has white text that reads "ZAKAZ VSTUPU TU NEZAMESTNANÝM OSOBÁM," meaning "ENTRY FORBIDDEN TO UNEMPLOYED PERSONS." Tall grass and weeds grow around the base of the sign and pole.

And then I experienced real Slovak mountains. I enjoyed the view on Ružín damm with a beautiful mist above its surface. And then I was pushing, pushing and pushing my bike to the top. There were a lot of signs that entry is forbidden, entry is only on your own danger and I was just hoping that it wasn’t valid for racers. And when I finally pushed my bike to the top of the mountain and had to go down and I was braking, braking and braking. But it was a nice change.

I entered the picturesque village Slovinky. It was an oasis of civilisation in the middle of mountains. I refilled my rations and headed to Poráč. There was a short bear zone, but light was everywhere and I wasn’t scared at all. I loved this part of the track. It was hot but I got used to it because the road was next to the water.

A wide-angle landscape shot of rolling hills under a clear blue sky with sparse clouds. The foreground is a vast field of golden-brown and green tall grass, with a faint path cutting through the center and another on the left. In the midground, forested hills rise, showing varying shades of green from dense trees. In the background, layers of darker green, heavily forested mountains stretch across the horizon. A small, solitary bush sits in the midground on the right, and another, larger tree is visible on the left side, slightly further back. A small wooden structure is barely visible to the far left. The overall impression is a sunny, serene natural setting, likely part of a scenic bikepacking route.

Something terrible wrong is with my bike

My front wheel was getting loose on downhills in Poráč. I was trying to tighten a screw but the problem was appearing again and again. I though that I would have to ride on my rear wheel only. Fortunately, this scenario didn’t happen. I reached Spišská Nová Ves where I got a new gasket in a cycle service (thanks to Bicycle Schwabik for the free help).

I didn’t want to stay in the town for long. The lady from a grocery shop warned me that around my path there are a lot of gipsy settlements. It was getting dark and I started to be afraid. I was thinking about staying here for the night but my performance was pretty bad that day and I had to make at least a few tens of kilometres.

A paved bike path with a white center line curves slightly to the right, leading towards a concrete bridge. To the left of the path, several trees with lush green leaves line a grassy area, separating the path from a distant road where a white car is visible. On the right, beyond the bike path and bridge, a narrow stream or canal flows. In the background, three tall apartment buildings with varying pastel colors (blue, yellow, brown) stand against a hazy sky. A blue circular sign with a white bicycle symbol is prominently displayed near the bridge, indicating a designated bicycle route. Two people are walking near the end of the visible bike path, approaching the bridge.

Challenge accepted

I decided to accept the challenge. I prepared my pepper spray to the handle bars with the thought that if someone will bother me, I’ll make them cry. I started with an impressive speed. I didn’t know who will attack me after next corner. I went through the gipsy settlement which was really scary and I continued on. I was surprised that it was the first and the last settlement I saw that day.

But just as I had good luck with gipsies, I had bad luck with the Horse Fly. These … flies … were sticking with me. When I wanted to have some rest, they attacked me. I was trying to escape them but biking uphill was so tiring… And when I finally did it, it was night already and I was alone in a Slovak forest. Brrrr…

I reached the village Spišské Teplice on the edge of exhaustion. I found a nice place behind the local church and had a great night.