I am sitting here on my veranda watching the lightening flash, the thunder rumble and the rain finally pour down, enjoying the coolness and feeling a sense of accomplishment after cycling 40km in the Plačkovica mountains.

We planned on a cycle ride getting up and out early to make the most of the coolness of the day and headed off through Gorni Podlog towards Obleshevo and then turned into the mountains towards Teranstsi. I have already cycled part of this route but in the opposite direction and wrote about it in this blog: Cycling around Kocani.

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We made sure to bring enough water with us and agreed to stop regularly to stay hydrated and catch our breath, as cycling in this weather requires careful self-care. Although helmets can be warm, they are essential even when not off-roading, as we were traveling at considerable speed and had to navigate potholes and debris along the way, which is always a bit of a challenge.

Another crucial aspect of cycling is the saddle and its correct height and position. I once had an unfortunate experience when someone else used my bike and adjusted the saddle. While the height is something you always check, even a slight change in the position—forward or backward by just a few millimeters—can make a significant difference. I know this because I had an extremely uncomfortable cycle ride when I realised halfway through my cycle ride that something was definitely not right! Now, I always ask visitors if they’ve used my bike just to let me know so I can re-adjust the saddle before setting off.

The right saddle is also essential. My current saddle is a women’s design, and although I initially had doubts about it, I was pleasantly surprised. It provides support where needed without chafing or putting pressure where it shouldn’t. I love it! It makes cycling enjoyable rather than something to be endured.

The views on the way were amazing, we cycled through the village of Terantsi where an elderly gentleman asked us if we would like to go to the Church for some holy water and to pray. We declined the offer but halfway up the next mountain we decided that he understood why we needed to take time to go and pray!

We passed a tractor carrying freshly harvested grapes back up the mountains and a few meters further we saw the harvesters busily picking grapes and piling them onto the waiting tractors. I had seen grapes at the local market and wondered where they came from, I guess I had found one source. You could also see a lot of hay being baled and stored ready for the coming winter.

We reached Zrnovci and settled at the café next to a stream, which appeared to have dried up, for a long cold drink and a good rest. We were hot and sweaty but still energized and ready to carry on.

We chose to continue cycling towards Vinica where we would have another stop and more refreshments before the long haul back to Kočani, this is along a busy road with long steep hills continually going up and down.

We made it back before the storm, jumped in the pool to relax the leg muscles, a hearty lunch and then I admit to a wonderful afternoon siesta!