1200km in Ukraine (and its neighbours)?

[mattc]

Had a brief chat at this morning's 100km with a Ukrainian visitor who mentioned this ...

It visits 6 countries (uncliding Poland and Hungary?), which would be cool.

... but I can only find details of the Lviv-Carpathians ride (which piggybacks on their 1000km). https://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=eyxlixxebqnuoltf
(of course that might be a lovely ride too!)

[Pete Mas]

Link Here:-
https://lvivbicycle.club/events/54

I am half-Ukrainian and led 2 CTC Tours in Ukraine in the 90's, and it's very beautiful in the Carpathians, but beware some poor road surfaces. The area has contenders for the geographical centre of Europe.

[mattc]

Thanks Pete. (You are a man of many intriguing histories )

Maybe it is that ride, and I misunderstood my new Ukrainian friend. He's on a work placement near me and we'll hopefully be having a beer next week. Which is nice ...

[Cudzoziemiec]

From memory, but it is distant memory, there is decent beer in Ukraine, something more like an English bitter than central European lager. But even if there isn't, there's always kvass! (a sort of fermented beer drink, normally non-alcoholic but there is an alcoholic version too)

[mattc]

So I had a lovely chat with Bogdan over a sunny pint yesterday (in-between thundery showers):

The best thing about him was a total lack of interest in pro-racing, so I didn't need to give him my "no T-de-F spoilers!" speech.  He comes from the cycling-for-utility/health/environment side of the force, and is a big cheese in the movement for cycle infrastructure in Kiev. Apparently they have a LOT of work to do!

He was much more enthusiastic about Lviv as a cycling city, and as a nice place to visit. Apparently it has historically always been a bit more cosmopolitan (& dare I say "Western"?) than other Ukrainian cities. They have a lot more Brevets going on there, but Kiev has its first 1000k ride this year (as well as a 400k ride that encircles the Chernobyl exclusion zone.)



Which brings us back to the Lviv 1200; Bogdan sent me this year's revised route, which takes in a new/upgraded road into Poland, and adds some Slovakia. It *nearly* gets into Romania, so still just the 3 countries
(I prefer the less spider's web route of this version too.)

https://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=uqsfiporyxzytjcz

(it's actually also on this page:

Link Here:-
https://lvivbicycle.club/events/54

I am half-Ukrainian and led 2 CTC Tours in Ukraine in the 90's, and it's very beautiful in the Carpathians, but beware some poor road surfaces.

... which has now been updated.)


There are indeed some poor road surfaces, but being upgraded all the time (riders report dreading certain sections ... then findind nothing but perfect tarmac ... )

[hellymedic]

[OT] I was privileged to hear Phillippe Sands speak about his book, film and family roots in Livi/Lvov/Lwow/Lemberg a few years ago.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiu4MWV3MHcAhVJKMAKHZsZB40QFjAAegQIABAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mynazilegacy.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw0YgwbQOBK-wbuPyLizmh5K

[Cudzoziemiec]

Ok, continuing OT, the Lion city is as Bogdan says historically much more Western. It was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the 1790s till 1918, then Poland till 1939, and apparently only ended up in the USSR by sort of mistake – it wasn't one of the places Stalin and co were particularly set on getting. When I visited it in... hmm, the 1980s – I didn't know any of this but the difference in architecture and urban layout between it and eg Kyiv was obvious. But whether any of the Polish population remained post-1945 (or any of the Germanic post-1918) I don't know – kind of doubtful – and how that would translate into an audaxing community I don't know.* In any case that's only the city itself, the surrounding rural areas would most likely have been Ukrainian even pre-1918.

*I'm sure there's room for a study of the prevalence or otherwise of recreational cycling in areas of mixed cultural heritage and multidirectional migration, but not in this thread!

[Pete Mas]

Update following my Alpi 4000 ride in Italy, France, Switzerland:-

I spoke with 'Anton'  (I think it was) from Western Ukraine a few times on the ride and travelling to the airport afterwards. Apparently there are sometimes only a small number of riders on their long rides eg about 5 or 6. He rides a small wheel bike designed by himself.
He is a very keen rider and covered 2700km in North and South Ukraine in a long trip last year.

Apparently there is a nice new road from Lviv to the Carpathians, and they have invested in some improvements in existing poor road surfaces.

Agree with comments about Lviv being a western city. It reminded me of a smaller-scale Prague when I visited in the 90's.

[Panoramix]

I wonder how hard are these events?

Can somebody who speak neither German nor Russian manage to communicate a bit with people?