BALTIC CYCLE 2025: Day 11.

Day 11. Friday Aug 22.

Ukmerge to Vilnius (Lithuania)

85km.

Weather: Dry all day. Very warm morning; cooler afternoon. No wind.

Road conditions: 16km on pleasant gravel but 1km of washboard near the end.

Set out at 7:45 on a clear pleasant morning. Within 5km I had the major climb of the day...1.1 km with a 6% gradient. That settled the breakfast.

For miles I cycled along the'old road' parallel to a motorway. For short periods the surface was patched and then turned to gravel as it passed through forestry. My jacket was off by 8:30.

Not as much wheat expanses today; smaller holdings and the lovely aroma from a field of newly-mown hay.

Gravel was generally pleasant, (with some washboard) but still when the pavement re-appeared it gave a lift.

After crossing the bridge in Sirvintos at 9:30 the nuns were just coming out from 9 Mass in church of St Michael the Archangel. I dropped in for a while but the priest was keen on locking up.

Quite a few cyclists came against me with one group of about 20 setting out for a few days.

After that first testing climb early on, the road continued to rise and fall. Some hills looked daunting from a distance but less so when I came to the start of the rise.

I took a wrong turn just before Vilnius that led me down a steep hill. Garmin alerted me. Had to retrace and climb all that hill and turn into a Park.

I entered the greater Vilnius area with 20 km to go. Plenty of new housing and apartments and office developments.

I spotted a petrol station just a bit off my route and headed there with the hope of washing the bike. A bloke was washing his motorbikes and explained the system. After 5 mins the bike looks like new. I will just need to oil all necessary parts tomorrow.