Of Wheels and Angels 2

The border crossing had become wide open since the Eurozone countries had unified their customs structure, so they were largely ignored as they turned south along a much wider highway. They had crossed the Venn Bahn once already, but it looped around and was in front of them again. Upon crossing the physical boundary, there was a subtle but distinct change as things were much better maintained. It wasn’t much farther to one of the larger bike shops in town. Preston and Angie stood looking in the windows because they had actually arrive a little before the place was opened.
Angie confessed she had only ever ridden the standard Dutch commuter bikes with one speed, and would have to learn how to handle these multi-speed machines. They had time to discuss the merits of one kind of bike over another, but by the time the doors were unlocked, Preston had convinced her the hybrids were probably the best, most versatile choice for as-yet unknown uses. Preston figured the mountain bike he had picked out in Margraten was waiting back at the orchard and there was no sense duplicating it here. And while they still had generous funds left, he suggested they stick with the middle price range. They eventually found a matched pair in their respective sizes. They also picked out matching helmets, gloves and other accessories useful for touring. He saw no reason to shift their luggage onto the bikes, having spent so many years riding with a backpack. He hoped Angie could also get used to it.
The clerk didn’t hesitate to speak English. Once they were ready to pay, he first asked for their names for the warranty forms. “Forttensie,” Preston said.
“Oh, yes,” said a young woman working at a desk near the counter. She turned to her computer and did some mousing and keyboarding. She asked Preston to spell the name and she repeated each letter under her breath with the German pronunciation. She turned and said something in German to her colleague as the printer on a counter between them whirred to life and spat out a few sheets. The man gathered them and brought them back to the counter.
“Yes, Mr. Forttensie, your employer sent a purchase order to cover all this. We’ll just transfer the information from that. All you have to do is sign here and you can ride off into the morning sun.”
Preston took his copy of the order, then showed it to Angie. The address was in Luxembourg City.
Rolling their bikes outside, Preston set the packs down at the corner of the building. He parked his bike in front of them while he talked Angie through the logic of derailleur gears. It wasn’t really twenty-four speeds, but worked out to more like thirteen with some overlap. She was more worried about riding with her body down between such large diameter wheels, but found it quite comfortable. As she circled the parking lot playing with the shifters, Preston made a couple of laps ensuring the seat and handlebar height were okay for him.
After a few minutes, she stopped and said, “So where are we going on these things?”
Preston stopped and picked up their backpacks, handing Angie hers and shrugging into his own. “You saw the address on the order.”
“I thought you would say that. There are a lot of mountains between here and Luxembourg City.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “You remember I mentioned the Venn Bahn? That will carry us most of the way there in comfort. When I first explored this area twenty years ago the Bahn was a very rough gravel path and covered with weeds and other greenery. The map says it’s now mostly paved, just like the part we saw in Raeren, and crossed twice hiking down here.”
He pointed her in the direction to the nearest crossing point. She started turning around to head that way. “How long do you think it will take?”
“I’m willing to bet we can do it in two days. I could make it in a day, but it would be a long, hard day. I haven’t seen you ride, and there’s no reason to push that hard in the first place. I would hate to interfere with our honeymooning.”
She giggled at that.
“Take the lead,” he said. “I need to get used to your pace until you feel confident with the gears. Just remember: The objective is to find a comfortable cadence and shift the gears to keep it.”
In less than a kilometer, they were thick in the woods.