Metulat - the ultimate Israeli road challenge

[ItsikH]

540km in a row, Metula (northest town) to Eilat (Southest). No rules, no formal record, and also doubtfully legal. Each year a few loonies (literally speaking - a full moon night is preferred) make the journey. I am proud to state that last weekend I have joined the club for the 2nd time, this time in less than 24 hours. We started 3 and ended 2. About 400km of the road with face wind, starting with a drizzle in the northern hills, going through the coastal plain and the desert mountains and ending in a heat wave in Eilat valley. My proud partner who beat me in 10 minutes is a 56yo veteran lt.cl., grandfather and an addicted athlete, and I am proud to be defeated by him . Next year I intend to improve the timing .
Itsik

 

[ItsikH]

Picture gallery of the southern section:
http://www.tapuz.co.il/tapuzforum/main/galleries.asp?pagenumber=1&id=703&galleryId=10747
Notes:
00:00 - Beer Sheva, 300km from the start at Metula and 240km from Eilat.
05:00 - Mitspe Ramon, the highest point on the route (~900m).
07:30 - Meishar valley
08:00 - Paran ascent
10:30 - Arava valley, the road to Eilat.

 

[bikeriderfrance]

540km in a row, Metula (northest town) to Eilat (Southest). No rules, no formal record, and also doubtfully legal. Each year a few loonies (literally speaking - a full moon night is preferred) make the journey. I am proud to state that last weekend I have joined the club for the 2nd time, this time in less than 24 hours. We started 3 and ended 2. About 400km of the road with face wind, starting with a drizzle in the northern hills, going through the coastal plain and the desert mountains and ending in a heat wave in Eilat valley. My proud partner who beat me in 10 minutes is a 56yo veteran lt.cl., grandfather and an addicted athlete, and I am proud to be defeated by him . Next year I intend to improve the timing .
Itsik

I would have thought a end to end time trial through the gaza strip would be the ultimate road challenge. see ya..

 

[fixit]

I would have thought a end to end time trial through the gaza strip would be the ultimate road challenge. see ya..

Don't be a fukking idiot man, a lot of the guys here hate the french anyway. Pas moi donc, mais il faut d'abord regarder et lire les posts de les gens. Ici, il y a assez des gens qui sont vraiment null, la tu peux dire des choses comme tu as dit. Mais je pense que ce type la est vraiment bien.
Think about it, mon ami.

 

[Tmax1]

Nice ride. Thanks for the pictures!

Jerry

 

[bikeriderfrance]

Don't be a fukking idiot man, a lot of the guys here hate the french anyway. Pas moi donc, mais il faut d'abord regarder et lire les posts de les gens. Ici, il y a assez des gens qui sont vraiment null, la tu peux dire des choses comme tu as dit. Mais je pense que ce type la est vraiment bien.
Think about it, mon ami.

pity that you had to resort to such very bad language, cannot you see or understand that this was a "blague", shame on you, if every english/french person took a joke like you. it would be a sad chaotic world.. .. oh i am not french but english although i have lived here peacefully with the natives for over 15 years .bon courage mon ami. ps why HATE people..

 

[fixit]

pity that you had to resort to such very bad language, cannot you see or understand that this was a "blague", shame on you, if every english/french person took a joke like you. it would be a sad chaotic world.. .. oh i am not french but english although i have lived here peacefully with the natives for over 15 years .bon courage mon ami. ps why HATE people..

Don't ask me why to hate people, I don't hate anybody. I actually like the french a lot, I even like many americans.
And no, I don't understand your sense of humor if this was a joke. I think your comment is not funny at all. To me it sounds like an insult. Don't take it personal, maybe it's just me.
I can only speak for myself, but personally I think there are too many fascists and narrow minded people posting in some of the forums.
Since you're from Europe, and hopefully not one of the groups mentioned above, maybe you can help to equalize the situation a little. Check out the 'Soap Box' and you know what I mean.

cheers

 

[bikeriderfrance]

Don't ask me why to hate people, I don't hate anybody. I actually like the french a lot, I even like many americans.
And no, I don't understand your sense of humor if this was a joke. I think your comment is not funny at all. To me it sounds like an insult. Don't take it personal, maybe it's just me.
I can only speak for myself, but personally I think there are too many fascists and narrow minded people posting in some of the forums.
Since you're from Europe, and hopefully not one of the groups mentioned above, maybe you can help to equalize the situation a little. Check out the 'Soap Box' and you know what I mean.

cheers

i see you are from fat cat swizz land, and not isreal, why have you taken it on yourself to be a monitor about israel. why do you not live there and DO YOUR BIT you are sitting a long way away..eseee peesseeee..if you READ my reply I did not say YOU HATE PEOPLE. i said" WHY HATE PEOPLE."..... .. bon courage.

 

[ItsikH]

I would have thought a end to end time trial through the gaza strip would be the ultimate road challenge. see ya..

Well, Gaza is the ultimate *urban* challenge, since it is the most densly populated city in the world... and I don't do urban

 

[fixit]

i see you are from fat cat swizz land, and not isreal, why have you taken it on yourself to be a monitor about israel. why do you not live there and DO YOUR BIT you are sitting a long way away..eseee peesseeee..if you READ my reply I did not say YOU HATE PEOPLE. i said" WHY HATE PEOPLE."..... .. bon courage.

Just because I live in switzerland you can't know what connects me to Israel, can you?

What do you mean by 'do your bit'? Killing arabs?
You don't know how close Israel is to me.

Your english is worse than mine. If you READ my reply you will see that I said 'don't ask me why to hate people' and that 'I don't hate anyone'. Get it?

 

[FredC]

Just because I live in switzerland you can't know what connects me to Israel, can you?

What do you mean by 'do your bit'? Killing arabs?
You don't know how close Israel is to me.

Your english is worse than mine. If you READ my reply you will see that I said 'don't ask me why to hate people' and that 'I don't hate anyone'. Get it?

Look Fixit, BRF said it as a joke. I am sure there are all sorts of jokes by the Real Israelis about the SOI. I am sick of hearing from the Pseudo Israeli Jews especially from America, who probably don't even know where it is. I've got a handle on you. We don't have a problem with that sort of attitude in Europe, where we are all more better informed. I know Mossad have a big outfit in Switzerland. Now can you all get back to Itsik's great ride, as this is the title of the Thread. It was a tremendous ride, and what's more Itsik is a real, and realistic Israeli, unlike a lot of the pseudos on the boards.

 

[fixit]

Look Fixit, BRF said it as a joke.

Ok, ok, I got it. Sorry BRF, don't take it personal.

 

[fixit]

540km in a row, Metula (northest town) to Eilat (Southest). No rules, no formal record, and also doubtfully legal. Each year a few loonies (literally speaking - a full moon night is preferred) make the journey. I am proud to state that last weekend I have joined the club for the 2nd time, this time in less than 24 hours. We started 3 and ended 2. About 400km of the road with face wind, starting with a drizzle in the northern hills, going through the coastal plain and the desert mountains and ending in a heat wave in Eilat valley. My proud partner who beat me in 10 minutes is a 56yo veteran lt.cl., grandfather and an addicted athlete, and I am proud to be defeated by him . Next year I intend to improve the timing .
Itsik

What I would like to know is, what the roads are like on this ride. I mean are they new or old with holes and bumps and stuff? Sand?

 

[bikeriderfrance]

Well, Gaza is the ultimate *urban* challenge, since it is the most densly populated city in the world... and I don't do urban

maybe one day it will be possible, lets hope so...

 

[ItsikH]

What I would like to know is, what the roads are like on this ride. I mean are they new or old with holes and bumps and stuff? Sand?

After riding in Spain in June, I can compare and say that the roads in Israel are (generally speaking) in excellent condition. With such a small country it is not so difficult to maintain them But the main problem is debris on the shoulders, expecially broken bottles, and, of course - the drivers.
There is only one short section which is under construction for more than a year and even that is perfectly ridable (we planned to get there in daylight so it wasn't a problem at all). There are a few sections without shoulders, which is dangerous. Many sections are wide, well lit and safe. The southern section of the road should have been practically empty, but because of floods on the main valley road all traffic had been diverted, still it wasn't so heavy.