Cycling tips

The best way to slow down … and thus relax and do something good for yourself is in nature. Travelling around on a bike, getting to know new, enchanting places and pampering your health while pedalling can be so easy. Our next boost of happiness is on our bike saddle, so to speak, whether we prefer an e-bike or a conventional bike for upcoming tours. Every bicycle tour on selected routes is very likely to be a pleasant experience, after all, we are in control of the process ourselves. We ourselves can therefore provide the guarantee if we observe a few cornerstones when planning. In this way, we largely exclude anything negative in order to be really sure not to experience any unpleasant surprises. Only then will we feel refreshed and satisfied after a tour – and gladly plan the next one.

Whether we are looking at Germany or have another country in mind, it is made easy for us to find suitable routes, tailor-made to our preferences. In our report, we’ll stay in Germany and take a look at what we can find right on our doorstep.

Our tips for your all-round planning:

Beginner or advanced – that is the question!

If you are new to touring, don’t overtax yourself. The joy of cycling should never be overtaken by ambition. As a beginner, start with a tour of no more than 350 kilometres and also take note of what you can find out about gradients and other challenges on the route of your choice. If the trail is considered tricky, take a closer look.

If you like it easy, don’t choose a mountain bike trail, but an idyllic route. The many helpful apps for planning tours, as well as many websites, provide all the necessary data so that nothing can go wrong: Data on the length of the tour, the gradients or metres in altitude, whether it goes along the river (for those who like it at ground level) and so on. If necessary, the number of stages or whether some forest sections count as part of the tour will also help you.

Where can you find support for tour planning?

We at MHW Bike-House would go to the following sites, for example:

Family bike tours Baden Württemberg if we want to plan a tour with our family. We are also enthusiastic about Komoot. With the help of this app, you can not only get a great overview of tours in a certain area, but also enter your parameters and let the app find possible routes for you. Thanks to the practical search filter, you will be shown many possibilities in no time at all, after which you only have to decide which one is ultimately suitable for you personally.

The fact that holidays with bikes are becoming increasingly popular has not escaped the attention of resourceful businesswomen and men. Several apps can be found that are free of charge and really practical. For example, enter “bicycle tours” in a Google search, and possibly your federal state or city. You’ll find what you’re looking for.

Click on a few pages and see how you like them. If everything is right in terms of the user interface and you can quickly see whether you can read and see what is important to you. This way you can quickly separate the wheat from the chaff.

Most of the websites on this topic are designed to be very user-friendly. In this case, we have found that it is easy and quick to locate and use reputable sites to complete the planning.

You can also get valuable tips from “Fahrradtouren.de“, “Rückenwind.de” or the ADFC website. All for free. The information collected on these sites is the guarantee for your touring success.

So let’s use the modern possibilities offered by the internet and various apps. With the help of these supporters, we can individually research our options, and our little ones are not forgotten either.

Thanks to these planning apps, we can rule out problems, including sunburn, for example. If the weather app tells us that the sun will be beating down almost continuously during our trip, it would be advisable to choose a route where, for example, a shady forest will protect us or at least provide relief in sections. At the very least, we should take appropriate precautions with our clothing. All these details can make the difference between pleasure and frustration during our tour. And of course, there’s one thing we should never forget: the bike inspection! If it’s been too long, it’s high time to expose our bike to the scrutiny of a professional. He will discover any weak points that could spoil our tour. Check in advance whether the lighting system is working reliably, the brakes are working, the tyres are inflated and still have a good tread. Is the chain well lubricated and do the gears do what they should?

Then we can go one step further …

Is your bike in good shape? And do you know how long you will be on the road, have you checked the weather app and found out what you will encounter on your chosen route? Then almost nothing can go wrong.

Also think about your luggage. You’ll need quite a bit, depending on how long you’ll be on the road. For shorter distances you may need to take less, but the basic equipment should always be on board. We will give you a short list later.

For long tours over several stages, we recommend not overdoing it. For example, set a limit of about 65 kilometres per day. Recovery time plays a big role here, as the body starts to go on strike after several days of exertion. Doctors know that this usually happens on the third or fourth day of touring, so you should also plan for shorter periods of the day to give your body enough time to regenerate.

Even if you are very athletic, your body is not a machine and needs rest. Increases are always possible. Start small and modestly, if you have less or no experience, to find out how you feel. As you progress, you will be able to achieve more and more ambitious goals.

External factors are also important. If you are planning tours that are busy during the holiday season, be prepared for less relaxing crowds. The time of year may determine whether you enjoy cycling more or less.

The weather is less consistent during seasonal transitions, but also less extreme. In midsummer, we can be surprised by heavy summer thunderstorms as well as great heat, but very few people plan their holiday tours in autumn or winter. The reasons for this are obvious: the ground conditions, but also weather conditions can quickly throw a spanner in the works. Therefore, we should never underestimate the support of our app companions, who can help us with the weather and other conditions.

If you’re travelling to an area you know next to nothing about, ask a service person at a tourist office. They will certainly be able to answer your last questions. Also find out if and where there are parking facilities and charging stations for your (e-)bike, especially if you will be travelling for several days.

In the meantime, there are bike hotels that are perfectly tailored for us, but we should still get the best possible information about our destination in advance.

And now?

Imagine you’ve had a really great tour and you’ve reached your destination, but you hadn’t planned a round trip and now you’re wondering how best to get back home. This also needs to be taken care of in advance. Round trips are practical because your destination is also your starting point. However, we may have set our priorities differently and end up far away from home – but at the same time we only want to go there: Home to our couch.

Perhaps we have planned a return journey by train. In this case, it is important to remember to reserve a parking space for our bike in good time, which is especially true for fast trains. Only one bicycle per passenger is allowed. In addition, there are sometimes difficulties regarding the type of bicycle. For example, e-bikes or pedelecs are not allowed on some trains. So don’t leave anything to chance in this respect either.

But despite some regulations regarding train travel, everything can be done quickly. Online processing makes things a lot easier for you. In addition, you can get comprehensive information for your individual case from the comfort of your own home. Take a look at the Deutsche Bahn website.

We have already written a report on the subject, in which we also discuss other options, such as bicycle shipping or travelling by bicycle by plane. Maybe this is also an option for you. Just have a look.

Absolute freedom, please! – Is being flexible your favourite thing?

Then put your flexibility to the test during a manageable tour of, say, two or three days. You might think that with a tent on the luggage rack you can rest at any time. This is only partly true, because the supposed advantages could turn out to be a fallacy. For camping, we need the appropriate equipment, for example, to be comfortable and warm enough at night. Yet wild camping is forbidden in Germany. So we can’t just set off on our bikes – with the appropriate amount of luggage – and pitch our tent in the middle of nowhere whenever we feel like it. It may also be that accommodation on our tours is already fully booked and we can’t even find a place to sleep there.

If you still want to do it the “hard way”, then take unfavourable conditions into account. At least find out if there are campsites on your route. And if you don’t want to take a tent with you, but rely on your luck, be prepared to search for accommodation. It may be necessary to check out several hotels before you find what you are looking for. This search can be really exhausting after a strenuous tour. We therefore expressly do not recommend placing too much emphasis on flexibility and great freedom. Rather, we rely on comprehensive and timely planning to wipe hurdles off the route in advance. What remains is pure tour enjoyment, and that’s exactly what we want for you.

By the way, Bett+Bike accommodation offers you everything your heart and your bike desire, and your stomach will also get its money’s worth. Maybe that’s the solution for you if you decide on a route with these accommodations?

Conclusion: We may sometimes be wrong and then be proven wrong when we rush recklessly into our adventure. After a sleepless night at the latest, we will regret our daring venture and daydream about how nice it would have been if only we had taken a little more care beforehand ..

Have you thought of everything?

• Make sure you are dressed appropriately after checking the weather forecast.
• Plan for the weather to surprise you and be prepared for any eventuality: freezing, getting wet, sweating.
• Don’t forget your helmet, cycling gloves and suitable trousers.
• Don’t forget sun protection: Remember a sunscreen and a visor cap.
• Comfortable, light and well-fitting shoes will not let you down.
• Make sure you have waterproof bike bags and take spare clothes with you.
• Don’t forget the little energy kicks for in between, in the form of tasty bars, nut mixes, light sandwiches and fruit, etc.
• Don’t forget to drink! Take enough with you each day – at least 2.5 litres.
• If your navigation technology fails you, you could always resort to a map – if you have one with you.
• Think of the thieves: a good lock is worth its weight in gold. Your accommodation may offer good storage facilities, but even on the road you may not always have your bike in sight. Since thieves are very active every year, make it as difficult as possible for them!
• In case something happens: Remember to have a first aid kit as well as a repair kit.
• Medicine from your first-aid kit can make things easier for you during your tour, should you experience stomach or intestinal problems. To be on the safe side, we also recommend some disinfectant, as there is often no opportunity to wash your hands during occasional (meal or toilet) breaks.

Take advantage of what’s on offer!

Germany also has a lot to offer. Depending on our constitution, we can feel comfortable in the North German lowlands or in view of the Alps. Do we prefer the view of lakes and rivers or would we rather tour through forests? Or along the coasts? The possibilities seem endless, as often a great combination of several options is feasible, plus city tours full of impressive sights as well as mountain trails that will satisfy our ambition.

The world is open to us – or our home country.

The tour planners mentioned above won’t let you down at all. They already include the well-connected cycling networks to give you the best touring experience.

Get started. Plan your tour, tailor-made to your wishes and needs. With a total of, say, two good hours of planning time and taking all eventualities into account, one thing is certain:

An all-round pleasure with a considerable recreation factor!