Two very different castles

Werne

North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

DISTANCE

40,8 km

ELEVATION

210 m

Unpaved

19,84 km

SINGLETRAIL

3,14 km

One thing to be said up front, this isn't an incredibly long or challenging route. It's a relaxed 40 kilometers that invite you to linger and marvel at the highlights. For us, discovering new places or rediscovering places we already know is always part of the experience.

To ensure that the route is accessible to many people, it starts at the small train station in Werne. It then leads along the Werner Stadtwald, past the school center, and along the hospital out of the town.

After just a few, really very few kilometers, you'll pass the first highlight. (Not for us personally, since we don't drink alcohol.) For you, however, the Ehringhausen Korn distillery might be interesting. Here you can browse the selection of liqueurs, brandies, and gins in the farm store or book a tour of the distillery, including tasting.

You are continuing amidst fields, meadows, and woods. Along the edges of Südkirchen and through a small nature reserve called Bakenbusch. After about 13 kilometers, you will reach the southern entrance of the Nordkirchen castle park. Through beautiful forest paths, you proceed to Schloss Nordkirchen. While you can already see the castle, you will pass the Oranienburg before the steps at the moat in front of the castle invite you to pause and daydream.

The next kilometers will take you through the typical Münsterland area: fields, meadows, and forests. After a total of just under 30 kilometers, you'll reach Schloss Westerwinkel. It's not as massive as Schloss Nordkirchen but has a charm all of its own. For us, it's much more appealing than Schloss Nordkirchen. We prefer it to be low-key. To leave Schloss Westerwinkel behind you, you keep riding across the golf course, on paths, of course.

After another kilometer, you pass the Horne spring. A bench invites you to take a break, but you've just had one. So you continue riding down the forest highway. Passing a stamping station of the Way of St. James, the last 10 kilometers lead you back to the train station in Werne.

RECOMMENDATION

Distillery Ehringhausen

A local Korn distillery that is passionate about creating new flavors for brandies and liqueurs: also, since summer 2016, the company has added a gin made from high-quality botanicals.

The origins of the Ehringhausen distillery date back to 1962. It is located on the Ehringhausen farm, whose history dates back to 1237.

Distillery Ehringhausen

Nordkirchen Castle

Schloss Nordkirchen is one of the most famous and popular destinations in the Münsterland region and is an impressive example of great architecture. The "Westphalian Versailles" is situated in the middle of an enormous park. It is an outstanding example of an entirely preserved baroque complex.

The 18th-century castle with its spacious park of around 170 hectares has been declared worthy of protection by UNESCO as a "total work of art of international standing".

Westerwinkel Castle

Schloss Westerwinkel is a baroque moated castle.

The peculiarity of this castle is not based on an eventful past or on a fascinating architectural history. Rather, it differs from all other castles rather by its own character. It is reserved, like the inhabitants of this area; it hides in the high forests and in the meadows and fields enclosed with hedges; it seems to want to remain rather alone, hidden from any stranger, content with itself and its small world.

MAP & GPS

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by Bjørn Lexius

What did we bring on our first bikepacking trip?

In our previous blog post, we told you about our first bike packing adventure. In the lead-up to it, we extensively thought about what we would take with us and how we would be able to stow everything on our bikes.

With a few weeks distance to the trip, we want to draw a conclusion. What was useful and what was unnecessary. What would we do again so and what different, all this in this article.

THE BAG ISSUE

How many bags do we need? What size do they need to be? Being on the road for the first time or planning to be on the road, you start asking yourself many questions.

Important: they need to be waterproof because late German summers also mean challenges in terms of weather. You cannot rely so much on the sunshine all the time.

Also, as spacious as possible, but not too big. Finally, we want to reduce ourselves to the bare essentials and not take anything with us that is unnecessary.

THE WATER ISSUE

Staying hydrated while cycling is not always so easy but should not be underestimated.

Since carrying the bags, we opted for two bottles by Fidlock, each with 590 ml. Because of the magnetic system, they got the advantage of being usable even when there is little space. Without space-consuming bottle cages, they make a fantastic addition to our setup. Plus, the lid keeps the mouthpiece free of dirt in all weather conditions.

THE SET-UP

Which bags did Jana use?

My bike offers many attachment points on both the frame and fork; this allowed me to use a large frame bag and attach my water bottles to the fork, even though I only ride a 52 frame.

- Apidura Expedition Full Frame Pack (6l)
- Apidura Expedition Saddle Pack (17l)
- Apidura Expedition Top Tube Pack (1l)
- Apidura Backcountry Food Pouch (1.2l)

What's in my bag?

Taking more with you than you need is a relatively simple problem and one that everyone is familiar with. But there are some things you don't want to do without. The most important thing, of course, is the snacks. When it comes to hygiene items, I opt for miniature versions and bottled products.

Essentials

Muc Off C3* Ceramic Lube Wet // Cash cards & cash (Ögon Smart Case Original) // Lighting (Light & Motion Vis Pro 100 Trail & Vis 180 Pro) // disinfectant // tissues // 2x bicycle tube

Clothing

Casual pants // 2 Casual T-shirts // Sports bra // 4 briefs // 2 short Velocio Jerseys // Rain Glove // Leg warmers // Arm warmers // 3 pair socks // Rain overshoes // Wind vest // Windbreaker // 1 long jersey // Baselayer // Cloth // 2 Velocio Bibs // Helmet + Sunglasses // Velocio jacket // cycling shoes // Outdoor Trail Sandals // Vans

Electronics

iPhone charging cable // XLayer Powerbank Micro 5.000 // Wahoo ELMNT Roam charging cable // Charging cable for the lights // Apple Watch charging cable (forgotten!) // Wahoo heart rate monitor

Food / Snacks

Throat Candy // Clif Bloks Energy Chews Mountain Berry // Various Protein and Energy Bars // Salted Nuts // Vegan Chili Mayonnaise // Isostar Powertabs Cranberry

Hygiene

Antibacterial Chamois Cream - Pour Femmes // Shower gel // Hydrophil toothbrush // Shampoo & dry shampoo // Toothpaste tabs for 2 // FFP 2 masks // Hairbrush // SPF 50 sunscreen // Handkerchiefs // Deo // Face cream

Emergency kit

Anti-tick and mosquito spray // Tick forceps // Wound disinfection // Painkillers // Hygiene wipes or baby wipes

THE SET-UP

Which bags did Björn use?

My Grail is not the ideal bike for bike packing, as there are only a few attachment points and the handlebars are not really suitable for bags. For this tour, the possibilities were sufficient, but if we still had to take a sleeping setup, it would be difficult. Whether I can somehow attach a handlebar bag, I will have to try.

– Apidura Expedition Frame Pack (3l)
– Apidura Expedition Saddle Pack (17l)
– Apidura Backcountry Downtube Pack (1.8l)

What's in my bag?

Taking more with you than you need is a relatively simple problem and one that everyone is familiar with. But there are some things you don't want to do without. The most important thing, of course, is the snacks. When it comes to hygiene items, I opt for miniature versions and bottled products.

Essentials

throat candy // bike lock // credit cards // ID // smartphone

Clothing

Wind vest // 1 long jersey // 2 short jerseys // Rain gloves // Baselayer // Leg warmers // Arm warmers // Cap // Loop // 2 Bibs // T-shirt // longsleeve // jeans // 3 boxers // 3 pair socks // Helmet + Sunglasses // Windbreaker // cycling shoes // Flip flops

Tool

Tire Lever // Tubes // Air Pump // Multitool

Electronics

Camera // Lens // Memory cards // Camera batteries // Solar power bank // iPhone charging cable // Wahoo Elemnt Roam charging cable // charging cable for lights // Wahoo heart rate monitor // Front and rear light (Light & Motion as well) Vis Pro 100 Trail and Vis 180 Pro)

Hygiene

Chamois cream // FFP-2 masks // Muc-Off Amino Recovery Balm // Allergy tablets // Pain ointment // Face cream // Deo // Toothbrush

CONCLUSION

After these (eternally long) lists, what would we change next time?

In general, we probably had a bit too much clothing with us. Given that we also had washing facilities available, less would have been enough. Some parts were also unnecessary because of the weather, but that is often not reliably evaluated in advance. So it's better to have too much with you.

Jana feels she didn't really need her top tube bag. It is handy, but everything she kept in it, she could have probably also stowed in her jersey.

Speaking of bags, I definitely got a food pouch on my list for next time. I will have to try it with Janas pouch, whether I can attach it well to my handlebars, but these pouches come in very handy. It would be possible to have more food close at hand, transport an additional drink, or have some technology in the quick access.

We would also add band-aids and a warming blanket to our first aid kit, just in case.

You've probably noticed a bunch of charging cables on our lists, so we want to find out if there are any small, portable ways to replace them with multi-adapters to charge multiple devices at one outlet without having to take a bulky multi-outlet with you. So far, we have unfortunately not found anything.

Another essential purchase on the shopping list for us (especially since we want to be out and about camping and stuff) is a Leatherman (or a similar multi-tool). We have already started to inform us, and it is exciting how nerdy this topic is and what these tools are capable of and offer.

When we talked about this resume yesterday, we agreed that the very most important thing was one thing, the Chamois cream. We wouldn't really have expected that since we never really use any otherwise, but from about the middle of day 2, it was a perfect companion after all.

We hope this information serves as an inspiration or helps you plan your first bikepacking trip. Do you have any questions about any of these topics? Do you have any further tips, or do you think that something important is missing? We are looking forward to your comment!

by Bjørn Lexius

The heathlands of the Nordheide

We were highly motivated when we planned our tour towards Lüneburg Heath for April 2, and all of a sudden, we had 130 km to cover. Lots of loose ground, but also some tarmac lay ahead of us. We were well aware that we would certainly be hungry on this tour. The only open stores (supermarkets) would be utterly overcrowded because of the Easter holidays. So, I prepared little pizza rolls to take with us the day before. Nothing worse than being hungry on the road. I just like to be prepared.

So we started our day on Saturday morning after breakfast at about 2° Celsius around 8:30.

We rode through the Hafencity - pretty relaxed this morning, as large parts of the streets were closed off, and security guards were standing around everywhere. Supposedly there was a movie shoot here that we didn't see anything about, but many people took the chance to shoot here for YouTube or for Tik Tok - who knows.

We passed by the futuristic subway station Elbbrücken, which looks really imposing from an architectural point of view. Continuing on, we crossed the old Elbbrücken bridges, which contrast nicely with the new subway station. These make a beautiful view, the bridges themselves and the view across the river to the Landungsbrücken docks.

We rode through Wilhelmsburg along small empty streets and paths, past allotment gardens (of which there are quite a few here) and beautiful old houses. The remains of an Easter fire were still in the air, and we also passed one. The wood was still quite smoky.

To cross the Süderelbe, we had to pass over a highway bridge. The water below us glistened in the sunlight, and we briefly watched the kayaks cruising in the water below us. At the end of the bridge, stairs led into the greenery and along a beautiful path. Convinced I had to ride along there, I carried my bike down, and we took a few photos, only to realize that this was not the right path, and I had to carry my bike back up. Going up a flight of stairs on a bike is always a lot of fun. Not.

Now it was finally time for a break! Of course, we (meaning me) were hungry, but I also desperately needed a place to take a pee break. Luckily we found a perfect spot for both, on a small path with a wind turbine and no people in sight. We were looking forward to the delicious pizza rolls but were disappointed to find that they were a bit dry. But still better than having empty stomachs. Relieved and slightly satiated, we continued on our way.

Gradually, more and more nature emerged around us: the Seevetal. The trail led us along the Seeve. The Seeve arises between Handeloh and Undeloh and joins the Elbe after winding 40 km through the Geest. There were several meadows full of horses, and we passed through a small forest with a beautiful wooden bridge, and just behind it, an old stone bridge was waiting for us, the viaduct railroad bridge over the Seeve near Jesteburg.

In the direction of Undeloh, we rode through a beautiful forest area. We found greetings from Udo (whoever Udo was) and an artistically designed rest area. The light and the forest had a magic all their own.

When we finally reached Undeloh, the heathland opened up. Although not much was in bloom at this time of year, the view over the heath is always beautiful. We wanted to take a break and planned a spot for it listed as a highlight on Komoot, a bench with a view over the heath. But thanks to the beautiful sunny day, the benches were all occupied by hikers or other cyclists. So no rest for us for the time being. Our food cravings had to wait a bit. So we kept following the path through the heath, which became a single small trail with some roots. A nice ride. Finally, we found an empty bench for us, and I could finally eat something. A bit exhausted from the few elevation gains that we just aren't used to. But that's just the way it is when you live in such a flat region. Every little bit of hill becomes a challenge.

Continuing on, we rode over cobblestones and sandy paths. Needed to make good use of our strength; we were at just under 70km and basically already on the way home again, very close to the Seeve on a single trail and through the beautiful Büsenbachtal.

Exhausted and wanting to just go home, we rode through the Brunsberg nature reserve and then through forests near Buchholz and Rosengarten.

Unfortunately, there are hardly any pictures of the rest of the route here. As Björn mentioned (again and again), every single part of his body hurt, and every little hill we had to climb sapped our energy, and I was already dreaming of a delicious meal on the couch at home. We drove on to get home quickly.

At this point, at the latest, we were more complaining than enjoying the surroundings and the beautiful nature. But sometimes, that's just the way it is. We approached the route very ambitiously, knowing full well that we hadn't ridden so many kilometers at a stretch in a long time. We probably also directly felt almost 800 meters of altitude. We are real flatland people.

In total, we had 7 ½ hours of riding time and were on the road for a little more than 10 hours. Nevertheless, this route was beautiful and definitely worthwhile. We will definitely ride it again.

ROUTE DETAILS

Follow us on Komoot and ride the route yourself.

by Bjørn Lexius

Of burning white moors and green forests

We found ourselves on the sofa, recovering from a ride to the west of Hamburg, talking about where to go on Sunday. As so often, it ended with "I don't know, what do you think?" So we decided on a direction; this time, it was north.

So we opened Komoot and started clicking and building our route. From a conversation with a friend, I remembered he really liked Wittmoor and Tangstedter Forst, and since neither of us had been there yet, that was definitely going to be part of our route. We added a few other places and ended up with about 70 km.

On Sunday, the next day, we got up around 8, had breakfast, and left the house.

The first part of our route took us along the Alsterwanderweg, first in the city, then slowly out of the town. Since it was already around 9:30/10, the path was already pretty crowded with people. Runners, people walking their dogs, you name it. It was still lovely but could have been more fun with fewer people (if only we had gotten up earlier).

I can't recall exactly where this place was, but the red wall drew me in, so we had to stop for a quick photo or two.

The first place we stopped for a short break to grab a bite to eat was Hummelsee, located in the Hummelsbütteler Moor. We had been there a few times before, and this time we decided to just look at the Müllberg (English: garbage mountain) (yes, that's what it's called) and not go up it, like another time before.

After this short stop, we rode to Wittmoor, a wonderful place that I definitely want to visit again to take more photos. I didn't take too many this time as it was also quite crowded, but it should be just fantastic on a Saturday and at an earlier time of day. What a beautiful place.

Next up on the menu: Tangstedter Forst.

And what a beautiful place. A vast forest area. Even though there were also many people, it didn't feel that way because there are many options when it comes to trails. Definitely a place we HAVE to return to.

We had another quick snack stop at Wilstedt Lake or Costa Kiesa, as the locals call it. Usually, the lake is a pretty crowded swimming spot, but it's closed because of the Corona pandemic. So besides us, there was only one family and an elderly lady who actually went swimming. I got a lot of respect for her because the water must have been still pretty cold.

Our ride continued through the Henstedter Moor, but we had to pass 5-6 vehicles of the local fire department before we could enter the moor. We wondered why they were there, but there was nothing obvious. When the firemen were about to leave, we rode on.

Just a few minutes later we could smell smoke and the smell of something burning. Only a few hundred meters down the trail we could see it, and it was sad. Parts of the moor were completely burned. The trees still looked fine for the most part, but most of the ground was pitch black. It was a strange experience. On the one hand it was sad, but on the other hand it looked visually interesting, so I took the opportunity to take a few pictures while talking about how this might have happened. ( While writing this, I just learned that two teenagers were trying to prepare food with a camping gas stove, it tipped over and started the fire. The press says: "The teens, however, prevented worse by immediately calling the fire department themselves and, when police and firefighters arrived, ruefully reported their mishap." So, at least there's that. But in any case, this is a reminder to all of us who enjoy the outdoors to treat it with respect and to be careful at all times when dealing with it.

We continued, followed the railroad tracks on nice gravel for a while, crossed another forest, and passed another small moor area before heading back into town on the Kollauwanderweg, turning into Niendorfer Gehege, and heading home. What a great ride.

ROUTE DETAILS

Follow us on Komoot and ride the route yourself.

by Bjørn Lexius

Among nuclear power plants and tree-covered ruins

It's Sunday, 8 o'clock; we knew that we wanted to ride the bike today but still had no plan where to go. I had two options in mind: For the upcoming Orbit360 series, two routes were planned in the Hamburg area. Since one of the routes included a place we had biked many times before, the Holmer Sandberge, we decided on the other. Our friends Johanna & Timo had scouted this route, and I had seen exciting photos of it. Since we did not want to ride 190 km, we edited the route and ended up with just under 100km variant.

After we had breakfast, at least I had, since Jana didn't really feel like eating much this morning, we wanted to get ready. Well... Jana was. I had to go in search of my socks first. You know that situation? You look in the drawer for that pair of socks, but you just can't find them. You keep searching, and suddenly the socks appear right in front of your eyes? How blind can you be? So be it. Let's just download the route for the Wahoo, and off we go.

Since we wanted to leave the city to the east side, we had to cross it first, but fortunately, that's not quite as annoying on a Sunday as on other days. Via the Oberhafen Connection, we headed out via Moorfleet and the Allermöher Wiesen in the direction of... Wait, wait; first, there was this tree lying across the path, but somehow lying is the wrong expression; it was hanging over the track, not low enough to just climb over, not high enough to just walk under. What seemed comparatively easy for Jana was the first reason I grumbled about what this was all about. I slid the bike underneath, took the camera off my back, and then somehow squatted and crawled through. That must have looked pretty stupid to observers.

Soon after, we took our first small break at a lake near Neuallermöhe.

We continued through Neuallermöhe, artificially created, kind of boring, but in a way also quite lovely, at least the houses with access to water and a canoe in the garden. Quite nice. Did I take a picture? No, of course not.

Briefly missed the turnoff, turned around, and crossed under the highway on a narrow, dark footbridge. And then continued on gravel.

Shortly after, we entered the stunning forest around the Dalbek Gorge. Where there is forest, there are trees, and where there are trees, there...? That's right, there are trees on the paths. And not too scarce. In addition, a mini brook.

On the last climb, we pushed the bikes up, as it was pretty nasty. First a nice descent on gravel, then a turn of 90 °, and suddenly it was uphill. Unfortunately, people were standing in the middle of the bend precisely at this moment, so we had to slow down to 0. Jana was already struggling with her allergies and breathing that day, so we took a short break after the climb. She had her vegan jerky all to herself. For some reason, I just don't like that stuff.

This was followed by a charming forest section with climbs and descents. Wonderful. I could have stopped and taken photos at pretty much every corner, but we wanted to keep going.

In retrospect, I would have liked to spare myself what followed, but I was probably too impulsive on the road that day. Somewhere in Geesthacht, a beefy guy lectured me from his car that there was a cycle path. Although I confirmed that I was aware of this, on his request to use it then, I responded out of reflex with a "shut the fuck up," and so it ended with him offering me, as you would expect, a punch in the face. Fortunately for me, he then probably had another thought and drove off. But up to the point where we parted ways, I wasn't sure he wouldn't reconsider at the next intersection. Well, I was lucky, and maybe next time, I will be quiet or find a more diplomatic answer...

We then took a kilometer-long private road to the following stop location: the Krümmel nuclear power plant.

Krümmel Nuclear Power Plant is a German nuclear power plant located in Geesthacht. It was commissioned in 1983. The reactor was the second largest of its kind in commercial operation worldwide. It has been shut down since 2011 due to public protests.

Standing above the power plant, it wasn't a queasy feeling, but it was kind of strange.

After that stop, we continued through a forest in the direction of Besenhorster Sandberge. Not without again getting into a brief conflict with an SUV driver who thought the road belonged to her. Somehow that was not my day in connection with people in cars. So be it.

I was curious about the Besenhorster Sandberge because there are still parts of the ruins of a former dynamite factory. I had seen them in photos and really wanted to take some pictures there, too.

Unfortunately, it was relatively crowded, and other photographers with models were at work there. So the situation did not give both the calm and space for more photos. Anyway, we can go there again at any time.

The overall scenery is very fascinating, as nature is reclaiming the area here. During World War II, the roofs of the buildings were covered with vegetation to protect them from attacks, but now you can even spot trees on the tops. Really interesting.

After the somewhat more extended break in the Sandberge, we headed back towards Hamburg. As beautiful and relaxing as the old Marschbahndamm is, as you simply ride through greenery for many kilometers without cars, it can also be boring because you only go straight ahead for what feels like eternities. Perhaps this monotony has also led to the fact that I complained more about my tired legs and back pain. The camera on the back is just not always so optimal. Let's see, we will test alternatives.

There is not much more to tell about the way back, and we did not take any more photos.

ROUTE DETAILS

Follow us on Komoot and ride the route yourself.

by Bjørn Lexius

Festive 500 / 2020 - A field report

// FESTIVE 500

DAY 1

0 of 500km

Since the morning was pretty rainy, we decided to stay in bed a little longer. After that, we ate our Superfood Bowl for breakfast and got ready for the ride.

For today we had 64 km on the plan. Our route took us through small wooded areas, beautiful empty paths full of puddles and deep mud. But as long as we didn't get stuck and had to push our bikes, we had a lot of fun riding through the mud. Some more, some less.

You can imagine how the bikes and clothes started to look pretty quickly then. It was a mud fight. Luckily it didn't rain the whole day again.

We made our way back home in the dark, starting to get a little uncomfortable as our feet got wet and cold.

Directly in front of our front door, we noticed when looking at the Wahoo that not 64 km, but only 53 km were on the computer. WTF?!?! Well, so we rode a little extra lap and at least had 60km on the Wahoo. So we have to catch up a few kilometers in the next few days.

Once we had removed the gross dirt from the bikes (thanks to the brave little low-pressure cleaner), we finally headed into the warming flat. There was still a lot of dirt coming in with us on our clothes.

Now our stomachs are filled, all body parts are warmed up again, and it's time to relax on the couch. We are already looking forward to day 2.

// FESTIVE 500

DAY 2

60 of 500km

Today we got up early, as the weather forecast promised bright sunshine. Of course, we wanted to use this despite the cold and the simultaneous fatigue. We set off in the direction of Sachsenwald. According to Komoot, we were expecting a: "Heavy Gravel Tour. Excellent physical condition required. On some passages, you may have to push your bike."

Well, what can we say? Our "route planner" (Björn) has done us no favors. It was super lovely in the forest, but the trails were a real challenge, and so we progressed only slowly between mud and tree roots - which was also fun, but showed us: you can not make many kilometers when riding at a pace at which you could also have pushed the bike. But, the Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 3, with its excellent suspension and 47mm 650b tires, still helped us a lot today.

After 5 hours of riding, we have had 75 km on the meter, had been on the road for over 7 hours, had frozen feet and empty stomachs. It was a long day, so now we're exhausted and looking forward to a movie and the couch. What's on the agenda for tomorrow? We still have to find out. But one thing for sure: keep going.

// FESTIVE 500

DAY 3

135 of 500km

Since our route yesterday took us through some strenuous terrain, the plan for today was to ride as many "flat" miles as possible.

Unfortunately, we did not feel fit after yesterday; we were tired, had some muscle soreness, and also Björn's right knee hurt. So the new, fast, and mostly flat route came in handy today. Fortunately, it didn't rain this time, and the wind only came from the side at first. On the way back, however, we had to fight some headwinds. And also against the cold, which slowly crept through our clothes.

We could hardly wait to get back home. We had enough of wind, cold and aching knees. Nevertheless, we covered just under 72 kilometers, completing 40 % of the Challenge route.

We' re now going to relax our muscles and knees and have a rest day tomorrow. That means more kilometers on the other days - we'll see what comes, but for now we have to listen to our bodies and give them time to recover.

// FESTIVE 500

DAY 4

202 of 500km

Completely exhausted, tired, I feel parts of my body that I haven't felt in a long time. Today's rest day is urgently needed. How anyone can feel so limp after a round of cycling is a mystery to me. An even bigger mystery is, what does my body want from me? And this ... knee ...

Jana also feels a little tired and has slightly sore muscles, but she seems to be in top shape compared to me.

// FESTIVE 500

DAY 5

202 of 500km

After our rest day yesterday, we felt ready to start day 5 of the #festive500 this morning. Our muscles were grateful for the break. We rode the same route as the day before yesterday, as we were much faster there than on pure gravel roads, except for the headwind. Maybe not the most exciting option, but still a good choice.

However, we had to stop after the first ten kilometers because Björn's rear wheel was losing air. So we had to re-inflate and keep going. A few kilometers later, the air pressure was gone again, and we knew we had to take a closer look. That's how we found two holes. Since we were riding tubeless on the Cannondale bikes, we hoped the holes would close on their own. False report. They won't with completely dried out sealant. Damn. So switched to a tube. This caused us to lose a lot of time, but we were able to continue without any problems afterwards. Björn's knee started to hurt occasionally, but it wasn't as bad as on the last ride.

// FESTIVE 500

DAY 6

281 of 500km

Buddy, can we go out and ride tonight...?

No, unfortunately not, Lefty. My knee is in pain again, and I also pinched a nerve yesterday, and my back hurts.

So: Sofa, so good.

Jana rode a solid 40 km on Zwift next to the sofa. As a good husband, I supported her mentally and with refilled bidons.

I want to get out and ride my bike again... But I have to listen to my body.

// FESTIVE 500

DAY 7

321 of 500km

It's day 7 of the #festive500 challenge, and while I'm writing these lines, I'm lying on the sofa with my leg up. Nothing has changed about my knee, so that's it for the challenge for me. However, this remarkable woman by my side is still going. She's done 387/500 km and has just brought up the idea of doing the remaining kilometers tomorrow on Zwift in two stages. I have nothing but admiration for her. Yes, it's not cold and windy inside, but with the monotony on the roller trainer, I would never ride more than 2 hours.

I am curious to see if Jana will be able to do it tomorrow. I firmly believe in her, and if it doesn't work out, she will have ridden more kilometers in these eight days than ever before.

// FESTIVE 500

DAY 8

387 of 500km

Happy New Year. Day 8 of the #festive500 and thus the last day. Björn, unfortunately, could not continue. His challenge was over after 280km. His knee was hurting too much, and one's gotta listen to the body.

That meant: another 120 km to go.

Indoors, my longest ride to date had been 50km. Although you're not exposed to the elements, riding outdoors is a bit more exciting and varied.

Fully motivated, I rode the first 61 km, ate a piece of cake, and started the second ride.

After 4 1/2 hours of riding, I was done.

Finally, with 511 km, at least one of us has completed the challenge. We're both proud of ourselves - because we've never ridden so many kilometers at a stretch, and I only really started cycling this summer.

Let's see if we will try again next year. In any case, we are looking forward to 2021 with lots of time on the bike!

by Bjørn Lexius

First time on an e-bike: Specialized Turbo Creo SL Evo

I still recall how one day Jana told her mother on the phone that I got a new bike now, and her mother asked, "An e-bike?" At that moment, I looked at Jana indignantly, "Excuse me? Is she trying to insult me? Tz!" After all, I've only been riding my fixed gear bikes for 8 or even more years. Me ...? An e-bike? Never!

Friday night, once Jana's workday at the agency was over, we picked up the bikes at Concept Cycles Hamburg. The two Specialized Turbo Creo SL Comp Carbon EVOs were already waiting for us, fully charged and ready for the sunrise ride on Saturday morning.

On Friday evening, after Jana's workday at the agency was over, we picked up the bikes at Concept Cycles Hamburg. The two Specialized Turbo Creo SL Comp Carbon EVOs were already waiting for us, fully loaded and ready to go at sunrise on Saturday morning. Specialized Turbo Creo SL Comp Carbon EVOs were already waiting for us, fully loaded and ready to go at sunrise on Saturday morning.

But before we tell you about the ride and our impressions of the bike, let's share a few details about the bike itself...

The Turbo Creo SL Comp Carbon EVO is based on the same frameset as the Turbo Creo SL Comp Carbon e-road bike and is available in two different finishes: Satin Sage Green/Black and Gloss Navy/White Mountains. Our favorite is definitely the green bike, and luckily we had this one for testing.

At the heart of the Turbo Creo SL Comp Carbon EVO is the SL 1.1-E motor with maximum assistance of 240W, powered by the 320Wh battery in the down tube. Specialized specifies the full range at 120km, but it can be extended by another 60km with an optional range extender.

The Comp Carbon version of the bike is equipped with a 1×11 Shimano GRX 810 group and brakes; I already know this group from my Canyon Grail CF SL and like it very much. Specialized installed Praxis cranks on the bike.

Integrated into the head tube is the Future Shock 2.0 system, which is adjustable in the intensity of its damping via a knob on the stem and offers 20 mm of travel.

Specialized has also equipped the Turbo Creo SL EVO with an X-Fusion Manic dropper post with 50 mm travel.

Standard equipment includes 700 x 38 C Pathfinder Pro tires on DT Swiss R470 Boost wheels. The front axle is 110 mm wide and the rear axle 148 mm wide. The frame allows maximum tire widths of 700 x 42C or 650b x 50.

The Specialized Turbo Creo SL EVO

IN THE WILD

The alarm clock rang at 6 a.m. Saturday morning, after coffee and a banana with peanut butter and pretzel sticks, we left home. Recently we had discovered Himmelmoor on another ride and wanted to return there.

Since we wanted to be there in time for sunrise (which we still didn't manage because sometimes we dawdle), we have not changed the pedals as planned. (Never say: "Oh, it will be fine!!!).

So there we were, on the probably most simple flat pedals that Specialized has to offer, on the road. Perfect dream if you are on the road with clipless shoes. Well, for the next time we know that we have to finish it in the evening.

One thing we noticed right away on Friday evening: The Specialized Turbo Creo SL EVO is light for an e-bike. We could not find exact data on the weight, but carrying the bike to the 4th floor was no problem. That was our impression again on Saturday morning.

The assistance wasn't as spectacular on the road, but off the pavement, I think it was more noticeable, as you usually need a lot more power from your legs to match the speed on gravel. I can't say that it wasn't fun to zip around this way.

Arrived in the moor, we were rewarded with beautiful light and sunshine, first a quick snack, a few photos, and then move on. At this point, we already noticed that the bike attracts attention. And rightly so. It is a beautiful bike, and the most remarkable thing about it is that it does not scream e-bike at first glance. Until you notice or hear the engine. It is noticeable but not annoying. Since it was our first time on an e-bike, we can't compare it to other motors out there.

Jana, who rides a Specialized Diverge Base Carbon with Future Shock 1.5, was very impressed with the adjustability of the Future Shock 2.0 while riding; the suspension was noticeable on cobblestones and bumps and helped make the ride more enjoyable.

I was very impressed with the smooth and direct shifting. Maybe I should readjust mine on my Grail.

Of course, we were not spared a flat tire, but the tube replacement went quickly, thanks to the thru-axles. It is hard to judge whether this is a direct argument against the tires or whether Jana was simply unlucky. She has not yet had a puncture on her Diverge, which is also equipped with Pathfinder tires.

Let's get to the...

CONCLUSION

We are not quite sure what the purpose of the Specialized Turbo Creo SL EVO could be for us. For a moment, I thought that I could use the bike for bikepacking tours, but it lacks mounting points because, except for two bottle cages and mudguards, nothing can be mounted. I know this from my Canyon Grail CF SL, but the dropper post also takes away the possibility of a saddlebag. In addition, the range of 120km, so if I want to ride longer distances, I have to attach the extender and thus lose one of the two places for water bottles.

Jana already mentioned during the ride that the bike is fun for her, but it can never replace the feeling she gets when she rides a bike on her power. At least not while she is still fit enough to do so.

by Bjørn Lexius

Welcome to Ride Punk Ride

Moin (that's how we say "hello" here in Hamburg) and welcome to www.ridepunkride.com. This is our place on the net where we want to write about everything that has to do with cycling in our lives.

So far, we've only done that through our Instagram profile, but we wanted more. As much as we both like Instagram and spend a lot of time there, whether for personal or professional purposes, there are some things we don't like about Instagram. Instagram as a platform is just very limiting, whether it's image formats (you should hear our discussions about how a picture looks much better in landscape format but is then displayed too small on Instagram to attract attention), the length of text, or simply which photos get attention and which just don't "work" on the platform.

With this website we are solving all these problems for us, because we can write more detailed about things that would otherwise be overlooked on Instagram. We can share more photos and share them in reasonable size and quality. Plus, having something to work on with each other is fantastic. After all, we share a passion for cycling and also for photography and social media. So why not try to get more out of it?

Along with this website we are making plans and thinking of ideas for what’s to come and this could all be quite exciting. To start new projects is always something great and in this crazy year 2020 we thought we should use the time to do so.

We are happy to have you here.

// Jana & Björn

by Bjørn Lexius