New Bike Day - Ribble CGR SL Gravel Bike Shimano GRX Di2

Let's start at the very beginning of the story. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... Stop, stop! Not that much from the start. So, our "old" gravel bikes have been accompanying us since mid-2020 on various surfaces and some short and some longer trips.

The reason for choosing our bikes back "then" was, as I'm sure it was for many of you: availability. More precisely: the availability of the right frame size and the proper budget. Getting a suitable bike was really a challenge in the summer of 2020 (not that it isn't just as difficult now). Björn was able to secure his Canyon Grail CF SL as a job bike while I rattled off various stores in Hamburg and webshops for the right bike for me. In the end, it became a Specialized Diverge Base Carbon, which was slightly above my budget and actually could have been about one frame size larger. Except for a few criteria, we had little idea of what we really needed when it came to bikes. We just wanted to have a good time outdoors on the bike.

Something we didn't know at the time? How our ideas about cycling would change in two years.

 

 

Bikepacking was not a topic at all for us that year, and therefore we ignored whether this would be possible with the bikes at all. Following our first bikepacking experience, in which we were on the road without a tent, sleeping bags, and co, only with clothes for a few days, it was apparent. These bikes are not ideal for trips where we want to be completely independent. Well, especially Björn's is not. The Diverge already fits there quite well, but that's another topic.

In our search for suitable bikes and / or possible bike partners, we finally came across Ribble Cycles from England or instead were made attentive. So one thing led to another, and we could acquire Ribble as a partner. We are very excited about this.

After a few impatient weeks of waiting, our new bikes finally arrived.

Since we will never be super sporty cyclists and don't intend to be, we chose the bikes according to our needs and purpose. Fortunately, Ribble offers a massive selection of bikes that can be built according to your wishes. The Bike Builder on Ribble's website makes it easy, and in the end, you don't get a bike off the rack as everyone else might have.

The bike of our choice: The Ribble CGR SL

Due to difficult availability, the Ribble CGR (Cross. Gravel. Road) SL is currently the best alternative to the Ribble Gravel (Explore. Race. Escape.) SL, which would be the dream bike for us to bike pack. The frame of the Gravel SL offers more possible bolt-on locations than that of the CGR.

We opted for 650B tires in a 47 width. The wide tires are suitable for various surfaces and give us a safe feeling even with a lot of luggage.

Of course, the WTB tires are tubeless-ready, and one of our next steps will be to put this to use. There is still plenty of clearance in the frame of the CGR SL - which means we could even fit wider tires if we wanted to. The carbon frame of the CGR SL has a sporty geometry, so 28-inch wheels and narrower tires could be installed as well. This definitely makes this bike a perfect "all-rounder" for us.

 

The sturdy aluminum LEVEL handlebar with plenty of room for bags thanks to its' flare, a Shimano GRX Di2 groupset 1×11 speed, and Shimano GRX hydraulic disc brakes finish it all off.

Especially the electronic groupset impressed us directly on the first ride. We no longer want to do without it. The difference to mechanical shifting (especially the Sram Apex 1 on my Diverge) is gigantic.

Visually, the Ribble CGR SL is also very nice to look at. As soon as we are back home after a ride, we can hardly wait to go again with the new Ribble bikes.

The bike and its components are great fun. Up next, we will be testing the bikes for their bikepacking capabilities. We guess that this experience will also be outstanding!

Technical facts

MATERIAL

Toray T1000/T800 full carbon monocoque

GROUPSET

Shimano GRX Di2 RX815 1×11 speed

BRAKES

Shimano GRX Hydraulic Disc

 

HANDLEBAR & STEM

Level Gravel light alloy 6061 31.8 Flared handlebar // Level 1 light alloy stem

WHEELSET

Mavic ALLROAD SL DISC CL Road+ wheelset

TIRES

WTB Byway Road Plus TCS Tires Tan 650 x 47c

 

by Jana Streich

Romantic, harmonious, or chaotic? How cycling makes you a better team.

Couples, including us, don't always share the same interests and goals in all situations. Supposedly, however, this is precisely how tensions and stress can be reduced. I wonder if that's really the case.

It's easy to see - both of us love to spend our time together outdoors on the bike. It just makes us happy to be able to share this passion.

In our experience, it's nice to know that when free time comes up, like most weekends, we don't have to leave our partner at home.

By the way, this also makes the question of what we're gonna do the following weekend superfluous.

Whether our tours are romantic every time? Probably not. Nor are they always harmonious, because on some days there's always something to complain about, which can be challenging. That goes for both of us. But most of the time we have a lot of fun together. We laugh a lot, motivate each other with funny things and nonsense, listen to each other when they need a break, something to eat, or something else and love to discover the surroundings together. Especially on longer routes, we can motivate each other - or when it's time to get up early. It's not that we love getting up in the dark.

Whether we individually would have come up with the idea to spend whole days or more on the bike? We can not know what if, but we can assume that we would not necessarily have come alone. Björn was always relatively urban with his fixies, and riding a road bike as a sport was never his thing. And for me, the bike was always a means of transportation. But I also didn't have a good bike before I met Björn. So we both benefit from it because our joint tours, experiences, and plans for cycling bring us closer together.

The advantages of cycling with your partner? We know each other so well and know exactly where the other's challenges lie. We know each other's fitness levels, consider this when planning, and motivate each other when one is more, and the other is less keen. We spend the time planning together and, in the end, riding together. Simply put: share quality time together, away from everyday life and many other people.

The key to a relaxed bike ride with your partner is thoughtfulness. What feels like a challenge the first time is soon replaced by safety. You know how your partner behaves on the bike (at least most of the time). You get to know each other away from all the distractions of our modern world. You can also learn how to manage crises together. May that be only a mechanical problem, a flat tire, or feeling good old hangry during a tour, this can also be transferred to everyday life. After all, most problems can be solved.

You're in love with cycling, but your partner isn't? Share your passion. Enthusiasm for something can be contagious.

We have 8 tips for you that can help you spark the enthusiasm for cycling in them. Very importantly, remember what lit the fire in you.

// TIP #1

Suitable bike

Make sure your partner has a suitable bike - the right size is essential, for example. And what good is it if you're on a super-light road bike and your partner rides a heavy Dutch bike? Neither of you will have any fun that way.

// TIP #2

Plan together

Plan your tour together and REALISTICALLY. It does not have to be 100 km. Start small and feel your way.

// TIP #3

Taking Breaks

Taking breaks. Take enough of them, take care of each other, and remember to bring something to eat and enough to drink. Or make sure you get something on the way.

// TIP #4

Rewards

Rewards are a must! Either reward yourself with a delicious meal after your ride together or schedule breaks for it. Who can say no to a piece of cake or a scoop of ice cream?

// TIP #5

Anticipation

Ask your partner what they like, if there are certain places they would like to visit, or particular preferences. Plan this for the tour. It will increase not only the anticipation but also the motivation.

// TIP #6

Exit Strategy

Nothing worse than being stuck in "nowhere" on your first tour together and not getting away when there are problems (mechanical or physical). If possible, plan so that there is always a way out nearby.

// TIP #7

Suitable season

Go in the summer, when the weather is good, and not in the cold and rain. Conditions should be as pleasant as possible.

// TIP #8

No pressure

Be patient, listen, observe and share your enthusiasm. Do not put pressure on your partner!

Enjoy riding together, and let us know if it worked out for you. Also, tell us about your tips, which we may be able to add here.

by Jana Streich

Going Home - Our first bikepacking adventure

Why actually "Going Home" when we start at home in Hamburg?

Quite simply, like so many people in the world, we have drastically reduced our social contacts over the last 1.5 years. Video calls with friends became the new normal. But face-to-face contact with our families suffered the most as a result. After all, they weren't skilled at using technology and all the modern communication options.

But since our families live 100-300km away from us, and neither of us drives cars, there was only the possibility to go to them by train. But as long as our families and we were not fully vaccinated, we did not want to take any risk and possibly introduce the virus to them.

Over time, Björn also developed a particular fear of becoming infected himself. This fear wasn't easy to deal with. During this time, however, one thing has repeatedly helped us clear our heads and enjoy some normality: getting out into nature by bike.

When we were finally all vaccinated, it was pretty clear right away that we wanted to visit our families by bicycle. We have family members living spread out over distances that are a good day's ride between them. So this was going to be our first bikepacking trip. A trip on which we would also rediscover places of our respective past together.

The fact that the decelerated journey by bike was at the same time to become a kind of slow return among people was something we hadn't quite realized beforehand. Still, it became apparent with the relaxation that spread among us after the first few kilometers. The stress of everyday life had disappeared from our minds; we were not thinking about the pandemic. We were just looking forward to the adventure together.

// DAY 1

HAMBURG - BREMEN

It is day 1 of our GOING HOME adventure. We have planned to ride 140 km from Hamburg to Bremen, where my father lives.

When the alarm clock rang at 4 a.m., Björn had already been awake for an hour. He had not slept very well, as he had been suffering from back pain for two days. Also, our cat seemed to suspect that we were leaving because she kept coming to bed with us and demanding some attention. So we gave her a few more strokes before we had to go.

The night before, we had already packed the bikes, and after a delicious breakfast, we faced the first challenge of the day: How do we get the fully loaded bikes down from the 4th floor? Or do we take the bags off again and put them back on at the bottom? Nah, we left them on and hauled the bikes down that way. Not ideal, but it worked.

F no, a flat tire! Fortunately, not. However, it felt that way when we got on our packed bikes and started riding. After a few meters, though, we quickly got used to it. I hardly felt the weight on the road compared to the less packed bike, but even more when I took off the bags later.

At 5:55 am, we took the first ferry of the day to Finkenwerder and crossed the Elbe. While waiting for the ferry, we once again admired the beauty of the port at night. The interplay of lights of the cranes is simply breathtaking. Oh, Hamburg, we will never get tired of this.

When we left the ferry, the actual ride finally began, and full of excitement, we pedaled off. It wasn't long before we were soaking wet, not from rain or sweat; no, the humidity was a whopping 95 %. Björn felt transported back to the rainforest of Costa Rica.

Although the air was very humid, it was still enjoyable. We left everyday life (and our worries) behind us already on the first few kilometers.

Unfortunately Jana's brake started to squeak....

After a few kilometers, we found ourselves in the middle of a meadow. No path to be seen. Oh, Komoot, are you drunk again? Regardless, we were rolling roughly in the right direction, orienting ourselves by the wind turbines, at least what we could see of them. It was pretty foggy out there.

Due to last night's storm, the paths were partially flooded or covered with sand. But at least the thunderstorms had passed. We hoped that it would stay that way...

And fortunately, it was that way. The fog and humidity accompanied us for quite a while, but the temperatures rose, and the sun slowly appeared.

Back to Jana's brake.

It kept on squeaking. It wasn't because it was wet all over from the rain, because fortunately, it wasn't raining at all.

Nah, the problem was homemade. It wasn't such a brilliant idea on Jana's part to change the brake pads before a 3-day tour AND not test ride and possibly readjust them. Unfortunately, bad weather and a sinus infection just before our trip threw the plans for this overboard.

Removing the wheel and checking what the problem could be? That would have been possible, but in the middle of nowhere, we wanted to avoid that. So we just persevered and kept going.

Along the beautiful roads through fields and meadows, our path was very often framed by cornfields. Cornfields on the left, cornfields on the right.

The corn season is in full swing, and so the cornfields will accompany us not only on the first 140 km but for quite a while.

"Where is all this blood coming from? And more importantly, why am I pedaling so strangely?"

Björn had chafed both thighs on his top tube bag. But it looked worse than it was.

And that damn brake was still squealing. And as if that wasn't annoying enough, it was getting louder and louder. Luckily, though, it still braked.

While we're on the subject of nerves, we had to take a 2km detour for a 100m construction site, as German traffic planners have little regard for cyclists.

But unfortunately, we had no choice to avoid this detour.

We met a donkey and realized that donkeys are simply better horses.

A little further on, we took a break, and I tried a new bar called Spinach Pirate and spit it right back out. Yuck! To calm down, I then had another delicious chocolate protein bar.

Not far from our destination for the day, we were approached by a friendly road cyclist who curiously asked us what we were up to, so we asked him for a bike store in Bremen that could help us with the squeaky brake. Unfortunately, he confirmed our concerns: on a Saturday afternoon, all the small stores in the area were closed.

When we arrived at my father's house, we were greeted with a refreshing shower, followed by a non-alcoholic beer and a large baguette.

We were broken, tired, but very happy and glad to have survived the first day so well. But we still had this problem with the brake.

We removed the front wheel, put it back in, put the brake pads in, and took them out again. After an hour of back and forth, loosening the caliper and screwing it back on finally helped. The noise was gone. Fortunately, because otherwise, we wouldn't have made the next 130 km the next day.

At one point, Björn saw the continuation of the trip in jeopardy because, occasionally, the front wheel did not move at all. Fortunately, this problem was solved after a long 11 hours on the bike.

Exhausted, we fell into bed, but not before planning a French fries break for the next day...

Our lesson from this day: schedule a break to eat something "real". Dry pretzel sticks and bars alone are okay, but nothing that really comes close to healthy food (not that fries are considered good food), but at least they kept us motivated.

So we planned a french fries stop for the next day. Since our route took us past Lake Dümmer, it just made sense to take this lake as an occasion for a break. Mainly because we planned to be there around noon, about halfway along our route.

Finally, we charged all the essential devices and closed our eyes to charge our batteries for the next day.

// DAY 2

BREMEN - OSNABRÜCK

Plan for today: 136km from Bremen to Osnabrück. Half of our route and the home of Jana's twin sister.

Day 2 of our Going Home Tour was long. Longer than the first day and had a few more meters of altitude. These were waiting just before our destination for the day and unnecessarily delayed our time in the saddle. But let's start at the beginning.

It's Groundhog Day. This, in our case, means: Alarm clock ringing at 4:43 am. Since we didn't want to wake anyone up and quietly sneak off in the dark, we started without a coffee. And without breakfast.

Björn just had a round of yoga to prepare his back for the day on the bike.

Thanks to my dad, we had vegan spreads and cheese with us. I had vegan chili mayonnaise in my bag already on the first day (you never know). Now we were only missing the rolls for breakfast.

Our plan was to leave in the dark and stop at the first bakery to have breakfast. Since it was Sunday when we left at 6:20, we still had a little way to go before breakfast was within reach.... (Why do bakeries in small villages open soooo late)?

We left Bremen in the dark, through foggy forests and fields, it was colder than the day before, but we made good progress.

Thirty kilometers later, the time had come. The long-awaited breakfast was served in a small town called Bassum at the first local bakery we could find. A small "Reisepark" just outside Bassum provided a bench, and we took the opportunity. And again, a lesson learned: take a multi-purpose knife with us on our next tour. But this time, it worked without. Strengthened by breakfast, we could tackle the next 100 km.

To find a rhythm for our breaks, we decided that a more extended stop every 30 km would be excellent, so Björn set his Wahoo for laps of 30 km to have a reminder (brilliant of him!).

Slowly it got warmer and warmer. We fought against a strong headwind but were glad about the warmth of the sun. We could take off arm warmers and leg warmers.

After about 90 km, we were able to take the long-awaited fries stop at Lake Dümmer. The snack bar welcomed "bikers" (with and without an engine).

A portion of french fries and a cold sugary drink were just what we needed now. To strengthen and motivate us.

We rode a short distance along the lake, which was a bit overwhelming after 1.5 days with almost no people. On a sunny Sunday at lunchtime, many people were spending time at the lake. A few too many for us.

Slowly we realized that our butts were sore and sitting in the saddle was becoming very uncomfortable.

On we went with strong headwinds. One of the most annoying things about this day. There were a lot of headwinds, and for those who don't know: Headwind is Jana's ultimate nemesis. Headwinds cost a lot of energy.

Nevertheless, we were in a good mood, even if we slowly noticed how our butts were hurting more and more and our muscles (and unfortunately Björn's knees) were demanding a more extended break.

Our butts were hurting. So we now regularly sought out "quiet" spots along the way, not only to pee but also to apply new Chamois cream. After all, we still had at least 1.5 days in the saddle ahead of us.

At some point, Björn began to sing. He thought of a suitable song for each keyword. Unfortunately, it wasn't very nice. But at least it kept our spirits up. The glorious late summer weather helped, too.

That there were only a few more kilometers left until we would reach Osnabrück was a deceptive thought. After all, the last 30 km on our route seemed infinitely long, and the landscape in front of us became increasingly hilly. Björn was cursing the hilly terrain, but that (surprisingly) didn't change anything.

Progress was slower and slower. The hills and inclines just before our destination took their toll and sapped the last of our strength.

With the finish line in sight, we pushed our bikes up the last hill, not ready to take on this final challenge after all those hours in the saddle.

In front of Jana's sister's front door, we roughly cleaned the dirt off our bikes so they could spend the night in our apartment, hauled the bikes upstairs, and were treated to a woodruff spritzer.

We showered, ordered pizza, and Björn put ice on his knee. He thought about how the aching knee should survive the third day. After all, we still had a 120 km long day ahead of us.

Meanwhile, I cut my sister's hair until fatigue caught up with us.

Off to the sofa bed.

Whether we would manage our planned kilometers on the third day was still unclear.

// DAY 3

OSNABRÜCK - WERNE

The last 120km of our journey was ahead of us, on to Björn's mother.

"Beep, beep, beep." 4:43 a.m. and the alarm clock rang. Hello, day three.

Today we had fresh coffee from the French Press, my sister had gotten up with us, so we had breakfast together and all sat at the table with a cup of coffee. We now had to make a decision.

Would Björn's knee make the planned 120 kilometers? What alternatives did we have? We wanted to do a bit of cycling around Werne over the next few days, which of course, isn't possible if the knee is entirely shot. So what was our best option?

After a round of yoga and some decision-making, we carried our bikes down the stairs fully loaded. Outside it was already bright since we had taken more time. And it was colder than the last days.

We took a train to Münster so that we could shortcut about 80 km and ride the remaining kilometers to Werne by bike. We hoped that Björn's knee would be less stressed this way, and we still wouldn't have to give up cycling altogether.

Of course, we could not adequately secure our bikes on the train, so I had to get up at every stop and hold my bike. How happy we were when we arrived in Münster and could get back on our bikes.

A few kilometers later, our stomachs demanded food. We were hungry. Luckily we had some pizza leftover from the day before and served it to ourselves on a bench next to, well, cornfields, what else?

Our path, passing dozens of cornfields, led us to the garden of a moated castle. This was Westerwinkel Castle, which we planned to visit a few days later. It was a pleasant surprise because we had not noticed it on the map when we changed the route this morning. We enjoyed the sight, took a few photos, and set off for the last few kilometers.

When we finally arrived in Werne, we made our way to the city center. First, we got a few things at a pharmacy, then we went to Björn's favorite fruit and vegetable stand. We bought bananas and plums from the region.

"You didn't come all the way from Hamburg by bike, did you?" an old friend of Björn's working at the organic fruit and vegetable stand. Staring at us in disbelief, he started shaking his head. He gave us carrots for the longest bike ride of the day.

When we arrived at Björn's mother's house, we were greeted effusively by her dog. We didn't expect anything else, but for me, it's always a bit too much. I like our quiet cat better, after all.

In the afternoon it was time for shopping in the city center. We had thought about doing something good for our bodies during the trip and decided to visit the local natural brine bath. However, we didn't have any bathing clothes, so we had to get them spontaneously.

After three days on the bike and a total of 320 kilometers, our bodies were a little sore, but we were thrilled to have completed this adventure almost as planned.

We were so happy and excited that we were already making plans in our heads for the next major bikepacking trip.

We will definitely take away as a lesson to consider shorter stages, maybe around 80 kilometers, to have more time to enjoy different places and not just sit in the saddle all day. Combined with photography, this is already very time-consuming.

But the most crucial question is: When will we go on the next bikepacking adventure?

by Jana Streich

Festive 500 - how do we prepare for it?

For 11 years, Rapha's Festive 500 has been part of the holiday season for many cyclists. Riding 500 km in eight days while braving the elements on a bike? Or: sitting in front of the TV in the comfort of a warm room like many others and stuffing our bellies? Sounds like an easy decision, right?

We have decided to tackle the Festive 500 this year instead of spending time at home with our families. The right thing for us to do this year is to keep to ourselves and not put ourselves or others at risk of catching the virus.

This is the first time for us to participate in the Festive 500 Challenge, and with the cold, dark, and rainy winter days ahead, it can be challenging to find the motivation to get outside and ride. The fact that the two of us are tackling the challenge together, rather than one person having to go out alone, is a massive advantage for us.

We have spent the last few days preparing and thinking, because as the saying goes, "If you don't plan, you plan to fail."

THE ROUTES

As for the design of the Festive 500, it has always been open to different interpretations, whether you want to ride long or short, on the road or off, alone or with friends. This year, for the first time, virtual Zwift kilometers will be counted.

Since, as I said, we have no family commitments this year, we decided to split the 500 km over the 8 days, which is an average of 62.5 km per day. In addition, we are free to choose when we want to get on the bike on that particular day since no one is waiting for us.

Using Komoot, we built a collection of routes for us, some on-road and some off-road. These on-road routes allow us to cover more distance in less time on days with bad weather on the road. We can also ride longer distances to have some buffer for supposed rainy days on sunny days.

A choice of routes with distances between 50 and 100 km appears to be a good solution for us to choose a longer route on days when the legs feel good and a shorter route on days when it rains.

THE FOOD

The most important question (especially for me): What do we eat to be fit on the bike for 8 days straight? Sure, we could start each day with a quick slice of toast and cook pasta and open a jar of pesto after the ride, but that wouldn't give us enough energy, nor would it do Christmas justice - because the best part of Christmas is also the delicious food.

So we made a plan: for breakfast and dinner. We start each day with healthy fats, long-chain carbohydrates, and plant-based protein. Our bowl consists of whole-grain oatmeal, and then we add all kinds of seeds, nuts, fruits, peanut butter, dates, and definitely dark chocolate. This keeps us full for a long time and gives us enough strength for the coming miles.

Along the way, we will drink lots of water, eat Clif Bars, vegan snack sausages, and fruit.

And then what? When we arrive home tired and hungry? Then we'll have a festive winter dinner: homemade red cabbage, vegan goulash, and pan-fried dumplings are on the menu, among other things. Much of it is already prepared, so there's no need to spend hours in the kitchen. And every day, there is something different because every day, the same would be dull.

If we can't complete the challenge of the Festive 500 like this, at least it's not because of the food.

THE KIT

Layers, layers, layers. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we have to deal with wind, cold, and rain. Temperatures can vary from -2°C to 10°C. So it's not so easy to dress accordingly. In some way, you're always either dressed too warm or too cold.

Our basics are a warm long-sleeved baselayer; we have several to choose from, in different weights. Warm socks. Winter bib shorts and a long-sleeved thermal jersey. Depending on the temperature, we add a jacket or vest. Ideally, we will pack something to change into to keep warm if it gets very wet.

To keep our limbs warm, each has two different pairs of gloves, a warm cap for under the helmet, and to keep our feet warm, we chose overshoes made of neoprene.

Perhaps the biggest weakness is that we don't own everything in multiple versions, and if it rains very hard, the bibs from the day before may not be dry yet. The same could happen if we don't manage to get the laundry dry after washing. But that will be fine...

THE BIKES

We will not be taking on the Festive 500 on our own bikes. Instead, we are happy to announce a collaboration with Cannondale. We will be riding the challenge on two Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 3s.

Since we ride gravel bikes ourselves, this is basically not a significant change for now, but the bikes have suspension and wider 650b tires, which should make the 500 kilometers in the saddle more pleasant. Let's hope so.

We often carry bags on the bike anyway, be it a saddle bag or a handlebar bag; plenty of storage space for multitools, extra snacks, or layers are very welcome. Also, this time excess liquid will be on board, as coffee shop stops are not possible at the moment.

Last but not least, it is likely that we will be riding at dusk or in the dark, so good bike lights are essential. These should be charged before each ride. This also applies to our GPS device, because as we all know, if it's not on Strava, it didn't happen.

BEFORE THE RIDE

Before the ride, we have breakfast and check the bikes once again, inflate air depending on the route, and prepare ourselves. This includes getting peeled in all layers, of course, but perhaps also a little stretching and warm-up program. Not to be neglected is also the use of Chamois cream; with 8 days in the saddle at a stretch, it certainly can't be wrong.

DURING THE RIDE

So after the ride, we treat not only our bikes with love but also our bodies. This includes stretching exercises after the ride, perhaps a massage, and appropriate products, such as a regenerating balm or a warming massage oil.

AFTER THE RIDE

The cold is here, and maybe we're soaked after a long ride in the saddle, thinking only of a hot shower and the remainder of the day on the sofa. However, forgetting the necessities might get in the way again on the next ride.

At this time of year, our bikes are exposed to a lot more potentially horrible conditions, so a little extra love and attention can't hurt. Luckily, we can rely on a battery-powered low-pressure cleaner to properly clean the bikes after a ride.

Otherwise, we would have to carry the muddy bikes up to the fourth floor to clean them in the bathtub. This way, we can rinse off the grossest mud outside and then take care of the details inside. We should pay special attention to the drivetrain and brakes. We will maintain our chains with a new lubricant from Muc Off, the Hydrodynamic Lube.

So after the ride, we treat not only our bikes with love, but also our bodies. This includes stretching exercises after the ride, perhaps a massage and appropriate products, such as a regenerating balm or a warming massage oil.

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, flexibility and limiting unplanned down days seem to be the keys to a successful Festive 500. While the challenge is measured in distance, the reward is measured in happiness.

We will ride some of our favorite routes, spend time together, be active and most of all have fun because that's what cycling is all about.

by Jana Streich

Where the wind comes from the west

After we spontaneously took the train to Sylt last year in the pre-season and spent an almost perfect day there that felt like being on vacation, we couldn't shake off the thought of repeating it all over again.

All summer long, I have felt this desire. We had no "real" vacation, apart from rides with our gravel bikes around Hamburg and a tour to Lübeck, all thanks to the pandemic.

Since I spent a lot of time and vacation by the sea as a child, I had a little wanderlust for the sea, more specifically for the North German coast and for its fresh salty air and the feeling that spreads inside you when you are by the sea.

But that train ride of about 6 hours proved to be a more significant obstacle this year: Do we want to sit on a train for that long? How can we travel "most safely"?

On September 19, the time had come; thanks to the FFP2 masks, we could start our long-awaited trip to Sylt.

We got up in the middle of the night to take advantage of every hour of the day. So at 4:55 am, we were on the train to Westerland, Sylt. With bags full of snacks, bars, and fruit. We experienced sunrise on the train and watched the sky turn into a beautiful shade of red as we approached the island. The weather was on our side, as the forecast was for sunshine and pleasant temperatures.

The open windows on the train meant we had no shortage of fresh air, but I was thoroughly frozen when we finally arrived in Westerland.

We finally arrived around 8:30. We immediately swung on our bikes because we really needed to get moving to warm up and get away from the crowds.

Starting from Westerland, we first rode to the southern part of the island, to Hörnum. Unfortunately, this part of the island was not particularly exciting or memorable for us, and the route led us directly along a road almost all the time. But at least: the sun gradually came out and warmed us up, and we know that we will prefer to choose other areas on our next visit to the island.

After reaching Hörnum quite quickly, we headed straight to explore other parts of Sylt. We headed further east to Morsum.

Our route took us past the Rantum Basin; on the outside of the island, there were mainly dikes, sheep, flat land, and mudflats as far as the eye could see.

But in addition, a lot of tourists on e-bikes. Quite a few, so that we could count on two hands how many cyclists like us were on the road without technical assistance.

There was everything from tarmac to gravel and lots of small stones, so this time we were pleased not to be on the road with fixed gear or single-speed bikes and narrow tires like last time.

Neither of us knew the Morsum cliff yet, Björn in particular, was taken by the beauty of this place. There was something extraordinary about these gorgeous and varied shades of soil.

We passed Keitum, rode further north and straight through Kampen.

Despite a few snack breaks, our stomachs (especially mine) were starting to growl, and we had planned to eat a portion of fries, so we kept our eyes open for an option to get some. We focused on the harbor in List, where numerous restaurants, snack bars, and stores are located. Unfortunately, this plan very quickly turned out to be a huge mistake.

The harbor was crowded. People were standing and sitting everywhere, eating, shopping, and enjoying themselves as if this were a day like any other, a day like any other year. Pandemic 2020? It didn't exist here.

Once we got a little overview, a restaurant with a huge "to go" sign on the wall lured us in. Perfect - let's grab a portion of fries and quickly get out of here. After being ignored by the staff at first, they just told us that there was no "to go" available that day and we'd have to sit down and order, which would involve a long wait. So we tried the next booth, but there they paid us no attention at all.

Quite stressed by the many people and the prospect of not getting any fries here, we fled. After the shock, we had to quickly ride a few kilometers to get away from the people. It just felt strange to us.

So we had another bite to eat from our supplies and hoped for another opportunity to eat something warm.

The next destination: the northernmost point of Germany and the "Ellenbogen". We already knew this area from our last trip to Sylt and knew that there are breathtaking spots, beaches, and relatively few people. And so it was. For me, the north of the island is one of the most beautiful parts of Sylt.

From there, we slowly made our way back to our starting point along the coast. We still had a few lovely places and route highlights planned on our path that were really worth seeing.

On the west side (Weststrand) of List, as far as possible from the harbor, we rode along the dunes and the Lister Wanderdünen. The shifting sand dunes reach a stately height of 30 meters. You can see the dunes practically from everywhere in the distance. In a year, the dunes migrate up to ten meters.

We followed the path through the dunes for a long stretch, passing a beach sauna in a beautiful dune landscape.

We reached the Red Cliff and admired the octagonal beacon (lighthouse) in the dunes northwest of Kampen. The rust-red boulder clay that gave the cliff its name got its coloring from the oxidation of ferrous constituents. (Yes, stupidly, we forgot to take a photo out of sheer admiration for the beauty of the place...)

About 1 km west of the center of Kampen is the Uwe Dune, which we passed on our way. It is the highest elevation of the North Sea island and is not surpassed by any natural hill within a radius of about 40 kilometers; Uwe Dune measures a proud 52.5 meters. Supposedly, you have a great view of the island and Kampen from a viewing platform - we preferred to save ourselves the trouble of carrying the bike up a 109-step wooden staircase.

We reached the beautiful beach between Wenningstedt and Kampen; there was a small colorful toilet house (just in time), so we took a slight detour into the sand. There were a few naked people in the distance, as there was both a dog beach and a nudist beach. We took advantage of a small hut to take a short break and take some beautiful photos.

We continued on a hiking trail, i.e., on a wooden footbridge over the Red Cliff with the "supposedly" most beautiful view of the North Sea. So we pushed our bikes and enjoyed the view of the North Sea. That was definitely beautiful.

When the wooden path was over, our way led us through the small village Wenningstedt on the Lornsenweg further in the direction of Westerland.

Finally, we reached the center of Westerland and had a reunion with the traveling giants in the wind that stood near the station. One thing was still missing to our happiness and before we exhaustedly got on the train home: the fries we had been looking forward to all day.

A kebab store near the station managed to make us happy with a portion of fries before we headed home. Finally! After that, we got back on the train to Hamburg, completely exhausted and satisfied.

ROUTES DETAILS

Follow us on Komoot and ride the route yourself.

by Jana Streich