Crossing the Black Forest; maybe.

[Andy in Germany]

Long suffering readers of "Mundane News" will know that I'm about to move near to Freiburg im Breisgau for work, while the family will remain just outside Stuttgart.
Yesterday I had to find a route on Google Maps to see how long it will take myself and a friend to drive to Freiburg at the weekend, and forgot that I always have the route planner on Google set to "cycling". I was quite startled to find Google, normally fairly conservative, though I could cycle to Freiburg in about 11 hours. For some reason, probably bad maths, a rather long and roundabout route to get there by train; and let's face it, some very intimidating hills, I'd assumed it would take at least three or four days and hadn't considered it seriously.

So I had a look on BikeMap:

Hmm... May not be as impossible as I thought. It's about 180k: I've managed 160k (100 miles) before, although not on such a hilly route as that, on the other hand I was using my lovely but somewhat heavy longtail bike for that, and now I have a lighter tourer.

Going from south to North, I'd follow route the Elztal, which I expect will soon be a regular day ride, as it's fairly short, and on the northern end I've cycled along a lot of the Neckar valley already, so it would only be the awkward bit in the middle that I wouldn't know already.

I already know I have two weeks holiday in early October, which generally has good weather here, so that would be the target date for the ride.

I'll try some exploring rides over then next weeks and see how it looks then. Of course the big question is how many days to allow?

 

[classic33]

One more than calculations say you need.

 

[newfhouse]

A couple of gateau fuelled days at an enjoyable touring pace, I would say. I’d look to get up onto the start of that middle lump on a tough day one. Day two looks a doddle at the scale of the elevation profile. I assume you’d be travelling light with little more than a credit card.

 

[Andy in Germany]

A couple of gateau fuelled days at an enjoyable touring pace, I would say. I’d look to get up onto the start of that middle lump on a tough day one. Day two looks a doddle at the scale of the elevation profile. I assume you’d be travelling light with little more than a credit card.

Unfortunately no: if I take two days it means hauling a tent, or more likely a tarp.

ETA: There would also be (minimal) luggage for my time with the family...

 

[mjr]

I'd consider Furtwangen to avoid the steepest hills at the expense of more road cycling. https://cycle.travel/map/journey/149403

I think I'd call that three nice days or two hard, but the ultralight bike packer could do it in one very long day.

 

[uphillstruggler]

the only thing i would consider is whether you have time constraints? if there is no rush to get onto your two weeks with the family, i would finish work and start cycling straight away, see how far you get on the first evening then the second day you can either make tracks and get home or take it easy and smell the roses, so to speak.

in my limited experience of that area (working for a week in Nargold) the cycling infrastructure looks great, so i hope you enjoy.

pictures are of course obligatory.

 

[newfhouse]

Unfortunately no: if I take two days it means hauling a tent, or more likely a tarp.

ETA: There would also be (minimal) luggage for my time with the family...

That’s a long challenging day in the saddle then, or it would be for me, especially if wet or windy. It’s not so much the distance - I generally aim for 120 - 140 km per day on a camping tour on moderate terrain - but there’s some relentless climbing by the look of it. October, so about 11 hours of daylight I’d guess.

It all depends on your motivation. Your choice of type 1 or type 2 fun

 

[Andy in Germany]

I'd consider Furtwangen to avoid the steepest hills at the expense of more road cycling. https://cycle.travel/map/journey/149403

I think I'd call that three nice days or two hard, but the ultralight bike packer could do it in one very long day.

I stee the point of that. Actually, if I stay travelling east out of Furtwangen to Villingen-Schwenningen, I'd reach the head of the river Neckar and could follow it all the way to just south of out apartment: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/149403. That's an incentive in itself to be honest.

Edit: Poo. Can't link it, here's a screenshot:

 

[mjr]

I'd consider Furtwangen to avoid the steepest hills at the expense of more road cycling. https://cycle.travel/map/journey/149403

5km shorter, 100m less climbing, less steep max and closer to the cycle.travel default except for avoiding the Hochberg climb out of Schenkenzell: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/149431

 

[Andy in Germany]

the only thing i would consider is whether you have time constraints? if there is no rush to get onto your two weeks with the family, i would finish work and start cycling straight away, see how far you get on the first evening then the second day you can either make tracks and get home or take it easy and smell the roses, so to speak.

in my limited experience of that area (working for a week in Nargold) the cycling infrastructure looks great, so i hope you enjoy.

pictures are of course obligatory.

That’s a long challenging day in the saddle then, or it would be for me, especially if wet or windy. It’s not so much the distance - I generally aim for 120 - 140 km per day on a camping tour on moderate terrain - but there’s some relentless climbing by the look of it. October, so about 11 hours of daylight I’d guess.

It all depends on your motivation. Your choice of type 1 or type 2 fun

Thinking about it, I guess it depends on how long I have: If it's a long weekend and I have Friday and Monday, then I wouldn't need much anyway and could treat it likie an audax and pack the minimum. If I'm away for a couple of weeks, then I will need more, but I could take my time for two or three days.

 

[mjr]

I stee the point of that. Actually, if I stay travelling east out of Furtwangen to Villingen-Schwenningen, I'd reach the head of the river Neckar and could follow it all the way to just south of out apartment: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/149403. That's an incentive in itself to be honest.

I can see the attraction but I reckon it's 75km to Villingen-Schwenningen and if you follow the actual Neckartal Radweg all the way, that's 180km from there to Suttgart (maybe sllightly less from the Neckarquelle), so it's a bit of a different ride. GPX for that cycleway is downloadable from https://cycling.waymarkedtrails.org/#route?id=6320776&map=8!48.7816!8.9289

 

[Andy in Germany]

5km shorter, 100m less climbing, less steep max and closer to the cycle.travel default except for avoiding the Hochberg climb out of Schenkenzell: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/149431

Thanks: the bit between Elzach and Haslach is one that I'm not sure about: my first map used the Black Forest Cycleway, but I was a bit sceptical at the time. I was planning to investigate the routes on day rides.

Yeah, it's tough but you know, needs must.

How well does the software keep you off busy roads using cycle.travel?

 

[Andy in Germany]

I can see the attraction but I reckon it's 75km to Villingen-Schwenningen and if you follow the actual Neckartal Radweg all the way, that's 180km from there to Suttgart (maybe sllightly less from the Neckarquelle), so it's a bit of a different ride. GPX for that cycleway is downloadable from https://cycling.waymarkedtrails.org/#route?id=6320776&map=8!48.7816!8.9289

You're right there of course. Sorry, I'd taken that into account, but forgot to mention it. That would definitely be a three day tour or more.

 

[mjr]

How well does the software keep you off busy roads using cycle.travel?

Better than most. Personally, I sometimes force it back onto them if I know I'm going to be riding it as a quietish time or there's a decent cycle lane (it seems to be a bit more cautious than me in FR/BE/NL) and there's no obvious reason not to, especially if I want to hurry. As far as I know, c.t has no way for mortals to look inside its decision-making (unlike cyclestreets), but it covers far more of the world.

 

[matticus]

Jumping up from 160km to 180km (plus some hills) is no big deal in itself (all other things being equal). Except you don't say how long the 160km took ..

5 hours? Or 15?? (elapsed, not moving, ideally)