German river tour next May

[Auntie Helen]

I'm not expecting too much trouble with the cobbles now that I have Big Apple tyres all round (plus slipping over isn't an issue on the trike), although I'll obviously go slowly due to lack of front suspension. I still have an idea, however, that I'll dump the bike somewhere and do the Altstädte by foot as it'll probably make life easier – trikes really are such a pain to wheel around.

Most of the Radwege I saw last week appeared to be separate tarmac wide paths running alongside the river. There were times when cyclists seemed to be on the roads with other cars (viewed from a boat in the middle of the river so not always easy to make out) but generally it all looked pretty straightforward and if we could see them, they could presumably see the rivers. I saw fewer cyclists along the Moselle so I assume it's less popular (mind you, this was the end of October).

As I'm not camping I'm working on the assumption that I can fit my 2 sets of cycling lycra gear and 1 set of normal civvies, including normal shoes, rain gear, toiletries, purse, camera, lock, bike spares, pump and other stuff in my 3-section panniers on the trike. I also have the Radical Sidepods which fit another 25-ish litres in volume (and are long enough to fit a French Stick without breaking it in half, which is a bonus). I'm hoping this is feasible - the spare tools and pump take up a fair bit of room but my solid D-Lock and thick chain to go with it are irritatingly heavy and bulky, but I suspect worth it. BTFB, didn't you fit all your stuff including tent and other camping equipment in just 5 panniers??

Another question, is it easy enough to find survivable loos on the way, or is the need for the loo a great excuse for einen Schwarzen Tee mit Milch und ein Stück Schwarzwälderkirschtorte?

 

[Andy in Sig]

Public loos tend to be thinner on the ground than in UK but there are plenty of bushes to the side of the routes. But your cafe excuse is generally the right answer. If you look in the Bikeline guide you'll notice that the colour coding of the route tells you where you will be sharing with traffic. It's usually for very short stretches only and German drivers tend to be very aware and considerate. The Mosel is a pretty popular route but the big three in Germany are the Danube, Rhine and Weser. Another really good route is the Romantische Straße which takes you from the foot of the Alps at Füssen to Würzburg (on the Main). Might be worth thinking about as the medaeval towns on the route are stunning.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

BTFB, didn't you fit all your stuff including tent and other camping equipment in just 5 panniers??

Another question, is it easy enough to find survivable loos on the way, or is the need for the loo a great excuse for einen Schwarzen Tee mit Milch und ein Stück Schwarzwälderkirschtorte

JUST 5 panniers...erm...yes I did and I had lot's of room to carry food/bier/ouzo and other necessities each night!

As for the loo well being a mere bloke I used trees mostly en route....

...there will be enough cafe's on the cycle routes at convenient intervals.

If you do get lost on occassion the best bet is just to ask a local cyclist where the Radweg is and you will be back on track in no time. I got completly lost in Schaffhausen so I asked a local cyclist...he took 15 minutes out of his day to ride with me and show me the way ...nice fella...

...I also rode down the romanstiche strasse radweg....have to say though that I staye don the radweg mostly and didnt go into the towns all that much which was probably a mistake as I was disappointed in that stretch, but att he time it was the right decision

Here is a pic of the what you will be riding on 90% of the time:

 

[Andy in Sig]

That don't half look like one of the stretches of the Danube path a few kms from where I live. Could be anywhere though like you say.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

..it's part of the Wesser radweg

 

[mcr]

Don't discount some of the lesser rivers with their marked routes. The Lahn is particularly attractive, for instance, and could be combined with a Rhein/Mosel itinerary via Koblenz - more obviously rural than the biggies and some fabulous towns en route. Then there's the Nahe, the Neckar, the Altmuhl.

A couple of links that may be useful:

http://www.fahrrad-tour.de/nindex.htm

http://www.radweit.de/index/routyber.html

 

[snorri]

Snorri, I'm assuming that the nicest part of your trip was Mainz to Cologne and then it got a bit more industrial and less picturesque?
Oh and Snorri, is your avatar pic Brightlingsea?

Yes, Mainz-Cologne was probably more picturesque, but Cologne to Rotterdam there were more things to look at. I see hills and heather every day at home, so industrial makes an interesting change.
Avatar not Brightlingsea but a buoy in the Cromarty Firth.

Re the kerb jumping. I recall being in some areas of Germany where the use of pavements became a real pain, then in other areas the problem did not seem to arise.

 

[Tony]

...and don't forget the canal routes