Bikepacking in times of Corona, actually this year should be TCR (Transcontinental Race) taking place for me. Instead, it was a mixed season for all of us:
- No races
- No marathons
- No RTF or other tours that motivate you
- Hardly any club training
I know I'm not alone in this, which is exactly why the planning was one Bikepacking tour This year was very difficult and yet the only way for me to experience something nice. bikepacking with the Racing bike End of October was my option.
The year 2020 was planned to be totally different and that is exactly why a bikepacking tour under Corona conditions is so interesting and attractive.
Road bike season with a difference
Actually I wanted 2020 at the big one TCR ride along and prepare for it in advance with various events, but it became clear early in the year: It will probably be nothing this year 🤔 Since I am not alone in the world, my wife has planned her year accordingly. Separate summer holidays and enough free time for me so that I can prepare for the TCR accordingly. So there I was, no races, no marathons and of course no TCR.
Summer without vacation
The worst thing was then, in the end without a summer vacation. In the summer I had to work overtime. Data protection wanted websites to follow a new cookie consent process 😩 I can't hear it anymore. Instead of more beautiful Bikepacking tours in the Alps in summer, which I would have done as an alternative to TCR, I spent very long days in the office. Due to the current home office regulation of my employer, I am almost alone in the office, I have now settled in at home 😂. So I postponed my bikepacking tour to quieter times, and then it started for me at the end of October.
Planning in times of Corona
I don't want to get up too much here either Corona rambling around, but of course it doesn't make planning any easier if Accommodation bans and risk areas exist. As I said, I came back shortly before the second lockdown. You could even say that I caught exactly that window between the ban on accommodation in Bavaria and the second lockdown - you have to be lucky sometimes 😉
I won't tell you about my originally planned routes, but only about my Corona-compatible route.
Lake Constance-Königssee cycle path
The Lake Constance-Königssee cycle path I've always wanted to ride and since I wasn't as good in training this year as in the years before, it made sense not to plan too hard and too much. Alps were a must for me, without having been in the mountains once a year I feel bad. Not because I'm such a mountain goat - on the contrary - but because I love the mountains. Who my report of my Riva del Garda tour probably can't hear my expressions of love anymore 😂
With my favorite planning tool Komoot, I planned my tour as far as possible. Driving a public route doesn't require much planning either. Find the right collection at Komoot, save it and get on the Wahoo. With that I had done the most important thing. Bought another train ticket to Lindau on Lake Constance and I was done. The rest should be done spontaneously as always, there was no other way this year anyway. But now my journey is finally starting 🚴♂️
Arrival in Lindau on Lake Constance
On Saturday, October 17th, the train started at 20:50 p.m. from Hamburg Central Station. I had to change trains three times to Lindau and arrived in Lindau on Sunday, October 18th at 9:55 am sharp. Anyone who has ever taken the train to Lindau knows that arriving in Lindau is a special experience. The train runs over a dam on the peninsula (or is it just a headland?), that alone is really nice.
The Lindau train station is right on the small harbor and the beautiful old town. Lindau alone is worth a trip. However, next time I would not open there on Sunday morning 😉
Now I needed a proper breakfast before the adventure could finally begin!
Stage 1 - Lindau to Rettenberg - Vorderburg
First of all: It was almost all uphill today and there was a deadly climb on the last 5 km, but I don't want to start at the end. After a hearty breakfast in Lindau, I finally started my journey. Only a few meters at Bodensee, along and then straight into the mountains. First of all: There aren't many main roads and towns on the Bodensee-Königssee cycle path and that's a good thing!
Ratz-Fatz in the Allgäu
Just started in Lindau, I was already in the middle of the beautiful Allgäu. I was able to enjoy small streets and beautiful cycle paths immediately. After about 6 km I made a short and my only detour to Austria. Actually, I probably shouldn't have gone over here, but it was only about 5 km of road in Austria and I didn't stop either! Over a small bridge we went back to Germany and straight into the forest.
Lindau is about 400 m above sea level. After 38 km I was up to 600 m and took a short break in a forest café. Unfortunately there was no cake there at 12 noon, but a large coffee also did its job.
Beautiful cycle paths - purely into the Allgäu Beloved mountains 😍 Allgäu Cold but dry lonely valleys Coffee break Bikepacking fever Beautiful Allgaeu
Now it's uphill
Now we continued in the direction of Oberstaufen, which is at least 800 m. After Oberstaufen, we went through a valley surrounded by mountains at 1500 m and I passed it Aplsee. Funnily enough, my route took me around Sonthofen again before the grand finale of this stage. In Sonthofen I booked the room for the night in the Gasthof Hirsch.
The Gasthof Hirsch was also my best accommodation of the whole tour, something like that should actually come to an end and that for just over 40 EUR. All I can say is hats off.
But I'm not even there yet 😂
Now it's going uphill quite steeply. Yes, this route is on the Bodensee-Königssee cycle path and the inn is right on the route. So I couldn't have saved myself the hill somehow. On the last 7 km I climbed another 170 meters to the inn. Even if it doesn't sound so wild, with luggage and 100km in my legs it was difficult for me and then I knew what I was doing.
The ascent was then rewarded with a great modern room and really good food in the inn, I would go there again at any time!
Stage 2 - Vorderburg to Eschenlohe an der Loisach
After a quiet and very restful night - it's just more comfortable in bed than on the train - and a delicious breakfast, I packed my bike again and enjoyed the beautiful place in daylight.
Front castle in daylight Shortly before departure in Vorderburg
It would have been a pity if I hadn't seen this beautiful place during the day.
It was about 6°C and I dressed warmly. The sun warmed up a bit when we were stationary, but we all know the cold wind. It first went through a beautiful and mild landscape that is typical of the Allgäu. That's exactly how I imagined the Allgäu 😍 mountains, lots of pastures and endless cows.
Small streets in the Allgäu Tranquil pastures Grandiose view of the Alps There has to be a cake break too
After 20km I had my first coffee and cake break in Nesselwang. In the meantime it was 18°C in the sun and when stationary.
Stopover Neuschwanstein Castle
Now I continued in the direction of Füssen, where the famous Neuschwanstein Castle can be found. The route now goes more and more in the direction of the Alps until you are in Füssen in front of the north face of the Alps.
Pause for a moment at the summit What a look 😍
Shortly before Füssen it went downhill and then flat through Füssen. Behind Füssen I then took a lunch break directly under the Neuschwanstein Castle.
On my bikepacking tour last year, Füssen was the end for me. After starting in Hamburg, going to Lake Garda and then crossing the Alps a second time, I took the train back home in Füssen. But for me it went even further. Flat past the Forggensee and then it went uphill again. My route always led me along and over the Alps, it was especially beautiful with this weather.
The Loisach Loisach Away from the main roads we went through small towns Lonely mountain landscape Again and again gravel sections Shortly before the exit towards the hotel
Daily goal reached
Around 18:00 p.m. I reached my current accommodation. It was almost dark now and of course it was getting cold again. The inn was almost empty so I could just park my bike in the foyer. The nice landlady asked me how many beers I would like, not whether but just how many 😂, thank you I took two and went to my room. After the warm shower I ate the leftovers of my food from the day, because the kitchen was no longer open in the inn, without enough guests it's just not worth it for the operator.
Stage 3 - Eschenlohe an der Loisach to Fischbachau
After getting up there was a nice breakfast. As I said, the Gashof was very empty and so there were only two of us in the large breakfast room. I took the Königsplatz by the window and was able to look out over the Zugspitze enjoy my rich breakfast.
Three Lakes Tour
Today it stood Three Lakes Tour on the plan. Kochelsee, Tegernsee and Schliersee. Besides, it should still be through for me Bad Tolz walk. It started really quickly, even the inclines didn't cause me any problems - for the time being. I simply ignored Kochel am See and preferred to do kilometers.
Beautiful forest trails small streets Alpine panorama Is that a dream! A warm föhn came over the Alps Monastery Selfie in the sun Isar Bad Tolz
I was at Tegernsee around 17 p.m. and hadn’t had lunch yet 😳 I can tell you that this doesn’t happen often 😂
I then treated myself to half a chicken with a large portion of potato salad. Of course there had to be a cyclist too. After the meal I stayed a little longer and looked for a room for the night. I didn't want to go too far and decided to spend the night just behind the Schliersee.
Gravel through the forest Fantastic Gravel routes Flat through the fields It got steep before Tegernsee Tegernsee Tegernsee What a boost
So I booked a room for the night in Fischbachau. The sun was slowly setting and so I set off for the last 30 km. There were still a few surprising climbs, so I only got into it in the twilight Fishbachau arrived.
On the last few meters I had to realize that Komoot had once again chosen something special for me. It didn't go up the road to the inn, but nicely over a cow pasture. So I had to push something.
Surprise at the inn
When I arrived at the inn, it looked pretty closed. But that didn't surprise me, due to the lack of guests, many inns only have few staff on site. So I went to the entrance of the inn, unfortunately the door was locked. So I rang several times, but unfortunately nothing happened. I sat down in front of the inn and looked for the phone number, nobody answered there either.
Now a young man came out of the restaurant, I asked him if he knew how to get to my room. He only said that he was a private guest of the owner of the restaurant and that the inn and restaurant do not belong together. I wrote an email to the accommodation in the hope that someone would get in touch.
I booked my room through Booking.com and already paid for it. All in all very annoying.
Now the owner of the restaurant came out and said, if I don't mind sitting down with him when he visits, I'm welcome to come in. Of course, I didn't let the offer pass me by. He then tried to reach the innkeeper by phone and was lucky. Apparently she wasn't prepared for me. But I was given a warm welcome and quickly had my first beer in my hand. Before the very unfriendly innkeeper came, the very friendly innkeeper had already made me happy with several beers and shots 😂
I was reluctantly given a room and the landlady babbled some shit about everything Accommodation ban and then again not. I didn't care, I had a room. The nice guy from the restaurant then invited me to dinner and I had a really great evening with him and his guests. Just great that you always get to know great people at the right time!
To be continued in the next article 😉
The podcast is here:
Hallo,
Was the Lake Constance-Königsee cycle path easy to do with a racing bike or would a bike with thicker tires be better overall? I look forward to an answer :€
Hi Svenja.
They are mostly normal streets. Personally, I prefer 32mm tires for touring. But you definitely don’t need gravel tires.
Greetings Raimund.