Audax Brevet “400 km Von Küste zu Küste“ [Teil 1/3] ARA Schleswig Holstein Kiel

Das 400 km Brevet „Von Küste zu Küste“ vom 29. April 2023, mit 64 Finishern (8 DNF), mit viel Gegenwind auf den ersten 130 km, viel Sonne und angenehmen Temperaturen über Tage und einer sehr kalten Nacht am Ende der Brevetfahrt.
Höhepunkte für mich waren:
– die Routenplanung zwei Mal quer durch unser schönes Schleswig-Holstein
– die gemeinsame Gruppenfahrten in großen wie auch kleinen Gruppen
– das sonnige und warme Wetter
– mit dem ganzen Trupp mit der Schwebefähre über den Nord-Ostsee-Kanal
– die lange Zwangspause vor dem langen “Kühe-Track”
– die Fahrt am Deich mit Blick auf das Wattenmeer
– die Kontrolle in Meldorf mit Vollversorgung
…
Danke an das Organisations-Team “Claudia und Carsten” vom Standort Schleswig-Holstein der Audax Randonneur Allemange (ARA).

The 400 km Brevet 2023 “From Coast to Coast”. In the heart of Schleswig-Holstein. Group rides in wind and sunshine. Take a transporter bridge. Come with me! Be there! The fascination of certification driving. This is Audax. The track takes us twice across Schleswig-Holstein.

We start from Kiel, drive via Wrohe, via Owschlag, north to the Flensburg Fjord, to Glücksburg, then we turn southwest towards Husum on the North Sea, further south to Meldorf and then we head east again, just before Hamburg to Bad Bramstedt and Back to Kiel via Preetz, we have 8 checkpoints, so 8 stages,

Quite flat route profile Well – a lot prepared for 400 km. Bike nicely cleaned. Will have it dry. Packed enough food. The sugar bottles refilled. The Snickers are on board. Rolls and sandwiches all well packed. The starting point is in Kiel Schönkirchen. Right back at the bakery.

[… and in Meldorf at km 264 I organized a private inspection – just go in there – sit down and get something to eat and drink. They have rolls for you…] Yes – Carsten has just announced that we will even be provided with culinary delights on the way.

Around the last third of the route And the first ones are slowly getting ready for the start First group starts The rest are waiting. We start again every 5 minutes – group by group . Good morning. It’s the end of April. Weather is great today.

And today comes the third part of the Super Randonneur series 2023. Yes – we have just started – in the small group. We have group 5°. It’s still quite cold but it should get really warm afterwards. We won’t get any rain.

Yes, and the wind is quite good too. We first drive north from Kiel around the Westensee, up to Flensburg / Glücksburg and then we head towards the North Sea over to Büsum. And we should have the wind slightly from behind.

And then we go even further south. Yes – let’s see when I’ll be back tonight – whether everything goes well… So we have significantly fewer participants now than in the last 400 km. And so we slowly roll towards the inner fjord – to the Hörn – past the HDW.

Yes – Mr Snickers GoPro I always have it in my hand – the GoPro or bite on it. That sure looks fun. Get out of Kiel slowly. And I usually tied Snickers in rubber rings on the top tube. That’s why more and more people started calling me “Mr Snickers”.

But I find these things very practical. They can withstand everything: sun, rain… You can really ride around on your bike for months. And if you’re really hungry, this is a good snack. The group is slowly getting bigger. Apparently a few people weren’t so quick to check in with the app. Good morning!

Oh yes! And we slowly leave Kiel towards the east. still closed Yes, unfortunately it has to be – yes, the group will never be in front of the lens again. This will spread out “mega” later. Let’s see – the first checkpoint is quite close.

That’s just – I don’t know – just over 20 km… And it’s going to get warm pretty soon. Then you can probably take off your clothes a bit. Yes – and one of them is driving on a single speed!

Also wants to go to Paris [PBP] and he has already driven once (at least he has a vest). The already outskirts of Kiel – still closed association – at a calm pace – we leave Kiel. Ferrari engine in… Everything free…! And so we drive around the outside of the Westensee.

And his luggage rack right there on the front of the handlebars – I really liked it. So I’m excited early in the morning and I let the group get to me again Ahh – nothing’s going to happen – I have to go.

And the whole game again. Get to the front – turn the camera sideways and slow down. Let the group drive past All the fancy bikes. Filming is already happening! From some woman… First checkpoint. This is how it works at the fire department – in Wrohe.

Get out the e-Brevet app – have a photo taken – determine the position and send the whole thing up. So take a photo – move on – wrong again. First checkpoint has been reached. Very very short only.

Around the Westensee – we drive around it to the west. The next point is quite soon. 25 km to Owschlag. and then we head up towards Flensburg Fjord. And that’s now – I think the thing is called Westensee here… the little town.

Nice smooth roads but the wind was clearly noticeable from the front. And so we drive quite compactly – but quite quickly… 2 are out in front and the group has become noticeably smaller. This is where the pressure is

Applied. The pressure is applied really well at the front – driving in a streamlined manner. and everyone in the Belgian roundabout behind always in a row of two. [We already talked about Paris things last time. That used to be a Kickstarter thing… ]

[This part – you can attach it to any bike…] I really liked the luggage rack. You can definitely grow it anywhere. But unfortunately it has become very expensive. Now we are in Rendsburg or Osterröhnfeld opposite the Kiel Canal.

Now we go to the suspension ferry. This thing is pretty unique. Was under repair for a long time. Yes – I’ve never ridden before. I think it’s over today. go on! And there it is – the Rendsburg High Bridge. A landmark of civil engineering in Germany.

And on a trolley at the top of the bridge, a ferry, a floating ferry, is pulled across the canal. It then flies over the water – it’s also pretty unique. Just coming over! Let’s come at the right time. The first time on the transporter bridge…

Even though I live here on the canal… Yes, it was broken for a long time – it was repaired… So I never got the chance to go there myself, even though it only takes me a few minutes to get there.

And that’s how it works The whole group gets up on this beautiful old ferry. Luckily we didn’t have to wait. For me it was one of the highlights right at the beginning of this tour. Get on this ferry with everyone there. Oh come on! Now we can go – finally!

Swim! It goes over the Kiel Canal and so we cross the NOK quite elegantly while having a nice chat A railway line runs at the top of the bridge. If another train comes – over there. At least listening helps.

And so the large group slowly crosses Rendsburg. We have to drive all the way across. But it won’t stay closed for long. Almost everyone seems to have gathered. It’s a huge group now. Get over there quickly – otherwise they’ll all run away from me.

Yes, that is Rendsburg. Some people drive over – cycling is prohibited. So we take the underpass. Three drove over – over the bridge – and are already significantly further. Also very empty.

How did you manage that??? That’s right – can you manage that? [Yes, sure]. That’s… well, I wouldn’t have anything to do with… I wouldn’t be able to do it. I… Wow! Chain broken! Yes – chain through! Yes, that would have been the end for me. I didn’t have a chain link with me.

Have you ever experienced a chain breaking? Without without an increase? The bike is… One of the last traffic lights and the group is torn apart. Yes, we didn’t want to go over anymore… although in a group you can actually drive over. Now the group is very small again.

But the next checkpoint is just a few kilometers away. So I’m guessing – we’ll all get together. That a chain can break… Since then I’ve been driving around with a chain breaker, a piece that weighs 40 g, and a chain lock. So if that happened to me…

I would deal with it now. And I always have this little, light thing with me. Attention attention! Wow we have it! Second checkpoint – km 62 is now. Second checkpoint. With an election campaign event. So the same thing again –

Take out the cell phone, have a photo taken, determine the position – send it up… Yes – he has to work hard – I’m hanging behind him. We want to get the group up front. Well – he was really struggling. The wind, unfortunately you can’t see it in the bushes here,

Was pretty bad, but you’re killing yourself trying to catch up. If a group in front drives away pretty quickly – catching up with it costs a lot of money but it works. That was exhausting. I got involved. Yes – I didn’t manage to do that last time

On the 300 at the end with about 70 km to go… I couldn’t keep up… yes, yes, because you’re wearing yourself out so much, the tour is still long – we’ve got it Just

How beautiful when the first flowers come out on the trees, the first flowers bloom – so early in the year. And so we go back together in the Belgian roundabout on narrow cycle paths.

You can’t see it – we are in Schleswig, 50 km before Glücksburg, the third destination, the end of the Schlei right here at the Wikingturm Then we go through Schleswig. Past Gottorf Castle. Excellent! Sun is coming out now. But we have a lot of headwind.

It goes right through the city of Schleswig. And out of Schleswig. As you can see from the wind turbine, it’s exactly against the wind. That was Schleswig. We still have 40 km to Glücksburg. In Glücksburg we are back in control. Then we have 120 km – a bit more than a quarter.

Yes, blue sky – great weather. Yes – he still had his down jacket on. He didn’t freeze. Sweat ran down his face. But moving is difficult if you want to stay in the group. Then it’s time to ride along until the whole group stops again.

Yes, or you have to give up the group. And now they see us – they have to come over to slipstream a little. Beautiful cycle paths again with wind protection and the first green leaves. nice “car-empty” and calm. What great weather!

And again the two in front change – go outwards – let themselves fall back… and it’s the next ones’ turn – to put a lot of pressure on the wind. Yes, then it’s my turn. They can’t keep up… And the next change – I go out to the side and fall back again

And film the group. This is Sürop – 18 km from Glücksburg and everyone is looking forward to moving. nice and warm. The guy behind me is still wearing a down jacket, but he says he prefers sweating to being cold.

So 18 km of wind from the front and then it comes diagonally from the side, which is actually the side it should come from. Maybe we’re lucky that he comes a little bit from behind. But from Büsum onwards he is completely behind.

Yes – you can even see the wind here. I hope this is right at the turning point – well – it’s not coming from behind, but at least not from the front. Yes, you have to somehow manage your strength and resources at 400 km,

But we still had quite a fast speed as a group against the wind. I don’t think you could have kept the pace alone – at least not me. Past these huge, beautiful yellow rapeseed fields. Another change at the front and it’s easy to go downhill.

Exchange again – a few more kilometers to the checkpoint in Glücksburg! And a lot of wind from the front! Glücksburg on the Baltic Sea. This is the northernmost or the northernmost control – a few meters away. The first thing everyone will do is tear their clothes off.

So now we’re looking for control. A baker – a baker – Becker Tyson There’s one! City bakery – yes – but that wasn’t the goal or the third check and so we stand there for now and it takes a moment until we realize that it’s not the goal of the third check

So we all go back straight away . Yes – Glücksburg is even written in bold on it – almost 130 km Have another photo taken Position determination – upload – so we’ve had the third checkpoint and what happens next… you’ll see that in the second part, see you soon