Hey r/bikepacking! I'm planning a 7-day bikepacking trip through the Rhineland region of Germany in late May (23rd to 29th) with two friends and wanted to share the route and get some feedback from people who know the area. Komoot link and slides link in the comments!
The Route
We're starting in Maastricht and ending in Venlo, doing a big loop through the Eifel, Bonn and Köln. Total distance is around 400km with approximately 3,520m of climbing over 6 riding days plus one rest day.
Day by day breakdown:
- Day 1 (May 23rd): Maastricht to Aachen via the Vaalsberg | 70km / 1000m climbing
- Day 2 (May 24th): Aachen to Rursee along the Vennbahn | 50km / 650m climbing
- Day 3 (May 25th): Rursee to Bonn through the Eifel | 83km / 820m climbing
- Day 4 (May 26th): Rest day in Bonn / Phantasialand
- Day 5 (May 27th): Bonn to Köln along the Rhine | 61km / 140m climbing
- Day 6 (May 28th): Köln to Hückelhoven across farmland | 68km / 330m climbing
- Day 7 (May 29th): Hückelhoven to Venlo through Deurnsche Peel | 66km / 210m climbing
The Group and Bikes
Three of us with mixed fitness levels. This is the first proper bikepacking trip for two of us, I've done a couple of overnighters before but nothing of this length or distance:
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Cannondale CAAD13 (me), planning to swap to gravel tyres for the trip given the mixed surfaces. Open to tyre recommendations for this route specifically
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Swapfiets eBike, the powerful model as specced on their website, which helps balance out the mixed fitness levels nicely
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Cross Causa SL5 27.5
Hardtail MTB Should be fine for all terrain
Carrying Setup
Since we're staying in apartments every night we're travelling pretty minimal, mostly backpacks. I'm considering running a frame bag and possibly a handlebar bag on the CAAD13. Would love thoughts on whether that setup is sufficient for a 7 day trip where you're not camping.
Surface Breakdown
The route is a mix of paths (164km), cycleways (97km), roads (85km) and streets (46km) with a small amount of singletrack and compacted gravel. Surface wise it's mostly asphalt with some unpaved sections, hence the gravel tyre swap on the CAAD13.
Questions for the Community
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Has anyone ridden the Vennbahn? Any sections we should know about or highlights not to miss?
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Day 3 is our biggest day at 83km with 820m of climbing, does anyone know the Rursee to Bonn stretch well? Any gotchas for a mixed ability group?
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Any must-stop spots along the Rhine between Bonn and Köln that aren't obvious from a map?
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The Deurnsche Peel on the final day, worth slowing down for or fairly unremarkable on a bike?
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Any local food or drink recommendations along the route, particularly around the Eifel area?
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What gravel tyres would you recommend for the CAAD13 on this kind of mixed surface route? Looking for something that rolls well on road but handles the unpaved sections comfortably
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Any bike shops along the route worth knowing about for emergency mechanicals? Particularly between Rursee and Bonn and through the Eifel
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Late May weather, are there any sections of the route that get particularly rough in wet conditions? Especially the unpaved and gravel stretches
Photography
I'm also keen to document the trip properly, particularly the Rursee at golden hour and the Rhine between Bonn and Köln. If anyone knows great shooting spots or scenic detours worth the extra km I'd love to hear them.
Accommodation
We're staying at Hotel Burghof in Aachen, glamping at Rursee, Stilvolle Apartments in Bonn for two nights, Apartment Hotel Citylight in Köln and Haus Mammut in Hückelhoven.
Budget
Mandatory costs coming in at around €250 per person before food and transport which we're pretty happy with tbh.
Slides Link:
Any advice, local knowledge or route suggestions massively appreciated, especially from anyone who has ridden any part of this route before!
by Afternoin_Pedal2012