Rostock → Berlin (May 2024) – What I Learned in 340 km
In May 2024 I did my very first bike tour: Rostock to Berlin. I originally planned to go a bit farther, but Berlin Hauptbahnhof felt like the perfect place to call it, grab a train, and head home. No regrets at all.
I used my old city bike for the trip. Nothing wrong with it in everyday life, and honestly it carried me far better than it had any obligation to. But the tour made one thing extremely obvious: long-distance riding needs a bike that’s built for it. Mine started falling apart along the way simply because it wasn’t designed for these kinds of stretches.
The other big lessons hit just as hard:
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Bring way less.
On your first tour you think you need your whole apartment. You don’t. I overpacked by a mile. Next time my setup will be half the weight and twice the freedom. -
Stop bringing the entire kitchen.
I imagined I’d be cooking every day. In reality, the route is full of bakeries, supermarkets, kiosks, small restaurants… enough food everywhere. Cooking gear turned out to be dead weight.
Despite the rookie mistakes, the ride was incredible. I learned a lot, covered 340 km in just four days, and came home already planning how to do things smarter next time.
I already covered my second stretch in 2025 with a new bike from Berlin to Regensburg. But that is a different post altogether.
I am curious to hear everyone’s first rookie mistakes in the first ever tour!
I could be repeating some of mine and I haven’t realised yet.
by SuperstesVitaeAmans