Highlights from my ride up the Rhine Valley from Amsterdam to Liechtenstein
Mia Bella and me at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers (Deutsches Eck)
THE TOUR
My ride up the Rhine was not, strictly speaking, the typical cycle-tourist’s sightseeing adventure. For me, it was more a pilgrimage to experience first-hand the intelligent cycling infrastructure for which this part of Europe is renowned; to visit my mother’s birthplace and spend a few days with family in northern Germany; to cycle through the region of my birthplace in southern Germany which I left at age seven; and, ultimately, to attend my niece’s very special 50th birthday celebration on May 24th with family and friends in Liechtenstein. Given the three-week window, there was limited time to explore and detail the many historic sites and cultural diversions through which the scenic Eurovelo 15 Route passes and for which the Rhine Valley is best known.
Route Overview:
Amsterdam — Viersen — Koeln — Bonn — Koblenz — Strasbourg — Basel — Schaffhausen — Kreuzlingen — St. Margreten — Buchs — Schaan — Vaduz
TRIP STATS
- Distance 1,216 km
- Rolling Time 98:40:22
- Days on the Trail 16
- Avg. Daily Distance 76 km
- Avg. Speed 12.32 km/hr
- Max. Speed 45.1 km/hr
- Avg. Cadence 73 rpm
- Rider Weight 165 lbs (75 kg)
- Bike Weight (loaded) 140 lbs (63.5 kg)
- Total Loaded Weight 305 lbs (138.3 kg)
- Trail expenditures (food, meals, phone card) €200 (€12.50/day)