We make no secret of it, cycling in the mountains is the best thing for us to do. That we 'have' to do most kilometres through vast meadows, along the Dutch delta and occasionally climb the Dutch hills is certainly not a punishment, but nothing beats the mountains. To enjoy the Alpine giants, the Pyrenees or the Dolomites you will soon find yourself in the car for eight hours or more. So is there nothing closer to home to still get a small glimpse of real climbing and descending? Yes indeed, there is!
text and photos: Erwin van de Mountain High Chasers
After less than four hours' drive, I park the car in the car park of our accommodation and take my bike off the rack. Climbing Mont Ventoux, Alp d'Huez or Passo dello Stelvio is out of the question, but based on the landscape, I still have high hopes for this excellent alternative: the German Eifel.
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Perfect roads
For many Dutch it is a familiar area, the Eifel and the Moselle in particular is mentioned a lot in the holiday magazines. Yet it is striking how few cyclists you see here. Even the heatmap on Strava and the various segments show that there is not an extreme amount of cycling here. There should be a reason for that you would think.
I quietly roll down the valley to the village Leiwen along the Moselle. While I have been cycling for less than five minutes, I already stop twice for a photo. After all, the view is worth interrupting this descent. The pine trees occasionally allow a view through over the Moselle valley with its famous river. What else immediately strikes me are the great roads. We know that the Germans can build fast roads, but even in an area like this the roads are perfect. This remains the case throughout the route, whether you're on a cycle path or a country road.
Climbing and descending
Fair is fair, the lack of giant peaks around you doesn't immediately make you imagine yourself in the Alps, Pyrenees or Dolomites, but still, this ride exceeds my expectations and I dare call it a good alternative to riding in the mountains. Pretty soon the Garmin indicates that the first climbing segment is starting, 165 metres to go...GO! Almost eight kilometres of climbing starts at a rate of nine per cent. Soon I imagine myself in the high mountains and not just because of the statistics on my screen. The road meanders up among the pines with the increasingly beautiful view of the valley on the left. The real climbing feeling is enhanced even more by the hairpin bends. There may not be 48 of them, but with a little imagination it's like the Stelvio.
Overlooking the hills
Once you reach the top, you look out over a beautiful hilly landscape and wonder where you just came up. The same goes for the descent. The road goes gently up and down until you suddenly find yourself in a lovely descent with again a good road surface. In the process, I don't encounter anyone and can use the entire road without danger because it's clear here. My maximum altitude today is just under 500 metres, yet you keep rising above the trees and then descending back into the forest. This too adds to the feeling that you are really climbing and descending.
Slightly less alpine, just as beautiful
The second climb is a little less 'Alpine like', but with a length of 6.5 kilometres it is quite an effort. The nice thing about this climb is that you pass through two German villages (Büdlich and Breit) in which I am stared at by literally two chickens and no other rooster crows at me. Where the climb was slightly less you get full value for money during the descent. A beautiful wide descent through the forest with hairpin bends again for the ultimate experience.
Conclusion
My ride ends with a 2.4-kilometre climb back to my accommodation where you can stomp through nicely at an average of 6%. Entering the final turn, I think back to my expectations for this ride.
If you expect high snow-capped peaks and climbs of 10 kilometres or more, you will be disappointed. But for those who are serious about climbing and descending on fantastic, quiet roads, you will find a paradise of opportunities here. Whether you go for a 44-kilometre coffee ride or a challenging 144-kilometre tour. Either way, it will be gruelling and enjoyable at the same time as you alternate between the river and the surrounding hills. Speaking of coffee, Germany is still not known for its coffee culture so don't expect too much of that. The Apfelstrudel, on the other hand, was something to lick your fingers at.
So get in the car on Friday afternoon after work and drive to Leiwen and surrounding areas for a great alternative when you want to climb well and descend wonderfully.
