The Palatinate is always a good idea…
…our Raimund is convinced of that. The extremely mild climate, the many hours of sunshine and the lush vegetation with so many exotic species almost make you think you are cycling through Tuscany. Perhaps that is why the native of North Rhine-Westphalia feels so at home in the Palatinate, after all, he lived in the real Tuscany for 13 years, where he managed our bike station, and together with his Italian colleague Simone, looked after the guests on their cycling tours. He is convinced of our tours – whether in Italy or the Palatine – so it’s easy for him to give our guests the best possible support in every situation and solve their problems.
The 2020 cycling season
Last year was of course a slightly different year for the bike station in the Palatinate. It wasn’t until June that our first guests were able to hop on the pedals and enjoy the wonderful Palatinate weather. But despite the delayed start to the season, Raimund is positive: “The minute it became clear that we were allowed to travel again, I started preparing my station. The bikes that I keep for the winter in the Palatinate were of course ready to go, but I also had to go to the Eurobike head office in Obertrum to pick up the other bikes. So from that moment we had our hands full. And that was great! From then on, the season was almost normal for me. At least in terms of workload. The people were ready to travel and the measures we took gave them the security they needed for a carefree cycle tour. And I am proud to say the Palatinate was one of the best-booked cycling regions of last season. I have to admit that last year was perhaps a little more stressful for me than many other seasons, as people booked at short notice so within a short time the bikes had to be serviced and ready, travel documents prepared and luggage transfers organised. But believe me when I say, it was good stress!”
Did you know the Palatinate is the largest wine-growing region for Riesling – worldwide?
Ready for the 2021 cycling season
Even if Raimund has no guests to look after in winter, he was not idle in the cold months. “During the season I have around 60-70 bikes of all kinds with me at the station in Neustadt an der Weinstresse. I always do the rough maintenance work on these bikes, clean and disinfect them and make sure they are always in top condition. In winter I bring the heavily used bikes to the head office in Obertrum, where my colleague David puts them through their paces, repairs them and fixes broken parts. I keep the bikes that work perfectly in Neustadt over the winter. Interestingly, the rental bikes in the Palatinate are nowhere near as much in need of maintenance as those in Tuscany. On one hand, this could be due to the fact the guests in the Palatinate often arrive with their own bikes and the rental bikes are not used quite so often as those in Tuscany. On the other hand, the bikes in Italy are used a lot more, as there are many more climbs and descents to cope with than in the Palatinate. In any case, the bikes in the Palatinate are sparkling clean and ready for the first guests and the bikes in the head office in Obertrum are just waiting to be picked up. We are ready for the 2021 season!”
Finally meeting guests again
“What I like most about my job is the mix of many different areas of responsibility. I really like the technical work with the bikes, but also enjoy organisation. I think it’s nice to think that my work makes people happy. That’s what I like most – meeting people. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to hold any tour information meetings last season. This year, however, the important introductory talks should be able to take place. Of course, under the best possible safety precautions and hygiene measures. But if you don’t want that, you can of course still ask me questions over the phone.”
Insider tips from the experts
“If you ask me which is my absolute favourite tour in the Palatinate, to be honest, I find it difficult, because all the tours in the Palatinate have their charm. But I think my secret favourite is the Neckar, Rhine & Vines…yes, I’m pretty sure. For the most part this tour runs along the German Wine Route, which for me is the most beautiful part of the region. You always hear that the Palatinate is called the Germany Tuscany. Once you’ve cycled his tour you’ll know this is no exaggeration. The climate here is comparable to that of the Mediterranean. The Palatinate is very sunny and relatively warm. This is noticeable in the vegetation. Another reason to take a tour along the Wine Route is of course the Riesling. Excellent, I can definitely say! This is really not an exaggeration. But the other tours are also really, really great. It’s difficult to highlight one in particular.”
