Wiesbaden

Rivers and forests

By Erik Plankton

April 24^th, 2015

HEL - FRA

This time it was direction Frankfurt for a quick two day ride combined with a business trip. Everything went smoothly at the Helsinki Airport and I had time to sit down and enjoy a proper breakfast before the 8.05 flight.

gearing up

After a brief wait the enormous conveyor machine spit out my bike bag and it was time check out the damage. Nothing broken and it seemed that I actually did not forget to pack anything. Built up the bike right next to the baggage storage station. There was lots of space and nobody had any issues with the operation. Filled up the bottles and went to search for the exit.

Instant bliss

The Frankfurt Airport is huge, but is was surprisingly easy to get out of. Just a few ramps down on to the street and after about two kilometers I was on a forest path with nobody around! Navigation was straightforward with Google Maps and once I got on the R3 bike route it was super easy. The signage was great for the most part of the day.

SPIRAL

Riding along the river Main was flat as it can be and did not include many turns, except for this epic bridge over a canal.

(RE)Cycling

The industrial side of Germany was clearly visible along the bike paths. Car factories, huge logistic hubs and recycling plants provide something interesting to look at while cruising along.

Main UND Rhein

After a few hours of riding I reached a spot where the two rivers meet.

Riesling

As soon as I reached the first vineyard the sun came out a bit more and it really felt like spring. Perhaps a post ride riesling would be appropriate for the occasion?

POST ride picnic

I joined a bunch of my co-workers in a park for an after ride picnic. A few beers, a burger and a lot of laughter later it was suddenly way past midnight and time to get some rest.

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sunny saturday

The weather was great the next day with temperature around +15°c, which is perfect for some relaxed riding and exploring places.

TAunus

North of Wiesbaden lie the Taunus hills. Without a plan I took the first road that led towards them. I spotted a cable car that runs to the top, so there must be something interesting up there. Fantastic smooth single track went all the way to the top. There was a cool adventure park with ladders and zip lines high up in the trees. This seemed to be very popular.

in the forest

Yet again I was surprised that there were hardly any people in the forest, that is this close to the city. Everything from small paved and gravel roads to single track and open fields. The hills are full of these trails and you can easily spend a day or two riding these.

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BACK HOME

Unfortunately this was a short trip and on Sunday morning it was time to head back to the airport. I took the train from Wiesbaden directly to the airport. You can take your bike on regional trains free of charge. The bike compartments are clearly marked with signs and usually are located on the first and last car of the train. For some reason a couple of trains were cancelled so it took a little extra time to get to the airport. I made it in time to queue for the security check to find out that I forgot to pack my Leatherman multitool in my bike bag. The German officer was not very pleased to find this weapon in my backpack and caused some debate. Oops, my bad. I still managed to get it sent to me by mail for 20€. Fair enough.

Nice weather, relaxed riding with some nice views. Can’t wait to come back in the end of May with my wife for week long tour of the rivers and vineyards.