Matthias Munz

From a village near Freiburg, Germany. Living and working in Penzberg, Bavaria. Passionate about bioinformatics, climbing and travelling. Adventurer. Programmer. Big data expert. Problem solver. Creator. Autodidact.

5 minute read

At the beginning of September, I cycled across Germany from north to south – or rather, I attempted to. I started at the Danish border in Flensburg, and my goal was to reach the Austrian border at Lake Constance as quickly as possible. I was inspired by Fritz Meinecke (https://fritzmeinecke.shop), who had already completed and documented the tour in 2024 (YouTube (https://youtu.be/Yo1pYGg5H1o?si=BS5OUQHIS-TXlfgy)). Of the approximately 1050 km to Bregenz, I managed the first 600 km (pure riding time of 11-12 hours a day and an average speed of around 20 km/h), but then unfortunately had to stop in Fulda due to problems with my Achilles tendons. Well, if I had gotten my body used to the long distances beforehand, it would probably have been easier…

Gallery

My bike shortly before leaving for Flensburg. Stem with handlebar attachment with Aerobridge and cell phone holder. Changing trains in Hamburg. The train journey went smoothly. Day 1: Departure from Flensburg early in the morning Sunrise over the Baltic Sea. In the Elbe Tunnel. Sunset on the other side of the Elbe. Day 2: The sun is about to rise. I slept really well. Day 3: The pain kicks in, lots of short breaks. That was one of the more interesting ones.

Bikepacking & bike setup

I cycled in bikepacking mode on my gravel bike Cube Nuroad Pro FE. Bikepacking differs from traditional bike touring with luggage mainly in the type of equipment used: Instead of large panniers on the luggage rack, bikepacking uses compact bags that are attached directly to the frame, handlebars, or saddle. This keeps the bike more maneuverable, lighter, and also suitable for unpaved trails. Accordingly, I stowed my luggage in two frame bags and a waterproof bag on the luggage rack.

To have another seating and grip position for the long daily stages, I also bought a triathlon handlebar attachment. After getting used to it, I spent most of my time in this position.

Thanks to the hub dynamo in the front wheel, I was able to charge my cell phone while riding using the current converter Cycle2Charge, which is installed in the Ahead headset, and a buffer battery. The buffer battery is important because the power converter only delivers a stable 2 A at speeds of approx. 12–13 km/h or higher. Interruptions in charging are bad for batteries, which is why modern cell phones otherwise completely interrupt the charging mode after a certain period of time. I used the Sunny Powerbank as a buffer battery because it can be charged (by the hub dynamo) and discharged (by the cell phone) at the same time.

I attached my cell phone with an SP Connect bike mount, which was mounted on a self-designed and 3D-printed aerobridge (a corresponding post will follow). I used Komoot for navigation.

Luggage

Equipment

  • Handlebar attachment
  • Spare inner tube
  • Repair kit
  • CYCLITE top tube bag 2.2 L
  • CYCLITE frame bag 3.6 L
  • Ortlieb bag
  • Cell phone holder
  • Air pump
  • Multitool
  • Helmet
  • Hydration pack + 2 L water bladder
  • Water bottle
  • Insulating tape
  • Headset
  • Pufferakku
  • USB-Kabel

Overnight stay

Clothing

  • Poncho
  • Cycling shorts
  • Long leggings
  • Long underwear
  • Rain/wind jacket
  • Cycling gloves
  • Rain pants
  • Rain covers for shoes
  • GoreTex trail running shoes
  • 2x underwear
  • 2x socks
  • 2x shirts
  • Sleep shirt + shorts
  • Sunglasses

Toiletries

  • Towel
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrush
  • Shampoo
  • Wet wipes (biodegradable)
  • 1x bag
  • Ibuprofen

Next time

Next time, I would take the following with me:

  • Clear glasses (without glasses, your eyes will become irritated at some point)
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Bepanthen (for the rear end)
  • Pain relief gel
  • Alternative positioning of the bottle holder (was too close to the frame bag)
  • Clip-in pedals & shoes

The route

I basically used Fritz’s route (https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/1821987143?share_token=aTHy597uEsTl53YM16LY062wsT5M8SDumgGHrmx2KhXQqEKtyL&ref=wtd), but made a few minor adjustments along the way. These are also reflected in the map below. Most of the route is paved, often on bike paths along federal highways, but not exclusively. There are also several gravel sections, which made the tour much more varied.

Day 0: Arrival

Train journey to Flensburg on the ICE. After a short stop at Papas Imbiss (the gyros was very tasty), I cycled on to the Danish border to find a place to stay for the night. I had sent out a few WarmShowers requests beforehand, but unfortunately without success. After some back and forth, I finally camped right on the border on a freshly mowed meadow, roughly here. The spot was pretty good, but I didn’t get much sleep that night: it was very cold, I had everything I had with me on, and still I couldn’t get really warm. On top of that, there was a lot of dew, so even inside my bivouac sack it got a bit damp.

Day 1: 220 km

Departure at around 6:30 a.m. After a quick photo at the border sign, I set off towards Hamburg. I reached the Elbe Tunnel at around 6:30 p.m. I then continued cycling until around 9:30 p.m. and found a nice place to sleep at km 220 on a bench under some trees. I slept very well there.

Day 2: 235 km

Started again at around 6:30 a.m. On this day, I rode through Hanover. Crossing the city was much quicker than in Hamburg, and large parts of the route led through parks – very pleasant. I then continued on, partly along the Leine River, to Göttingen, where I stayed with relatives.

Day 3: 150 km

Departure at 5:30 a.m. The route included the first longer climbs, which probably caused my Achilles tendons to start hurting at some point. It started raining about 50 km before Fulda, but I was very happy with my rain gear (poncho, rain pants, overshoes) and stayed dry. In Fulda, I finally decided not to continue—my left Achilles tendon in particular was severely swollen. So I spent the night in a hotel.

Day 4: Abandonment and return journey

As expected, my Achilles tendons were still very sore the next morning. So I decided to abandon the trip and return home to Upper Bavaria.

Reflection & what now?

In the days that followed, I was a little down, but dropping out was the right decision. Physically, the route was no problem, but my body just wasn’t used to the strain. At the same time, it was a really tough but incredibly cool experience. I was particularly impressed by how strongly you perceive geographical changes when cycling, as you cross the country kilometer by kilometer at that speed. Will I try the crossing as fast as I can again? Probably – but then with better preparation 😉.

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