The Tour 2025
Fundraising
We ride, and you do good. Deal? This year, we want to support two ecological projects again. On the one hand, this fits perfectly with cycling, and on the other, we've caused a lot of damage to our natural environment over the past few decades. Therefore, it needs us all the more!
We would be delighted if you would support this project. Everyone in whatever way they can. Because every single euro helps!
Orchard meadows in our area
Orchard meadows are extensively managed meadows with tall trees of various, historic, and regional fruit varieties. Their ecological importance increases with age. Their preservation and maintenance are important goals of nature and species conservation throughout the country.
The Ravensberg Biological Station has been advising owners with its orchard meadow project since 1995. Replanting and new plantings are organized, and tree care is demonstrated in fruit tree pruning courses.
Sulinger Moor in Lower Saxony
Since Naturefund has completed the Hambacher Moor project, this year we will be collecting for a NABU project that is looking after the Sulinger Moor.
The route
Donations
Would you like to support the adjacent orchard project? We think it's great! There are two options: bank transfer or PayPal.
Transfer
Please use the subject line "BENEFIZ" when transferring your money so we can identify the payment.
Here are the bank details:
Account holder: Norbert Eickhoff
IBAN: DE53 4306 0967 1140 6508 00
GLS Bank
PayPal
Since PayPal has unfortunately discontinued its convenient and free donation feature, there's only the "normal" way to send us money. It's important that you specify "DONATION" as the intended use, and especially that you use the "Send money to friends and family" feature, otherwise PayPal will take a small percentage. Besides, we're all friends, after all!
Click on the logo to donate!
The team
Norbert und Iris
live in Minden and have already explored many places on the globe by bike.
Christian
He comes from beautiful Hessen and is a former triathlete with a broad back. He's responsible for the slipstream.
Sven
Sven is the low-loader, but does not shift downhill
Andreas
He knows Norbert from work and isn't afraid of any distance! We even think the route is more afraid of him!
Frank
Since the tour is based on the theme of sustainability, an energy engineer is of course essential.
Kjell
The only one on the team younger than his bike. But already an old hand on the track!
Carsten
Carsten was one of the two newcomers in 2024. He knows how to help others.
Falk
Falk is a balanced performer. But when necessary, he'll also get on people's nerves.
Jannis
The story of how he got into cycling couldn't be more beautiful. He wanted to visit his girlfriend by bike... and it worked out.
Jenny
Well, Jenny is his girlfriend. She, in turn, got into cycling through Jannis. To get started, she's going to try half the route.
Non-cycling team members
Sebastian
Sebastian saves the tour and takes over the job as driver of the support vehicle at short notice.
Andreas
He's already completed half of the Weser Cycle Route, though, in 5 days. He's on the road again somewhere else in Germany, but hopefully he'll share some fresh information from time to time...
And now a sad truth...
I probably won't have time to blog bilingually tomorrow.
I know, it's so stupid! But since there are many options these days with DeepL and Google Translate for translating texts reasonably well, I kindly ask you to follow the German blog starting tomorrow.
And honestly: You don't seriously think I translated this myself... :-D
In any case, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your understanding.
And I actually wrote this last sentence in English myself.
Where do they actually go?
Some of you have probably already googled the hotel and know: This year, they are starting in the west!
There's a reason for that, of course: The wind is coming from the southwest. At least so far. If it doesn't change its mind by tomorrow, you can calculate with a tailwind of up to 20 km/h.
Speaking of calculations: Does that mean that with an average speed of 28 km/h, you're actually only traveling at 8 km/h? Well, then I could have come along too!!
The truth is: I took biology, history, German, and social sciences in my A-levels. No math, no sports.
So it's fine the way it is...
Uh, wait a minute...???
Some things only become apparent at second glance... Swimming club? Has the team changed sports this year? Or are they expecting to get into a real mess tomorrow (we say "get into swimming" here in Germany")? Is this simply a brazen attempt to use the trip for free advertising? Or are they deliberately flying under a false flag to keep the autograph hunters away? Not with me, dear friends!!!
So, dear autograph hunters: The team is staying at the Landhotel Straelener Hof! Selfies are certainly possible, too. That also clears things up: I'm in top form, too. But first, let's get something to eat; it's lunchtime, after all. And what are you having on the trip? Tofu meatballs? Carrots and cucumbers?
No matter, arrive safely.
Departure!
The journey begins! Of course, they didn't cycle on the way there, otherwise it would be pointless. Before starting, we took a few fresh photos. And since there are new jerseys again this year, we naturally shot the team from all angles. That was fun, that was a lot of fun. We apologize for the traffic jam on Steinstrasse.
What do you think? The jerseys turned out great, don't they?
