Saturday, July 26, 2008

Rad Touristik Fahren (RTFs)


Rad Touristik Fahren (RTFs) are rides put together by local clubs that tour the German countryside.  These are typically all paved streets, fire and/or farm roads.  Most of the participants will have a road bike, but you'll also see a few out there on city or mountain bikes.  RTFs are a wonderful way to see parts of Germany you never would otherwise and I can't think of many better ways to spend a cool Sunday morning.

The general rule is that you can start any time registration is open.  The booth to register will generally be open from 0700 to 0900.  Parking tends to run out by about 0830 and the line to register will start to get long by 0800.  The typical fee is 6 Euro, but it's always a good idea to bring at least 10.  There will be people selling sandwiches and cake along the course for a couple of Euro.

Before registering, you should fill out one of the cards typically available on the tables in front of the registration.  The bottom half of this card will be stamped at each checkpoint you pass.  Take your filled out card to the registration booth with your money, where they will mark the card up and provide you a number to wear indicating your starting position.  They typically ask what distance you want to do (RTFs generally have 125/100/65 kilometer distances) but you don't have to make your mind up right now -- you can ride what ever course you want.

The course is marked with arrows indicating what direction to turn and, sometimes, what distance course you are on.   You can ride at your own pace.  Every 30 km or so, there is a checkpoint where you will get your stempel, refill water bottles (free) and buy sandwiches or cakes (about 1.50 Euro).

The grade on these rides varies widely, but you can expect to do a fair amount of climbing (and the same amount of descending!)  The ride organizers take a more scientific approach and give you a height meter profile (Hoehenprofil) which you can get on the flyer or RTF website before hand.

There is support on the ride, so if you break down or cannot finish for some reason, the SAG wagon will come pick you and your bike up.  The number for help is typically on the map.  Remember, the rules of the road always apply.

If you sign up for the SLACRs list, you'll automatically get a notification of all RTFs under about 100km from Stuttgart zentrum.  You can also look more up yourself at http://rad-net.de/modules.php?name=Breitensport.


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