Halfway. Today’s destination is Sittard, a city in the Netherlands located in the southernmost province of Limburg. The journey to there was a bit of a slog -though we aren’t complaining. We know who we’re doing this ride for. It’s not (just) for us. It was a slog because the route took us through the Ruhr area today. Starting at the Southwestern end of Dortmund, today we went through the cities of Bochum, Duisburg, and Krefeld. In addition we bypassed others cities and only passed the southern ends of Mülheim and Essen. We already passed the cities of Bielefeld and Dortmund yesterday, which gave us a taste of what was in store for today. It felt like stop and go. At times the tarmac wasn’t really good but we still could manage.

Before setting off today, we wanted to celebrate Kevin, who is having a birthday. He is one of the two fantastic companions joining us on the motorcycles end securing our way. Special decorations would certainly have confused other road users. Another team member had the pleasure of riding with extra “decorations” a few days later. Who that is remains to be seen. 😉 However, Happy Birthday Kevin! 🥳

Cycling is especially fun when you have a more or less clear path and can feel the wind in your face. Today, we didn’t really have much of either. We made it through Bochum reasonably well, because the city has a great cycling infrastructure – at least along the main route through the city. On the other hand, Duisburg and Krefeld were trickier. It reminded us a bit of Bielefeld, where we rode yesterday. And where we had to stop and wait at almost every traffic light. Can be annoying.

By the time the route planning was nearly completed, I did a test ride and the traffic situation was different. It is a difference if riding alone or in a large group (even if considering to cycle there as a group during a test ride). In any case, the test rides were helpful because knowing the area ahead makes things much easier with the group – even if I “merely” radiate a certain calm and sense of security to the group (though, admittedly, that doesn’t always work 100% of the time). I was certainly pleased that everything went so smoothly, despite the stop-and-go traffic. That included spontaneous changes of our plan for some extra stops. Good team work really pays off here – for instance to go for an extra stop at a nearby gas station, off the actual route. The refreshments were helpful on such a hot day – even if not far away from the target destination for today.

The weather was fantastic but hot. Today was the first day with unbroken sunshine. We’d been waiting nearly three days for that! It felt so good. Riding a bicycle is much easier when you don’t have to wear so many extra (rain) layers or endure bad weather. The team is also growing closer, even though, with heavy hearts, things didn’t work out for two of our members. We’ll miss them, but we’re pressing on.

As we continued, we managed to largely bypass Mühlheim and Essen, and we didn’t really see much of Mönchengladbach either. However, close to Mülheim we had our first break of the day. Also, a good opportunity to wash my hands after two repairs on two different bicycles. More on that later.

Departure from Mülheim has marked the start of the final third of the day’s stage – the highlight, you could say. The infrastructure was notably bike-friendly, with great cycle paths, better road surfaces, and friendly passersby. That said, we had encountered a lot of nice people, among those were also some cyclists. They kept calling for us, waving hands, whistling, and wishing us a good ride.

It was amusing to briefly dip into the Netherlands, then back into Germany for a moment, before finally staying in the Netherlands for good. The first “border” wasn’t really a border at all; there were no signs or markers. You had to know it was there, though you could sense it shortly after crossing. It felt different, and somehow everything looked different, much better maintained. That impression might have stemmed from having just ridden through the Ruhr region, which, while interesting, wasn’t particularly beautiful. The final third took us mostly through the countryside, offering a striking contrast.

When we “entered” the Netherlands for the second time within an hour we found the country’s sign along the road, a usual thing within the EU. And of course a sweet spot for (group) pictures or a pic with a special friend.

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There was also a striking contrast between my freshly cleaned bike and that of a team member who simply lacked a bit of experience in this area. I’m always happy to help out with that. It’s always good – and important – to clean parts like the derailleur pulleys and brake pads, for instance; it makes the ride easier and safer. This became apparent when a flat tire occurred. Generally speaking, regular cleaning is highly recommended. And then there’s my top tip for cleaning hands, chains, and sprockets: Schwalbe’s excellent Bike Soap. After using it, it’s as if the mess had never happened—even with a filthy jersey. It’s amazing.

Imagine my jersey got the same dirt as my hands. And compare how I got it clean again. It’s not a commercial but a recommendation, to use Schwalbe’s natural bike soap.

And sometimes less is more – take chain oil, for example. Saw this on another bike. These are the simple things I’m happy to share if it helps others.

At the end of the day, we have left our home country and are now in the Netherlands. As always, we relax for some moments and discuss how the ride went and what we might do better next time. Naturally, we enjoy some cold drinks. And the bikes go into the garage.

And as always, I never tire of highlighting the good cause involved. Simply put, we are raising funds for the German Childhood Cancer Foundation (Deutsche Kinderkrebsstiftung), which in turn supports local projects, affected families, and cancer research.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who has supported my personal campaign, “Cash for Kilometer,” and – by extension the German Childhood Cancer Foundation. I encourage everyone else to do some good as well. I am riding not only for myself and the families affected, but also on behalf of everyone who is backing my efforts to help others. You can find the details on how and where to get involved right here.

Last but not least:

Map of the day, stage four: Dortmund to Sittard (NL)

Statistic of the day.