WHY GERMAN CYCLING CULTURE is Wonderful for Families
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 มิ.ย. 2024
- Germany is home to over 72 million bicycles; so it comes as no surprise that with Jonathan working in the cycling industry, biking around Freiburg is his happy place. So in today’s video we’re trying something new! While we will be in our home talking to you about cycling culture, we also thought it would be fun to do a split screen where we take you along on a little cycling adventure in Freiburg. So let’s show you why German Cycling culture is the BEST for families.
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Episode 25 | #lifeingermany and #Cycling Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany | Filmed November 6, 2021
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👉Quick Jump to Your Favorite Topic:
00:00 Intro
00:32 Why Cycling in Germany?
02:32 Bicycle Adventure in Freiburg, Germany
04:01 There are Abundant Bike Paths Arrive Almost Anywhere
05:55 Exploring the Mundenhof Zoo in Freiburg
08:23 In Germany, Cycling is a Part of Everyday Life
10:32 Running Errands on a Bicycle in Germany
11:47 Drivers in Germany Anticipate Cyclists and Often Follow Strict Rules
13:49 Building Jack's First Bicycle
14:41 All Children Learn to Ride a Bicycle Early
15:49 All-Weather, Year-Round Cycling in Germany; Rain Gear
17:14 Outro
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Originally from the Midwest of the USA, we moved to the #blackforest in 2013 and quickly embraced #expatlife. As American expats living in #Germany, things weren't always easy, but we've grown to love our life in Germany. We started this #travelvlog to share our experiences with friends and family, and to help those who are interested in moving overseas! Whether you are interested in moving abroad, working abroad, studying abroad, raising a family abroad, or just want to #traveleurope, we're here to give you a first person look at what lies ahead. 😊🎥🌎
We are North Americans living in the city centre in Dusseldorf. Our car is only used when my wife drives to work outside of the city. The train is OK, but the connections with the bus to her worksite aren't the best. So, we bike, walk and take public transportation for all of our errands. Even in this much bigger city, biking is an excellent way to go and for an older guy with very gimpy knees, it allows me to get up and out much more easily.
Tommy Crossen jut moved to Düsseldorf, too!
I cycle Neuss Ddorf around 4-6 times per week and while it is prob better than most north american cities Düsseldforfs cycling infrastructure could use some work (especially Flingern)
Glad you love the biking culture! After you adjusted to the Germans cycling, feel free to visit The Netherlands and be blown away :-)
Do keep the helmet please, we Dutchies need a way to distinguish tourists from those who were born on a bicycle ;-)
It has become a real stereotype. If you really want to identify yourself as german cyclist, put one of those neon yellow raincaps on your helmet for good measure.
and here in Switzerland iam looking to Netherlands and think, okay Germany was nice to learn cycling, and Switzerland is nice to cycling in a few nice small spots but the Netherlands are the Gold Standard for integrated infrastructure... only thing, we have better trains too :)
Lol on helms! I didn't wear mine to blend in. Had a version before the common Styrofoam version seen commonly today. Also to blend in, learn how to dismount on one pedal or coast across an intersection on one pedal. I didn't learn these moves during my time in the Netherlands but it was cool to see the other ladies do this.
P.s. I still have my regenpak which used to be large enough to accommodate my winter jacket while wearing jeans.
a helmet is for safety - believe me, they safe lives (written by someone who’s been hit by a car before, but wore a helmet)
One caveat about cycling in winter in Germany: oftentimes the temperature hovers around 0°C, meaning it might thaw in the evening and then again freeze over during nighttime. Riding your bike in the snow is huge fun, but sometimes there lurks a sheet of ice beneath the snow, which can surprise you.
Check this vlog about cycling in winter in The Netherlands:
th-cam.com/video/2rETLfzQrIw/w-d-xo.html
Cycling in Germany is not only a hobby or sports. Nearly everybody owns a bike, and especially in the northern parts, people are cycling until the age of 80 or more! A lot of people meet regularly for a ride, my mother (75) meets once a week with one group, once a month additionally with another group.
It is great to see that car company dominated Germany is adopting the cycling culture of The Netherlands so well. Even spotted some red bike lanes here and there. Bikes fit way better in old towns with narrow streets. I hope bike lanes spread out all over Europe. Imagine visiting all historical sites in Rome on bike completely safe.
The Netherlands worked hard to turn back the cars crawling into their urban fabric but especially along the western border of Germany down into Switzerland culture has been similar
Yes, car companies dominate the world. As I've gotten older, I am realizing we are caught in a "car society." The reason being it literally has become our God is because our economy is driven by selling cars. It's really like we don't realize that we are polluting and destroying our world just to prop up this. High-speed rail is much better for traveling longer distances at up to 300 mph. Mindless is what we've become . It's really that much of a problem in the development of mankind.
German cycling culture is only possible because we did not decide to have most of the populated areas zoned with suburbian single-family zoning, minimal lot size requirements, minimal parking requirements, and all the other things that keep the population density in US metropolitan areas so low. Higher density means shorter distances from where you live to where you work or whereever else you want to go, and shorter distances make it more attractive to go by bike. The US also has decided to ban shops from single-family zoned areas which keeps the shops farther away from home and increases the shopping distance.
Yes! All of these really do contribute to a city that is not pedestrian (and cyclist) centric.
A TH-cam channel: Not Just Bikes would be a great way to understand how at least in the Netherlands creates/keeps walkable city centers, etc. (I don't know if Germany does it the same way by design)
@@autohmae We're like the lazy school friend that copies from NL's homework - but only if it's not too much of an effort!
Tom I wrote Pierce County Washington these exact reasons why the Americans here are FORCED to drive..there almost no trails!!! and the dumb LARGE lot house model and ZERO commercial possible for short distances.
The first things I taught my children was how to swim and how to ride a bicycle. Later they made their "cycling licence" at school and their "swimming licence" aka Seepferdchenabzeichen at the local pool.
Now they ride their bikes - one in Berlin and one in Hamburg - no cars needed !
So I'm a German bike enthusiast from the most bike friendly large city (Bremen) and my wife is from Houston Texas. Biking in Bremen is very easy and common. When I think of bad places to bike I think of other German cities like Hamburg or Berlin. It is defenitely possible to bike everywhere in those cities as well but one should know the routes or else one is stuck on ugly paths with very little space. When my wife said that cycling in the US was bad, I expected bad German standards. After arriving in Houston for the first time I realised just how wrong I had been. You have to take the car to get to pretty much anything. The city is extremely stretched out making it impractical to bike because it takes forever and there just are no bike routes and even the sidewalks are rare. After that I learned to appreciate the German standard even more.
If you are bike enthusiasts as well and haven't been there yet I definetly recommend checking out the Netherlands as your next holiday destination. Biking infrastructure in the Netherlands makes German bike infrastructure look like American bike infrastrucutre. Even in the capital of Amsterdam bike paths are large, abundant and extremely easy to navigate. I was even stuck in my first ever post work traffic jam on a bike in the netherlands which was a very funny experience. The country is beautiful and biking is ridiculously good.
Yes, it is so night and day coming from cycling culture in the United States to Germany. It really is so much more dangerous and impractical. I hate saying "always" because there are naturally exceptions to nearly every rule - but even the least bicycle friendly city in Germany is safer for cyclists than the average American town. At least, it feels that way from my experience.
If you want to experience a bad place to cycle in Germany, go to Stuttgart or Pforzheim.
Berlin or Hamburg are much much better.
Regarding cycling in the Netherlands i can recommend th-cam.com/users/NotJustBikes especial the Video comparing cycling in Amsterdam with cycling in Calgary th-cam.com/video/M8F5hXqS-Ac/w-d-xo.html will show how much "Luft nach oben" there is in many german cities
Really good cities for bike enthusiasts in Germany are Münster and Oldenburg! 🥰😍 My aunt Bärbel, she is 82 years old, is doing all her errands by bike in Oldenburg 😅
Houston, that hell hole of a city! I grew up there moved to Germany the first time back in 86, moved to Berlin in 2000 and love not having a car.I bike everywhere in Berlin and all weather no problem. Some American cities you can spend half of your life in a car and Houston is one of the worst.
A tip for teaching kids to ride a bike: start them on a laufrad (without pedals) and when they mastered that, they should have enough balance that they do not need stützräder (supporting wheels). Once you get used to stützräder it's very hard to try without them because they do all the balancing work for you.
Yes this is such great advice! Thank you!
Agreed ditch the supporting wheels. You'll create false confidence and bad habits that need unlearning.
We teach both of our little ones with a BMW Kids Bike. First you can use it as a laufrad (without pedals) and when he felt comfy you can put pedals on it. Our big one learn driving a bike with pedals in a day because he knows his "laufrad" but it had padels :-)
Small detail when switching to a pedal bike: the kids will probably try to break using their feet by instinct. This can result in some painful experiences when the pedals crash into the back of the feet/legs. I have no idea how to solve this to make the learning curve easier. Just be prepared that this might happen. Helps when they go veeeery slow at the start of the lessons. Go, stop, go, stop,… Balancing should not be a problem at low speeds when they come to this from the push bike. Better have them wear decent footwear and not sandals/flip flops.
@@thoremaier4223 Pedals hitting the back of feet/legs is only a problem with "fixies", on standard bikes the pedals can be kept in position while coasting. And kick-back breaks are a very natural way to break, using the feet.
Cycling is the most relaxing way to experience landscapes, because you don't rush through like you do by car.
Especially in spring and colorful autumn is the best way to get some sunshine!
I am rushing on bike even more than in car, because i am not obstructed with traffic as much,, and then i have naturally even less breath for the surroundings.... haha
I live in Hamburg and haven't had a car in 25 years. I bike to work, to visit friends and family and take the bike out on shorter weekened trips to parks and local forests for fresh air and exercise. Love it!
We really have enjoyed getting around by bicycle. I think we will eventually need to get a car (stay tuned for our next video on Wendesday 😉). But it really is such a great way to get around the city efficiently.
I'm so jealous of all the beautiful, safe, and convenient bike tracks
We feel very fortunate. It has been such a nice experience coming from the few-and-far-between
bike paths in the States.
After viewing some of your videos, I would like to relate a German cycling experience. We were cycle touring in Germany (2011) near the Austrian border when my "steel" touring bike broke in half from rust. It happened in Simbach am Inn. Fortunately, the local bike store owner opened up but could not repair my bike. To continue the trip, I had to buy a bike but the owner did not take credit cards and I did not have 1,000 euros cash. I explained to the owner I did not have the money and he said, "take the bike, and send me the money when you get back to the US. I trust you." I sent the money upon returning to the Maryland and I still have the nice "thank you" email the owner sent when he got the money. True story!
Great video! 😊 I once cycled in Freiburg and it was such a joy! Here in Hamburg the bike infrastructure is unfortunately still quite bad and the drivers tend to be rather aggressive. And Hamburg isn’t even the worst so it’s not uniformly great in Germany. But cities like Freiburg, Münster, Karlsruhe and Hannover are definitely some of the best to cycle in Germany.
Thank you so much! We are really happy that you enjoyed the video. We feel very lucky to live in such a great city for cycling. With Jonthan's line of work, it really is the perfect spot.
If you like the cycling culture in Germany, you should visit our neighbors to the northwest . In the Netherlands cycling is traditionally extremely popular and the "fietspad" network is just great, in the cities as well as on the flat land. The land being flat is only one of the big advantages for cycling, another one is - as far as I know - a law that requires that for every euro spent for building streets, a certain percentage has to be spent for bycicle infrastructure. Great idea!
WIND 😳
Besides the fact that cyclists are extremely well protected in the Netherlands. And we don't have to wear a helmet! So we don't.
And yes it's very windy in the Netherlands.
Just visit Münster. Thats the dutchest City in Germany
@@mariadebake5483 We don't have to wear a helmet either. It's just strongly encouraged. And if you've seen our "bicycle lanes" in the car centric cities you'd know why many of us opt for helmets.
@@mariadebake5483 sadly big german cities are not as safe as Amsterdam. Every year 40 to 50 people die while cycling due to crashes with vehicles or bad infrastructure. So it’s encouraged to wear a helmet to at least survive
Edit: it’s 40 to 50 people annualy just in Berlin
The bicycle, also known as Leeze, is the most widely used means of transport in Münster: there are over 500,000 bicycles for around 310,000 inhabitants. So if you want to experience the real Münster feeling, you should get on your bike here. I'm happy that Freiburg is like that too and Jonathan rides a great bike ... I would say Cannondale ;-)
Hardly any other city has such a well-developed network of cycle paths and so many special offers for bicycles. The car-free ring around the city center is unique in Europe. Here, on the promenade, cyclists have free travel.
But on the other hand it seems like politicans are trying to force people on the bike in an attempt to change the traffic on a cheap way. Look at Münster having no tram or lightrail and then look at similar size Bielefeld with 4 lightrail lines.
Freiburg is maybe the best example for a city having both and it's even smaller than Münster.
Münster and the country around is flat but even neighboring major cities it would be impossible for similar sized city of Bochum to have bikes as major transport option to for example the university or for Dortmund having parts of the city tilted and im not even talking about Wuppertal or Stuttgart as an example in southern Germany.
I read Leeze and instandly knew you talk about Münster. xD
@@futurerails8421 But you can go by bus in Münster, so why should they invest money in building a railway system for trams, from the scratch?
And what other choise does Münster and it´s politicans have, but to aim for bus and bike networks? The center is just too narrow, to make it car frindly! There is simply no place to park all the cars. And just praking the car a bit outside of the center and just walk isn´t much of a big deal. Münster isn´t that big.
@@walterwhite415 A bus stuck in traffic isn't enough for a city with a big University. Bielefeld which has a comparable size to Münster not only a tram but a Lightrail with a tunnel and it built a completly new branch for it's University. Bochum even built an almost subway for it's University and Dortmund even has an S-Bahn tunnel with Berlin style capacity for it's University.
@@futurerails8421 But the busses are not stuck in traffic often. They even have seperated lanes. And still I think there is not enough space for a railway system and the stations. Only on the big main roads, but there the bus system is fine! And I´m pretty sure Münster doesnt want the electrical lines all over the place. Subways and S-Bahn are nice, but i think Münster is doing fine without it.
There is no bad weather ( for cycling), just bad clothing, was exactly what i wanted to write just the moment you mentioned it ..but to give you an example how serious i took it.. even in winter, with icy roads, all it needed was a change of wheels. I allways have a spare pair, front and rear with metal spikes...biking is good for workout, health and your wallet.
Allmost every german has some kind of brand of watertight outdoor clothing , Jack Wolfskin, Northface , Patagonia or Gore-tex... i guess we like funtionality and combining things, especially for our holy weekend.
U know what they say.... if u get cold on a bicycle then you are not cycling fast enough 🤣🤣🤣
Oooh! The Mundenhof! It's so nice
Hallo Super Familie ! Man sieht ihr hattet Spaß bei eurem Ausflug ! Aber wenn man den kleinen Wonneproppen sieht wie er sich gefreut hat ,geht einem das Herz auf 😍😍😍😍Radfahren macht nicht nur Spaß sondern ist auch gesund für Körper und Seele ! Seitdem es E Bikes gibt sieht man auch vermehrt ältere Menschen Radfahren ! Weiterhin viel Vergnügen bei eurem Radtouren ! Der kleine Mann wird noch etwas Zeit brauchen ,aber dann fährt er euch weg 🤗😂😂😂😂
I am from San Francisco north bay area and I married a German had two sons, been living and cycling since we got here in 2001 and touring. We don't ride ebikes , just good steel frame trekking bikes. We live in Waldkirch, north of Freiburg, and we are in our 50s and commute to Freiburg by bike or train. I was commuting at another location 18km one way I'm winter, working 3 shifts. I now work production closer to home, 2km, one way, and many coworkers can't believe what I do. They drive their cars literally around the corner, 600 meters. Many local people do it, and I don't care what they do but even some are shocked I don't own an ebike and was on tour in France riding up the Grand Ballon. No big deal because the bike has gears and we are not fitness freaks at all. But most people are stuck on ebikes and personally, I don't care for them. I don't like thinking about the raw materials used to make them and where the raw materials come from.
We also own one car, not an e-auto.
I also know people who jump in their cars, yes, and we have incredible bus and train networks, and we are not bragging. No , I don't want to sound like a bragging fool, but we love cycling. And for me, us, it's more convenient and healthier for the environment.
Keep up the videos and good luck with the bike shop. I personally prefer " people's poncho " for rain and no to clipless pedals.
I know Freiburg is not far, 15km and so many people I know who live in Freiburg drive and don't bicycle or just don't know how to.
It's true. Some people just love their cars. There is a huge love affair with cars in Germany. Just look at the autobahns- they brag about driving 250kmh. It's insane.
As allways: A very well made video. And you are right: I´m an old man now, but I started my bicycle career at a very young age. And still today: I like to drive my bicycle nearly every day. I don´t feel well, when I hadn´t have my dayly hike or biceride. I like your content and your lovely family. All the best for you and stay healthy.
I know more than a few people who failed their first driving test because they didn't pay attention to bicyclists properly. Which easily costs 5 more driving lessons and a few hundred euros. and is very memorable
It is discouraging to think how far off that we are here in southern Italy when it comes to bicycles culture and infrastructure, though we are slowly beginning to build momentum at least in racing bikes or touring with it.
Commuting is nowhere in sight, nor is transporting people nor hauling things.
I guess we have a long way to go still.
Well edited video guys, it is always stimulating to stop for a moment and listen to what you have to say 😄😊
Besides the content itself, the research and fact compilation by you, I just want to commend your editing skills. The way you put your videos together and occasionally spice them up with a humorous wink to make your viewers smile is just priceless. And this video is no exception. From the first few seconds of the intro, when your little one intentionally charges into the camera, I was laughing hard and had to keep smiling until the end of the video. I just love it.
Wow thank you so much for such a kind comment. We just loved his little "roar" when he charged the camera. ❤️❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest.
@@TypeAshton please help me. Please
@@TypeAshton please help me PLEASE
Netherlands 17 million inhabitants and 23 million bicyckles, and no no no helmets.
You have a great cycling culture in Germany. We're from the UK and discovered cycle touring later in life when we were 57. We've caravanned all over Europe for around 30 years and from 2013 we used to take the caravan to a site for 3 weeks but go on a weeks tour. The first year we cycled the Bodensee to Konigsee route and since then we have cycled the Donau from Donaueschingen to Passau and from Mittenwald along the Isar and Donau to Vienna, the black forest panoramaweg, the Bodensee round trip and in 2019 when we were both retired we cycled from Donaueschingen to Bodensee then along part of the Bodensee Konigsee route to Fussen and then picked up the Claudia Augusta and cycled to lake Garda and on the way back we took the train to Innsbruck and cycled to Munich along part of the Munich to Venice route over Achensee and along the Isar then took the train back to Donaueschingen. We took 2 and a half weeks for this trip as we had 3 months away staying on various sites in the black forest, on the Rhine at Kehl and then to Erden on the Mosel. Donaueschingen was a starting point for many of our trips. Sadly due to current events we haven't been back since 2019. You're very fortunate to live in such a lovely area. Freiburg is also a beautiful city. I wish we had the same kind of cycling here in the UK. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, we don't use E bikes! (Well, not yet anyway)!
Those are some great adventures you have had on the bike!
Germany has so many fantastic long distance bike paths and separated paths from the roads which make it such a wonderful experience. We are lucky to be here.
Another great video. As the Dutch say, '"nobody here is a 'cyclist' because everybody is.'" As someone who's been studying (and experiencing) the Dutch cycling culture, I am impressed with how well Germany has progressed. Yes, absolutely the separate bike roads are the key to a safe experience, I'm glad you included the point about how drivers are actually respectful about maintaining distance, etc. Another point I've heard about Dutch Law is that if there's ever an accident between a bike and a car, the driver is by default, at fault. THAT makes everyone respectful of cyclists. Lastly, a great TH-cam channel that celebrates cycling culture: www.youtube.com/@NotJustBikes
First things first: Congrats to your 25th installement, great topic once again (as always), very detailed research, excellent editing, beautiful photography... Keep on the incredible good work. You both are really great and adorable. 👍😍😊
If you search on YT for bike related vids from german TH-camrs you'll find a lot... "Schrauber", market experts and a vast community of mountainbikers, exploring every inch of ridable hills & mountains. Don't miss this whole recreational part out. And counting cars on the Autobahn with bicycle transportation systems put on gives you another hint how deep the love for cycling is here in Germany.
Btw: At my elementary school we had (already back in the 70s) in/on our school yard a permanently marked street plan with road crossings and pedestrian crossings ("zebra stripes") . Once or twice a year (for "Fahrradprüfung") they pulled out tiny road signs, mini traffic lights and other stuff to make the whole thing even more realistic.
Fun question: did I got this right...? Policemen "at the age of ten" (or under) come to school...? 😂😂
Thank you so much! We hope to make a few more videos detailing all of the opportunities with different kinds of cycling (mountain biking, road riding, etc.). This is right up Jonathan's ally, so he will have a blast filming those.
And ahaha yeah I think Jonathan mispoke a bit there. He meant that officials come to school for children at 10 to learn the rules of the road and provide them with certification for good bicycle safety. 🤣
Cycling 🚲 is the future... for our planet 👍 and our health ❤
We agree 100%! Hopefully more countries/cities around the world will pick up the infrastructure to make this happen.
@@TypeAshton living in the UK its happening .... slowly 🐌 but surely. Its a bit of chicken 🐔 and egg 🥚 scenario.... we need more cyclists on bikes to get more cycle lanes to make it safer .... but many are intimidated by the traffic today. 🙂
Those itty-bitty toddlers on their itty-bitty Laufrad - so cute!
It's just adorable!
Definitely couldn’t be a cuter introduction to this morning vlog 😊 yes I noticed how popular and convenient it was to cycle as opposed to driving sorta similar to what you see in nyc perhaps where people don’t drive the pedestrians dominate the roads. I’ll tell you it’s so nice to see such a happy and healthy family of three from overseas during these hard times of Covid! Really appreciate these videos you guys
Thank you so much! We are so glad you enjoyed the video. We really had a lot of fun exploring more of our city by bicycle. ❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest.
Boy did this video brought back memories! I was born in Tübingen (just across the Swartz Wald from you, about a 2 hour drive) and I fondly remember my time in Kindergarten! My most loved memory is of the traffic park in the facility/ We would go with our kick bikes or little trikes and the teachers and policeperson instructor would split us in 2 groups, one would me the pedestrians and other the "road traffic". Those lessons affected my driving culture till now and I am 50! Sadly we returned to our homeland of Greece just before I started primary school 😢
Awe, I am glad that we could bring up more fond memories for you. I love the bicycle culture for little ones here. It makes us very excited to raise Jack in this environment. ❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest.
It's a dream to live in Germany and especially in Freiburg. I hope to have the chance one day to move my family there.
I might be moving to Freiburg for university and this video is making me excited!
You are right with everything. Nevertheless, some people say that there is poor cycling culture in Germany - compared to the Netherlands ;)
Hah, definitely. When it comes to the Netherlands, Germany is still decades behind the curve. The only other nation that gets close to the Netherlands is Denmark.
The Netherlands is the best in cycling
Yeah, but it's like comparing an 8.5/10 with a 9.5/10, either way you can be pretty dang satisfied :P And considering she's from the US where the best you can hope for is a 3/10, It's a giant step up either way.
typical german: (and i say that as german) never satisfied with what they have. i wat it all and i want it NOW
Perhaps there are "better" to cycle cities in Germany, but Freiburg is pretty much the nicest city of them all on this list for families and the younger and older generation all at once.
It is nice to see how you went from liking it, to appreciating and finally loving it here more and more.
It doesn't appear that you want to move back ever again.
We certainly think we will stay for the near future. There is so much to do, so many places to visit, and so many new memories to make - we are loving our time in the Black Forest. ❤️❤️
Wonderful. Thank you 🙏!
in Croydon England, I got cycling proficiency test in the 1960s
Hi Both,
just came across you channel recently, and enjoy it immensely. What I like most is the general underlying message you bring: it is different, but not necessarily better or worse...just different, and up to each individual to make something about it for themselves 🙂.
Now here's some feedback to this specific episode. Not sure if you ever came across it, just saw your Thule trailer and was wondering. I am in my late fifties, and my bike was always my companion. Not in terms of racing, but in terms of getting from A to B. I grew up in the very north of Germany, a stone-throw away from the Danish border. My friends were scattered across small little towns around my place of living, so to spend time with them left the bicycle as best way to do so. I also often took it to school, which meant an about 10km ride from 5th class onwards. I could actually beef up my pocket money as my parents gave me the money for the bus ticket when I waved it in summer time.
Now I have a quite successful job at a large IT company, and guess how my day looks like: home office all day 😞. Getting my joints moved is something of a treat, and I definitely do that on my tread mills at home (cross trainer and indoor rower)...but that does not give me fresh air. So I do our weekly family (of 4) shopping with my bicycle.
I have two options:
- My rack bags from Ortlieb do a decent job, I had to use them during the peek of the Corona crisis as you had to take a shopping card and I could not use my other option below. I even found a sort of decent solution for frozen stuff with an inner bag and a cool-pack.
- Since 10 years I own the a Travoy of the fantastic company Burley...which is actually a US company!!! So you guys may not cycle as much as we here in Europe, but I still have to find a proper alternative to Burley here to such type of trailer!
I own in total 3: the Travoy (which is perfect for shopping, and I bought 3rd party hard-wall bags for glas from Qeedo, 2 for deposit and recycling each which I just have to lift on to the Travoy once full), the pet trailer (which or oldest Australian Shepard now loves immensely) and the flatbed for larger transports. The Travoy is a true universal talent, I have also bags for bike packing. In the supermarket you just fill it up, then pay at the cash register, put everything right back in and hook it with a smart carabiner lock to your bike. End to end I am at least as fast by bike as doing the shopping by car!
Now here's the thought: if I would have an engineering degree I would likely start build such cool bicycle accessories here in Germany. There is so much missing, e.g. cooling bags for such trailers, nobody has really thought it through yet. You may want to consider founding your own company, you have all the ingredients to do so 🙂 - just a thought 😉
I'm a single mum in Münster with two little kids. Münster is very bike friendly as well. I never owned a car. We go everywhere by bike or we use public transportation.
Using the bike is my first choice of transportation as well. Not owning a car makes the decision a little easier... Public transportation is reserved for special occasions such as it is raining cats and dogs, going to a party et cetera.
But I admit I prefer the dutch style, no helmet ! 🤣
We also use public transit quite a bit too if the weather is really bad. It is just so much easier (and faster) to commute by bicycle.
We've been to the Mundenhof a couple of years ago. Was a really nice day and in the summer they have delicious self made gelato. :)
Very nice......and if anyone doubts your dedication to cycling, Jonathan's tattoo will easily refute them.
It's so funny that you're so amazed by the bicycle situation and street safety in Freiburg :D You know the arguments between car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians?! "IT'S THEIR FAULT!" meaning that cyclists are blaming car drivers for being rude/ reckless, and pedestrians are saying the same about cyclists. Plus, cars are more and more slowed down to make Freiburg more quiet and safe, but car drivers are ranting about cyclists to "ruin their streets". But yes, compared to the US or Canada (where I saw cyclists on the street) it's really cool to use a bicycle in Freiburg :)
Beautiful story and beautifully told. But with your cycling background it might be interesting to watch: Not Just Bikes: He is a Canadian who lives in Amsterdam and makes (successfully) videos about the difference between North America and Europas cities. And why cycling and walking is better than driving a car. Just a tip.😉
The different weather at the Mundenhof and in the Wiehre is based on the "Höllentäler"-Wind. Mostly the wind blows only before or short after the main railroad tracks, so in many days you start driving with your bicycle in sunny weather at home and since reaching "Wiwili-Brücke" there is only fog.
Greetings from the same hood "Wiehre"
Great video! My fiancé and I are getting out masters degrees at the University of Freiburg and we really enjoy biking everywhere. Honestly we don’t even want to own a car at this point. We also often go to Mundenhof!
Ah the squirrel at 5:32 lol. Cute 😊
I just bought an ebike. It's so much fun! I walk the bike up inclines and coast down the other side. The ebike is a Jetson Bolt Pro, but I tell everyone it;s "George Jetson". (from the cartoon show)
Hey guys, I am cyclist too. I love youre way, your see cycling in germany. I am from a small town in Thüringen, just 485 km away from Freiburg. Youre welcome !
I also heard Germany has the most Zoos as a country and depending on the definition and who you ask Germany has somewhere between 300 and 850 Zoos.
And they're talking about the total number, as a comparrison the US has 216 zoos ,according to Wikipedia at least.
The bike is also my most used form of transport, be it to work, as a sport or just for leisure. We have a part of the R1, the ciclingway that goes from London to Helsinki or Moskow.
Where I live ther is even a small festival in spirit of cycling, around one of the biggest lakes in Brandenburg you can drive a tour with about 18 stations, where you get food and drink and you can collect stamp ons and can even get a little diploma, rather a certificate, that you rode on this day and your approximate distance, which can range anywhere from 10 to 150km.
And there are lots of people coming for it, not just from Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and even the UK, some of them come every year. And also all ages are present. Families with children, elderly groups on e-bikes and troops of guys in their 20/30s with some beers and music.
I also have to absolutley agree with Jonathan, it can be so much faster than public transport. When I went to high school, about 6 km through the city, going by bike saved me between 10 and 15 minutes compared to the bus.
@@urlauburlaub2222 Should you come to the Netherlands you'll see that the last few sentences of your comment are absolute nonsense.
34 years old from Germany. Lived in Hannvoer, Bayreuth and Munich and never owned a car :D I rented one for two years while I was in South Carolina and I get one if I really need one for work. But privately never needed one. Of course sometimes it is benefitial to have one and I gotta dmit I dont have children, but overall I get by just fine. PS: Oh yeah Bamboo is awesome and a freaking disater at the same time :D I got them as high as 5 meters now in a row of about 10m as a part of outline of my garden to shelter the pool from the sraight neighbour. Luckily its just that short patch. It survives even the harshest winters :D Bamboo dont die
Hi there! Yes, we've been pretty happy just to get around by bicycle. I think in the near future we will need to eventually get a car (hint, hint - check out our next video coming out on Wednesday!). But really it is so efficient and safe to commute with a bicycle in Germany. Thanks for watching! ❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest.
schoenes viedeo - hohe qualitaet und euer "spass" ist direkt greifbar. ich hab ein jahr in gundelfingen gewohnt und die ganze umgegend ist genial. man sieht euch das gluecklichsein an -- da werde ich neidisch. ich lebe nun auf la reunion im indischen ozean, aber freiburg / breisgau ist der wirkliche traum.
Oh wow! Wir haben vor ein paar Jahren in Erwägung gezogen, nach Le Reunion zu fahren (aber entschieden uns stattdessen für die Seychellen). Die Landschaft auf Le Reunion sieht aber umwerfend aus und ich bin mir sicher, dass es dort im Moment etwas wärmer ist. ☀️☀️
Wenn Sie sich wieder im Schwarzwald wiederfinden, lassen Sie es uns wissen!
@@TypeAshton ja jetzt wird es waermer, der sommer kommt. fuer eine woche urlaub ist es schoen hier. doch zu wenig angebote, zu laut und zu schmutzig. das essen zu teuer und nicht deutsche qualitaet. wir kommen zurueck aber bleiben auf der franzoesischen seite. fuer wochenendtrips jedoch ist breisgau anvisiert. ich brauch wieder mal richtiges brot und echte wurst zwischen den zaehnen. fuer meine madagassische frau ein unbekannter genuss. 😛 die amerikanerfamilie in bayern hat mir die augen fuer unser gutes brot geoeffnet. ich konnte es direkt riechen.
Nice video I love cycling too thanks for all your videos my salutations
In Germany ,Children in the 4th Grade have a bicycle Traffic Lessons.The learn the traffic signes and a Policeman comes to the Schools to learn the Children how to behave in traffic with there bicycle.An the End they have a Exam and get there bicylcle liscent.
Regensburger here. I probably spent more kilometres on bicycle than on any other mode of transportation period. I used to bike to school, now I bike to university. I bike to go shopping and I even do that in the winter. Sometimes the bus is more attractive, especially in bad weather.
The only thing I could complain about is that parking your bicycle is sometimes quite a burden. At this point we need parking garages for bikes like the Netherlands.
Rain is nothing more than liquid sunshine:-)
You have a very nice video channel - Thank you for your impressions and greetings from Rastatt.
Thank you so much! We are so glad you enjoyed it. ❤️ Cheers from Freiburg.
If you are careful in choosing a not-so-invasive variety and you do not shy away from digging deep to install a rhizome barrier, you can plant bamboo in the garden without major issues.
The former tenant must have chosen a more invasive variety... At times we felt like Indiana Jones needing a machete to cut our way through the jungle that was our garden. 😂😂
Though all you said is true, if your "standard" is growing up in Germany, you are equally blown away if you go to the Netherlands and see how bycicle friendly it is there. And when i go on long cycling tours through Sweden or Norway it is just crazy how friendly and considerate car drivers are there towards cyclists, so when you get back to Germany it feels like every car driver is actively trying to kill you wth ther aggressive behaviour.
I actually grew up near Freiburg (in Gundelfingen) so I remember cycling to Mundenhof! Thanks.
Must be some good memories. We will be sure to continue doing it with Jack. :)
@@TypeAshton Definitely, I particularly fondly remember when they had a group of little newborn brown bears.
15:43 Haha! This is the exact same place where I learned the traffic rules back in the 1970s! Complete with tricky questions such as: "There's a bike trail only on the left, do I have to change the side twice or can I stay on my side?" (Solution: Depends if there's a sign for your direction. That one I got wrong on the first try. But well I was only eight or nine back then ...)
We used to bike in Germany in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Especially from our town to the pool just outside Ettenheim just north of you. Great place for kids. In those day we had to give the same distance for bikes. I don’t remember anyone not doing that.
Thanks to you two, and some others based in the EU, I have started to ride my bike again after some up grades.
Would like to hear your input on the infrastructure side of e-bikes.
love this vlog so much ❤️🥰🙌👍
Thank you so much. We really appreciate all of the kind support.
Be honest: You Camel Here because of cycling culture, health are system, Family conditions and Our incredible diverse Nature and Landscape. That you can Drive without any Speedlimit on some parts of the famous German Autobahn might be a good give-away
Obviously you found a good spot in this world for you. There is still a lot to do for cyclists, though. I saw a video by Renè Kreher describing his tour (with a self-build camper trailer on his bike) to the alps, clearly showing the problems, missing bike-paths, problems with loading stations for his e-bike and so on. Freiburg is clearly on the sunny side for bikers :-) Maybe you want to consider working doulbe-shifts, Jonathan. In spring, I went shopping for a new bike. The bike-shop was pretty much empty. Some cheapo child bikes and some 6000 Euro e-mountain-bikes, nothing in the middle. And the dealer told me, he can order my bike when I am willing to wait for months. But ok, you got a lovely wife and such a sweet little son. So: forget about double-shifts for now :-)
Die Lieferzeiten sind halt weltweit extrem lang. Da kann der Händler nichts für😅
Your cycling content is so nice. It would be great to see more of it. ;-)
It is in the works for a June and August episode. Stay tuned. ❤️
A lot less people bicycle here in the US. But we have all the advantages. I need at least 80F ( 25C ) to go bicycling ( yes, I make exceptions, like for rainy 45F New Years night. ) I have that here in Las Vegas, 9 months a year, guaranteed :) And I have bike paths and incredibly wide streets in any direction, you just use Goolag Maps to identify them. Total separation from cars , incredibly save. Never mind the bike freeways along the LV wetlands. ( similar to the bike freeway river system in LA ) .And then there is Lake Mead National Park, just down the street and over the mountains, for a hard core road bike trip. And at the end of that, our RTC bus system has ample bike racks on the front of each bus, to take me home again from Bolder City. That was much more difficult and dangerous in Frankfurt, when I was studying ( Yes, that is 30 years ago ) . But even today, when I am in Germany, riding my Peugeot bike in Wittgenstein county where my parents live, it is much less save than here in Las Vegas, in the city, because of the narrow country roads with no shoulder. Great video. Love my bicycle sport, same as you guys :)
I see increasing similarities in the bicycle culture here in Québec, especially in Montreal, a very bikeable city!
Cool vid!
Thank you!
Tak for jeres fantastiske kanal, prøv at se på Tysklands nabo Danmark i forhold til cykling... Vi glæder os til at i kommer herop og oplever cykellandet :) ❤️
I‘m a daily commuter in Freiburg as well. I’m on the road with my bike almost all year round, but there are certain parts of the city, where Freiburg has to live up to their own standards. However there are many places around the world where riding a bicycle is nearly impossible and too risky, especially in the US. It would be great, if other cities or countries would build this kind of infrastructure and possibilities to improve the living in and near a city to avoid pollution, noise and maybe even traffic jams. There are many reasons to invest into this form of transportation…
I love your channel and I look forward for more. Thank you so much!
Awesome! Nice to connect with a fellow Freiburger! Thanks for such a great comment. We are glad you enjoyed the video. ❤️ Cheers!
Es ist über 40 Jahre her als ich hier 15:45 in der Grundschule meinen Fahrradpass gemacht habe. So schnell vergeht die Zeit aber daran sieht man auch, wie lange sich Freiburg schon um die Sicherheit der Radfahrer kümmert, vorallem um die, der Kinder ;)
I'd love to E bike all around Germany and of course the black forest area would also like to bike through the Alps.
Amazing that you easily can transform your bicycle trailor into a buggy. 🙂
I really like Jack's first Laufrad :-) It looks like very young children can already use it. Do you have an affiliate link for it?
As someone who moved from Münster (for years voted as Germany's bicycle friendliest city) to another city, I learned that the experience can differ a lot. But also in my new hometown, the cycling infrastructure improved a lot over the last two decades. But even compared to Münster and Freiburg (also one of Germany's cycle friendliest cities), the infrastructure in the Netherlands is far superior and it is really fun to cycle there, divided from the car traffic. I really like your episodes as as family who moved from the US to Germany, you point out positive things that I took for granted. And, especially, I like if you point out things that are better in the US, which I sometimes agree with, and sometimes not, as I am used to the other way ;-)
Tolles Video……👍👋
When Jack is a little older, you should visit the zoo in Karlsruhe. It's not too big, so it's perfect for smaller children. It’s reaonably priced and is right by the train station, so it's very easy to get to.
Note that German bikes typically have fenders which are a must if you use a bike every day and not just as a sport.
All university dominated cities are also traditional dominated by bicycles. Such are Freiburg, Münster, Göttingen, Oldenburg, Heidelberg etc....
When i studied 30 years back in Göttingen my all wether cloth were an australian riding coat (dirza bone). It worked pritty well. Since i needed to ride by bike every even in winter.
Fun fact: Freiburg gained the title "bicycle city" recently... For years Münster in NRW was known as THE MOST bicycle friendly city in Germany.
@@urlauburlaub2222 What do you mean by "without any importance"?
@@urlauburlaub2222
"not dominated" lol!, are you sure? go and speak with the people there. Driving a car or be a pedestrian is a pain, because of the rude and respectless bicycles drivers. And the most use the bike to move from A to B.
"Without any importance":
Woaaa....i dont think so.... Most of them are in there region the biggest city. The traditional university attracted a lot special industrie and non university research center. etc there are also oftem special medicine centrs around the university hospital... and so on...
You need to look at every traditional university city seperatly. They are all special...
Over all i dont share youre oppinion. It seems we have a completely different picture of theses cities.
Really love your Videos, it's for them that I started watching expats in Germany again. It really gets boring watching another '10 culture shocks' or '5 don't do's in Germany'.
4:21 and I see the yellow problem in front of you which blocks the bicycle lane ...
You have to try the Mac Ride seat for you little one when he is old enough. We started at 2 years, it was the best investment ever! We love to go mountain biking this way we could do it as a Family. My 2 one started in the hamack at 2 weeks old, next year she can go on the Mac Ride and we can use single trails again. Our oldest will be 5 in Dez. and rides on his own since 3,5 years old but for long tours we got the Tout Terrain Streamliner second hand. Ah biking with the family is such a great activity!
Yes! We are looking at doing a bike-packing trip next summer. Trying to decide if we should just put more hefty tires on the Thule bike trailer or the something like the "tout terrain" single wheel bicycle trailer. ❤️
@@TypeAshton As someone who put wider road tires on his MTB ever since Schwalbe released the "Big Apple", I would say go as hefty as the trailer permits. If that isn't enough you can still buy a better trailer later.
@@TypeAshton yes, the single wheel was on our list but that summer we bought our croozer that could fit 2 kids ( we could even transport our sons 14” bike in the boot of the trailer! I drove a lot offroad with the this trailer, no modifications even bumpy trails were ok I only had to consider the width when planing our tours. I have to say we bike electric which made it a lot easier to drag the trailer trough the woods.
On the Mac ride they learn a lot about balance and you can tire them out 😁
Man, as a technical writer writing instruction manuals you broke my heart throwing the manual away. :-D
Awe hahaha sorry! In all fairness, throwing away the instructions has gotten us into deep trouble many times over. Usually we find ourselves trying to fish it out of the trash when we've gotten ourselves into a pickle. 😂
As a fellow technical writer myself, I second that! Respect the manual, then it respects you. ;-)
In the plain northern regions of Germany bicycles are an essential part of all traffic and cities like Münster or my hometown Bocholt have bicycle lanes almost on every bigger street and are very save and traffic concepts are made for the cycling people first. Münster has for example an parking building only for bicycles near the main station and is voted several times the most bicycle-friendly town in Germany.
That is so awesome! We had also read the articles online about how bicycle friendly Münster is. It really makes us want to take a weekend to go visit it (and bring our bicycles of course).
@@TypeAshton I have studied in Münster and for me it is one of the greatest cities in Germany and like Freiburg it is very vibrant and lively with many students an some beautiful sights. If you ever wanna go there I have some recommendations and "Insidertipps"...
@@TypeAshton fahre niemals Auto in münster, once we had to when we visited a cousin. it is hell on earth. bikers hate you, they block you intentionally whenever they can. they consider themselves as the better humans, and car drivers are only subhumans making noise and pollute their breath,,
Love your comment about cycling being faster than driving: when I lived in Arlington, VA in the 90’s, it was faster for me to ride to work near Capitol Hill than drive the 6 miles…..
Hey great video...your health insurance video has been used by some youtubers as reaction video...you are becoming a Star....😅
Yeah! We saw the video by James Bray. Super cool! We never imagined it would have this kind of reach.
@@TypeAshton well, at least really earned. Not only some easy made statements, but due to profound research done. Thanks to your background as an becoming PhD 😊
I can recommend the Lake Constance Cycle Path, which is a long-distance cycle path along Lake Constance that is about 260 kilometers long (shortcuts are possible). With over 220,000 cyclists per year, it is considered one of the most popular bike paths in Europe.
Ich kann euch den Bodensee-Radweg empfehlen er ist ein rund 260 Kilometer (Abkürzungen möglich) langer Radfernweg entlang des Bodensees. Er gilt mit über 220.000 Radfahrern pro Jahr als einer der beliebtesten Radwege Europas.
PS: these bike courses were already in my childhood, I'm 54! 😍 with "driver's license" of course!😂
That lasted longer than some car driver's license, in some US state, I think?!
PS: diese Fahrradkurse gab es schon zu meiner Kinderzeit, ich bin 54! 😍 mit "Führerschein" natürlich!😂
Das dauerte länger, als so manch Pkw Führerschein, in manch US Staat, glaub ich?!
Yes! I think next year we are talking about organizing a long bike-packing trip. Possibly doing the Lake Constance-Königssee trail over the course of a few days. We are still in the pre-planning stages, but the images of the scenery along the way look amazing.
Freiburg is a bit different guys. There are lots of cities where it is a nightmare to ride a bike because of aggressive and ignorant car drivers and bad Fahrradweg infrastructure. We live in Heidelberg (Baden Württemberg) and here it is okay but still a long way to go until we reach Freiburg‘s state or the Netherlands. You guys should visit Holland with your bikes (bringing them by car with an Anhänger). Outside of the cities though there are so many bike trails, you will never be able to get to know all of them
They should just do the trip by bike in a couple of days ;)
There needs to be a lot more cycling stores, accessories, and ways to ride around in the US. Though more cities are adding bicycle lanes to their streets
0:04 omg so cute 😂
Thank you ❤️ We love his little dinosaur roar.
Man, your raising a 2nd Danny MacAskill ;-)👌🤣
I love the Mundenhof. I hope you have the Schwarzwald app. There are all the Radwege and Wanderpfade also for children
Ihr Glücklichen! Ihr könnt wirklich froh sein, dass ihr in einer schönen, sonnigen Fahrradfahrerstadt wohnt. Das ist leider nicht selbstverständlich. Dort, wo ich wohne, geht es nur auf und ab und es gibt überhaupt keine Infrastruktur für Radfahrer.
Und euer Fahrradanhänger ist ja supercool! Mir gefällt, dass man den auch als Kinderwagen und Einkaufsbuggy benutzen kann. Echt klasse.
Nur die Aussprache vom Mündenhof müsst ihr beide noch mal üben. 🤣 Ein Hof hat immer ein lang gesprochenes o.
Freiburg is a beautiful place place to live in.
We totally agree. We feel so lucky to call it home.
Visit the neighboring country The Netherlands. Much bigger cycle culture there. There are cycle paths in every city and cycle paths to every city, town and corner within the country
Mundenhof is great. But i never had good weather there :) always a lot of wind
We want to go back when the weather is warmer. It really was such a fun place!
this is a truly great vid! it captures the bikeculture of the southwest really good. I would love to see you doing a Radtour over the boarder/the rhine into france; could be great for non european viewers to see how easy that is. Personally I want to recommend, that you will once see the dutch and the danish bikeculture or that you visit Münster, the bicycle capital of germany: Bye especially to exhibit a - I feel ya bro, manuel is just recycling material
thank you! We are talking about possibly doing a 10 day bike-packing tour next summer. I think it would a really fun challenge as a family, but also illustrate that you can still do it all by bicycle!
@@TypeAshton I meant 'Radtour to france' as an activity for a daytrip for you in the freiburg area colmar looks like it. For a multiple days radurlaub I heard that a lot of families travel along huge rivers like Elbe, Donau, Loire or chanels fe 'Dortmund-Ems-Kanal Radweg' bc you avoid steep climbs
+sorry for stressing this but the 'german cycling culture' varies a lot regionally. Freiburg, Münster, Hamburg have a great reputation. Berlin is improving fast but I am fron the Ruhrgebiet and believe I have to take care of mayself bc nobody else will - I am exaggerating, obviousliy - but its rougher than in biscyle friendly towns midszied towns on the countryside
bye for now
regarding the zoo's: it's estimated that there are currently about 1400 to 1500 of them worldwide. More than half of them are in europe (approx. 770). And from all of these zoo's 400 are located in Germany. so indeed we're the country with the most zoo's in the world...
And yes of course everybody in our family has a bike, what a question...
I liked your video style with the "split screen" editing very much. Nice idea!
Living in a really small town in germany, but we have also a great bike infrastructure. I can easy get with my bike into the city and every bus and train stop has alot of bike parkings and we also have seperated bike areas on the main streets and bike ways, i dont need a car or something like that, bike + public transport rules :)
I have always been an active cyclist, it's so great getting around so easily and safely by bike. It's wonderful!
I live in the hilly regions of Southern Lower Saxony. Using a bike is normal here, though it's in decline a bit. More and more kids use the bus to go to school.
The rquired distance for cars while passing bikes... well... my trusty Ortlieb bag is always on the left side of the bike to make it appear more wide. Don't know if that works, but I feel better. And with my poncho (red with whith polka dots) I should be visible even in the worst weather :)
btw: What a beautiful blanket you have for Jack!
haha yes! I also usually keep my white pannier on the left side also just to give some buffer. And thank you for the compliment on Jack's blanket! It was a gift from his great-grandmother.❤️
Well we are 4 people, living in the north of Germany and own about 25 bikes (i gave up counting), so much about average. One of my bikes is in Freiburg, because my father in law lives there and Freiburg is such a beautiful city.
We also know a number of friends/colleagues who keep bicycles at or near the train station. They commute in with DB, grab it and go.