After the Crossing Borders debut in March was sold out within 12 hours and we all had so much fun on the trip to Maastricht, a repeat was at the top of our agenda. The collaboration with Off the Map was a perfect fit; the route and surrounding countryside are beautiful, and the distance is within reach, even as a round trip, as some graduates spontaneously demonstrated in March. Now, none of us can exactly complain about a lack of challenges, after all, we're in the middle of the season. But with combined forces and the support of our guide crew, we're now embarking on the XL version of Crossing Borders. On Sunday, July 13th.

The route is planned as a figure-eight, which, with a refreshment station in the middle, allows us to keep the distance between the individual points within manageable limits, even on a hot day. Since another peloton will be starting in Maastricht, parallel to us in Düsseldorf, there's even a chance to meet up with our Dutch colleagues for a chat in the border region.

We're thrilled to have the support of our partners Albion, Brooks, Hunt, and Climaid, without whom this whole event wouldn't be possible. Thanks to the support of Bohemian Border Bash founder Vendelin Ondrej, we'll be able to restock jersey pockets at the aid station with Chimpanzee Nutrition.

If I had to open a category, I'd declare Crossing Borders an all-road ride. Everything is rideable on a classic road bike with 25mm of travel, but it's more fun with 30mm and up. When planning the route, great importance was placed on minimizing contact with cars, so we often ride on back roads and farm tracks that don't always have the best surfaces; you could hide a football in some of the potholes along the way.

Since we've already written a lot about the event on Eventbrite, here's a summary again:

·        Route length approx. 250km with almost 1000 meters of altitude

·        3 refreshment stops along the way

·        Peloton with an average speed of approximately 25 km/h

·        Of course, you will receive the route for your wahoo or Garmin in advance, so you can ride at your own pace if an average of 25 km/h is not ambitious enough for you.

·        Our food is vegetarian and vegan, and appropriate pasta awaits you both at Off the Map and in the Mütze. 

·        Please remember to bring light. We don't want to overdo the breaks, but this way we'll be prepared for flat tires or other time constraints.

Click here for tickets.

Two more sentences about the title: when we were planning the first tour to Maastricht, I was just getting fed up with the discussions about border controls. I am a committed European and always view our common good from the perspective of a global citizen. Petty fuss doesn't help anyone; we know that from translation. We can only tackle problems globally, which shouldn't stop us from setting a good example. Closing borders is not a path to a positive future.

Conditions of participation

Generally:

The conditions of participation listed below apply to all participants in cycling tours (hereinafter also referred to as the “event”) organized by Schicke Mütze GmbH (hereinafter referred to as “SCHICKE MÜTZE” or “organizer”).

Behavior/Order:

1. SCHICKE MÜTZE rides are never considered cycling races. There will be no timekeeping, nor will there be a ranking of participants. Failure to comply with this rule may result in immediate exclusion from the ride by the organizers or their agents.

2. Unless expressly stated otherwise, SCHICKE MÜTZE's rides are racing bike rides, which may only be participated on bicycles with so-called racing bike racks.

3. The SCHICKE MÜTZE values ​​respectful, friendly interaction within the group of participants, but also towards all pedestrians, cyclists and motorists encountered on the ride.

4. Participants are responsible for the perfect technical condition and safety of their bicycles.

5. During the trips, the instructions of the organizers and their agents must be strictly followed.

Driven:

1. All participants take part in the SCHICKE MÜTZE outing at their own risk.

2. The outings are events that take place on public roads on routes that are not closed off or secured and therefore involve an increased risk potential where, despite due care being taken, damage cannot be ruled out.

3. The road traffic regulations (StVO) must be observed.

4. Wearing a suitable bicycle helmet is mandatory.

Liability:

1. The organizer does not provide any insurance coverage for the participants.

2. The organizer shall be liable exclusively for damages resulting from injury to life, body, health or property that are based on an intentional or grossly negligent breach of duty by the organizer.

In case of violation of the conditions of participation, a participant may be excluded from the trip without being entitled to a refund of any participation fee.