Sunday on the Kö has been a regular part of our annual schedule since the Race am Rhein 2016. We brought a lot of things with us again this year, from our hats, socks, and water bottles to racing bikes and gravel bikes from Barco, Ritchey, Cannondale, and Brother. We were particularly pleased to have Orbea as our guest. Stuart not only had the Orca and the Orca Aero on the stand, but was also able to present the new carbon Terra in two different versions. The Race is sure to be a hit with the sporty gravel community, and the Terra, in its Adventure configuration, will be the perfect companion for all adventure rides. Sean from Ciclovation was also a guest, and he, too, was completely blown away by the vibe of the day that evening.

Our booth at Rund um die Kö isn't just a small calling card for the store, but also a meeting and gathering point for the community. We've also been selling official Rund um die Kö merchandise for years. Unfortunately, the hotly anticipated Rund um die Kö Jersey 2025 was delayed this year and was missing from the booth, but we'll deliver it later, we promise. And in addition to the jerseys for winners and volunteers, we'll also have a small number available for general sale—more on that later.

The 2025 edition of the Kö Race was a very special one for us, mainly because for the first time we were officially in the front row when it came to responsibility and organization. Over the course of the year, we founded a new association, bling eV, with a large part of the Rund um die Kö team from recent years. This association will look after the fortunes of Rund um die Kö and a few other things related to cycling here in Düsseldorf. We've had the opportunity to learn a lot in the crash course over the past few months; a lot went smoothly, but not everything. But we were lucky and honored to be part of a fantastic team that not only worked shoulder to shoulder with each other to implement all the preparations, but also brilliantly organized the entire weekend, from the opening ceremony on Thursday to the big clean-up on Monday.

Since Sunday, we've probably all been asked about the great atmosphere on the Kö 26,358 times. The productive and positive mood we've had at our weekly meetings over the past few months has continued until now, a fact that visitors also seem to notice. And then there's the extended organization team, which includes everyone who dedicates a day or a few hours to Düsseldorf cycling and who really did an incredible job on Sunday. This shows how positive the Düsseldorf cycling community is and how much fun many cyclists have being able to help shape Düsseldorf's big race. We at the Mütze are of course also thrilled by how many volunteers from the Mütze community are pitching in at Rund um die Kö. Without all of your work, this event would never be possible, so once again a huge thank you from us.

We're already looking ahead to 2026. If you'd like to be involved in any way, please contact us at info (at) bling minus ev dot cc.

We have put a small gallery with Kerstin's pictures here, even more pictures from various photographers and my review of Rund um die Kö can be found on the page Rund um die Kö 2025

It is certainly not a given that our partners from the Mütze support our activities at Rund um die Kö, so a big thank you to Schwalbe, Abus, Paul Lange & Shimano Germany, Café Du Cycliste, Sixtus, Climaid and Blackbear for their support.

#königsallez #supportyourlocalcycling #supportyourlocalcrit

See you soon

Carsten

(c) Joel Kaumanns