Even though the sun didn't dare to come out until the afternoon and the morning was quite chilly, our kickoff into the gravel season with a ride celebrating PROTECT OUR WINTERS' Mobility Month was a complete success. Forty-five cheerful participants weren't discouraged by a slight temperature drop in our coffee machine and enjoyed their banana bread before setting off in two groups at 11:20 a.m.

The route was a variation of our gravel tour around Rommerskirchen, which we'll be incorporating into our monthly gravel tours as part of the Winterschmuddelparade starting in November, supplemented and refined with a few neat gimmicks. The response from our riders was, to put it mildly, consistently positive, which is always a pleasure for us and David, who was planning this one.

A day like yesterday simply shows how much fun a tour like this can be, even when it's colder outside and the sun isn't constantly shining. Of course, many people are tempted by the exercise bike with its fan and wattage indicator, but a group tour is a completely different story in my eyes. I'm looking forward to being on the Rhine Terrace every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in the winter and setting off on a two- to three-hour journey into the surrounding area with a cheerful crew. I enjoy our rides in the summer, but autumn and winter tours are something special.

First, we'd like to thank our friends at CAFÉ DU CYCLISTE for putting us in touch with Lukas and PROTECT OUR WINTERS. We're happy and a little proud that a large part of our community is serious about cycling and doesn't just see cycling as a sport, but also always considers the environmental aspect.

In times like these, when supposed world leaders see climate change as the cause of burdensome restrictions that they would rather avoid than seriously address solutions, it's great to see that a large portion of our fellow cyclists are concerned about the environment and how to deal with it. It's far from the case that the bicycle industry is only acting in a exemplary manner, but we can all work continuously to ensure that problems are recognized, taken seriously, and solutions are developed. And please don't ask how; simply vote for parties that view climate change as the serious threat it poses to us all.

CAFÈ DU CYCLISTE also addresses their impact on the world and the environment and takes their own actions seriously. You can find more on this topic, somewhat hidden here on their website. CDC founder Remy is absolutely right when he says, "The more time we spend in nature, the more we are concerned about protecting it."

Enough preaching, have fun with the great pictures of a great day in nature from Kerstin and Joel & Jessi aka KLUB KARACHO.