February 2015, freezing cold and mixed weather. Actually time for a proper cold and a neat winter cycling depression. But we don't want to do that, we prefer to look a little further ahead. And let's think about cycling and what's coming in the next few weeks.

As previously announced, the down tube shifter season 2015 starts on Sunday, March 1st, the classic outing. It starts punctually at 11:00 a.m. at the cap, otherwise there will be a special feature at the start: two routes and two groups. On the one hand, we want to reduce the group size of the last few months and at the same time double the fun for everyone. It doesn't become standard every month, but the first tour of the season can be something special. Details below www.klassikerausfahrt.de .

In addition to the classic outing, there will be a first outing for all newcomers and returners in the next few weeks, after all, many have bought a racing bike in recent months and on the few dry, cold days covered and hooded, they completed the first frosty and lonely outings. The inhibitions about joining one of the best trained and perfectly equipped Pro Tour troops in the local area are sometimes a little greater if you are still struggling to get into the pedals. That's why we're offering beginners a little taster tour, short distance, extremely little traffic, small groups, relaxed help. A contact yard for those interested in racing bikes, who may not even have looked for one and have nevertheless found it, in order to complete training laps or excursions together in the spring. The first date will be announced at short notice, the weather should at least play along. Announcement comes via https://www.facebook.com/SchickeMuetze and here. If you want to be sure, you can send us an email info at chic muetze dot de with the comment "starter package", we will send an invitation when the time comes.

And another innovation starts in March: a trip by women for women. Already in the last year, this obvious idea was often requested and desired, but it will be implemented in 2015. It's not meant to discourage female cyclists from continuing to make their mark in the mixed peloton, but the Rapha Women's 100 showed just how much fun a loop like this can be. More on that soon...

At the end of March we will be at the Berlin Bicycle Show with a team made up of Chic Hats and Classic Cars, for the first time not as a visitor but as an exhibitor. We will have a stand together with our friends from the Selberbruzzler ( http://www.selberbruzzler.at/news ) and our colleagues from "In Velo Veritas" ( http://www.inveloveritas.at/ ) in the handmade area of ​​the have a great fair. Good mood and fun are guaranteed. And for the Berliners there are chic hats and our homemade musette. We also take bikes with us, maybe we can do a few laps in Berlin.

On April 5th we start again with the classic tour from the cap to a tour over the economic routes of the surrounding area. The next step will be terribly exciting: on April 26th we will rent the Albert Richter Bahn in Cologne together with the Kettenblatt-Blog to let it rip there. As is well known, our track day was canceled this year, but we can't do without steep curves after all. And after three years in Büttgen, we are now looking forward to the Cologne railway. Historical ground, a great open-air track, a large interior space with a meadow and many possibilities await us here. The first talks were a lot of fun and give hope that nothing stands in the way of an unprecedented city friendship between Cologne and Düsseldorf. And we can all put together a great event. We are excited to continue the last track day in January 2014, when the exhibition of historic track bikes organized by the Kettenblatt Blog alone was worth the visit.

This is a small preview of the first dates and activities that have already been fixed. In addition, of course, there is our big annual tour around Rommerskirchen as part of the racing bike exchange, again this year on Whit Saturday and Whit Sunday. After that it's all going smoothly, for example our friend Paul Sneeboer from blueOn Bike will visit us to organize a Giro De Café on German soil for the first time. And we are in good spirits that we can welcome some cycling friends from the Netherlands with him.

In addition to the dates announced here, we will hopefully be able to realize a few more trips with you. There are plenty of ideas, as well as interest, as we hear again and again.

So, enough of the words, we are now looking forward to a great year with you. Here's to beautiful and varied tours, to nice balmy evenings and to our first real year in the Chic Hat. We are just as excited as you are to see if we can do it all.

Safe travels wherever you are.

Your commune cap