Cycling In Germany: It Takes a Nation of Schumachers To Hold Me Back
Since arriving in Berlin and procuring what was I assume a completely legally obtained bike from a friendly second hand dealer in a local flea market I’ve come to regard it as a proverbial pedalists paradise. Well, in contrast to previous glass strewn bike lanes of Scouseland anyway. No more must I be on the watch out for taxi drivers who consider the fact that the cycle lane does not contain a speed bump to be an open invitation to get thoroughly involved. Cycling routes snake across the city making it possible to navigate from A to B (or as the Germans would say A nach B) whilst avoiding unnecessary games of chicken with assorted BMW, Audi or Volkswagen. Given my penchant for accidental dissembarkments, bonnet surfing and my head’s seemingly uncontrollable gravitational force towards objects much harder than itself, this is nothing but a good thing. And everybody cycles here, only the other day I noticed what looked like an Octogenarian passing in the other direction and given she was rocking at a fair old pace the face tuck provided by the wind probably knocked 20 years off the old dear.
A few curious things have cropped whilst on pedal power around the German capital that I thought I’d throw my 2 cents in to the ring for. One thing that i genuinely can’t get my head around is that it is illegal here to cycle without a bloody dynamo light attached to your bike. As if my puny twiglet legs aren’t issue enough I’m supposed to attach a third break to my front wheel that sounds like an asthmatic donkey and has the illumination powers of a damp candle in a stiff breeze. I’ll take my chances with an LED light thanks all the same…and whilst the asthetics of legally requiring a working bell to your bike appeal more I’m yet to find one that doesn’t sound camper than Christmas to further tarnishing my already heavily damaged macho reputation.
One curious habit I’ve noticed of the old Deutschlanders is that waiting at a traffic light appears to offer up a chance to partake in some role playing, most people taking the guise of a famous native F1 driver and getting involved in some dodgy overtaking manoeuvres. Quite happily perched at a red light its apparently commonplace for some good old fashioned jostling for position prior to getting the nod from the jovial green man. This would be fine aside from the fact that it appears approach velocity to the lights is not considered for this starting grid line up and the old, infirm and obese will quite happily plonk themselves in front of you prior to the off. Thus ensues a slow moving pelaton away from the lights until this sort themselves out just in time for the next red man, and don’t consider jumping that light, a €130 fine awaits if you do. (On that note I find it curious Berliners continually float various laws such as the smoking ban yet rarely will you find someone who dares to cross the red man of justice at the lights.)
That said Berlin is great for cycling and providing a fruitful training area for the Eurotrip ahead
Woody
B.C. Priming
Determined to trail the back wheel of the Tarantino by centimeters to let Tom and Woody part the whipping winds I’ve put a bit of time into priming my body before the trip.
My approach to training has always been keep it as simple as possible, so I started with three goals (1) build strength, (2) maintain weight and (3) increase endurance.
One of the lasting benefits from the Olympics being in Vancouver is the handful of venues that have been transformed into community recreation centres. The Hillcrest Recreation Centre served as the curling rink during the 2010 Winter Games and has recently been transformed into an aquatic facility, ice rink and community gym. With the city providing a more reasonable membership rate than private gyms, it has become my own little training facility in the months leading up to Black to Black.
Not much of a muscle head or protein packer, I’ve always fumbled my way around a weight room unsure of what to do exactly. I decided to get some help for this trip and have used the book Training Plans for Cyclists by Gale Bernhardt to develop a weight lifting and riding routine. I spend about two to three hours in the gym four days a week working on leg presses, squats, chest presses, lateral rows, bicep and tricep curls, push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, dips and more to strengthen my body before the trip.
Bernhardt’s book has taught me the importance of having a well-balanced nutritional diet during training more than anything. With all the strength training, I have to make sure my muscles get their nutrients and don’t break down on me crying and whining. An unexpected and much welcomed side-effect of preparing for this trip is that I have honed my cooking skills over the last few months working on cooking meals from unprocessed whole foods that include healthy helpings of carbohydrates, fats and of course protein. My favorite discovery: a spicy chipotle lasagna with European cottage cheese, zucchini and organic beef and Italian sausage.
With muscles honed and food in the belly, the only other thing to do has been ride, ride and ride some more. Let’s just say I know the bicycle paths in the Lower Mainland very, very well by this point. I have even left the province to travel down to Bellingham in Washington state one weekend to get an extra long ride of 100 km. I have fun with the rides working on pedaling as fast as I can in low gears, powering hard in the high gears, sprinting for one minute bursts, increasing my heart rate for three minute bursts, riding as far as I can for as long as I can and more. Rather than bore you with words, let me share some photos from my rides!
Ezra Anton
Ezra on the beach in Bellingham after Ski to Sea Race
Ezra with bicycle after Ski to Sea Race
Train tracks and power lines in south Vancouver
Boat Wreckage
North Arm of the Fraser River
Mud Duck
Anton's shadow profile
Daisies
Three amigos who decided to bicycle the length of the Danube River. This is their story.
Black to Black 
