Cycling tours
The Radtourenfahrt (RTF), formerly also known as the cycling tour , is a popular cycling event for everyone as part of the popular sports program of the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer e. V. The participant can complete signposted routes between 41 and 170 km in length in the public traffic area in compliance with the StVO . No times or placements may be determined by the organizer.
The cycling tour rides are to be distinguished from everyone's races , in which the competitive character is in the foreground.
organization
A bike tour is organized by a cycling club. This must meet certain criteria of the Association of German Cyclists (in particular the general tender) and receive official approval. The routes offered by the organizer are signposted. In addition, the organizer can offer drinks and snacks at the checkpoints (see below), which is regularly the case.
A trip can be held on a weekend or public holiday in the period from about mid-March to mid-October. The starting window for the participants is usually two hours in the morning or morning.
The organizer may demand an entry fee from the participants for participation. This is (as of 2017) for BDR members mostly € 4 (maximum € 7) and mostly € 6 for non-members.
Depending on the regulations of the regional cycling association, it is usually mandatory for the participant to wear a number on his back when going on a bike tour.
Point system
The participant will be rewarded with points for successfully covering a signposted route at an RTF:
- 1 point for 40 - 69 km
- 2 points for 70 - 109 km
- 3 points for 110 - 149 km
- 4 points for 150-199 km
- 5 points for over 200 km
- 6 points for events of the Radmarathoncup Deutschland
BDR members who have an RTF rating card can use it to collect these points and receive a bonus from the BDR at the end of the year, provided that a minimum number of points has been obtained. In order to ensure that a participant has actually traveled a route, control points are set up at suitable route sections at which the participant receives a stamp on his control card.
Categories of popular sport in the BDR
The popular sports spectrum of the BDR includes the following offers:
- RTF Formula A (endurance): Covers distances between 41 and 170 km. These are RTFs in the strict sense.
- Bike marathon : Like RTF Formula A, but with a minimum length of 200 km.
- Radmarathon Cup Deutschland: Series of 16 annually selected, mostly particularly demanding, bicycle marathons.
- Stage trip: Guided bike tour, the route of which is covered in several daily sections.
- Permanent bike tour: bike tour that can be completed at any time using a route description.
- Permanent stage trip: Networking of several permanent bike tours.
RTF - Formula A
Formula A (endurance) is the best-known branch of cycling touring. Various tours of the 5 classes (40–69, 70–109, 110–149, 150–199, 200 km and more) are offered in parallel at one event on fixed weekend or holiday dates.
Driving is on signposted routes at speeds that determine the traffic conditions and group dynamics. Depending on the type and condition of the route, you drive to several checkpoints that are between 20 and 40 km apart. There the start card is stamped and often a drink is served. Bike tours have no target times and are usually carried out as a round trip, ie the participant comes back to the starting point. For organizational reasons, the organizer sets a time window in the early morning and specifies the closing times when the controls must be completed.
Members of an association of the Association of German Cyclists V. Individual members of the regional association can buy a so-called rating card in which the points for a successfully completed bike tour are entered. According to the above five classes, there are 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 points depending on the distance covered. If within a season (mid-March to mid-October) women have collected 15, men 25 or students 10 or more points, you will receive an annual award. The RTF rating card required for this can be purchased by members from the club or individual members from their regional association.
Permanent bike tours
In contrast to the A-rides, which are limited to weekend and public holidays, permanent bike tours offer the possibility of doing a tour every day of the week. You can choose the start time for these distances between 50 and 110 km. Starting locations are usually petrol stations or restaurants, which also display the routes, collect entry fees and enter scoring card points. The regional associations of the BDR annually issue a calendar in which all RTF and permanent are listed.
Stage trips
Stage trips are guided bike tours in which the worked out route is driven over several days in sections (stages). As a rule, this trip is carried out in a "closed association", ie in one or more groups depending on the number and ability of the participants. As a rule, the average speed of these stage journeys is low, as it is based on the performance of the weakest group member.
Remarks
- Although timing is not permitted, an RTF has a distinctly sporty character: almost all of the participants appear with racing bikes, the proportion of club riders is high and the average speed for many participants is well beyond 30 km / h. (At some events, a country touring trip (CTF) is offered in parallel , which is guided over forest paths, completed with cross racing bikes and especially mountain bikes .)
- Even if the organizers are not obliged by the BDR to provide food, most of them offer one. In addition to granulated lemon tea and bananas, there are often more lard breads, waffles, fruit, yoghurt, cakes or gummy bears. Famous here are the Hochsauerland classic in Eslohe , which also offers soup and a rich cake buffet at its control point on the Kahler Asten (as of 2006) or the RTF from Hamburg-Lohbrügge "Until before Lübeck's gates" of the Hamburg company sports association, at their control point in Friedrichsruh There are even salmon sandwiches among other specialties.
- By far the largest number of RTFs take place in North Rhine-Westphalia (2006: 233, this corresponds to around 3–4 RTFs per weekend or public holiday). The number of participants is around 100 - 1500, depending on the weather and starting location.
- Although there is usually a two-hour start window, the majority of the participants are almost always at the start at the beginning of the start window. This often leads to the formation of large groups right from the start, which is not welcomed by the authorizing authorities due to the resulting traffic obstructions. Some organizers therefore accompany the head group with a specially marked guide vehicle or they only allow the participants to start in smaller groups.
- Some RTFs (e.g. Greifswald, Pasewalk) are therefore driven in a closed association with police traffic safety. These guided tours are recommended as training trips or for RTF beginners.
- Starting locations are usually schools, town halls or similar public buildings. These offer sufficient parking space, enough space for registration, cake buffets, barbecue stands and bicycle dealers who offer their goods, as well as the necessary sanitary facilities.
- Many organizers award trophies / prizes for the participant with the longest journey, oldest participant, club with the most participants.
- RTC Cologne is a co-founder of the bike tour trips. Erich Fischer from RTC Cologne became the first cycle tourism specialist at the Association of German Cyclists.