Open route using Google Earth

The annual "Henninger Race" - a one-day "classic" race on the Pro tour held on May 1 each year - has once again been "rebranded", this time as "Round the financial center Eschborn-Frankfurt", and like the few remaining professional races in Germany it also has an "Everyman" race. This year was my fourth race here - and the worst to date. Lots of rain, which with a big field of entrants meant a lot of crashes (all those wet manhole covers and too many riders who weren't prepared to go just a little bit slower into the corners!). I opted at the last minute for the short, flat course - a wise move as it turned out! It was so cold and there was no chance of slipstreaming as you just ended up with a face full of rain from the back wheel of the guy in front. I still managed an average speed of over 30 kmh. And most importantly I finished in one piece!

Four-day tour along the Main and Tauber

This tour is a "first" in many respects: First tour of the season with luggage, first tour with someone else, and the first starting with a car journey. As it's the first of the season with luggage my legs have to get used to pedalling the extra weight; as the first with someone else - not just anybody either, but with my better half - I have to get used to going at someone else's pace. That problem was soon dealt with: I agreed to take all the luggage. As my good lady has never really cycled more than 50 km in a day before, we decided to restrict ourselves to around 60-70 km a day and mostly on the flat. Which made a "river tour" the obvious choice. And as the Main and Tauber rivers run so close to one another at one point, it was decided to cycle a bit of both ... Open full tour using Google Earth

After a 1-hour drive to just outside Miltenberg where I knew of a free parking opportunity, we set off eastwards along the River Main. Although the skies are somewhat grey, the steep sides of the densely-wooded valley are bathed in a multitude of greens, contrasting nicely with the deep red sandstone "cliffs" typical of the region. Shortly after passing through Miltenberg comes the first castle of the day - on the hillside above Freudenberg. Indeed, as the day progresses there seems to be the ruins of a medieval castle on the hills above the river every 10-15 km or so. As we approach Wertheim - another castle perched above the river - come the words I'd feared from my good lady: "My bum hurts!" Not a lot to be done about that unfortunately. It's something you - or rather the aforementioned bum - has to get used to. Which it does. Eventually. Let's hope it doesn't get too painful as there are another 40-odd km to go today! After Wertheim the scenery becomes idyllic. Lots of river meadows flanking the cycle path (right next to the river) awash with wild flowers, every now and then terraced vineyards on the hillsides, church spires in the distance. And then the mighty castle at Rothenfels comes into view on the other side of the river. The final 15 km to our destination, Lohr, are pleasant enough apart from the headwind. Mercifully for my better half's bum after 85 km in the saddle we soon find a good hotel and an even better restaurant.

Before breakfast I take the opportunity to wander around Lohr, which is a very charming town with lots of very old half-timbered buildings. The plan for the day is hastily changed to accomodate better half's aching bum and to make sure we get over into the Tauber valley by evening. So it's along the Main to Gemünden, a short detour up the valley of the River Sinn to see the castle at Rieneck before taking the train from Gemünden to Ochsenfurt and heading over the hills of the so-called Ochsenfurt Gau to Röttingen on the River Tauber. The river meadows of the Sinn valley are home to a rare flower, the Snake's Head Fritillary, and we see them in abundance. More impressive, however, is the castle in Rieneck. After the train journey to Ochsenfurt it's time for a few hills so as to cross into the Tauber valley. The countryside between the Main and Tauber valleys is a bit bleak, but the route does have one little gem, however. The fortified town of Aub with its charming marketplace and towers - shame the camera battery was dead! The route has two gems actually. The second being the fast hill down into the Tauber valley. Better half seemed to enjoy that very much. Only a few kilometres to go to Röttingen, our stopping point for the night, a quiet, old fortified village cum town, most notable for its collection of sundials and old towers. I passed through here two years ago on tour with our daughter - see photos from 2008.

After covering 150 km in the past two days, we decide to take it very easy today and gently wend our way while taking in the sights. The valley is not lacking in them: Wayside crosses and shrines abound, and every bridge seems to be adorned with a statue of John of Nepomuk, the patron saint of bridges, and as it's mid-May virtually every town and village is still decorated with a maypole - most of which are about 90 feet high! By far the most impressive we saw over the four-day tour was that in Markelsheim (see photo below). Passing through Tauberrettersheim and Weikersheim, we ride to Bad Mergentheim, where better half invests in a more comfortable saddle for her bike (I prefer to invest in coffee and apple pie!), and then on to Dittigheim to our hotel. We head into Tauberbischofsheim in the afternoon - but everything closes at 2 on a Saturday. We even have to resort to visiting a museum to buy postcards! In all fairness, the museum, housed in the impressive Electoral Castle and mostly exhibiting artefacts relating to local history, is well worth a visit even if you don't need to buy postcards.

Today we have to get back to the car - and again we decide to diverge from our original plan: Rather than cycling over the hills for 50 km or so, we opt for a flat ride along the Tauber to Wertheim and then back along the Main to Kleinheubach. It's about 20-30 km longer, but involves much less climbing. Having cycled along the Tauber valley 2 years ago I know there are a couple of short steep hills (15%!) that will be challenging enough for better half. The weather is realtively glorious today - indeed it would be perfect if it weren't for the wind, which persists in blowing right into our faces. No wonder all the people coming towards us on bikes look so happy. Shortly after passing the monastery in Bronnbach, we encounter a couple: The lady is jogging, her partner is cycling with two children in tow. Literally - they are in a trailer! Quite a feat for him to get up the hills. Naturally - with all that weight - his speed downhill was quite breathtaking. After coffee and cake in Wertheim, it's time for the final leg. 225 km down, 35 to go. Sod's Law being what it is, it's a headwind all the way. A bit mean really as we had a headwind 3 days ago when we cycled along here in the opposite direction. So - the first ever cycling tour with my good lady. And a very enjoyable experience for both of us it was too, all aided and abetted by excellent (not to mention reasonably-priced) food and local wines in the restaurants. Now to persuade better half that hills really are the icing on the cake ...