Thursday May 26, 2005 (Corpus Christ – Public Holiday). This report is for the members of Rulaman Deutschland and also especially for our friends and the members of the Oz HOG Melbourne Chapter in Australia. We started our ride in Ludwigsburg 12°C at 7:00 a.m headed for Herrenberg (map 1). Olivia and I made our first stop at the Aral Station (Sindelfinger Forrest) for breakfast. Coffee is a necessity before riding. Conny Kaus and Thomas Hess joined us there and we headed off to Herrenberg, where the tour really got started.
The meet was at the Shell station in Herrenberg at 8:00 a.m. An early start but 12 bikes, partly with associate riders were, as expected, punctual. Skies were blue, absolutely perfect for the ride to Strasbourg (map 2). Extra news: Dieter Seewald was Grandfather for the 4th time! His youngest Daughter had her first child at 4:47 a.m. Dieter’s wife Helga stayed with their daughter and couldn’t take part on the ride, which was understandable under those circumstances. Dieter was still our RC for the day though!
First off, Dieter explained the Tour to all participants for the day and asked Thomas to be the Safety Officer because Walter “Batman” (Safety Officer) couldn’t participate due to unforeseen illness. Thomas was the Safety Officer (including red warn vest) for the days ride.
We took off from Herrenberg in the direction of Calw (map 3), naturally in the proper Harley formation, with a beautiful blue morning sky and radiant sun shine. Our first leg began and we drove off heading into the Black Forrest heights. We had pleasant, fresh and spicy air. Absolutely fabulous!
In the small town of Calmbach in the next valley we met the rest of the Rulaman riders that wanted to take part in the day’s ride. They drove in from the Pforzheim direction. For them it was closer to meet there. Unfortunately our Director “Chief” Heinz had to return home due to unexpected business maters that had to be attended to. His mobile just kept ringing. A pity - it would have been a nice day with him on the tour, he’s a fun person to be around. Always has a couple of jokes up his sleeve.
We left Calmbach with 15 Bikes heading to the climatic spa town of Dobel, into the next valley onto Bad Herrenalb, crossing the crest, which runs from north to south through the heights of the Black Forrest. We continued on to Gernsbach on our route to Baden-Baden.
Gernsbach the spa resort with healthful climate in the Black Forrest (160 – 984 m), situated in the glorious Murg Valley. Also known as „ The Pearl of the Murg Valley“.
Over small streets through small towns on the German Asparagus Road “Die Deutsche Spargelstraße” heading for Strasbourg and directly in the direction of the “Harley-Davidson Centre d’Alsace” (map 4). We gazed and marvelled at the amount of accessories and bikes that the dealer had.
The fun part about this dealer was that he has his own pub directly through the glass doors next door. Our luck wasn’t with us on that day. We arrived rather late around lunch time and the pub was closed because a majority of shops close during lunch hours in France. The temperatures were now up to 33°C, our tongues were dry and we’re all standing in front of a closed pub. Great!
Hunger and thirst overcame us so we all headed off into Strasbourg’s centre in the direction of “Petit France”, a smaller older part of the city with lots of cosy restaurants, pubs and street cafés. Everyone used the lunch break to relax a bit with the view of the famous church, the beautiful cathedral.
After lunch we headed west, not enough of all the impressions, then south along the wine route “Route Du Vin" through the small towns of Molsheim, Rosheim and Obernai (map 5).
All three places have many wineries and loads of restored half-timbered houses. The Marketplaces and the artistic cobblestone streets were, on the still beautiful and hotter day, a special sight. Now came the time to turn around. On the A35, first off towards Strasbourg and then on the highway over the new bridge of the Rhine heading back to Germany (map 6).
Back into the Black Forrest Heights on the roads behind Biberach we found a good tavern for our next stop. With the view towards our bikes we sat in the cool shades of the old taverns garden. Drinks and food were good, which were also served by brisk waitresses.
Now it was time to attack the last part of our path. Over Gutach, Wolfach, Hausach, through Lossburg and Alpirsbach past Freudenstadt once again we traversed the Black Forrest and headed back to Herrenberg, almost at the same spot where we started (map 6).
In the end we parted at around 7:00 p.m. and everybody headed home on their last part of their route. It was a long day, very exciting but not to forget strenuous as well.
And for the statistician under us, that is approx. 430 km per bike times 15 gives you almost 6,500 km without technical problems or dangerous manoeuvres. From early in the morning to late in the evening, there were lots of bikes, looks, experiences and high spirits.
I’d also like to a special thanks Dieter for showing us this route and especially for his help with the script. Without him I couldn’t have remembered all the places we visited.
Yours truly Edgar Herke Member of Rulaman Germany and Oz HOG Melbourne Chapter
Edgar & Olivia
P.S. I couldn’t add all the pictures. For those of you that would like access to all pictures just send your email to me
Wir haben uns um 08.00 h in Herrenberg getroffen und pünktlich waren 12 Bikes, z.T. mit Sozias besetzt, eingetroffen. Wir sind dann in guter Formation bei schönem, blauen Morgenhimmel und strahlendem Sonnenschein nach Calw gefahren. Danach begann der erste Aufstieg in die Schwarzwaldhöhen. Wir hatten angenehm frische, würzige Luft in den Wäldern.
Im nächsten Tal und der Ortschaft Calmbach trafen wir wie verabredet auf drei weitere Rulas mit ihren Bikes. leider musste Chief Heinz hier umkehren, denn die Arbeit und sein Telefon ließen ihm keine Ruhe...
Also gingen wir mit 14 Bikes auf unsere Strecke zum Ziel Straßburg. Auf die nächste Höhe und durch den Luftkurort Dobel, wieder ins Tal und nach
Bad Herrenalb und die Höhenzüge des Schwarzwaldes, die von Nord nach Süd laufen, mussten noch einmal überquert werden. Weiter durch Gernsbach und das weltberühmte (??) Baden-Baden in Richtung Rastatt. Über kleine Straßen durch kleine Ortschaften auf der "Deutschen
Spargelstraße" dann nach Strassbourg und gleich in Richtung "HARLEY DAVIDSON Centre d'Alsace". Viele Accessoires waren zu bestaunen. Gute Bikes waren zu begutachten.
Doch dann waren Hunger und Durst übermächtig. Wir fuhren alle zusammen ins Zentrum. Richtung "Petite France", ein kleiner alter Stadtteil mit vielen gemütlichen Restaurants, Kneipen und Straßencafés. Jeder nutzte die Mittagszeit, auch mit einem Blick auf die berühmte Kirche,
das wunderschöne Münster. Nach dem Mittag ging es weiter nach Westen. Noch nicht genug Eindrücke. Entlang der "Route Du Vin" nach Süden durch die kleinen Ortschaften Molsheim, Rosheim und Obernai.
Beides Orte mit vielen Weingütern und sehr vielen gut restaurierten Fachwerkgebäuden. Die Marktplätze und auch die kunstvollen Pflasterstrassen
waren in immer noch schöner und heißer Sonne ein besonderer Anblick.
Bericht und Fotos: Edgar Herke
