Hello..it's me..

[MackE2]

Hello..my name is Mack. I am an American who has retired and living in Germany. As time would have it..(72 years young) I decided to give up the bigger tourer (2014 Yamaha FJR 1300) but wanted to still feel the wind in my hair on two wheels! Yes, I do wear a helmet. After a lot of research I decided on the Honda Forza 350. It was a hard choice with the Yamaha Tmax and the Suzuki Burgman in the race. I'm very satisfied with my choice and have finally gotten over trying to compare the Forza to my former FJR. I have been visiting your forum for quite some time and have enjoyed its' content. I was little worried about joining as I wasn't sure you'd understand my English but I'll just have to wait and see how that goes! As most of you...I'm waiting for warmer weather to add more kilometers to my Forza. For those currently riding "keep it between the white lines" and enjoy!

[horobags]

welcome

[capitano]

Welcome to the forum, Mack.

In what part of Germany do you reside?

[MackE2]

Capitano..I live in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz....small town called Köngernheim. I'm located 10 miles from the city of Mainz and 18 miles from the city of Frankfurt.

[MackE2]

Horobags..thanks for the welcome!

[capitano]

Capitano..I live in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz....small town called Köngernheim. I'm located 10 miles from the city of Mainz and 18 miles from the city of Frankfurt.

The architecture looked familiar.

We had friends that lived in Dörnberg, Rhein-Lahn, in Rhineland-Palatinate, and used to visit there.

Very fond memories of the place and a superb area to explore.

The rail system is insanely good!

[scootabout]

The rail system is insanely good!

Hmmm, lot's of problems with DB nowadays after years of underinvestment They certainly did their best to screw up our (cycling) holiday last year...

[capitano]

The rail system is insanely good!

Hmmm, lot's of problems with DB nowadays after years of underinvestment They certainly did their best to screw up our (cycling) holiday last year...

That’s a shame. Last time we rode it, it was fantastic, and the very best for combining a cycle journey with public transport.

Entire carriages with space and carrying provision for bikes.

Heading from Koblenz to Cologne, I was always amused at how ageing German ebikers would cycle down the course of the Rhine, then catch the train for a few stops through the more challenging hill sections.

[scootabout]

That still works on local trains (although it can be expensive at €6 for each bike), but long distance trains are unpredictable, with many long delays. Taking a bike on long distance trains means calling to book a space (after you've bought the train ticket), only to find that there are none left and tickets aren't refundable...

But I would still recommend cycling in Germany - Great long distance routes, bike hire reasonable and it can all be combined with a ride out there on your weapon of choice

[capitano]

That still works on local trains (although it can be expensive at €6 for each bike), but long distance trains are unpredictable, with many long delays. Taking a bike on long distance trains means calling to book a space (after you've bought the train ticket), only to find that there are none left and tickets aren't refundable...

But I would still recommend cycling in Germany - Great long distance routes, bike hire reasonable and it can all be combined with a ride out there on your weapon of choice

That fits with my experience. I was talking more about the local area trains being efficient and decent value. Certainly compared to the shitshow of trying to travel with or without a bicycle on the UK train network.

I haven't really done long distance train travel since the "Euro-Rover" cheap passes in the 80s. That was an experience in itself!

I never used the bike hire in Germany. My late friend that lived in Dörnberg, shat money, to put it mildly. If he upgraded his bicycle he never sold the old one ... or the one before that ... or the one etc etc. There was always something to ride lurking in one of the big wooden sheds on his patch of land.