FIRST OF ALL:

BE NICE. NO MATTER WHAT. TO PEOPLE. ANIMALS. THE ENVIRONMENT. EVEN TO ROAD CYCLISTS. THEY DO NOT KNOW BETTER. WHEN YOU ACCIDENTALLY FIND YOURSELF RIDING ON A HIKING TRAIL AND ENCOUNTER SOME STRANGE BEINGS WITH BACKPACKS AND SOME SORT OF STICKS, JUST GET OFF YOUR BIKE, SAY HI, PUSH YOUR BIKE A BIT AND BE NICE.

NO MATTER WHAT.

THE SECOND ONE:

LEAVE NO FU***** TRACE. DO NOT LITTER. TAKE CARE OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDING YOU. GRACE THE BEAUTY OF OUR EARTH AND TAKE YOUR BELONGINGS WITH YOU – EVEN IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KEEP THEM ANYMORE.

THE THIRD RULE:

WE BELIEVE IN SOMETHING CALLED „EQUALITY,“ WHICH MEANS THAT WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR EVENTS IF YOU CANNOT ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOU ARE NOT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WILL NEVER BE BETTER THAN ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING ON THIS PLANET. THIS PERSPECTIVE IS VERY IDEALISTIC, AND THE POLITICAL BACKGROUND OF EQUALITY IS MUCH MORE COMPLEX. HOWEVER, WE WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE WANT THIS WORLD TO BE HOME TO EVERYONE, WITH THE SAME BENEFITS AND RIGHTS TO STRIVE FOR A GREAT LIFE AND MAKE AWESOME MEMORIES, ESPECIALLY ON TWO WHEELS.

RULE NUMBER FOUR:

WE LIKE THE IDEA OF BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT WHILE BIKEPACKING. IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DISCONNECT FROM THE COMFORT OF CIVILIZATION AND MANAGE A SIMPLE LIFE ON TWO WHEELS. EVEN IF IT IS JUST FOR A WEEKEND – GIVE YOURSELF THE CHANCE TO CHANGE YOUR FOCUS AND BELIEVE IN YOUR ABILITIES.

NUMBER FIVE:

STICK TO THE PLAN. IN THIS CASE, WHEN RIDING OUR TRACK – DO NOT TRY TO SHORTCUT. EVEN IF THE SITUATION SEEMS TO BE MISERABLE, THE REWARD AFTER EVERY CLIMB OR HIKE-A-BIKE WILL BE WORTH IT. BUT OF COURSE YOU CAN RE-ROUTE IF YOU HAVE TOO!

SIX:

DO NOT BE A LONER. LET SOMEONE KNOW WHEN YOU ARE RIDING OUR TRACK. THIS THINGS ARE PRETTY DEMANDING AND WE WANT YOU TO BE SAFE. KNOW YOUR LIMITS. STOP WHEN YOU HAVE TOO. EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY. SLEEP WHEN YOU ARE TIRED. DO NOT BE A FOOL. YOU CAN DROP US A LINE, IF YOU ARE GOING TO RIDE OUR TRACK ON YOUR OWN, SO WE CAN STAY IN TOUCH DURING THE TRIP.

SEVEN:

USE A GPS DEVICE FOR NAVIGATION. DO NOT USE YOUR PHONE TO NAVIGATE. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY IT CAN OR MOST PROBABLY WILL BE MANDATORY TO HAVE A CHARGED PHONE WITH YOU.

EIGHT:

BE PREPARED. HAVE SPARE PARTS WITH YOU. PACK ACCORDINGLY. KNOW YOUR BIKE. KNOW HOW TO FIX PROBLEMS THAT MIGHT OCCUR.

NUMBER NINE:

IF YOU WILD CAMP, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU STEALTH CAMP. DON’T LET ANYONE SEE YOU. THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY. DO NOT SET UP CAMP ANYWHERE CLOSE TO ROADS OR AREAS WHERE CARS CAN EASILY ACCESS. ESPECIALLY IN GERMANY, PEOPLE LOVE TO DRINK AND DRIVE. CAR DRIVERS OFTEN SHOW HOSTILITY TOWARDS CYCLISTS, AND YOU ARE IN GREAT DANGER CLOSE TO SMALLER VILLAGES AND TOWNS. THERE ARE PLENTY OF CAMPING FACILITIES IN GERMANY, SO CONSIDER SLEEPING AT ONE OF THOSE PLACES. GOOGLE WILL HELP YOU FIND THEM.

R U L E N U M B E R T E N:

HAVE FUN. JUST HAVE FUN. SUFFER. RECOVER. OVERCOME AND HAVE FUN. BE PROUD OF YOU. YOU ARE GREAT. WE CAN NOT WAIT TO HEAR YOUR STORY! WHENEVER YOU ARE READY, FINISHED RIDING – DOES NOT HAVE TO MEAN, THAT YOU ACTUALLY FINISHED THE WHOLE TRACK BUT FINISHED YOUR VERY OWN RIDE: TELL US YOUR STORY. BUT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TOO, IT IS FINE. AS LONG AS IT WAS FUN.