Find the highlighted Vëlosummer 2021 routes on your Garmin device; the layer includes all routes and links. Get the file here (if needed, right click and Save Link As…), and copy velosummer.img to the folder Garmin on your device. Tested on a Garmin Edge 1000 and 1030plus.
If you’re using a recent firmware, make sure that you are using the Classic” map theme (and not high contrast or mountain biking).
Short on time for reading? Dive into the pictures instead!
GoGoVELO is a cycling campaign initiative brought to you by ProVelo and Climate Alliance Luxembourg, which takes over from MVOS (Mam Vëlo op d’Schaff/Schoul) and Tour du Duerf with the support of the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works. The first campaign ran from September 20 to October 31 under the theme “Around the world in 42 days“, intending to encourage everyone to “use the bike as often as possible as a means of transport in daily life.” To join in, install the “Radbonus II” app and you could win some great prizes! Fun moment: I happened to be visiting ProVelo when they registered the domain name gogovelo.lu.
I didn’t end up winning anything during the challenge, even though I came in at number 2 out of 562 (I’ve heard some buzz that number one is diving into some intensive training to prepare for the famous Race Across America!). Kind of reminds me of The Transcontinental Race where the winner only walks away with a handshake! Still, some friends who cycled a bit less than me and managed to win something surprised me with some lovely gifts 🎁😍.
This week, they shared a heatmap showing where the challengers went cycling, but it seems my traces barely made a mark — looks like I’m the only one who enjoyed playing in the mud over in the Ardennes! 🐷
I put together a media gallery featuring photos and videos from the campaign, along with its map. Just a quick note: the distance shown on the map doesn’t match the statistics below since it includes walks but leaves out tunnels (no GPS signal there). Just click or tap on any picture below to get there.
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I found the app’s FAQ a bit misleading when it suggests connecting to Google Fit, as that feature isn’t actually implemented. Just as a side note, I noticed that Google Fit only managed to capture about 5% of my Strava activities, so I ended up moving away from it altogether.
It can be tricky to remember to start the app alongside the GPS and speed sensor (which is right in front of you) when kicking off a ride—I often recall it after riding for a few kilometres!
The Radbonus II app’s internal logging seems to use algorithms that smooth out poor GPS signals, which is why the distance recorded is typically less than what my Garmin shows (averaging about 5 km less each day). The discrepancy in my distance readings decreased a bit since it recorded some walks I forgot to stop, but that didn’t quite close the gap between Radbonus (3054 km) and Garmin (3111 km).
While the iPhone app can sync to Health for activity tracking, the Android version doesn’t have that feature. I’ve noticed that the Android logs less distance than the iPhone via Health, which feels a bit unfair for users with a Garmin on an Android phone compared to those using Apple, who can sync their data seamlessly through Apple Health. It would have been great to directly upload a FIT file from a GPS device to the platform, even better for me with a web API call so I could automate the upload when doing the processing of my daily photos.
It would have been great to have some social events where people could come together to share their experiences and enjoy the scenery, allowing avid participants to connect with one another. Promoting dedicated hashtags on social networks could also have helped build a sense of community. I know that’s easier said than done, especially since ProVelo and Climate Action Luxembourg are small teams, but perhaps companies, public administrations, and local communes could have played a role in initiating the social aspect. Optional small giveaway gifts to promote the action are also a great idea, just like MVOS did.
Along the piste cyclable de la Moyenne Sûre (PC 16) lies the Waarkdall, a stunning valley that takes my breath away. Here are a couple of videos filmed between Niederfeulen and Welscheid that showcase its beauty.
Here’s a link to my photo gallery of PC 16 (although it’s not entirely focused on the Wark part).
If you don’t want to read the text and see the captivating pictures, they’re right there for you to explore. Choose between my monthly selection of images or the daily ones, which are mostly untitled.
It’s crazy that I haven’t contributed a single post to this platform in the past two years! But fear not, my dear audience, for I shall grace you with some information about my fascinating outdoor escapades in the magnificent year of 2023.
Oh boy, what a year it was! I mean, talk about numbers and achievements galore! Get this, I logged a 200,000 km on total rides Strava. Yeah, that’s right, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND! And hold on tight, because I also conquered a jaw-dropping 2 million meters of elevation gain. I practically climbed Mount Everest twice! But wait, there’s more, I made my 100th-century ride during the summer season.
Oh, and let’s not forget about my thrilling adventure in the world of PostGIS queries. Because, you know, who doesn’t love a good old data hunt? It turns out that I uncovered a hidden gem of a village in Luxembourg called Dorscheid. How dare it elude my travel radar for so long! And wait for it… I also discovered a mythical section known as Leidenbach. It’s so elusive that its area measures a whopping 0.5 square kilometres.
All in all, I can proudly say that I’ve conquered the world of numbers and geographical mysteries.
Figures for 2023 provided by Veloviewer:
Another year of mediocre cycling accomplishments. Who needs to beat their total distance, max ride distance, max ride elevation, or number of centuries when they can proudly announce that they’ve surpassed their record of elevation gain in the groundbreaking year of 2023? Also, I managed to avoid getting even a flat tyre while riding, but I replaced three wheels!
Below, you will find the picture of the activity map near Luxembourg for 2023.
According to wandrer.earth, I got 3201.83 new unique kilometres, and the Squadrats progress is shown below.
I’ve had the absolute pleasure of gracing all the Luxembourg communes with my presence countless times. And hey, let’s not forget the excitement of venturing across the border to explore all the juicy municipalities on the other side. Well, except for dear old Mont Saint-Martin.
The absolute highlight was on the scorching day of July 11, when the heat was hardly bearable, with scorching heat and suffocating humidity! And of course, to balance things out, we had the pleasure of experiencing the bone-chilling cold on August 31, with a freezing shower that almost turned me into an ice sculpture! I couldn’t help but shiver aaaall the way back home.
Oh, just a tiny little thing I managed to accomplish… I mean, it’s not like it’s a big deal or anything, but I casually hopped on my bike one day and conquered all the highest peaks in each of the Benelux countries. Who needs a car or a helicopter when you can pedal your way to the top?
Oh, I had grand plans to merge my two biggest VeloViewer clusters! But alas, I failed miserably to even reach Saarbrucken, let alone Sarreguemines. As for expanding my biggest square to encompass all of Luxembourg, I managed to tick off a few tiny corners, so that’s something,
Now, as I ponder the upcoming year, I must confess I haven’t bothered solidifying any goals just yet. I mean, who needs goals when there are countless ideas just waiting to sprout like beautiful flowers in the warm embrace of longer days?
Each season in one picture:
Winter:
Spring:
Summer:
Autumn:
And a picture of the Runschelt viewpoint in different moments:
All the other pictures taken in 2021 are available here (warning: there are 3000’s of them!). And most activities are on my Strava feed.
I’m still not tired of those Ardennes landscape. Witnessed a stunning sunset near Troine. Documented photos are available on this Twitter thread.
A “traditional” 100+ km loop ride from Luxembourg, but before a reward to this van parked on the cycleway.
A few other pictures taken during June:
Left with 5 litres of “eau de Cologne” and drank it before arriving at destination so I had to refill on the way. Feeling of freshness when it was only 30 degrees; also the breeze was welcome. Fortunately the cycleway was full of families so it was another reason to take it easy. Lunch break and quick visit of Bonn (saw the HARIBO shop, good that it was closed 🤣). Met several cyclists doing long distance trip and discussed with one who was on his way to the Black Sea.
On the way back, I did a stopover in Trier:
