http:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Schnellfahrstrecke_N%C3%BCrnberg%E2%80%93Erfurt<\/a><\/p>\nThe track passes Ilmenau in the east and is nearly finished up to Erfurt – only the rails are missing. Some kilometers south of Ilmenau, in the small village Langewiesen the track ends. From there a big bridge will push the track forwards which is currently under construction.<\/p>\n
I visited the construction site several times and got the idea, that it would be a great route for a bike trip. I tested some parts of the track with my bike and came to the conclusion that a trip on the whole track from Ilmenau (Langewiesen) to Erfurt needs some good preparation. Nearly all of the bridges are blocked (and I mean really blocked) so you have to go through the valleys and all the tunnels are blocked too, so you have to go over the top. Sounds exhausting (and it is) but the bigger problem is, that there are no direct paths leading through the valleys or over the tops. I lost the way more than once when I looked for alternatives. So I decided to use Google Earth to have an all-time overview. It proved as a good and necessary idea. Besides that I\u00a0used my Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS watch to\u00a0trace my trail – you can see the route\u00a0in Google Earth below.<\/p>\n
The track is covered by a combination of rough gravel and more capillary gravel. Riding on the first\u00a0is sometimes a little bit tough and you really need to have a good hold on the steering, the second is much more comfortable although you are much faster on the rough gravel.<\/p>\n
I felt pretty much motivated when starting the\u00a0trip on a sunny day in late July. But I underestimated one thing – the weather. With nearly 35 degress it was way to hot for a trail like this.\u00a0Normally I like riding when it\u00b4s that hot but the up and down through the valleys and\u00a0over the tops\u00a0consumed more of my power than I expected.\u00a0There was no alternative\u00a0apart from splitting the route in 2 parts. So I left the\u00a0track next to Arnstadt and used the train back\u00a0to Ilmenau.<\/p>\n
My conclusion to the first part is a little bit divided. On one hand it was a damn hard and – especially after the third detour through a valley to get across a blocked bridge – demotivating trip. But on the other hand it was a great moment standing on the top after the last blocked tunnel and having a great view over the lowlands towards Arnstadt and Erfurt, knowing that the most hazardous part lies behind me.<\/p>\n
Hopefully I\u00b4ll have the chance to ride the 2nd part before the winter comes.<\/p>\n
From this point I started my trail with direction to Erfurt :
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