The growing interest in cycling is reflected in the number of members of the ADFC district association Weilheim-Schongau.
In 2014 there were still 213 members, there are now 405, as board member Dieter Schleiermacher reported at the general meeting, to which 22 members had come to the “Schießstätte” bar in Weilheim.
District
- The corona pandemic has left its mark on organized cyclists. In 2019, 50 of the 59 planned tours of the Weilheim-Schongau district association were carried out in the ADFC (General German Bicycle Club), in 2020 there were only 33 of 81. This year it looked a little better again. Although only 52 tours were planned, 35 of these could take place by the beginning of October.
According to Schleiermacher, the tours make membership in the ADFC attractive for cyclists who do not like to cycle alone. As an introduction, we recommend taking part in one of the after-work tours, which in the summer season start on Fridays at 5 p.m. at Marienplatz in Weilheim when the weather is nice. According to Schleiermacher, the 25 to 35 kilometer tours around Weilheim are easy and therefore suitable for every cyclist. Towards the end you come back together.
The district association has twelve tour guides, which, according to Schleiermacher, is "not bad for a district association".
They offer tours in various performance classes, which have now been supplemented by offers for racing cyclists.
The ADFC district association has set itself the goal of further expanding the tour program for the coming year, for which additional tour guides are to be trained.
As the number of members grows, the establishment of local groups is also considered.
Seeshaupt has good prospects of becoming the first local group.
Indispensable: More safety for cyclists in road traffic
According to Schleiermacher, it is particularly important to improve the position of cyclists in traffic.
Everyday bike paths would have to be built - for example from Peißenberg via Oderding to Weilheim - and roads developed and signposted in such a way that cyclists can use them safely.
This also includes putting up signs that indicate a safety distance of 1.5 meters in town and two meters outside of town.
Such signs could only be put up in cooperation with the authorities, which is received differently by the mayors.
Schleiermacher cited the town hall chiefs of Raisting, Martin Höck, and von Oberhausen, Thomas Feistl, as positive examples.
They are very cooperative.
"Riding an e-bike is different from cycling"
Another major task is the ADFC with the e-bikes. “Riding an e-bike is different from cycling,” stated Schleiermacher. In order to be able to ride the motorized bikes safely, many would need driving safety training. There are several reasons for this. On the one hand, e-bikes are much heavier than conventional bicycles, on the other hand, they can be used to drive significantly faster, which can be dangerous on gravel roads and in curves. In addition, with the advent of e-bikes, many - especially older - people are returning to cycling after a long time. And after the long break, they lack driving experience.
The board elections went quickly.
A team of five people was again elected to distribute the tasks among themselves.
Dieter Schleiermacher, Prof. Ernst Roeckl, Jan Meyer and Ina Benesch were re-elected.
René Blind (responsible for racing bike tours) is new to the board.
Alfred Schubert
Information about the district association
at adfc-weilheim-schongau.de.
The next touring season starts in early April 2022.