A 19-year-old ventures to Africa with a self-made solar bicycle. Together with a friend he wants to cover almost 8,000 kilometers in 40 days.
Aschaffenburg – Kilian Weigand cycles with the sun. The 19-year-old has already traveled to 22 countries, covering over 19,000 kilometers using only the strength of his legs and solar energy. He built his first solar-powered means of transport together with his father in 2021. “A rickshaw for four people, with an electric motor and a solar roof,” he explains to our editorial team. He won the Jugend Forscht Unterfranken competition in the technology category.
Crossing the Alps on a solar bike: Kilian (19) will take part in races in 2022
He then went into the mountains with his second self-made bike. Two years ago he took part in the solar bike race “The Suntrip Alpes 2022” with a cargo bike. “I drove lengthways across the Alps twice over a distance of over 3,000 kilometers and over 60,000 meters in altitude.” His efforts were worth it - as the youngest participant and the only German, he took third place. He also received the award for the best developed bicycle. Its solar panels automatically align themselves optimally with the sun while driving.
He got his enthusiasm for renewable energies from his father. Weigand reveals that he has been dreaming of a solar-powered catamaran for years. In turn, he was able to get him excited about cycling. So the second big trip began: in 2023 the two of them went from Germany through 16 countries to Turkey. Weigand remembers a very dangerous encounter from the father-son trip.
SUV driver hits solar panel: “I was still shaking 30 minutes later”
In Montenegro, an SUV driver overtook the two of them on a road permitted for bicycles. “He then slammed on the brakes in front of us and hit my father’s solar panel,” reports Weigand
Merkur.de
. He describes the situation as an extreme shock situation. “I was still shaking 30 minutes later.” They ignored the driver, who also yelled at the two of them, until he finally drove away. “Luckily he didn’t damage the solar panel and probably hurt himself because he hit an aluminum pole,” remembers the 19-year-old.
However, he is not afraid of future trips; every challenge has been overcome so far. When asked what was the best part of his trips, he had several answers. “It’s a mix of unforgettable encounters with nice people, fantastic landscapes, physical exertion and camping in a variety of places around the world.”
Only tandem team at “The SunTrip Sahara” 2024
On Friday (April 12th) Weigand starts his next big adventure with his friend Jonas Becker. The two are the only German team to take part in the “SunTrip Sahara” 2024 with a solar-powered tandem. The solar bike race starts in Lyon in France and takes the two of them via Portugal to the edge of the Sahara in Morocco and back again.
“Our self-planned route covers a distance of around 8,000 kilometers and we hope to drive it in under 40 days if the weather conditions are good,” explains the Franconian from Aschaffenburg. The biggest challenge: the changeable April weather. Therefore, the first few days in France are particularly crucial. If there isn't any sun to charge the batteries, it's all about “kicking, kicking, kicking”. Except for one night, we sleep in a tent. Riding after dark is not permitted, so participants set up their tent at the location where they finished their daily riding time.
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Anyone interested can follow the young inventor's adventures on Weigand's social media channels. Numerous sponsors support Weigand on his trips. Last year he also began training as a two-wheel mechatronics technician in bicycle technology with one of his partners in his home country. “Whether I will study after my training is still up in the air.” It is clear to him that he will follow the sun with his solar bike.
(tkip)