After the thaw and the rainy days, most of the trails were pretty dry again last week. Only this forest trail in the Mansholter Holz, churned up by heavy machinery, was a total mud fest.

#photography #forest #mud #spring #gravelcycling #gravelride #gravelbike #veloheld

On a misty morning ride two weeks ago, south of the Woldsee (near Oldenburg)

#photography #gravelcycling #gravelride #gravelbike #veloheld #misty #morning #spring #oldenburg

Late February, my first ride after the snowy winter. Finally some green again. :)

#photography #naturephotography #gravelcycling #gravelride #gravelbike #veloheld #oldenburg

Photos from a gravel tour around Borkum. The whole island was covered in thin layer of ice, like frosting on a cake. On our first day, you could barely move outside and even the smallest ramps were nearly impassable obstacles.

#photography #naturephotography #winter #snow #ice #gravelcycling #gravelride #gravelbike #veloheld #borkum #beach #northsea

Back when my Veloheld Iron was set up as a dropbar MTB, I somehow only really felt comfortable in the drops. On the hoods, the bike always felt a bit too long to me, even with a very short stem.
So I decided to switch to a different handlebar. I was torn between a classic MTB bar and one with extreme backsweep, and in the end I went for what is probably the most comfortable option of all.
Technically, it’s more of a trekking handlebar — but if we’re honest, the bike itself is also more of a trekking / gravel / XC hybrid, however you want to define it.
Either way, I took the opportunity to add two skulls to the brake and shift cable housings right away.
It really is an evil bike.
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#colognecustomsycles #veloheldiron #iamaveloheld #bergheim #bergheimerft #jointhefediverse #pixelfed #velobike #veloheld #gravelbike #trekkingbike #mtb #bikebuild #custombike #bikelife #dropbarmtb #handlebars #bikeporn #cyclinglife #gravelcycling #mtblife #skullbike #evilbike

My first gravel ride up to the Brocken. I actually wanted to take field and forest trails, but they were completely impassable due to the heavy snow. So unfortunately, I had to take the roads, with lots of saltwater spray. Elend (a place that literally means “miserable”) was real. But then the road up to the Brocken was really beautiful, and most of the time I was completely alone.

#photography #naturephotography #winter #snow #gravelcycling #gravelride #gravelbike #veloheld #harz #brocken

It’s all about the details. I put some beard pearls on the shift and brake cables of my Veloheld Iron.
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#colognecustomcycles #veloheld #veloheldiron #skull #bikeaccessories #beardpearls #brass #cycling #crosscountry #outdoor #bikesofthefediverse

Gravel ride through the snow (in Oldenburg!) in early January.

#photography #naturephotography #winter #snow #gravelcycling #gravelride #gravelbike #veloheld

The morning after the first frosty night of last winter. At that time, we had no idea what a winter we would get this year.

#photography #naturephotography #sunrise #frozen #meadow #winter #gravelcycling #gravelride #veloheld

Found three more photos from the gravel tour to Nendorp on my phone (took the others with a real camera).
The first one shows the steel bridge near Amdorf. Later, I had an ice cream in Leer.
When I left Leer, it started raining really heavily. The bike paths next to the dike were completely covered in mud from sheep poop. By the time I arrived, I was completely soaked, but I was rewarded with a nice sunset.

#photography #naturephotography #clouds #stormy #gravelcycling #gravelride #gravelbike #veloheld