Explore Germany by Bike-Bahn
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 04. 9.06
Wondering what to do with your vacation this summer? With the days getting longer and the air getting warmer, the mind wanders once again to biking for pleasure rather than simply braving the elements from point a to b. The revier rad (wheel district) through Germany's Ruhr District offers a network of bike rentals along the 700 km of trails which constitute an auto-bahn of bicycles through the heart of industry in Europe's economic motor. With one-way rentals available and 7€ per day standard rental rates, revier rad offers a healthy, ecologically friendly way to explore 150 years of history along the route "industriekultur".
Starting in April 2006, Hase Spezialräder, the manufacturer of the Hase Pino recumbent tandem, will join the revier rad network, adding their range of bikes to create an especially barrier-free experience for bike riders with special needs and to add their unique local knowledge to the "industriekultur" pathway. Hase brings to 21 the number of stations where bikes in the bright orange color symbolic of the revier rad can be rented. Highlights of your tour might include the Red Dot Design Museum or the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site at the Zollverein coal mine. At the end of a long day's ride, enjoy a "radler"--the beer and lemon soda mixture which legend holds is named after the bicyclists who overwhelmed the pub one day, mothering the invention of a mixed drink to ensure the beer taps could continue to flow in spite of the overwhelming demand.
To learn more about prices and opportunities, check out revier rad.
via ::Hase Spezialräder (German and English)
"Revierrad" actually translates as "district bike" (yes, "Rad" is a wheel, but it's also a bike). "Wheel district" would be Radrevier.
And "Revier" is hard to translate anyway - it can also mean "stomping grounds" or "area of control" and various other things. But "district" is a decent choice.
All that aside, it sounds like a cool idea.