Taunus - Day 2 - Eschbach - Kelkheim

This is the route we rode today

Morning started with what would become the theme of the day: fixing things. After yesterday’s adventures, we decided to shorten today’s route by 15km and 350 height meters (a decision we’d later be thankful for). Breakfast at 8, then straight to bike maintenance - reconfiguring Dad’s bags to make them rattle less and fixing my brother’s baggage rack. Little did we know this was just the beginning of our mechanical saga. There we were, surrounded by tools and parts, looking like an impromptu bike shop had opened in the hotel parking lot.

We finally hit the trail and grabbed some lunch at a bakery along the way. The shortened route turned out to be quite nice - sometimes taking shortcuts isn’t a bad thing! We were treated to some spectacular views as we rode through the German countryside. The roads were smooth, the scenery was breathtaking, and for a moment, everything seemed perfect. The vista opened up before us, making all our morning troubles seem worth it.

But our mechanical holiday wasn’t over. My brother’s bike kept making this annoying squeaking sound that was driving us all mad. The culprit? His front brake was warped, probably from that first tree we had to carry our bikes over yesterday (we heard a distinct “shing” when it happened). We took a break at the remains of a Roman fort for lunch, enjoying some rare sunshine while contemplating the ancient ruins and our not-so-ancient but equally ruined equipment.

The real nightmare was Dad’s e-bike with its intermittent power issues. We tried everything: cleaning the speed sensor, resetting the battery, we even attempted to remove the back wheel but couldn’t manage it (cue more frustration). Called the bike dealer who suggested some fixes but ultimately said he’d need to read the motor data. At one point I was even on Dad’s bike just trying random things while he looked on with that special mixture of hope and despair only a malfunctioning e-bike can inspire.

Nothing helped. After much frustration, we decided to find the nearest Giant store, which meant going 15km straight downhill. The paths were “interesting” (read: terrifying) at first, but eventually smoothed out. The silver lining? We caught an impressive view of Frankfurt Am Main’s skyline gleaming in the distance, a stark contrast to our increasingly gloomy mood.

The Giant store was our last hope… which was promptly crushed when they refused to help because we hadn’t bought the bike there. They didn’t even try to read the motor data, claiming they “had no capacity.” I wanted to explain that we were travelers, not locals who could just come back another day, but my Flemish politeness got the better of me. So we ate something, sulked a bit, and continued to our hotel. At least we managed a coffee stop to lift our spirits, our beautiful but problematic bikes posing innocently for a photo.

We gradually made it to our hotel, arriving at 17:05 – later than planned but relieved to be anywhere with a shower and a bed. Bikes secured in the cellar (where they can’t cause any more trouble), we cleaned up and headed out for some much-needed pasta. Now it’s time to evaluate what our next steps will be. Dad’s e-bike situation remains uncertain, but one thing’s for sure – we’re developing some serious problem-solving skills on this trip!

See you tomorrow for what will hopefully be a less mechanically challenging day on the Taunus Trail!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​