Guided Gravel Bike Tour - Blog Reutte Nature Park Region

Gravel Biking – Across Gravel and Stone

Satisfy your craving for gravel with a guided gravel bike tour! With the new edition of the Aktiv Card Programnme, the popular Guided Gravel Bike Tour returns once again this year – led by Christian Haas, also known as Veloholic.

Free Guided Gravel Bike Tour with the Aktiv Card

Under the motto “Pure Gravelness”, a certified bike guide accompanies you through the Reutte Nature Park Region and beyond its borders. Riding off-road and on gravel paths requires solid riding skills as well as tour experience. With the Aktiv Card, you now have the opportunity to immerse yourself fully in an unforgettable riding experience together with a guide.

The local, state-certified MTB, road bike and gravel guide leads participants to the most beautiful valleys and mountain ranges of the region – far away from the crowds. Each route is planned individually and tailored to the participants’ wishes, fitness level and riding ability.

Weekly Gravel Ride

Every Friday from early May to the end of October, it’s time to get ready, get set, and gravel on. We had the chance to join the very first gravel bike ride exclusively. Before we were allowed to start pedaling, however, there was a thorough bike and equipment check.

Requirement: participants must bring their own gravel bike. Our guide Christian Haas explained the individual components and special features of this on-trend bike in the cycling world. Gravel bikes have long since established themselves in the scene, combining the best elements of road bikes with those of the ever-popular mountain bike.

In addition to a roadworthy gravel bike, a helmet, a water bottle, and sporty, weather-appropriate clothing are also essential.

After the Bike Check Comes the Ride Check

Before we finally set off, participants are asked to assess their own riding skills and fitness level. Whether along the Lech River, through the Forest Klausenwald, towards Lake Plansee, or even in the direction of the famous royal castles, our guide Christian Haas puts together the perfect tour tailored to individual wishes. We opted for a two-hour ride, naturally including a well-earned stop for refreshments. One absolute highlight along the way was the self-built “Veloholic Service Station” in Rieden – fully equipped for any bike emergency with spare tubes, repair kits, and more. Breathtaking landscapes define the region, with a perfectly gravelled network of paths winding through the Reutte Nature Park Region. Especially on a gravel bike, it’s great fun to discover hidden valleys and mountain ranges. From a topographical point of view, the Naturparkregion is an ideal hub and starting point for numerous exciting tours into the neighboring partner regions of the Außerfern.

During a relaxed stop for refreshments – and to refuel our legs – we couldn’t help but wonder about the story behind the name “Veloholic” and why Christian Haas refers to himself as a “Veloholicer.”

“As long as I can remember, I’ve always preferred getting around by bike rather than on foot – for me, there is simply no better means of transportation than a bicycle. Some even joke that I was already riding a bike before I could walk ;-). I was born and raised along the idyllic Lech River.

Alongside my professional training, I was active in competitive cycling for half my life. It all started at a young age with mountain biking and came to an end in 2019 when I rode as a road cyclist for Team Tirol.

Cycling has completely captivated me, and over the past ten years I’ve been fortunate enough to celebrate not only regional but also international successes. In recent years, I’ve stepped back from competitive racing, but my passion for cycling remains unbroken. That’s why I began training as a state-certified MTB and cycling instructor in 2019, which I successfully completed in 2021.

Today, guiding brings me immense joy. In addition to guided tours, I also offer technique training, focusing on safe braking, cornering, descending over the handlebars, balance, and correct weight distribution. As a coach, I create training plans for young, motivated talents. What I enjoy most is passing on my racing experience to the next generation and accompanying them on their own personal development journey.”

After having surely seen many exciting corners of the world, what made you return to your home region of all places? And in your opinion, what makes it so special for gravel biking?

“When I look at the region from a cycling perspective, it undoubtedly has far more to offer than just being a worthwhile stopover when crossing the Fern Pass. The landscape is perfectly suited to all fitness levels on two wheels.

The scenery of the Reutte Nature Park Region is strongly shaped by the Alpine foothills, making it the perfect playground for those who enjoy collecting elevation gain on their bike computers, while also appealing to riders who love speed and long distances. For me personally, set against a breathtaking backdrop shaped by a wide variety of waterscapes, every cyclist gets their money’s worth here.”

What makes gravel biking so special, and what should you keep in mind when taking part in this trend sport?

“For me, a gravel bike embodies almost everything that makes cycling so enjoyable. The sporty riding position, inspired by road bikes, gives a sense of lightness while still allowing for fast and comfortable riding on forest roads – similar to a mountain bike. You’re simply independent and riding away from traffic- and noise-filled roads.

Although gravel bikes are still considered relatively new in Europe, they have long been popular in the racing scene and for bikepacking in the United States. The many forest roads in the region, with their excellent gravel surfaces, therefore provide the perfect terrain for covering greater distances at high speed on a gravel bike.

I’m particularly fascinated by the exciting development of the gravel scene, as it is still in a formative phase here. In a way, you could almost see the gravel bike as a connecting link that brings different types of cyclists together without conflict.”

Conclusion

We give the Guided Gravel Bike Tour with Veloholic – Christian Haas – a clear thumbs-up and can highly recommend trying it out for yourself and hopping onto a gravel bike saddle.

In addition to perfectly planned routes and expert tour guidance, you’ll also gain plenty of interesting insights into the region as well as its flora and fauna. An exclusive biking experience that definitely leaves you craving more gravel.

Thank you for this fantastic experience!

Veloholic Contact

Christian Haas
Au 11 | 6671 Rieden
T.: +43 699 100 544 25
M.: christian@veloholic.com
W.: www.veloholic.at

Your Support Is Needed! Vote for GRAVEL.TIROL

The four tourism associations of the Außerfern region – Reutte Nature Park Region, Lechtal Region, Tannheimer Tal Region and Tiroler Zugspitz Arena Region – joined forces across regional boundaries. This collaboration gave rise to the project GRAVEL.TIROL.

Together, we offer 18 tours, more than 1,000 kilometers of routes and over 22,000 meters of elevation gain. Our 58 partner businesses and accommodation providers perfectly round off the Gravel.Tirol experience.

This fantastic project has now been nominated for the prestigious Tirol Touristica Award. To bring this award home to the Außerfern, we need your vote – your click makes the difference!

Vote here: www.tirolwerbung.at/voting

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