Loops I've ridden myself — with key figures and a route to
download. Ride them yourself if you like.
Tenerife · From 300 to 1,800 meters
Distance
57 km
Elevation gain
1,560 m
Best time
February to April
Our apartment was at roughly 300 m elevation. From there it went uphill all the way along the main road toward Teide. That meant there was practically no chance to warm up or to “rest” briefly on a flat stretch somewhere. But the prospect of climbing step by step, eventually breaking through the trade-wind clouds and experiencing the magnificent light up there made up for the effort. The descent is of course spectacular - if you trust your brakes…
A demanding loop starting and ending in La Croix Valmer. What makes it special: two ramps right at the start, in Ramatuelle and Gassin. Then via Gogolin to La Mole airport. Up to the col, and just as special because it is away from any car traffic: stay on the heights and push on to Bormes. This stretch then meets the D41 just above Bormes les Mimosas. A wonderful descent to the sea!
From Munich-Laim we can get through to the southwest fairly quickly via Blumenau and Gräfelfing, then along the Würm. Between Lake Ammersee and Lake Starnberg it gets increasingly rural, with very little traffic. When time allows for a hundred again, I like to choose the golf course in Hohenpähl as my turning point. The clubhouse would even offer a tasty plate of pasta… Nice for the ride back, too: usually a light tailwind, and it's steadily downhill again.
If you don't have much time and want to ride a short loop starting and ending right outside your door, the so-called “Kloster Schäftlarn loop” is a natural choice for many of us. In my example here I start and finish in Sendling, more precisely: Lindwurmstraße, corner of Aberlestraße (time today: 1:33:01 / average: 31.2 km/h = 19.4 mph).
Today there was one special twist: I got a flat tire 400 m before the starting point. But, luck in misfortune, I was practically standing right in front of a suitable shop: Fahrrad Martini. Fortunately they still had a tube with a long valve in stock… super nice people, the owners. Service is still “written large” here; I'll gladly come back! And I'm also happy to add the link to their website: www.fahrrad-martini.de (in German)
They also have some beautiful Bottecchias, for example this one:
Cronothlon, Ultegra
Prize Challenge · until the end of 2027
Faster than 1:33:01? Then I'll give you a Clarity Scan.
My best time in 2026 on the Kloster Schäftlarn loop: 1:33:01, average 31.2 km/h (19.4 mph), about 320 meters (1,050 ft) of climbing. My Komoot archive still showed 1:38 for 2021. So it can be done faster, if you just want it enough (and have a few weeks of time-trial training in your legs).
Now it's your turn! Anyone who beats this time gets a Clarity Scan from me as a gift: the compact test analysis with strengths, focus areas and development suggestions for your career, worth €1,000.
If you'd like to learn more about my professional work and what's behind a Clarity Scan, you'll find me on LinkedIn and on the Talk Together website.
And so there are no misunderstandings: this is not a race for first place and not a raffle. The number of winners is unlimited. If ten people are faster, there will be ten Clarity Scans. Everyone who beats the time wins.
This was originally meant as a little fun challenge to start the week. It's now turning into a long-term project: you have time until the end of 2027. That's enough for a complete training winter, a proper build-up of form in the spring and at least one day with a tailwind. Excuses like “headwind”, “traffic lights” or “wrong tires” don't count, I had them all too.
How it works: Ride the loop (you'll find the route above on Komoot; as in the route description, start and finish must be exactly in Sendling at Lindwurmstraße/corner of Aberlestraße) and send me the .fit file from your tracking app through the contact form (as an attachment, up to 5 MB). If your time is faster than 1:33:01 (women: 1:43:00), the Clarity Scan is yours.
At a glance: runs until the end of 2027 · proof via .fit file · time under 1:33:01 (women under 1:43:00) · no limit on the number of winners. I only use your file to verify the time.
And seriously: traffic rules apply. No scan in the world is worth running a red light. Have fun and good luck!
