The trend towards e-bikes continues unabated - more and more people in the district are turning to electric two-wheelers. However, safe riding also requires practice. The "radspaß - sicher e-biken" (cycling fun - safe e-biking) project ensures this with special free riding safety courses. From next year, these will also be offered in the district of Ludwigsburg.
The e-bike boom continues: According to the German bicycle industry, almost one in three new bicycles sold in Germany now has an electric motor. Pedelecs make it possible to cover longer distances and uphill gradients in comfort, making the bike attractive to new target groups. However, anyone sitting on an e-bike for the first time quickly realizes that riding is somewhat different from riding a conventional bike: pedelecs accelerate quickly, are faster and heavier than bikes without electric assistance. Newcomers should therefore take a little time to get to know their bike in order to adjust to the new riding experience and get around safely and enjoyably.
The "radspaß - sicher e-biken" (cycling fun - safe e-biking) project of the Baden-Württemberg German Cyclists' Association (ADFC) and the Württemberg Cycling Association (WRSV) is designed with this in mind. With the support of the Ministry of Transport of Baden-Württemberg, riding safety training courses were developed to teach e-bike riders safety in critical situations, confidence in road traffic and riding enjoyment. In addition to numerous riding technique exercises to train coordination and reaction, the three- to four-hour practical courses also cover road safety topics: whether starting off safely, situational braking, avoiding obstacles in everyday urban life or mastering unpaved natural trails - the training is intended to benefit everyone, whether beginners, everyday cyclists or ambitious sporty bikers. "Anyone who has a good command of their pedelec and knows what is important will ride through the world more safely, have more fun and arrive at their destination more relaxed," says project manager Benedikt Glitz. In addition to a good cycling infrastructure, this is a key prerequisite for more people getting on their bikes and leaving their cars behind.
After the project was tested in the districts of Böblingen, Rems-Murr, Constance and Tübingen in 2020, it is now being extended to other districts. District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier is delighted that the district of Ludwigsburg is now represented among the selected municipalities: "Pedelecs are an important building block for the transport transition. It is important to us that accidents are avoided as far as possible despite the higher speeds they enable. I am therefore very pleased that we are now also offering the successfully tested 'cycling fun - safe e-biking' project here in the district and can thus make a contribution to increasing general road safety." The district administration office is supporting the project managers with coordination and communication on site.
It will start in spring 2021. The first step will be to train trainers centrally, who will then offer their own cycling fun courses throughout the district. Anyone interested in being trained free of charge is welcome to get in touch now: info[at]radspass.org Further information on the project at: radspass.org
