Fill your water bottles, put on some extra layers to ward off the first chill, and set off. There are some lovely mountain bike rides to be had across the Veluwe, following the various enjoyable and challenging routes starting from Harderwijk. There’s a good chance you’ll spot wildlife right now. Both large and certainly small animals too – think of the squirrel busily gathering acorns, beechnuts and the like. Lovely to see! Whilst you’re focused and following the route, your thoughts also wander. Mountain biking is also relaxing.
There are plenty of great routes to be found in the Harderwijk area; as a former competitive mountain biker, I can certainly vouch for that. If you’re just starting out on a MTB, or simply want to cycle a nice route, I can recommend Harderwijk’s regular mountain bike route. This starts behind the Bosrand cafeteria, opposite Hotel van de Valk Harderwijk. This marked route takes you mainly along lots of single tracks. There are tight bends and plenty of technical sections, but that’s precisely what makes the challenge so enjoyable.
Autumn makes everything more beautiful
Autumn makes this route even more beautiful, especially with all the mud. It’s lovely to come home after a walk and have your children laughing out loud because “Dad looks so silly”. Well, your face covered in mud – there are places where people pay a lot of money for that.
Mountain bike clinics
For me, the main challenge now is explaining to people the best way to handle a mountain bike. As part of my work at Adventure Veluwe, I regularly run mountain bike clinics. In small groups, I introduce people to mountain biking and am happy to explain the basic and most important techniques. I’m often asked which mountain bike is best to buy or what to look out for when purchasing one. It’s great when people catch your enthusiasm for mountain biking.
