Vollgepackt mit Taschen machten wir uns mit dem Fahrrad auf den Weg nach Innsbruck zum Naked Indigo auf eine leckere Bowl. Vier Tage lang ging es für Eli, mich und Emma, meine 14-jährige Jack Russell Terrier Hündin, über Schotter und Asphalt. Wie es uns ergangen ist und welche Herausforderungen diese Tour für uns bereithielt, möchte ich euch in diesem Beitrag erzählen.

Preparing for the journey

Meine und Emmas Vorbereitung kann man kurz und knapp zusammenfassen. Für uns ging es bis zum Abfahrtstermin einfach so oft es das Wetter zuließ auf das Fahrrad für eine Runde. Leider war es für dieses Jahr viel zu wenig. Gerade mit Hund kann man sich nicht bei jedem Wetter auf das Rad schwingen. Könnte aber auch einfach nur eine kleine Ausrede meinerseits sein.

Eli hatte sich, wie für jede gemeinsame Aktivität, viel besser vorbereitet. Aber auch er musste mit so manchen Rückschlägen kämpfen. Er hatte sich schon vor Längerem den Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 zugelegt, einen Rollentrainer für das Fahrrad (Werbung). So konnte er auch bei Kälte, Wind und Regen wunderbar das Training zu Hause im Warmen absolvieren. Das Indoortraining hat ihn perfekt auf diese Tour vorbereitet.

Unfortunately, Eli injured his foot during one of his hiking trips, and for a short time, we didn't know if or how we could even go on the tour. Luckily, he was able to put normal weight on his foot again by the time we started cycling. However, one should also keep such setbacks in mind. Even if you prepare thoroughly, unforeseen moments can jeopardise such a tour.

Tour planning

The planning for our tour went just like in previous years. First, we considered where we would go at all this year. Since we choose a restaurant as our destination every year and I would like to cycle through all the federal states with Emma, we chose the Naked Indigo in Innsbruck.

We created our cycling tour using Komoot and then looked for suitable accommodation along the route, as well as shops for provisions. Finally, all that was missing was the luggage. What should we take with us, and what do you actually need for four days?

Das Einzige, was ich wirklich empfehlen kann, ist ein kleines Reparaturset für Notfälle und ein Tubenwaschmittel, falls einmal keine Waschmaschine vorhanden ist. Unsere Devise lautet: Weniger ist mehr. Denkt immer daran, jedes zusätzliche Gewicht, das man mitschleppt, macht die Tour nur anstrengender.

Stage 1: Schwanenstadt to Eugendorf

This stage will of course look different for you, as you will presumably be starting from your home. For us, it first went via Vöcklabruck and St. Georgen to our first stopover in Mondsee. Here we took our first major break after about 50 kilometres.

In diesem Abschnitt war für mich auch ein kleiner Einbruch dabei, wie ich ihn bei jeder Etappe einmal habe. An diesem Tag war es auf der Hauptstraße in Straß im Attergau. Keine Ahnung warum, weil hier keine besondere Steigung ist, aber irgendwie kam ich überhaupt nicht voran.

After our refreshment in Mondsee, we continued to our stage destination in Eugendorf, where a really nice climb awaited us. Luckily, the end was already in sight afterwards, and we arrived at our first hotel, the Landhotel Gschirnwirt.

Stage 2: Eugendorf to St. Johann in Tirol

Advertisement: Just under 84 kilometres and 680 metres of elevation gain lay between us and the Explorer Hotels Kitzbühel. The first ten kilometres that day were very relaxed, as it was mostly downhill at first. Unfortunately, that was it, and now we had to cycle steadily uphill.

While it was a beautiful stage with great cycle paths, I was also genuinely glad when we reached our destination. The Explorer Hotels Kitzbühel is the ideal place to stay during a cycling tour. It is designed for cyclists. Tools and a pump to get everything back in working order, a compartment to safely store bicycles, as well as a washing machine and tumble dryer for clothes are just a small part of the services on offer. So, anyone looking for the perfect hotel for their cycling tour will find it at Explorer Hotels Kitzbühel fündig.

Stage 3: St. Johann to Lake Achen

Der Tag, der mich schon seit der Planung etwas gestresst hat. Zwar war es eine kürzere Tagestour, aber sie hielt eine kleine Überraschung für uns bereit. Wobei klein und Überraschung etwas falsch ausgedrückt sind. Die letzten fünf Kilometer ging es etwa 500 Höhenmeter hinauf zum Achensee. Warum es auch keine Überraschung war? Naja, wir haben es schließlich so geplant.

Jetzt kann ich sagen, oben war es zwar wunderschön, aber der Weg dorthin ist die Hölle auf Erden. Die ersten drei Kilometer schaffte ich mit dem zusätzlichen Gewicht von Emma und unserem Gepäck noch. Hier waren es stellenweise 11 Prozent Steigung. Doch die letzten zwei Kilometer hatte ich keine Chance mehr. Zu wenig Training und Vorbereitung, zu viel Gewicht und Steigung mit bis zu 17 Prozent.

Advertising: But after I saw the hotel, it was all worth it. The Arthurs Achensee was a beautiful place to stay. The rooms were really nice, the staff friendly, and right in the adjoining building was a pizzeria where we could celebrate our day's achievements with delicious food. The breakfast also deserves a positive mention. Nothing was missing here. The only thing to note: dogs are unfortunately not allowed in the breakfast room.

Stage 4: Achensee to Innsbruck

Der letzte Tag der Tour und nur mehr knapp 35 Kilometer. Zuerst gab es noch einen Zwischenstopp beim Achensee. Den mussten wir uns natürlich auch ansehen. Danach folgte eine fünf Kilometer lange Abfahrt und das war die steilste Abfahrt, die ich mit Hund und Gepäck bis jetzt gefahren bin. Ich muss ehrlich sagen, ich hatte ein richtig ungutes Gefühl dabei.

Ansonsten war dieser Tag relativ ruhig und entspannt. Wir mussten es nur pünktlich zum Naked Indigo schaffen, da wir um 14:15 Uhr unseren Zug für die Rückfahrt gebucht hatten. Achtung, Spoiler-Alert: Wir haben es geschafft. Für uns gab es noch eine leckere Bowl und anschließend eine längere Zugfahrt zurück in die Heimat.

Conclusion to the trip

Für mich war es die schönste Radtour, die ich mit Eli bis jetzt gemacht habe und ich glaube, da stimmt er mir zu. Der Großteil der Tour führte über großartige Radwege. Die Natur beziehungsweise die Landschaft auf dieser Strecke war einfach nur wunderschön.

Selbst die Unterkünfte waren dieses Jahr ein kleines Highlight. Alle Hotels waren richtig schön und überall wurden wir herzlich aufgenommen. Außerdem waren alle sehr hundefreundlich, was für mich immer ein wichtiger Punkt ist.

Mein absolutes Highlight war aber der Weg hinauf zum Achensee. Zwar war es das Schlimmste, was ich mit dem Rad und Emma je gefahren bin, aber trotzdem ein unvergesslich schönes Erlebnis. Ich kann nur sagen, es war wieder einmal eine gelungene Tour und ich bin schon gespannt, wo es nächstes Jahr für uns hingeht.

Our Komoot tour to copy

Further recommendation

Did you like this post? Then I have another great hiking tip for you! Have a read here: Dreamy spots in the Salzkammergut: the Ödseen lakes in Grünau im Almtal

Der Beitrag Radtour: Mit dem Fahrrad von Schwanenstadt nach Innsbruck erschien zuerst auf muats drawig.

Advertisement: From May 2026, Vutter (with a V) is the official partner of Shaggy and muats drawig. Shaggy loves the purely plant-based snacks from Butter and there's no more hiking without these treats.

Whether dogs can be fed a vegan diet is often discussed on the internet. The fact is: Yes, it's possible. Shaggy has been living a vegan lifestyle for many years and, at eight years old, is an absolute sports dynamo. Vutter's plant-based food is considered a complete feed, and no supplements are necessary. What's also the case with Shaggy: for a very long time, when he wasn't on a vegan diet, we had so many problems with his stomach, as he simply doesn't tolerate meat, especially not beef. So this is now an absolute win-win situation. Shaggy has healthy values and a perfect stomach, and no animal has to die for mine to live.

Butter

Vutter is a German brand of 100 % vegan dog food. True to the motto: Just like meat. Only without the meat. The food is a complete feed and is designed to provide dogs with all the necessary nutrients. According to the manufacturer, no additional supplements are required. The recipes are based on the FEDIAF guidelines, the European standard for pet food. The main source of protein is non-GMO soya, supplemented by ingredients such as potatoes, peas or rice, depending on the variety. I also think it’s particularly cool that Vutter’s wet food (such as the chicken variety) has been awarded the PETA Vegan Food Award for Best Vegan Wet Food.

The types of butter

Vutter is particularly interesting for vegan dog owners, as well as for dogs with certain food allergies or intolerances. Of course, this always needs to be considered individually and should ideally be discussed with a vet.

The range includes various types of food and snacks, such as:

• Chicken
• How beef
• How liver sausage
• How fish
• Like game and many other great wet food varieties
• and now completely new: vegan pork scratchings.

Just give it a try

If your dog also has intolerances or you would like to feed him a plant-based diet, you should definitely give Vutter a try. It is important that the change in diet should be gradual. I am absolutely delighted about the collaboration and am truly happy that Shaggy has had immense joy from his plant-based food for years. Here's the link to Vutter's shop.

Der Beitrag Shaggys Lieblingsfutter von Vutter (mit v) 🐶🌱 Kooperation Shaggy x Vutter erschien zuerst auf muats drawig.

Every year, we plan a longer cycle tour with muats drawig, where Michael and his dog Emma are always at the start. This year we are also planning a short 300 km tour from Upper Austria to Tyrol. The Wahoo setup was the ideal way to prepare for this, but also to make my training more varied in general. As a runner, it is also important to add variety to my training programme.

Advertising: I was provided with the setup by Wahoo. However, this in no way influences the honest reporting and my impressions of indoor cycling.

In this article, I would like to tell you about the setup and integration into my everyday life. By the way, the Wahoo KICKR Core 2 is currently on offer for just € 399.99 incl. 11-speed cassette or with the ZWIFT Cog instead of € 549.99. You can find it directly at here.

Structure of the Wahoo KICKR Core 2

To be honest, setting up the KICKR Core 2 was child's play. My setup consists of the Wahoo KICKR Core 2 roller trainer, the Wahoo support mat and the Wahoo ELEMNT ACE bike computer.

The assembly of the trainer was really only a matter of fitting the legs. An Allen key was all that was needed to install the board computer and it fitted perfectly on the handlebars. The connection between the roller trainer and the ELEMNT ACE board computer worked relatively quickly with the Wahoo app on the smartphone. A WLAN connection is also required for this.

Once everything was assembled, all that remained was to clamp the bike - if you are unsure how to do this, you should definitely watch a YouTube tutorial on how to dismount and remount a rear wheel. This is easier than you might think.

In addition to adapters, Wahoo also supplies a quick-release axle if this is required - otherwise you can also use the bike's own thru axle, as in my case, without any problems.

ZWIFT Cog and Click

My Wahoo KICKR Core was provided to me with an 11-speed cassette. However, my bike with the electronic SRAM gear system has 12 gears and therefore a 12-speed cassette. Now I had to think about how I wanted to deal with this. I'm also not particularly technically minded when it comes to bikes and had to do a lot of research first. One thing first: it's really nothing tragic. If a layman like me can manage it, then you can do it easily.

I could have used the 11-speed cassette in middle gear and controlled the resistance purely electrically with my board computer - that would have worked really well. However, as I'm a bit of a monk, I didn't want to do this and weighed up what made more sense for me personally.

Constantly changing the cassette on the bike was out of the question for me. Buying a 12-speed cassette, including a new freehub, which would have been necessary for SRAM, would have cost me around € 200 and then I would have the problem that another bike probably wouldn't fit on it either.

Long story short: In the end, I decided in favour of the ZWIFT Cog incl. Click. After trying out a few apps with the 11-speed cassette, I took a liking to ZWIFT and bought for € 49.99 the conversion kit incl. Click shifting, app-controlled shifting, which is simulated. However, you can also order the Wahoo KICKR Core 2 with the ZWIFT Cog - then you don't have the hassle of retrofitting.

The kit came with the necessary tools and its own freewheel, which is why it can now be easily converted back to the cassette setup.

Despite the ZWIFT Cog, I can still ride without the ZWIFT app and purely with my onboard computer, controlling the KICKR Core through it. This makes it a perfect solution for my setup.

Why indoor training in winter?

The winter of 2025/2026 was colder and icier than it has been for a long time. I had to cancel a few runs because it was far too dangerous. I also didn't want to go without anything over the winter, so it quickly became clear to me that I needed an indoor bike setup. The most sensible solution for my training volume was therefore the KICKR Core 2 – because I can quickly set up my Trek gravel bike on it at any time, and it also fits into any flat in terms of space. The trainer now adorns my office and helps me to keep fit on the bike even in winter.

Combination with apps such as ZWIFT, Wahoo or Rouvy

So basically no app is necessary. With the ELEMNT ACE training purely with the bike computer is possible and absolutely sufficient. Even with the ZWIFT Cog.

But as I'm also a fan of gamification, I tried out a few apps. Almost all apps are now compatible with the ZWIFT Cog's Click remote control - which is great, because then you're not tied to a specific app even after the conversion.

I personally enjoyed the playful world of ZWIFT, but I also understand the argument that the more realistic alternative Rouvy is also very popular. In the end, the decision was made in favour of ZWIFT, as it also supports running on a treadmill - even without a ZWIFT-compatible treadmill, purely with the Apple Watch, also possible with Garmin, etc.

Use without app with the ELEMNT ACE board / bike computer

As mentioned above, an app is not necessary. So this is also purely with the board computer.

Both the apps and the board computer are compatible with Apple Health - which is absolutely important to me - and transfer this data seamlessly. Both versions are also compatible with Strava.

The on-board computer also makes perfect sense, as you can also use it outdoors. It is connected to the smartphone, which allows you to control the music on the one hand, but also enables navigation thanks to the built-in GPS. At the end of the outdoor ride, everything is also transferred to the health apps.

My impression after 2 weeks of practical testing

I'm absolutely thrilled. After just two weeks, I've already cycled 200 km on ZWIFT as a runner, and I've taken to it so much that I often just hop on the bike for an hour in the evening to switch off. The gamification really drives you to train a bit harder, as the hills and gradients are simulated so extremely well, and you can relatively quickly switch from a relaxed mode in your head to a challenge mode. It's really a lot of fun!

Realistic feeling on the KICKR Core 2

What is particularly noteworthy is the outstanding quality. On the one hand, the setup is of very high quality, and on the other hand, the seamless interaction with all devices and apps is simply impressive. Then there's the realistic rolling resistance, which gives you the feeling of a real road, and as soon as there's a small hill in an app, you think you're cycling up a real mountain with real elevation gain. You can't simulate a bike ride any better than this at the moment.

My plans for the coming year

I'll definitely be integrating the training into my daily routine. Even when the weather improves again in the summer and cycling outdoors becomes possible, I'm sure there will be days when I'll get on my Wahoo KICKR Core 2 and do a session indoors. Bad weather also won't stop me from cycling anymore. Running is possible in any weather, but when it comes to cycling, I'm a classic fair-weather rider.

I'll keep you up to date on how the training is going and I'll also find out how well I was able to prepare myself when I report on the bike tour.

Der Beitrag So halte ich mich im Winter fit – Mein Training mit dem Wahoo KICKR Core 2 und der ZWIFT App erschien zuerst auf muats drawig.