Oscar Aparici Tarazón (Oscar had to cancel due to urgent family issues)
*1974, Inca (Mallorca), Spain
Mango Sport
My name is Oscar and like you, I'm a fan of wheels.When I discovered your website I thought “this is the travel of my life”. I would like to participate in that tour around the Baltic Sea and ride across some North European Countries.I have been riding bikes all my life. Got my frist mountaikbike in 1996 and my first home made recumbent bike in 1999. Six months ago I bought a second hand velomobile. It's a Mango Sport. I bought it from Carlos Okocicle of Madrid.Every day I go to work on my bikes and combine my recumbent riding with my velo. I'm an acting teacher and change school every year. At the time of writing this, I am pedaling 30km to my school and another 30km to come back home. I have participated in private 200km brevets, charity rides, “wolf alone” rides …
In the summer of 2012 my friend and me rode “Camino de Santiago” from Valencia to Santiago de Compostela with our recumbent bikes. Eight days, 1080km; this is the longest ride I have done and I enjoyed it a lot with our full loaded bikes, a route across Spain, hostels, the people, the villages …
Discovering Northern Europe with our velos will be fantastic and I look forward to this “velo adventure”.
Joerg Bammesberger
*1972, Munich, Germany
Go One Evo R
Tour Experience:
MTB Trekking Alps MTB
Transalp in 6 Days MTB
Munich - Lake Constance - Amsterdam -Paris - Munich Recumbent
Transalp in 22h Recumbent
The West Coast Ride 2006 OHPV Recumbent
Several Tours along rivers in Europe MTB, Tandem, Recumbent
ROAM 2011 Velomobile
Jörn Bießler
*1964, Winsen, Germany
Quest #490
My way from road bike to the Velomobile :
In 1984 during my studies, I bought a road bike, because of my beetle became to expensive. Since then, I often ride longer distances by bike. When cycling in our local club I particularly like riding in the peleton . During cycling marathons and races, I like to test my limits , so I know, what my body is able to do on very long distances.
In 2008, I found the Velomobile Forum. In the spring of 2009 I ordered my first velomobile , a Sunrider . In November of the same year I picked it up and rode it until April 2011 about 10000km. The Sunrider was sold in favor of my Quest. I ordered it in July 2010, and was able to pick it up in early April 2011. The Quest proved its excellent fit to travel in the transfer-trip, where I comfortably rode the 400km home in 1.5 days.
My motivations for GBSR2014 :
- I like challenges.
- I like meeting and cycling with other Velomobilists.
- I want to make aware as many people of the most efficiently mode of transportation.
- I love Denmark and Sweden. in both countries I have made cycling holidays.
- I am excited to visit Finland and the Baltics.
- I look forward to visit the friendly polish people again.
My biggest motivation is my grandson Matti., For him I would like to help making a livable world. So, I try to keep my carbon footprint as small as possible. This includes a clean mobility as well as the energy-saving houses I build.
I am very happy to be a part of the Great Baltic Sea Ride 2014.
Markus Deiter
*1971, Bad Münder, Germany
Milan
A passionate Mountain Biker my first tacid encounter with recumbent bikes dates back to 2006. After trying out some some recumbent two-wheelers, which didn't really spark my enthusiasm, I discovered velomobiles in 2008. At first I was riding the cmparatively slow Alleweder A4, but soon found I needed something more competitive and dynamic. A short test ride of a Milan won me over, and I've been riding a Milan GT since 2010.
Next to some long day rides of about 300 km, some long weekend rides in excess of 1000 km, and my participation in some recumbent racing events, the one highlight of my velomobiling life has obviously been Roll over America 2011. GBSR 2014 not only offers to travel countries i have not seen so far, but will be give me the chance to be riding a grand tour with many ROAM-Veterans, a class reunion in XXL ...
Maarten Heckman
*1955, Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands
Strada
My cycle touring life began in highschool when I rode to the Harz close to the East German border. Just about 1000 km, but I was 15 at the time. This was followed by lot's of cycling as training for rowing, including 200+ and 300+ one day rides - Friese Elfstedentocht, Rondje IJsselmeer, culminating in a 24 hour ride from Paris to Wageningen (500+ km). In 2005 I discovered recumbents and it didn't take long to figure out that that a velombile would be the ultimate for my 42 km one way commute. Then ROAM came along which was great fun. After ROAM I had a dip in my cycling, but GBSR will be the perfect excuse to do something about that.
Josef Janning
*1956, Bonn, Germany
Quest #621
A bike commuter for years I almost inescapably ended up with velomobiles, as my commute was longer and my practice s to ride year round. For the past few years, however, my commutes have either become way too long to be riding or short enough to be easily done on any bike. Instead of the regular 30-60 km commutes I now find the kicks in touring, some longer day rides on weekends, the occasional 3-day-tour, and the rare long haul. Riding alone is fine with me, but a pack of velomobiles on tour is a sight and experience that’s hard to beat. I’ve done a few of those tours, and I initiated and organized the “Roll over America” Tour in 2011. ROAM left a lasting impression on me and other riders – the roads are calling us. The Great Baltic Sea Ride 2014 is my way to respond. I am excited to get back out.
Wilfred Ketelaar
*1977, Noordhorn, The Netherlands
Quest XS #21 (named Ocho)
I've been riding a recumbent/velomobile since 2007. First a Nazca Fuego, later a Sinner Mango+ and a Rowingbike.com Thys 209. And now a Velomobiel.nl QuestXS which I named Ocho.
I've done a couple of longer tours including the Round of The Netherlands (1300 km), Roll over America 2011 (5500 km) and Euro Tour 2013 (1300 km). I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends and touring with them during the 3000+ kilometers of the Great Baltic Sea Ride 2013. Also, I've never been to the Scandinavian countries before, so I'm really excited about the tour. If you have any questions or you would like to read about my cycling (and other) adventures, check out my website at http://xl-network.com/. See you on the road!
Jürgen Köhn
*1967, Cologne, Germany
Evo Ks
For a year now I am a passionate velomobile rider. In this time I have participated in several race events at Leer, Langenfeld, Rütenbrock, Assen, and on the Cologne Race Course.
Harry Lieben
*1963, Groningen,The Netherlands
Mango Sport
I got involved in velomobiles in 1998 when I built my own aluminium Alleweder from a kit available from Flevobike. The hobby eventually led to a career at SinnerBikes, where the Mango Sport and Mango+ are being produced. Apart from the wrenching and the continuous improvement of the Mango, I'm also responsible for customer support through e-mail, instructional videos on YouTube and Facebook.
I have lived happily car-free for some 10 years, doing my personal transport almost exclusively by velomobile. This includes commuting, shopping, weekend rides, social trips, going to meetings and holiday travel through various European countries. Competing with others in HPV races is something I enjoy very much. Every year I thus cycle between 10.000 and 18.000km
When the plan for ROAM2011 arose, I lept to this fabulous chance to promote travelling by velomobile (and to have a unique holiday to boot). Given that ROAM2011 has been a great experience that has sparked many peoples' imagination, I'm looking forward to GBSR2014 in the same tradition.
Nina Mohrmann
*1966, Bielefeld,Germany
Carbon Quest
Nearly my whole life I’m into sports. Over the past years, I cycled a lot. Beginning with Mountain Biking, on to recumbent bikes, and now the velomobile is my favorite bike.
I bought my first velomobile in 2010, when I read about Josef´s idea on BROL: "Roll over America. What a wild idea! We'd be the Easy Riders of the 21st century!" Now, ROAM is history and another outstanding tour is waiting for me and my Quest.I have a new goal, so with this motivation, commuting by bike even during the winter should become much easier.
Martin Möhrle
*1960, Kehl,Germany
Quest
In the past I have been doing several tours with an upright bike, the longest of them being the Pyrenees from Barcelona to San Sebastian or La Route des Hautes Alpes from Nizza to Geneva.
Since 2 years I’m riding my Quest almost daily to get to work, I have to do 18km one way to catch the ICE train from Offenburg to Freiburg where I change to my recumbant bike for another 5 kilometers (I always say I’m preparing to get old and be no longer able to do things upright 😊, this is why I have bought a recumbent bike).
Last year I was doing the Neckar river bike trail from Offenburg to Ludwigshafen and then back to Offenburg over a few days, following the Neckar and passing the Black Forest.
My upright touring was with my daughter, but I have not found company for velomobil touring. Therefore I like to take the chance on the Great Baltic Sea Ride.
Andreas Prasuhn
*1957, Porta Westfalica, Germany
Milan
Here’s what his wife says about Andreas: "As long as I have known my husband (and that is almost 35 years) he’s been in love with fast vehicles. Motorcycles to begin with in all imaginable variations, motocross, racing, whatever – until he crashed badly on a race course in Austria.
That changed his life but not his passion for something fast, as long as it was less life threatening. Very soon he discovered the bicycle and quickly the stable filled with various models, from road bike to MTB, and … the velomobile. He joined the Roll over America-Tour in 2011, evidently; what else represents freedom and adventure better than riding from the Pacific to the Atlantic?
Since his vehicles have become human-powered, Andreas has a new companion, Rambo. You’ll hardly find another dog on the planet which has covered some many miles running besides a bike. If only he could have joined Andreas in the US. Now, in 2014 there’s a new calling …"
Dieter Schmidt
*1952, Hamburg, Germany
Evo Ks
After not riding a bicycle for 18 years, in 1986 I decided to make an tour from Malaga back home to Hamburg. The first days in south of Spain were hard, but I managed to get home in 4 weeks. In 1995 I bought an short wheel recumbent. Since 2007 I was participating in bicycle marathons and brevets up to 600 km. 2009 I was riding London-Edinburgh-London.
In January 2013 I bought my velomobile to take part at the EuroTour 2013. To get some experience with this kind of a machine, I did six 200 km rides, before I started on the EuroTour.
Johann Schouten
*1966, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
Quest
Since 2007 I ride a Quest. My first long trip with a velomobile was in the same year. It was a round trip from the Netherlands via France to Ireland and back home via Scotland. I am not a fast rider, but touring 200+kms for multiple days is no problem. For ROAM I trained to pick up more speed and it paid back. To ride ROAM was a lot of fun. Not only because of the nice (international) company, but also because of the interaction with local people. This year I didn’t ride a lot, so for GBSR I have to pick up a training schedule again. That will be no problem. For me GBSR will probably be a finale stage in a longer trip. Before coming to Lübeck, I planned to ride to Norway first. I’m looking forward to see you all!
Pier Siersma
*1979, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Carbon Quest
I use my carbon quest to travel to and from work, 4 times a week, 30km single ride. 250 km a week. In total I've traveled about 40.000 km with different velombiles over the last 6 years. For more than 15 years my summer holiday consisted of a trip by recumberent. (Last 3 years with M5 carbon high racer), I visited Santiago de Compostella, Florence, Budapest, Helsinki and a lot of other places, during different trips ranging from 1000 to 2500 km – always carrying complete camping gear.
I hope I can add to that my first holiday in a velombile!
Hans Stüben
*1963, Niederkassel, Germany
Quest #666
My name is Hans Stüben, I am 50 years old and I live with my family between Bonn and Cologne, about 100 m away from the river Rhine. Since 2001, I am riding recumbent bikes ( HP-Velotechnik streetmachine and speedmachine). Now riding my orange Carbon-Quest , number 666, since may 2013.
In the last years I did a lot of bike tours with my kids, my son rides my old streetmachine, with friend or by my own, sometimes more then 300 km a day. Last summer I rode the Eurotour2013 with many Velomobiles from Germany to the Netherlands, Belgium, France and back to Germany, a ride about 2000 km.
Lars Thiesson
*1966, Copenhagen, Denmark
Carbon Quest
My name is Lars Thiesson. I am living I Copenhagen Denmark. I commute to work every day 50 km winter and summer. I started riding a Quest in December 2012 and have enjoyed every minute ever since. Before that I have worked my way through normal DF and recumbent bicycles. I am really looking forward to riding around the Baltic Sea and in particular the eastern part of the route.
Andreas Vogel
*1976, Markdorf/Lake Constance, Germany
Evo Ks
Reading about the high efficency of velomobiles for the first time with great amazement, I instantly realized, that this would become a must for me... After waiting 13 months, I drove the brand new Evo Ks 650 km to the Lake Constance in two and a half days. This was my longest trip by bike ever before, and it was so much fun and no pain at all! No wonder that I was amazed once more after seeing Jupp's suggestion: More than 3000 km through so many interesting countries! I'm looking forward to share this unique experience with so many experienced velomobile riders.
Kees van de Wetering
*1965, Hasselt, The Netherlands
Quest #323
Since 2001 I have used my velomobile for cycling to my work (20 km) every day. Besides that I love to participate in a velomobile tour sometimes or to make a trip on my own. Many a little makes up a mickle, so this adds up to about 95000 km so far.
Working as a mechanical engineer I spent most of my days in front of a computer screen. For me, cycling not only keeps me healthy and in good shape, it also gives me a feeling of freedom and self-assurance, When i'm cycling home I love it when the sun shines, but I also can appriciate a cold and windy day, meeting the elements and having the cycling lane for my own. When traveling with my bike I like to be self supporting, carrying my own stuff, including tools and spare parts (to a certain degree). I think this adds to the feeling of freedom.
In the past I made several multi-day trips, mostly to the Velomobil-treffen in Gießen, which I highly enjoyed. Never cycled 3 weeks long, but excited to try and find out how I like it.