Thomas Weber and his wife Marlene are passionate cyclists through and through. Their life motto "You don't stop cycling when you're old - you get old when you stop cycling" is consistently followed. In two years they have traveled an unbelievable 4000-6000 km with their bike. While they used to travel in tents, they have been using the B TURTLE bike trailer since last year.
„No need to sleep on the ground anymore“ was one reason why Thomas and Marlene Weber chose the B TURTLE Microcaravan. Thomas tells us in an interview he gave us at the CMT in Stuttgart on how the B TURTLE and E-Bike can be used for travelling. The whole interview is available on YouTube with his permission. The key details are given below in written form.
The Interview: B TURTLE Adventure across Allgäu
Key Details of the Interview
Name of the travelers: Thomas und Marlene
Motivation for B TURTLE Adventurers: Explore the world by bike. No need to sleep on the floor anymore. You also don't need to leave the tent to go outside with the incorporated awning.
Experiences on the road: multi-day tours through the Allgäu with B TURTLE. With tent in the last 15 years through Germany, France, Italy, Croatia, Norway, South Africa etc. in the year so approx. 4000 - 6000 km.
Terrain & road conditions: predominantly cycle paths paved and gravel, quiet side roads, long-distance cycle paths
ø km/Day: 70-100 km (depending on where there is a campsite)
Where did you sleep? Campingsite
Wheel equipment
- 1x E-Bike Riese Müller Changer GX with Dual Battery (2x 500 kWh batteries), belt drive and 14-speed roll-off gear Rohloff
- 1x E-Bike Velo de Ville CEB 800 Premium with Bosch Performance CX with Dual Battery
- 1x B TURTLE
- 1x BOB YAK Pendant
All the equipment is transported in a total of 4 backrollers, 2 front scooters, two small boxes on the luggage racks and the two trailers. While personal equipment is transported on the e-bikes, bulky and voluminous luggage comes into the two trailers.
Packing list:
- Am Riese Müller E-Bike: 2 Backroller and 2 Frontroller with personal luggage such as shoes, cooker, spare parts, tools, rain gear, washing things as well as small box on carrier with food and drink for on the way
- At the Velo de Ville E-Bike: 2 Backroller and small box on luggage carrier for example for rain clothes
- On the BOB Yak trailer: sleeping bag, blanket, first aid material, shoes, 25m cable, power adapter etc.
- In the B-Turtle trailer: rubber hammer, tent nails, clothesline, 230V compressor, sleeping mattresses, sleeping bags, 2x chairs, 1x table, water
Key Details of the Interview
Name of the travelers: Thomas und Marlene
Motivation for B TURTLE Adventurers: Explore the world by bike. No need to sleep on the floor anymore. You also don't need to leave the tent to go outside with the incorporated awning.
Experiences on the road: multi-day tours through the Allgäu with B TURTLE. With tent in the last 15 years through Germany, France, Italy, Croatia, Norway, South Africa etc. in the year so approx. 4000 - 6000 km.
Terrain & road conditions: predominantly cycle paths paved and gravel, quiet side roads, long-distance cycle paths
ø km/Day: 70-100 km (depending on where there is a campsite)
Where did you sleep? Campingsite
Wheel equipment
- 1x E-Bike Riese Müller Changer GX with Dual Battery (2x 500 kWh batteries), belt drive and 14-speed roll-off gear Rohloff
- 1x E-Bike Velo de Ville CEB 800 Premium with Bosch Performance CX with Dual Battery
- 1x B TURTLE
- 1x BOB YAK Pendant
Packing list:
- Am Riese Müller E-Bike: 2 Backroller and 2 Frontroller with personal luggage such as shoes, cooker, spare parts, tools, rain gear, washing things as well as small box on carrier with food and drink for on the way
- At the Velo de Ville E-Bike: 2 Backroller and small box on luggage carrier for example for rain clothes
- On the BOB Yak trailer: sleeping bag, blanket, first aid material, shoes, 25m cable, power adapter etc.
- In the B-Turtle trailer: rubber hammer, tent nails, clothesline, 230V compressor, sleeping mattresses, sleeping bags, 2x chairs, 1x table, water
Estimated total weight: around 50kg
Experience with the B-Turtle with E-Bike (battery): The range with B-Turtle is approx. 10 -15% lower than without (estimate!).
Uphill: no problem with enough small gears; with e.g. a 7-speed hub gearshift it might be difficult going uphill steeply.
Driving experience while Turteling: The B-Turtle does not affect driving at all.
B-Turtle Assembly: with compressor
Next B-Turtle trip: big Germany tour over a period of 2 months
Pictures in contribution and video made available by ©Thomas Weber
