What were long-distance rides?
In the late 19th century the bicycle began to conquer the world – not only as a means of transport, but as a vehicle for athletic achievement. At a time when roads were unpaved and bicycles were heavy and without gears, riders ventured onto routes hundreds of kilometres long. These long-distance rides demanded physical endurance, mental toughness and the will to push beyond one’s own limits.
As early as 1884, „La Gran Fondo“ in Italy staged one of the first long-distance races: 600 kilometres from Milan to Rome. At a time when the bicycle was still fighting for social acceptance, such races drew the public’s attention. Long-distance cycling was meant to demonstrate the bicycle’s capability as a means of locomotion, deliberately competing with the horse, the railway and other modes of transport.
The great lines
Legendary routes such as Vienna–Berlin (1893), Paris–Brest–Paris (1891) or the Alpine crossing Milan–Munich (1894) showed the versatility of the bicycle. The long-distance ride Vienna–Trieste (1892) linked city and coast for the first time, while races like Hamburg–Berlin opened up the north. Berlin–Cologne as a relay ride or Bordeaux–Paris also became proving grounds for long-distance riders. Riders such as Josef Fischer, who won Vienna–Berlin and in 1896 became the first winner of Paris–Roubaix, or G. P. Mills, who covered the 1,385 kilometres from Land’s End to John O’Groats in just under 77 hours, embodied the rising, international racing culture.
Road versus track
Even then, a sharp distinction was drawn between track racing and long-distance racing: while track races were built for short, explosive sprints, long-distance rides required unshakeable endurance and the art of holding on under extreme conditions. Two distinct sporting traditions developed that would leave a lasting mark on cycling.
Decline and revival
With the world wars and the rise of the automobile, the tradition of long-distance rides fell into oblivion. Only a few races such as Paris–Brest–Paris survived as relics of a bygone era. Today long-distance riding is experiencing a renaissance: Supergrevets tie back to these historic roots and bring the former pioneering era back to life – on the forgotten lines of Vienna–Berlin, Vienna–Trieste, Milan–Munich and Basel–Kleve.
Historical voices and sources
Wenn wir die Erfindung der Draisine, die Erfindung des luftgefüllten Reifens und die Rückkehr zum Niederrad als Marksteine in der Geschichte des modernen Fahrrads betrachten, dann müssen wir die Fernfahrt Wien-Berlin 1893 als Wendepunkt in der Geschichte des modernen Fahrrads bezeichnen. […] Das Fahrrad wurde Verkehrsmittel.
If we regard the invention of the draisine, the invention of the pneumatic tyre and the return to the low-wheeler as milestones in the history of the modern bicycle, then we must call the Vienna–Berlin long-distance ride of 1893 a turning point in the history of the modern bicycle. […] The bicycle became a means of transport.
NN: Das Fahrrad in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart. Durlacher Tageblatt, 11.07.1925, S. 6
Die Pioniere des alpinen Radsports sahen im Gegensatz zu heute vergleichsweise harmlos aus […]. In dieser Kluft setzten sie sich auf Gefährte, die nicht einmal eine Gangschaltung besaßen. Trotzdem waren sie ganz verteufelte Burschen.
The pioneers of alpine cycling looked comparatively harmless compared with today […]. Dressed like that, they climbed onto machines that did not even have gears. And yet they were thoroughly daredevil fellows.
Ulrich Zwack: Das erste transalpine Rennen im Jahr 1894. Bayrischer Rundfunk, 01.05.2017
„Wien-Berlin”. In diesen zwei Worten drängte sich während der letztvergangenen Monate beinahe unser gesammtes Sportinteresse zusammen.
“Vienna–Berlin.” In these two words almost all of our sporting interest concentrated over the past months.
NN: Stimmungsbilder Anfang August. Radfahrer-Zeitung, 11.08.1893
Ein aus achthundert Radfahrern und Radfahrerinnen bestehender Zug – das war in Wien noch nicht dagewesen, und wir konnten nach übereinstimmenden Meldungen eine Anzahl von 100.000 Zuschauern constatiren.
A procession of eight hundred cyclists, men and women – something Vienna had never seen before, and by consistent accounts we could count some 100,000 spectators.
Deutscher Radfahrer-Bund: Amtliches Organ, Jahrgang 1893, S. 516
Sieger war Josef Fischer von München, der den Weg in 31 Stunden 22 Minuten zurückgelegt hatte. […] Interessant ist folgender Vergleich: Ein Schnellzug durcheilt die Strecke in 14 Stunden und 10 Minuten.
The winner was Josef Fischer of Munich, who had covered the route in 31 hours 22 minutes. […] One striking comparison: an express train races the route in 14 hours and 10 minutes.
Die Distanzradfahrt zwischen Wien und Berlin. Der Bär 19 (1893), S. 515
More on the history of the discipline can also be found at grevet.de → Geschichte der Distanzfahrten.
