Less stress in car-free family life

Of course, the Silbernagls are the epitome of bike enthusiasts. Mum Kathi, dad Hannes and their six children – Nora, Mara, Lina, Jula, Ilvy and Erik – live in Lana, South Tyrol, a few kilometres south of Merano, where the parents run a bike school. A Riese & Müller Load 75 joined the family’s fleet of bikes in April 2020. Why? “Ask other families how relaxed even short car trips with children can be”, answers Kathi jokingly.

“The Load has enabled us to drastically reduce the number of kilometres we travel by car”, she reports. “Before that, we drove about 1,300 kilometres a month on average. Now we drive an average of around 100 kilometres.” Most daily trips can now be done using the Load, such as shopping, trips to sports courses or transporting the children, but also 1,000-metre climbs up to the alpine pastures in the surrounding area.

They spent their family holidays in Sardinia, where they arrived with the family van and E-Bikes, including the Load, on the trailer. Their tour around the island gave them a new feeling of freedom: thanks to the full-suspension Load, the family was able to head off on trips to explore the island, even on difficult terrain, and thus easily reach remote bays. Our van was able to rest in the shade during our four- to seven-day stops.

It’s worth a rethink

But, above all, the Load needs to prove itself at home: “Of course, you have to get used to it and rethink things. Whereas in the past we would have simply driven to Lake Garda, we have now explored a whole host of destinations closer to home.” Kathi Silbernagl sees many benefits in this. “Leaving the car behind makes these trips extremely relaxing. You no longer have the stress of waiting for the best traffic situation. There are no traffic jams and no need to search for a parking space. We can stop at any time when someone needs something or has to go to the toilet. We and the children can experience at first hand the landscape, routes and distances, and we are actively trying to give them an understanding of environmental conservation.” The reality is that the destinations in their own backyard are largely unknown but are at least as beautiful.

“Leisure activities are often limited with young children. Here in the alpine region around Lana, the routes are often too long and too steep for the little ones. We have repeatedly put off many destinations so that we can experience them as a family when the children can manage them too. The Load means that we simply take them with us.” In recent months, the Silbernagls have visited all the alpine pastures in their immediate vicinity by bike – and, unlike by car, the kids also enjoyed getting there.

Town – Country – Bike?

“Apart from convenience and comfort, the main argument for cars is speed”, explains Hannes. “We need a good infrastructure of cycle paths in our towns and cities. Cars can’t really play their trump card here. But in the countryside, where the distances are greater, the speed of the bikes also plays a greater role.” This is where the S-Pedelecs1 come into their own. Having said that, you can only ride bikes with assistance up to 45 km/h on the road. You cannot ride them on the forest track up to the alpine pastures or along the cycle path to the next town. Not an option for the Silbernagl family.

That raises practical problems. Hannes recalls: “We were at a friend’s barbecue party who lives 30 kilometres away, with a climb of 300 metres. We rode back after midnight thanks to the lighting system. Three children slept in the Load – but it was an adventure for the other children who were pedalling themselves. However, that was, of course, a total exception, riding for over an hour in the middle of the night.”