Not so long ago, mountain biking was pure adventure. Every tour was like a journey of discovery, because you couldn't google what to expect. The experience was particularly intense during a marathon. Grand Raid Cristalp, Dolomiti Superbike and all the other tough stages - they were more like expeditions than races. Not much has remained of the rough charm of fighting your way through. Today, even amateur riders are trained down to the last muscle fibre, the others in the starting block are no longer fellow sufferers but opponents. Finishing? That is no longer the question. All that matters is finishing. Heart rate monitors, wattage measuring cranks, nutrition plans - the everyday life of many long-distance bikers these days resembles celibacy.
Stephan Gerlach is also a long-distance biker. Sweat-soaked Lycra is his second skin. However, he thinks the strict focus on performance is a shame, as it is increasingly replacing soulful togetherness. Stephan loves to push himself to the limit. When the last marathon season fell victim to the pandemic, he raced all the big classics with his mates back home in the Swabian Alb: Lake Garda Marathon, Sella Ronda Hero, Salzkammergut Trophy and Grand Raid. But without Strava and without stress. Just like that, out of a thirst for adventure.
Stephan has now founded the Burning Hearts Cycling Club in order to combine the lifestyle of biking and rock'n'roll in the same way as he did in his early marathon years. A loose association of like-minded people who are all about relaxed, full-throttle cycling. He has also created a suitable challenge. "Burning Hearts Big 3" is the name of the series that celebrates cycling as a whole. A kind of three-way battle, consisting of a mountain bike ride with 100 kilometres and 3000 metres of elevation gain, a gravel tour with 150 kilometres and also 3000 metres of elevation gain, as well as a road bike tour with at least 200 kilometres and 4000 metres of elevation gain. When and where you ride the routes is up to you. The three Original tracks are available for download on the Big 3 website. You can also ride the distances with the corresponding bikes at any other location. The only important thing is to upload the recorded rides to the website together with a photo as proof. Anyone who completes all three tests will be entered into a prize draw. The prizes include a personalised saddle from the Swabian company Everve, which is sponsoring the challenge. The winner can choose the design of the saddle themselves from A to Z. Just fancy the MTB Challenge? That's okay too. All information about the challenge can be found at: www.everve.cc/big3
Our reporter took part in the MTB test that the hard core of the Burning Hearts crew recently put their calves through on the Swabian Albkante. The photo gallery can be found here.
"Demandingly squeezing the crank"
BIKE: What is the Burning Hearts Cycling Club all about?
Stephan Gerlach: The Burning Hearts Cycling Club aims to connect bikers who have their own story to tell about cycling - far removed from the pressure to perform, wattage or pulse values. Nevertheless, the aim is to squeeze the cranks in a proper and challenging way. Attributes such as freedom, passion and a touch of rebellion are important to us, just like in the early days of mountain biking. Our philosophy will be reflected in the upcoming events and activities that we are planning.
How would you describe your cycling philosophy?
For me, mountain biking means pure freedom. You have the opportunity to ride non-set trails of your choice for as long as you like. After hours in the saddle, you literally merge with nature and the material. A symbiosis that is almost meditative. Biking gives you the opportunity to travel to exciting places. And of course, for me, biking is simply rock'n'roll.
How did you come up with the idea of the Big 3 Challenge?
I came up with the idea together with the guys from Everve. Together, we were planning a cult event in the Swabian Alb for 2021, which unfortunately couldn't be realised due to the coronavirus situation. So we reacted to the current situation and created the Big 3. We were interested to see how many cyclists are out there who are proficient in all three cycling disciplines. Mountain bike, gravel and road bike.
What makes the Challenge so appealing?
In addition to the unusual and individual prizes, the challenge itself is of course the attraction. Mastering all three disciplines is very challenging and will demand everything from many. Each discipline is unique and requires different strengths. The fact that you can do everything on your own doorstep takes some of the pressure off. For the really tough ones, there are of course the original courses from the Burning Hearts crew to download.
