My first adventure trip with the i:woody bicycle camper. What is it like to travel with a rolling snail shell? It looks great in the photos. But is it really an experience? My feelings at the start go in different directions: I am tense, excited and a little bit full of anticipation. But at first, concerns prevail because the camper weighs more than I do. Will I be able to cope with the practical challenges? Close your eyes and get through it, I tell myself and set off. I put my pug and some of the luggage in the cargo bike's tub, and the rest in the camper above the axle as recommended.
Since I have been living on Lake Constance for a long time, I would like to travel with the trailer in a region that is less touristy. So I choose a route over the Bodanrück, a range of hills that stretches from Konstanz to Bodman to the tip of Lake Überlingen, a wild and romantic part of Lake Constance. I begin to have doubts about my own idea when I have to drive through the Wollmatingen district of Konstanz: starting with traffic lights and inclines, construction sites and hardly any cycle paths. At one point I choose the route over the sidewalk and wait until the pedestrian light turns green. But by the time my trailer finally starts rolling, it is already red again. Oops. I cannot escape onto the small pedestrian island with the long trailer. A car driver kindly gives up his right of way. This is something I will experience again and again over the next two days: the mini camper not only attracts attention, but is also well received, even if I do not see some of the practical pitfalls coming. Not even 100 meters later, my shell seems to be stuck between a traffic light post and a bollard. I took the passage at the wrong angle; a young man guides me through with a good eye. I breathe a sigh of relief when I finally leave the city traffic behind me.
The mini camper rolls reliably behind me. I soon got used to its constant noise. It rolls over small thresholds and bumps with good nature and confidence. My dog also makes himself comfortable in the front.
During my first day's tour, I ask myself whether I had lost all sense when I set off on the path over the Bodanrück. There are a few inclines to overcome and when I crawl uphill at half walking speed with the engine running at full power and my muscles aching, I start to get scared. What if the snail shell pulls us backwards? But that doesn't happen. And so I become more confident. If it's a steady climb, no matter how slowly, then everything is fine.
At some point the climbs are behind us and a descent lies ahead of us. The camper also pushes from behind. It is also a bumpy, winding downhill road with no cycle path. Braking and staying slow is the order of the day. Strangely enough, I feel much more protected with the camper behind me than with just one bike, because the drivers think twice about overtaking. Nobody pushes either. Holly the pug holds her nose in the wind.
