Biking in Germany
Biking is a fantastic way to discover Germany; there are trails reserved for bicycles everywhere throughout the country. You can literally ride from one end of the country to the other. 
You can also rent a bicycle in most cities and some cities have a special rental program in which you rent one to go somewhere, leave it in a special rack, and take another one that is available at that time. In some places the fee to rent a municipal bike is as low as one Euro. These are made available specially in cities and villages where cars are not allowed or where there is a real push to decrease the number of vehicles in city cores.
Most bicycle shops in Germany also sell trails maps and can give you hints and directions to the best trails in their areas. These maps are generally very well made, in association with bikingclubs, indicating the elevation and distance between stops. They can also indicate where to go to have your bicycle repair and where to eat and sleep. 
You can bring your bicycle on some cruise boats that follow the Mosel, the Rhine or the Neckar for example (ask the boat company first), as well as on trains and in some U-bahn (see transport for more info).
The wagons where they are allowed have the sign of a bicycle on them. Depending of when and where you are traveling you might have to pay a supplement for it. Better ask the Deutsche Bahn before going on a trip. That is one thing we really appreciate doing: take the train one way and the trail the other. It allows us to go further away in one day, or to go to a different region all together, for a weekend of discovery! 
For more info on bicycles and biketrails, you can contact the German Fahrrad club. The site is in German but many members do speak English so, you might want to use their contact address and phone number or e-mail and ask: Sprechen Sie English? (Do you speak English?)Have a fantastic Ride! Return to Outdoor Activities or to Home Page from Biking
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But it is not just a recreational activity in Germany; many people use them every day to go to work, or to school, or as their main mode of transportation. This is why you will also find many paths reserved for bicycles in the cities' streets; they can be part of a side walk or part of the road itself. Pedestrians should be aware that these trails are reserved for bicycles and that it can be dangerous to walk in them or cross them without looking both ways as some bikers are rather fast and "fearless". 
