FOLLOWED UP: tour guide on the road with the AMOLA Tereno
Peter Dommermuth, bike guide at Wikinger Reisen, has been subjecting HoheAcht e-bikes to the tough demands of alpine bike tours since 2023 - his latest test bike is the full-suspension step-through AMOLA Tereno. In this interview, he reveals how well the trekking e-bike with the lowest step-through on the market performs in the mountains.
Peter Dommermuth, bike guide at Wikinger Reisen
HoheAcht: Dear Peter, did the HoheAcht brand convince you and what do you think makes it special?
Peter D.: Hello everyone, to say it straight away, yes it has. I'm now in my second season of riding a bike from HoheAcht and during this time I've grown fond of the bikes. After a few simple adjustments and adjustments to my height and weight, I was able to start the season straight away. I particularly like the design, the equipment and the choice of colours, which not only have unusual names but are also really stylish. The bikes stand out pleasantly from other manufacturers and are manufactured to a high standard.
Peter D.: I can confirm that. Demand has risen steadily in recent years. There is a great desire to travel by bike, especially Alpine crossings and river tours, but also in the long-distance travel segment.
For example, many of our guests say: ‘I've always wanted to fulfil this dream of crossing the Alps by bike once in my life. Of course, the e-bike has also contributed to this. The reduced weight, increased range and reliability of e-bikes have led to widespread acceptance, which we in the tourism industry are happy to take as an opportunity to constantly expand our range of tours.
HoheAcht: What are your participants' motivations for embarking on an adventure with you?
Peter D.: Of course, there are many different reasons for booking a tour with us. But all guests have one thing in common: to actively enjoy the outdoors on their bikes in a group and to get to know new people and places. Simply having a good time with like-minded people. Another advantage of cycling holidays is, of course, the radius of action, which is naturally extended by the bike. I think that's a good way to describe the motivations.
HoheAcht: Are your groups more homogeneous and can they be summarised in a target group? How would you describe them?
Peter D.: At Wikinger-Reisen, we organise our trips in three categories. They range from easy to moderately difficult. Guests can get a good idea of the requirements of each tour in advance in the catalogue or on our website. You can also complete a ‘tour type test for cyclists’ on the homepage. Here you are asked questions about your fitness and personal wishes. At the end of the test, you will be given travel suggestions that suit you. This way, everyone can find the right trip for them. This is where e-bikes come into play. They enable us to literally ‘bring the groups together’ again. This means that guests with different fitness levels can now also take part in more difficult tours, as the differences are simply levelled out by an e-bike. For couples, this means that they can finally go on holiday together again.
HoheAcht: Last year you were able to test our MOLA Tereno extensively on your cycle tours. How was this bike received by the other participants and what features and characteristics of this e-bike convince you?
Peter D.: Yes, last year's MOLA Tereno was already a great bike. It came in the elegant black colour of the ‘Nebelkrähe’ ("hooded crow") and with the new Shimano XT Di 2 semi-automatic gears. At the end of the season, I think I had about 5,000 kilometres of pure riding pleasure on the bike. No misfires, punctures or other scenarios on the tours. For me as a guide, it's simply very important that the bike works perfectly ... with 18 participants, there are one or two surprises along the way anyway.
Peter D.: The frame had to be at least as torsionally stiff as the MOLA with a classic frame and fully utilise the full suspension. Of course, the range of the battery should also be appropriate. Those were my main expectations.
HoheAcht: Have your expectations been confirmed on your first tours? Have you had any previous experience with full-suspension step-through bikes and have they already accompanied you over the Alps?
Peter D.: After my experiences with last year's MOLA, this year's new AMOLA naturally had to make an effort. It did and I was really pleasantly surprised by the bike. I hadn't had a step-through bike with full suspension before and thought it would take some time to get used to it. It turned out quite differently. The low step-through bike more than exceeded my expectations and proved to be absolutely advantageous for me in many respects when touring. The frame is recommended for both men and women. Fortunately (for us men), the days when a step-through bike was seen as a ladies-only bike are now over. My previous trekking and touring bikes were all equipped with classic frames and front suspension. This will now change after my riding impressions with the with the AMOLA.
HoheAcht: In your opinion, what are the main advantages of step-through bikes compared to classic frame shapes in trekking and touring bike applications?
Peter D.: One advantage that I hadn't considered before is certainly that I can stop more safely in the event of sudden stops. The ‘missing top tube’ no longer hinders me on off-road sections either. There are no compromises in terms of stability, even on fast descents. The bike feels like a plank on the road. The full suspension is a great comfort gain when touring. The bike really irons out all bumps, even with full panniers. I really liked the look right from the start. The bike simply looks great and doesn't look bulky despite its weight. The only changes I made were my familiar saddle, flat pedals and the handlebar/stem unit. This changed my riding position from relaxed to slightly sporty.
Peter D.: So far, I've ridden around 2,000 kilometres on the bike since the start of the season. Every kilometre is actually fun, but the other day on the Via Claudia Augusta behind the Ehrenberger Klause (near Reute) a rockslide had occured the day before. The cycle path runs through the forest here and was pretty badly damaged for about 300 metres. Gravel, gullies, mud and watercourses everywhere. Most of the participants had to dismount and get their feet wet. This is where the AMOLA really came into its own with its suspension and I was able to ride across the passage without any problems.
HoheAcht: We would like to thank you for your interesting insights and assessments and wish you lots of fun, the best of health and happy participants on your upcoming tours.
About Peter Dommermuth
Peter Dommermuth is a tour guide and organises multi-day tours through the Alps. He organises these adventures together with the renowned provider Wikinger-Reisen, which specialises in group cycling tours, among other things. He is currently travelling with the AMOLA Tereno.
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