The Black Forest has changed since I started riding there. Time was, bikers treated the B500 like a racetrack – the Nürburgring without the armco or the toll. That kind of misbehaviour built its legend… but no way could it last. Especially not when the number of walkers and cyclists on the road increased. So the police clamped down, especially in the higher northern section – the Schwarzwaldhochstraße – with lower speed limits and cameras.

 

That doesn’t mean it’s not worth going to the Black Forest – far from it. This is still a fabulous place to ride a bike (you might argue its better with the nutter-count diminished – no more being buzzed by a GSX-R1000 intent on setting a lap record). Especially as I prefer the quieter southern end of the mountains, around Feldberg – the highest peak.

 

This route is a second one around the lakeside resort town of Titisee. Built to complement the Southern Schwarzwald loop (and the Black Forest & Vosges tour) it provides a second day of riding on quiet, twisty, scenic backroads – barely overlapping the other routes. So if you’re heading to the best bit of the Black Forest, it’s easy to extend the stay. Sehr gut!