Are you the sort of person who identifies with a tribe? Perhaps you’ve even given a label to yourself – are you a rider, or more of a car lover? More into family time, gambling, or the gourmet scene? How far are you willing to go to find your identity? “Hybrid technology” is en vogue right now; it is breaking boundaries and opening up new opportunities. But does hybrid technology have any room in the biking world? Can it be relevant for a bike weekend? We threw all our chips onto one card and headed out on a weekend full of contradictions but without any compromises: Konnichiwa Baden-Baden!
In life, certain decisions are easy, while others are anything but: a practical family car or a sports car? A cultural holiday or an adventure? A five-star hotel where you’ll never feel particularly welcome, or one with no stars in sight? Mount Fuji or Germany’s Black Forest? What about both?
Imagine you could turn an “either-or” into a “why not?” With the right attitude, what seems like a hopeless toss-up could evolve into a hybrid.
Design hotel – who picks a hotel based on its star rating?
Journeying into the unknown, we embark on a trip to Germany’s southwestern spa town of Baden-Baden with a Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid and two MERIDA eMTBs. Our mission: cobble together an exciting, unforgettable couples weekend. The mission HQ: the new Roomers Baden-Baden.
We reach the hotel late in the evening; a long day in the office lay behind us. The concierge welcomes our Porsche with an English twang that verges on native, and we’re proffered the first of the weekend’s prosecco in the reception. It dawns on us that this is no longer the Baden-Baden we had grown up hearing about, a bit of a backwards town entrenched in stuffy traditions; the shackles have been thrown off and there’s a distinctly cosmopolitan vibe that chimes uniquely with the Black Forest’s regional quirks.
In the lobby you’re greeted by oversized portraits of Superman and Wonder Woman, setting the tone for an otherworldly weekend. Our super powers take the shape of our eMTBs for the following day. Now that they’re fully charged we can rely on them!
Opened back in October 2016 by Alex Urseanu and Micky Rosen, the renowned founders of Roomers Frankfurt, this southerly branch of the hotel represents a sidestep from tradition for the once stuffy spa town. The hotel bar – with achingly hip music played until 4 am during the week – has rapidly become a go-to address for those in the know. But Roomers, like most design hotels, doesn’t parade any stars around to get the attention of its guests. So is it a star that confirms you made the right choice, or just a feeling?
Hybrid: Culture is for nourishing, not just preserving
The Black Forest does Japanese: the hotel restaurant Moriki serves up pan-Asian culinary delights with exotic flavours that entice and excite the palate. Our favourite: the Sushi Chef’s Choice and the exquisite Beef Tenderloin. For dessert, we forsake the saki and enjoy a vodka with the staff. It’d be rude to turn down such an offer, surely?
Why shouldn’t Black Forest cuckoo clocks and monkeys share a space? Sloppy mud and smoking suits? Petrol and electric power? Sports cars and family vans? Sushi and the Black Forest? Riding and gambling? Do paradoxes have to exist?
Good Morning: Dopamine doping and horse riding saddles
A cappuccino, superfood muesli from the buffet, a poached egg with avocado: can the day get off to a better start? A fiery ginger shot gives the requisite boost to brain and body, adding a healthy kick-start to the day. Tip: have a glass of water nearby to swill down the intense flavour.
It’s no secret that Baden-Baden, perched on the edge of the Black Forest, offers sublime terrain for mountain bikers – or at least, that’s what people say. In reality, we have no idea where to find trails. The hotel doesn’t claim to be a bike hotel, but it does offer us a booklet with GPX files. We devour the route suggestions, and – noting the altitude profiles – hurry over to the candy bar for a last-minute, wholly legal dopamine kick. Jelly babies, not energy bars.
The routes lead us towards the signposted trail around the Yburg – highly recommended – as well as a stunning viewpoint from the Battertsfelsen rock. As it’s a protected nature reserve, you may feel more comfortable pushing the bike at times so that the other trail users can enjoy the landscape on their terms too.
Flicking between adrenaline mode and recreational vibes, we criss-cross the mountains of Baden-Baden on these electric stallions.
The great thing about e-mountain biking is that it is so versatile – and it has no shame in that. Whether you’re going full-gas on boost mode for a post-work loop or enjoying some R&R in eco mode to explore, it’s entirely at your discretion. Think it, do it. The MERIDA eONE-SIXTY – the title winner of the huge E-MOUNTAINBIKE Group Test 2017 – has had a revamp for 2018 with a revised handlebar setup and a beautiful black and gold paint job. It’s enough to draw admiring looks from the guests at Roomers, and the vote is unanimous: the MERIDA eONE-SIXTY is a fine stallion!
Just as multipurpose as the MERIDA models, the Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid Sport Turismo glides through the town effortlessly – and soundlessly. You might see the word Porsche, but you most definitely don’t hear it when it’s in e-Power mode. It isn’t just the concierge who is decidedly impressed either; we love this car. Driving it casually feels just right, but the knowledge that the Sport Plus mode is there for the taking can sometimes just get too much – a twinge from down below cries out for a change in pace, and the Panamera steps up to race car performance (sound effects included), putting it in pole position for the Autobahn and the sinuous mountain roads of the Black Forest. While there are worlds between the car’s local emission-free e-Power mode and the Sport Plus mode, they’ve both got a place in your life. At two opposing ends of the spectrum, but without any compromises. If you need more power while in the Porsche’s e-Power mode (which lasts around 50km depending on your driving), the combustion engine cleverly kicks in to dish out the full power. Push down on the gas and you’re off. The Panamera E-Hybrid is a master of metamorphosis!
The Panamera Sport Turismo goes beyond just being stellar-performing, five-door beauty by ensuring that space is never an issue. With the back seats laid down, our two e-bikes wit dismounted front wheels and luggage fit comfortably inside. This more than makes up for the fact that there’s no possibility to affix a rear carrier on the e-Hybrid – after all, bikes are more safely stored inside the car. And isn’t the satisfaction of driving more important than a rear carrier? Key word: the accelerator.
Black or red? It’s not about winning!
Even though we could wax lyrical over technology and electric energy for days, sometimes it suffices just to put the batteries on charge and sit quietly. The MERIDA bikes get a chance to better acquaint themselves with the Porsche while we head into the spa to recuperate, have a massage, and say a quick hello to the unicorn at the rooftop pool.
Down in Baden-Baden, it’d be a travesty not to visit the town’s historic casino. Dating back to 1824, the setting of the Kurhaus lends an impressive backdrop to the gambling of today, where everything goes, and nothing is fixed in stone. Alongside the plush tables for card games, there’s also the Bernstein Club and The Grill restaurant with sushi and beef specialities. Just as we said, there’s more than just black or red. Approach this historic venue with an open mind, and however you choose to while away a few hours, you’ll certainly have a good time.
Going hybrid is a state of mind, of being aware of your options and not taking your role too seriously. The fact that we as humans have a choice of roles – and therefore the choice to be flexible – is a comforting thought that lets us keep a cool head. Throughout this weekend, we’re here as riders, a married couple, a husband and a wife, gamblers, gourmet indulgers, Porsche drivers, and more. On the way over the Black Forest mountain roads towards our life in Stuttgart, the highs of the weekend are accompanied by an audible soundtrack of a sports car… high-octane action to put us in a go-getter mood for the upcoming week at work. For the next five days, we’re parents and entrepreneurs – with fully charged batteries and without any compromises on the horizon!
Hybrid is not only a technologyd but also an attitude in which the best of two or more worlds unite. Once you recognise the potential, you won’t just have more worlds unlocked, but also openness for spontaneity. Be it in boost or eco mode, Sport Plus or e-Power, the Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid and the MERIDA eONE-SIXTY are masters of metamorphosis – simply with the push of a button. The result: a weekend like this one! When can we go again?
This story was made possible with the help of Porsche, MERIDA, and the Roomers Baden-Baden.
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Words & Photos: Robin Schmitt
