Markus Stitz’s epic 700-mile cycle ride from Edinburgh to Germany was one heck of a way to get home for Christmas – Scotsman comment

Markus Stitz performed a considerable feat of endurance to spend Christmas with family

Markus Stitz prepares his cargo bike for a near-700-mile journey from Edinburgh to Erfurt, Germany (Picture: Markus Stitz)

“Driving home for Christmas” is a rather different way to travel than cycling. But Markus Stitz’s mind may well have wandered to the Chris Rea song, given the ease with which the words can be adjusted, as he cycled nearly 700 miles from Edinburgh to Germany to spend Christmas with family.

Instead of being “top to toe in tailbacks”, his main problems proved to be wind and rain. However, the bad weather failed to deter him as he completed this epic journey – via a North Sea ferry crossing – in a week, averaging an impressive 90 miles a day.

The Proclaimers’ famous pledge to “walk 500 miles” and “500 more” just to “fall down at your door” also seems appropriate, although perhaps more for ordinary mortals than Stitz, author of Great British Gravel Rides. Given he was piloting a cargo bike stocked with presents for the family, Here Comes Santa Claus would have been apt too.

But we’re sure the real music to the Stitz family’s ears was the sound of the doorbell. As Rea sang, “Oh I can’t wait to see their faces.”