Then this issue is just for you! We headed to Sweden to celebrate Midsummer with Volvo, spent time in an alpine hut to shift our mindset, and slept under the stars in hybrid rooftop tents. We drank alcohol-free white wine and still woke up with a headache, and tested seven pairs of barefoot shoes as we took one step at a time back towards nature. Of course, we also reviewed a bunch of bikes for you, visited one of Germany’s most iconic bike brands, and learned a thing or two along the way.
While the world spins ever faster in a frenzy of AI-generated content, and generic, emoji-filled text floods LinkedIn, websites and social media, it’s more important than ever to focus on what really matters: your own opinion. Not eloquently crafted by a machine, not shaped to please the masses – but clear, maybe a little rough around the edges, often uncomfortable, and most importantly: truly your own.
You can now download the new issue in our magazine app – as always, completely free of charge! If you don’t have the app yet, you can find it here in the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or in the Play Store (Android smartphones & tablets).
We’ve never had more advice, tips or role models to follow. You can basically tick off a round-the-world trip through YouTube and social media these days – all under the motto “been there, done that.” But is that what we really want? Is life just one big checklist? Or is it far more important to do things your own way – to let go of strict holiday plans and leave space for whatever life has in store for you? After all, “life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.”
Life is uncertain. No scientist on the planet has fully figured it out, let alone calculated it. It just happens. And the more we embrace that, and the more we tune into ourselves – our intentions, our actions – the better we’ll not only ride the waves of life, but steer them towards where we actually want to go.
How hard that really is these days is something our art director Julian Lemme explores in his essay The obsession with optimisation vs. simply being:
“I want to get it right. All of it. My life, my body, my mind – scheduled and optimised down to the very last minute and cell. I read, I listen, I track, I measure. Somewhere between biohacking and burnout, I’m trying to be the best version of myself: balanced, healthy, successful. And slowly, that very pursuit is becoming my downfall.”
When was the last time you took a step back and looked at your life from above? We visited former manager and coach Michael Jaeger in a remote alpine hut in the Bregenz Forest, listened to the gentle clanging of Heidi and Karl-Heinz’s cowbells, and asked some of life’s big questions – including an unexpected detour to the Djemaa el-Fna in Marrakesh.Spoiler alert: this article is interactive! Fair warning: it might just change your life and point it in a whole new direction.
Things were meant to be just as mindful at Volvo’s Midsummer celebration in Sweden: kayaking, forest bathing, test-riding the new bestseller XC60, sauna sessions, swimming and the traditional art of flower crown weaving. But somewhere along the way, we must have taken a wrong turn and ended up lost somewhere between embarrassment, dancefloor drama and forest bathing. Together with a pack of influencers, we also found ourselves asking: what’s just for the story – and what’s actually real?
What was definitely real, though, was our SUV e-bike group test, which we carried out together with our sister magazine E-MOUNTAINBIKE. A picture-perfect summer adventure, just a stone’s throw from our office in Leonberg. Joining us were friends, family – and the 10 hottest SUV e-bikes of the season. Which one came out on top, and what you need to watch out for? We’ve got all the answers right here!
“Drink & drive” wasn’t just a cheeky side note in our SUV ebike group test – it also made an appearance in our showdown of 12 alcohol-free white wines. Together with our classic car friends from the HEIZR Club, we hosted a laid-back sunset tasting on a rooftop car park. The good news first: some of the wines were genuinely tasty – and the Porsches, Mercs and Ferraris all made it home stone-cold sober. The bad news? We still woke up with a headache the next day. Why? You’ll have to read on to find out!
If you’d rather be spinning pedals than turning a steering wheel – time to switch scenes and get back on the bike. Alongside some hot new urban rides from Canyon, Rose and Kalkhoff, we also paid a visit to the most advanced e-bike production facility in Germany: KETTLER Fahrrad. Here we uncovered not just the story behind small components and big ideas, but also explored one key question: why does “Made in Germany” still have a future in modern bike manufacturing?
If you prefer to go (bare)foot: closer to the ground, closer to nature, closer to yourself – barefoot shoes promise a whole new way of walking. For some, they’re the ultimate symbol of healthy movement. For others, they’re little more than trendy orthopaedic sandals with grip. But what’s really behind the hype – are they the real deal or just another passing fad?
This issue is packed with a fresh mix of topics and inspiration. But the best news? Summer is far from over. Right now is the perfect time to discover something new, learn something new – or simply try something you’ve never done before. We’re already deep in the testing phase: from pizza ovens and kids’ bikes to espresso machines with portafilters. You’ll be able to check out the results on our website very soon.
Where will the rest of our summer take us? Honestly, we don’t know yet – and we’re happy to keep it that way. As you read these lines, we’re taking a break on a well-earned summer holiday. After that, we’ll see where the road leads. Because the key isn’t to plan everything – it’s to trust that life will take us to the right places, and connect us with the right people. There’s a special kind of beauty in the unknown. And maybe the best stories are the ones we never saw coming – the ones that shape us the most. It’d be a shame to miss them just because we left no room for them to find us.
Pssst! If you’re really quiet, you might just hear it: summer is calling – and so are new adventures. Enjoy the read!
Robin Schmitt
Words: Susanne Feddersen Photos: diverse
