This is the skating speed you need to finish the Weissensee

An experience not to be missed: skating the remarkable Weissensee yourself. All well and good, but perhaps it is simply too hard? What speed do you need to finish that tour?

The Weissensee skating event in 2021

In 2021 the Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour is on the programme again. There is an agreement for the skating event, which goes ahead with fewer participants. Corona measures apply as well.

Are you going to experience the Weissensee Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour yourself in 2021? Find out whether you are fast enough on the Austrian ice. Here, in theory, is the rule of thumb for the skating speed you need.

The classic comparison with the artificial rink

• Anyone who can skate at least 100 laps of 400 metres within 100 minutes should be able to make it.

This is the classic comparison with an artificial rink. There you usually cannot skate for long stretches without a break, because of the resurfacing. Which is why the ‘baseline’ is at least 100 laps in 100 minutes. At that speed you are reasonably on schedule for greater ambitions. It is based on the experiences of tour riders.

Skating in groups, in ‘trains’ or ‘buses’, matters there too. As a recreational skater you may not be used to that at all. For taking part in the Weissensee it is wise to practise it. Out of the wind the skating is much easier, and it saves energy.

• What if you do not manage that rule of thumb on the rink? Then you can choose to take technique lessons first. That will probably get you further than simply pushing on regardless.
• And what if you do manage the ‘standard’ of 100/100 on the rink? Then statistically you are well on your way. But make no mistake: 200 kilometres on natural ice is still a different matter entirely. All the same, you can be proud that the beginning is there.

For nuance: there are of course many more factors at play. It is not for nothing that skating the Weissensee is ‘different every time’ every year. Which is why we now compare the rule of thumb with practice.

The skating speed you need on the Weissensee, from practice

Since 2013 a dionvacation contingent has taken part in the Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour every year. That has given us a good picture of the skating speed you need, as a minimum.

On the finest artificial rink the ‘100/100 standard’ was met more than comfortably; on natural ice other ‘laws’ come into play: wind, cracks and so on. Let us set it out:

Be careful not to underestimate it. How long you are allowed to take differs in almost every edition. This blog was updated in 2023 with that year's edition.

• So do not assume you will make it regardless at, say, 17 km an hour. That depends entirely on the skating time available available on the day.
• An average speed of around 20 km an hour on natural ice does often seem to be enough.