German municipalities log thousands of bike‑kilometers in climate ‘Stadtradeln’ campaign

In Essen (Oldenburg) the annual Stadtradeln action ran from 1 to 21 May 2026. Participants covered 22,312 km on bicycles, with 84 cyclists at the opening event on 3 May. Individual winners included Ludger Diekhaus and Martina Kalvelage, while the group “1954” took the team prize. The ceremony was held on 24 June in the town hall.

In Heiligenhafen, the campaign took place from 31 May to 20 June. A total of 185 cyclists organized in 21 teams logged 31,098 km, avoiding roughly 5.1 tonnes of CO₂. The city’s own administration recorded 3,715 km, and the top‑scoring group, H‑I‑B, achieved 1,034 km per participant. Mayor Kuno Brandt and city official Sandra Hamer praised the effort as a contribution to climate protection.

Both activities are part of the nationwide Stadtradeln programme run by the Climate Alliance, which continues across Germany until the end of September. The initiative seeks to encourage cycling, reduce car use and support local climate goals.