The 35Th Edition Features a 6.5-Kilometer Course With 450 Meters of Elevation Gain, Open Exclusively to Folding Bikes Without Gears.

Hundreds of amateur cyclists are set to take part in what organizers call the world's largest folding-bike mountain race on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Palatinate Forest in southwestern Germany. The fun rally, held under the motto "Mid'm Klapprad zum Nordklapp, starts in Maikammer, south of Neustadt an der Weinstraße, and is officially named the Kalmit-Klapprad-Cup after the Kalmit mountain. The 35th edition features a 6.5-kilometer course with 450 meters of elevation gain, open exclusively to folding bikes without gears.

Race director Holger Gockel said around 1,100 participants have registered. "The oldest participant is 86 years old, the youngest is 3. This year, the share of women has risen to 25 percent for the first time. Fitting the theme, participants include characters like Michel aus Klappeberga and Pippi Klappstrumpf, as well as the Hellsinki Hellriders, Gockel said with a wink.

Peter Zürker, chairman of the Pfälzer Klappverein, said the race has evolved into a parade in recent years. The majority of participants are no longer focused on winning, but rather on showcasing their own creativity and endurance. The competition is popular throughout Rhineland-Palatinate and neighboring Saarland.

Creative costumes, imaginatively decorated bikes, and good spirits are highly valued. The folding bike, also known as a collapsible bicycle, is considered a symbol of the 1970s. The event is organized by the Pfälzer Klappverein.