Hannover is not a city that people brag about, and that suits a motorcyclist, because it means the escape routes are uncrowded. The north-eastern edge, where the suburbs of Isernhagen and Burgdorf give way to farmland and pine woods, is where a ride in this part of Lower Saxony begins. The land is flat and sandy, shaped by ice-age meltwater, and it seems to hold its breath before the moors and heaths of the Lüneburg country begin. On the way out you pass the city's famous green space, the Eilenriede, one of the biggest city forests in Europe.
This is a good place to start because the first twenty minutes go quickly. Busy suburban roads lead to quiet lanes between fields of rye, potatoes and maize, with avenues of old oaks and the odd half-timbered farmhouse with a thatched or red-tile roof. In April, May and June, around Burgwedel and the villages to the north, asparagus season is celebrated, and roadside stalls sell the white spears by the kilo. The pace is easy, the corners are gentle, and the surface is generally good. It is a place to warm up your riding rather than test it.
Early in the morning is best, when mist hangs over the fields and the traffic is still asleep. On weekdays, commuters flood the main roads, and the autobahn is no place for a relaxed start. If you are leaving on a Sunday, you will find the villages quiet, with church bells and the smell of mown grass. Weather can change quickly in northern Germany, with a stiff wind off the plain and sudden showers, so a waterproof layer is sensible.
For practical needs, the edge of a large city is helpful. Fuel stations, supermarkets and bakeries line the main roads in Isernhagen and Burgdorf, and you can top up and buy a coffee before you go. The nearest bigger centres are Burgdorf, a town of around thirty thousand, and the city of Hannover itself, behind you. Once you pass the last roundabout and head north-east, the road opens, the sky widens, and you can relax into the ride. It is a modest start with plenty of promise.