The Deister is a long, wooded ridge that rises abruptly from the flat country west of Hannover, and this starting point lies at its northern foot, in the farmland between Groß Munzel and Großgoltern. Barsinghausen, a town of fourteen thousand about seven kilometres away, is the gateway to the hills. Coal was mined in the Deister until 1957, and traces of that industry survive in the old shafts and railway embankments that you find in the forest.
The area is a good place to begin a ride because the roads quickly shake off the suburban feel. Within ten minutes you can be on winding lanes through beech woods, past fields of wheat and sugar beet, and on the way to the Weser hills beyond. The Extertal and Lippe uplands lie to the south-west, a region of low hills, deep valleys and half-timbered villages, where the roads are quiet and the corners are gentle.
North German weather is something to be reckoned with. The wind sweeps across the plain with little to stop it, and showers can arrive suddenly, so pack a waterproof even on a sunny morning. The best months are May and June and again in September, when the light is clear and the woods are fresh or golden. Traffic is moderate on weekdays, but fills up on sunny weekends, particularly near the larger villages and viewpoints.
Fuel is no problem here, with several stations in Barsinghausen and around the ring road of Hannover, and the usual run of bakeries and cafés in town. Start with a full tank and a good breakfast, and you will not need to stop for a while. Hannover itself, a short ride east, is a city with a long British connection, since its ruling family took the British throne in 1714, and the Herrenhausen gardens, laid out for the electors, are worth a morning if you have one to spare. For now, though, the Deister is waiting.