Um Reifenbreite roughly translates as 'By a tire width', and is a cycle race game based on the Tour de France. Each player has a team of 4 cyclists which are set up on the starting grid at the start of the race. Each player has a set of energy cards and each round the riders move by rolling 2 dice and moving up to the distance rolled. Cyclists can move forward or diagonally forward. In addition, you can play an energy card instead of a die roll, which moves that rider 5 or 6 forward. Riders behind the racer moving can immediately “draft”, and follow into the space behind where the cyclist just went. They can only do this, however, if they move the same amount of spaces as the cyclists (sometimes impossible), only if they end up in the same lane, or if the lead rider announced that they were going to “breakaway” (which can only be done if the rider uses an energy card).

If a 7 is rolled, you take a chance card, which can move you forward extra spaces or cause a fall, for example. In this way you move round the course, and as cyclists finish points are awarded and the player whose team scores the most points wins.

Advanced rules add different kinds of terrain, such as uphill where a number is subtracted from the roll, and downhill where a number is added to the roll. Professional rules add extra courses, sprinting, cheating, yellow jersey and switching the lead rules. These rules are straightforward and experienced gamers could probably use the full rulset without too much of a problem.

Um Reifenbreite is a fun racing game and its worth trying to find a copy to add to your collection, as I have.

Review by Brian