FRENCH DIVIDE 2021
The French Divide is a 2267 km long ultra bikepacking race from Flanders (French-Belgian border) to the Basque Country (French-Spanish border), via the famous route of Santiago de Compostela. This incredible adventure will take us to the most beautiful gravel and mountain bike trails in France.
2275 km bikepacking from Flanders to Basque Country
(Dunkerque-Mendionde) - FRANCE
Route & Profile
The French Divide is a 2275 km long ultra bikepacking event from Flanders (French-Belgian border) to the Basque Country (French-Spanish border), via the famous route of Santiago de Compostela. This incredible adventure takes the wild bunch of bikepackers to the most beautiful gravel and mountain bike trails in France.
The total elevation gain is 32'000 meters wat translates to 105'000 feet. The course is varied but very, very rough, so except you are a superhuman, which helps anyway, a full-suspension MTB is the recommended bike.
The 20 stages have varied distances, climbing, and path condition (80% is trail or offroad)
Preparation first
Mark’s preparations for the FRENCH DIVIDE were not ideal, but to be frank, he was already aware of that when he registered for the event around Christmas.
With the ongoing COVID situation, his advanced studies, and a busy job the omens were more than clear. But he did probably the best out of it, without stressing himself too much, and as he always feels like he wants to do more than he can, so that’s probably ok. With this in mind, he just needs to ride clever and take some time to recover whenever fatigue will hit him. Besides his irregular workouts on the way to work by bike, he has done 4 good test rides with overnight stays.
1. 2-day tour over easter
2. the 24h heart loop challenge > link
3. 2 days at the HOPE 1000 > link
4. 2-day tour in Corsica
With this, Mark was able to collect some 4500km, just about the double amount of kilometers training as the 2275km long race - ain’t that bad ;-).
Day 1 - Finally on the trail!
The starting signal has been given - the race begins. At 6:30, Mark and many others started the French Divide. The next 12 days will be exciting, challenging, and full of unexpected turns.
This first day went well but was full of surprises. While at the beginning the roads and trails were easy to ride and enjoyable, the route soon turned out to be in worse conditions, what actually had to be expected due to the bad weather the past few weeks. There are sections with deep mud and riding can be quite hard or even impossible. After some time Mark did get used to the road and is now riding at the expected pace.
On this first day, Mark had to get used to the french specifics so he had slight issues with the water supply since it was Sunday and stores and most restaurants were closed. The general hack is to go to graveyards since they usually have water access. They doe not always look trustworthy, bu there is a law in France, that any publicly accessible tap that does not dispense drinking water must be labeled with "eau non potable" what translates to "no drinking water".
But after visiting two graveyards and not finding a water tap Mark had to ring at a private house and ask for water, with which he then was successful with at first try.
“Everything you can imagine, you experience here. Rain, wind, forest, meadow, cobblestone and mud. A lot of mud.
”
Day 2 - you better like mud & colorful balloons
Mark met a few other riders during the race and spent yesterday’s night with 3 of the other racers. He got up at 3:30 am to start riding shortly before 4 am. The track becomame more and more off-road and was in muddy conditions what again made riding very difficult. Suddenly there were even fallen trees on the trail from a storm. Nevertheless, he was able to make good progress.
Romain Delacourt, Mark’s positive, energetic travel companion for almost two days
The weather has stabilized, and it is no longer raining, although the wind is quite strong. The temperatures are very pleasant at the moment, it's not hot or cold, actually perfect for riding.
“Overall, it’s back-breaking work, but surprisingly it's going quite well.”
The highlight was the first Checkpoint. The alleys were decorated with colorful balloons, there were beautiful cobblestone streets and very good food.
Day 3 - reset after 5h in the day
Day 3 could actually be divided into two parts, a very bad early bad morning, where just everything seemed to go wrong, and a second part with good progress.
Mark never uses an alarm clock. In race mode and also due to the uncomfortable sleeping mat, he usually wakes up after 3-4 hours of sleep. Most of the time he then decides to get up and start riding to eventually take a power nap sometime during the day, which almost never happens.
Water filled underpass - the only way leads through the bushes and over the railroad tracks
The same happened this morning so he started his day at 3:30 am. Romain, his companion he met over and over again and with whom he spent already the shelter the night before also woke up and promised to catch up, what finally never happened. The first bad sign was the rain that started at 4 am, followed by a horrible stretch of mud holes in a forest and then severe navigation issues in the labyrinth of a wine yard that nearly turned him nuts. Other riders reported similar issues at the same place at daylight, so it is no surprise it was even more challenging in the dark.
So after 5 hours into the day, the reported progress was only 36km - indeed very frustrating. After an extensive visit to a bakery to refuel, Mark decided to push the reset button for this day by even restarting his navigation device. And what surprise, it worked a soon wide, more or less flat farmland appeared on the horizon, that allowed compensating the bad experience of the morning.
On the route, there is a protected forest, which you are not allowed to cross between 9 pm and 6 am, any violation will lead to immediate disqualification. Mark's goal was then to cross this section in time. About 25km before this prohibited zone, Mark reached the house of Stephan (a sports-minded Frenchman). The red, shady shelters and the inscription "FD 2021" were already visible from far away. Stephan provides the riders with all kinds of goodies and important information for the coming leg. Where to still shop and whether there is enough time to cross the exclusion zone.
Thanks to this information and the good progress during the day, Mark finally succeeded with almost 1-hour reserve.
Day 4 - Champagne for Breakfast
After a hot and humid night, during which Mark offered his tired body to the hungry mosquitoes to feed, the famous regions of the Champagne were crossed in the early morning hours. The pictoresque villages and the steep, vine-covered slopes look incredibly beautiful but are also quite strenuous to climb. In the fast descents one has to always watch for unexpected right-turns that Samuel has smuggled into the route. If not, ones has to pay with sweat for the seconds of inattention by again climbing these steep bastards to avoid violating the strict rule book, which can lead to time penalty or even disqualification.
The advantage of starting in the second wave on Sunday and riding at a good pace is, that you are meeting more other riders on the route. After some hours of lonesome riding, it is always nice to meet, as we call each other “Dividers” and having a chat while overtaking or at a bakery while refueling.
The exchange of intense experiences, particular difficult climbs, navigation issues or the upcoming leg and its characteristics are amongst the most common topics of the conversations.
After Romain, who Mark started really missing at this point, Mario, a Belgian rider was a not want to miss encounter.
Pictures are logically taken mostly where it is beautiful, well rideable, and in good mood. However, the frustration in Mark's mind about the many unrideable sections increased with every kilometer. After 4 days of tireless struggle, only 900km were done. The thought that not even half of it was done goes through the riders' minds, especially before reaching the checkpoints. At this point, the plans for the race exit also concretized in Mark's head. After a difficult climb to checkpoint 2, however, the warm welcome from the team and other riders were so great that all the stresses and strains were forgotten.
“We Belgians are just as cool as you Swiss, except we have less money!”
After a fat burger and a few beers, the troop remaining at checkpoint 2 sought out a nearby shelter under which to spend the night. The media team of the French Divide came along to document the preparations of the night camp, there were certainly some great shots. Like exhausted warriors, everyone set up his sleeping place and after a short time, the first snoring sounds were heard. After a short sleep Mark was awakened by another participant "is that your backpack"? he asked. "Yes, why?". A fox came and fled with it, but I was able to catch him and get the prey back from him," was the answer. Immediately Mark stowed the backpack thankfully in the belly area. Shortly thereafter, Mark woke up again and just felt that the backpack was kidnapped again. This time, however, he had to take up the chase himself, which was ultimately successful. Subsequently, the fox returned several times and tried to steal from other tired riders. Finally, Mark decided to get up at 1:30 in the night and continue his journey.
Day 5-6-7 - plan B takes over with A sharp turn left
During the first two hours of this very early 5th day of the race, it was again extremely difficult to make progress, so the exit plans from the previous day came back way before Mark’s expectation. A lot of hike-a-bike and lifting the heavy bike over storm wood, rocks, or pulling it out of the mud. Mark realized, that this was just not fun enough spending his entire holiday on, so he gradually further developed his exit strategy. A quote he often uses helped him create the plan. Stop riding this crap of a route, ride your bike home on a route that's fun.
With that idea in mind, he immediately reached some sort of plateau. It was still pitch black, but in the glow of his headlamp, an exciting stone formation and a statue appeared.
“Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own”
The mood was somehow mystical and had a totally calming effect on Mark and then, somehow foreshadowed and yet surprising the clarity - that was it. Mark looked at his GPS and pressed not the pause but the stop button. He put his bike against a tree, opened the saddlebag, pulled out the sleeping bag, and lay down contentedly where he fell asleep shortly after.
Just with the sunrise he woke up by the noise of passing riders that no longer were race companions. Eloi alias Walid with whom he already had shared the room in Dunkerque and whom he met countless times in the past days but always lost sight of due to completely different riding style and rest strategy, stopped for a last short chat before ambitiously disappearing into the bushes.
Still, in the sleeping bag, Mark pulled out his mobile and started creating the route back home on Komoot (route planning App). 400km and 3000 meters elevation gain, on a 100% ridable route was the acceptable result.
After a rest day with a few beers at a nearby lake, Mark spent 3 nice days pedaling back home. On this ride and especially during the breaks in beautiful towns or refreshment in the cooling streams, Mark could process this adventure and the nevertheless early termination. It gave him the opportunity to properly reflect on the event.
Reflection
The variety of France and its regions, landscapes, towns is stunning. French people are generally very friendly and supportive, so an event like FRENCH DIVIDE could be an excellent opportunity to discover France and all of this. On the other hand, doing this in a race format does only allows you to scratch on the surface, leaving behind deeper contacts or inspecting the beauty of the details, so why are people participating in this kind of event? It’s not possible to provide a general answer to this question, everyone has his own story and background, nevertheless here are some of Marks’ thoughts.
The race itself the organization only provides the framework to an adventure and experiences, that never could be discovered in normal situations.
Already at the planning stage, then at the arrival and registration, there is a sense of excitement mixed with anticipation and awe.
The connection with other participants is not, as in other sporting events, characterized by competition, but much more from a community of destiny. The unknown that lurks out there hovers a ghost in the mind of the participants until the last button is closed and zipper is shut. The journey to the start resembles the march to the battlefield, where the warriors gather and are ready for anything. While some almost wet their pants with excitement, an almost eerie calm returns to the others. The ultimate salvation seems to be given with the start and the initial aim is to find one’s own rhythm, which can take quite a while. With the approach of the first exhaustion, the pace is found and the second phase can be launched, the energy-saving flow in thinking and acting in all upcoming situations.
Random encounters with passers-by or with other riders take place, which can last a few seconds, minutes, hours, or even days. Since everyone is basically self-sufficient on the trail, it is not allowed to ride in the slipstream, nor to give any other support. The depth of these fleeting or prolonged encounters is very difficult to explain to outsiders. One can imagine similar connections perhaps in exceptional situations e.g. disasters or war.
Depending on the personality, the purely sporting aspect shifts with the increasing length of the event to a wider experience and an encounter that takes place like normal life, but in a different dimension or concentration. A day in the saddle can appear as an entire week in normal life. By reflecting on some of these days it is hard to believe all the things that happened. 100 thousand small hits were hammered over the rear wheel in the backside and thousands and thousands of decisions in which line the millions of stones and holes on the way should be avoided, the number of slimy slugs and frogs rolled over - unbelievable.
On this ride, Mark was asked by a companion why he would even participate in such events. From the way the question was asked, it was obvious that he had been asked the question himself, but could not answer it satisfactorily.
For me personally, he replied, there is a very clear and practical reason. I like to work a lot and let myself be stressed, or at times I get so caught up in what I think is important that I forget what really counts in life. In this state, my emotions are kind of numb, I function very rationally, according to plan, I am able to complete my duty and tasks efficiently and purposefully. Emotionally, however, I am paralyzed. I don't feel much joy, nor do sad events really make me sad. By participating in such events, I consciously push myself to my limits. This opens my heart and brings me to reflection. Never am I as reflective and level-headed as I am after such an experience, never do I love my children, family, and friends as deeply, never do I have such wild dreams, never do I feel such pain, and never do I cry as often as I do after such an effort - I feel alive with all its beauty but also painful facets, that's why I do this, Mark answered.
Ok, sounds reasonable he replied and kept on pedaling.
On his way home, Mark received the following message, which touched him to tears and reflects very well what has been described above.
Hi Mark,
I saw that your tracker deviated from the track to bring you back to yours. I hope everything is going well for you. We had a short but wonderful encounter on this french divide. You are a whole person and I learned a lot on your side. I wish you a very good continuation in your life and in your future journeys. Tell your daughter that she has a great dad but she must already know that!
Thank you thank you thank you…
Open questions
The question remains, where do the surviving riders get the motivation to exploit themselves like this for 10-12 days?
Why is the track made so hard and partly unpleasant that 75% of the riders give up the race?
For whom is this event?
You definitely need the strength of a superhuman and/or a lot of time.
It helps immensely if you like to push your bike and partly carry it.
An ultra-light packed mountain bike with full suspension is absolutely recommended. Some riders are able to do it on rigid gravel bikes or even Singlespeed but … (see point 1)
3 HACKS für das HOPE 1000
Da meine erste Covid Impfung noch etwas nachwirkt, habe ich mich am Weekend nicht gewagt auf's Bike zu sitzen, stattdessen habe ich 3 Punkte optimiert, die mir während der Herzschlaufen Challenge durch den Kopf gingen.
Hack #1
das 30 Gramm Helmlicht
Ich bin sehr bescheiden in Bezug auf Licht. Ich fahre in der Nacht meist auf der kleinsten Stufe meiner Moon Vortex Pro, mit dem komme ich meist klar, insbesondere in langsamer Fahrt den Berg hoch. Wenn der Mond noch etwas hervorschaut, fahre ich zeitweilen sogar ohne Licht. Auf eine Stirnlampe habe ich bisher verzichtet, da mir das zusammen mit dem Helm einfach zu schwer ist.
Nun habe ich mit der Nitecore NU 25 aber ein Leichtgewicht gefunden. Diese aufladbare Lampe ist auf der kleinsten Stufe zwar auch nicht hell, für mich aber ausreichend um während der Fahrt meine Taschen zu durchwühlen bzw. Essen oder Werkzeug zu suchen. Das Teil wiegt knapp 50 Gramm mit Stirnband. In meiner Variante, wo ich das Teil direkt mit zwei Gummibändern an den Helm montiert habe, sind es aber nur knapp 30 Gramm – genial.
Hack #2
Wasserflaschen im Boxerlook
Motorradfahrer kennen die BMW Boxermotoren, die seitlich etwas hässlich quer zur Fahrbahn rausschauen. Ich habe das Prinzip für mein Wasserdepot kopiert und habe nun zwei Bidonflaschen in Griffnähe, allerdings in Fahrtrichtung. Erste Test haben gezeigt, dass es weder beim Einschlagradius noch für meine Knie irgendwelche Platz-Probleme gibt. So habe ich stets zwei Flaschen in Griffnähe, eine dritte ist am Unterrohr montiert. Nicht so clever in Bezug auf Schmutz, aber mit idealem Schwerpunkt.
Hack #3 - Das laden meines Wahoo Element während der Fahrt
Ich weiss nicht, wie das andere machen, aber mein Wahoo Element kann mit der Standardhalterung während der Fahrt nicht geladen werden. Ich muss bei Gelegenheit mal nachschauen, ob es Kabel mit eine Kick gleich nach dem Stecker gibt, aber sonst ist da einfach zu wenig Platz für das Kabel.
Die Lösung
Mit zwei Gummibänder habe ich kurzerhand die kleine Zweithalterung am Lenker montiert. Genug fest, dass alles hält, aber trotzdem genug locker, dass ich sie einfach verschieben kann, wenn ich es benötige.
Das Cockpit mit dem ladenden Wahoo Elements. Das Backup-Navi ein Garmin eTrex 30 ist jederzeit bereit, falls sich dann doch mal der Saft ausgeht. Die roten Bänder sind ideale Halterungen für Handschuhe, Ärmelinge oder eine Windweste, wenn diese Utensilien zwischendurch mal Pause machen ;-)
Herzschlaufen Challenge 2021
Offizieller Start in Lenzburg um ca. 18:30 Uhr
Die Herzschlaufen Challenge 2021 auf der Route #599 wurde diesmal in Schlossrued gestartet, wobei ich offen gesagt nicht gedacht hätte, dass sich jemand tatsächlich ins Ruedertal bemüht. So traf ich, geschäftlich bedingt, mit etwas Verspätung auf dem Dorfplatz beim Restaurant Storchen ein und war ganz erstaunt, dass mich da ein schönes Trüppchen motivierter Bikepacker erwartete.
Um die angekündigte Ankunftszeit in Lenzburg nicht aus den Augen zu verlieren, wurde sogleich losgefahren und der der erste Small-Talk erfolgte in der ersten Steigung am Schloss Rued vorbei in Richtung Holiebi. Nach der für einige Teilnehmer etwas zu schnellen Fahrt, kamen wir alle zeitgleich aber auf etwas unterschiedlichen Routen im Zentrum des Kanton Aargaus an.
Zusammen und doch jeder auf sich gestellt
Schon war ich froh, in der Ausschreibung explizit erwähnt zu haben, dass jeder für sein Tempo und für die Navigation selbst verantwortlich ist. Die Fahrt eignet sich als Einstieg in Bikepacking oder als Test für einen Event, da vom Setup her alle Komponenten enthalten sind. Navigation und Routenwechsel, Essen unterwegs, fahren in Dunkelheit und dann eben das liebe Wetter, welches uns auf der zweiten Hälfte der ersten Runde ein wahres Schauspiel an Blitzgewitter präsentierte, bevor es uns Breitseite voll erwischte und uns so richtig durchnässte. Während bei den einen, der Spass bei diesen Bedingungen aufhört, fängt es bei anderen erst so richtig an. Die Kohler Brothers (Stefan & Pirmin) bildeten eine Fluchtgruppe und versuchten Runde 1 im Eiltempo abzuschliessen. Da wir sie danach nicht mehr getroffen haben, wissen wir es nicht bestimmt, gehen aber davon aus, dass auch sie richtig vom Regen beglückt wurden ;-)
Flottes Rollen auf dem Ost-Ast #599 in Richtung Eschenbarch
Antonius-Kapellen Traselinge oberhalb von Hildisrieden mit Frischwasser zum Bidon füllen
Manuel, der schon mit 90km auf dem Tacho in Schlossrued angetreten war und mein alter Weggefährte Markus, entschlossen uns für einen Last-Minute Pizza-Stopp in Beromünster und konnten sogleich unsere Regenklamotten in Betrieb nehmen. Während Martin an uns vorbeizog, tauchte Marc (der Engländer) gutgelaunt just auf, als wir wieder das Weite suchten.
Durchnässte Ankunft in Lenzburg nach Runde #1 - ca. 130km / 2 Uhr in der Nacht
Zum Glück war die Temperatur mit 12-14 Grad warm genug und so konnten wir Lenzburg ohne Zähneklappern erreichen. Die zweite Runde nahm ich nur noch mit Manuel, kurz nach 2 Uhr in Angriff, wobei er sich in Anbetracht der Wettersituation und der langen Heimfahrt für die Asphalt-Variante entschloss. Kaum losgefahren, musste ich mich auf schmerzliche Weise daran erinnern, das eine kleine Unaufmerksamkeit in doch schon etwas müdem Zustand reicht, um in voller Fahrt unsanft den Boden zu küssen. Mit lädiertem Knie, schmerzender Hüfte und einem blutenden Ellenbogen, setzte ich die Fahrt unbeirrt fort, war mir aber sicher, dass ich die Durchfahrt in Schlossrued als Endpunkt nutzen würde. Es ist schon spannend, was mir während der Stunde bis nach Hause alles durch den Kopf ging, denn ich war eigentlich gestartet um zwei Runden zu fahren. Nun war ich an dem Punkt wo sich die Vernunft und der Sturrkopf in mir, einen regelrechten Schlagabtausch lieferten. Zum Schluss einigten sich die beiden, auf einen gut schweizerischen Kompromiss. Anhalten, trockene Kleider anziehen und erst mal 3km weiterfahren. Sollte es nicht gut gehen, dann wird abgebrochen, hiess die Devise. Es ist wirkdlich spannend, wie ich mich so selbst überlisten kann, denn ich weiss genau, dass es nach dem Losfahren in der Regel kein Halten mehr gibt, zumal der Regen nun allmählich nur noch ein lächerliches Nieseln war.
Beim Erklingen des ersten Vogelgesangs war dann mein Entschluss unumwerflich, das Ganze ohne Schlaf durchzuziehen. Etwas lädiert und gezeichnet, erreichte ich den Ausgangspunkt Schlossrued nach 18 Stunden und rund 260km einigermassen zufrieden. Wäre nur dieser blöde Sturz nicht gewesen, aber was solls.
Fazit
Es ist nicht immer einfach, aber alleweil lohnenswert. Wieder habe ich alte Freunde getroffen und neue coole Bikepacker kennengelernt, sowie ein paar Punkte gefunden, die ich noch optimieren kann. Sei das im mentalen Bereich oder an meinem Bike, welches ich fürs HOPE 1000 in zwei Wochen noch geringfügig tunen will.
Jede Kriese wird irgendwann überwunden und von einem Glücksgefühl überdeckt, welches die Strapazen in den Hintergrund rücken lassen. Die Morgenstimmung empfinde ich jeweils am eindrücklichsten. Sie öffnet mein Herz und erinnert mich daran, wie dankbar ich bin, so bescheurte Sachen machen zu können.
Happy Trails, Mark
Nicht am Po kratzen Papa…
Meine kleine Tochter Audrie schaut zu mir hoch und sagt «nicht am Po kratzen Papa, das ist unanständig». Etwas verlegen drehe ich mich um und schaue, ob mich jemand beobachtet oder uns zugehört hat. Zum Glück nicht, erleichtert gehe ich weiter zur Früchteauslage und setze meine Einkäufe fort.
Juckreiz ist ein Hinweis auf fortschreitende Wundheilung. Ausgelöst durch die Neubildung von Zellen, also ein gutes Zeichen, dass sich mein Hinterteil auf gutem Weg zur Besserung befindet.
Abbildung 1 - Start am 20. Juni 2020 um 6.13 Uhr in der Früh in Romanshorn TG
HOPE 1000 – der Name ist Program
Letzte Woche habe ich am HOPE 1000 teilgenommen, ein Bikepacking Rennen von Romanshorn am Bodensee über alle Berge, Stock und Stein bis nach Montreux am Genfersee. Gemäss dem Reglement muss die vorgegebene Strecke mit dem Rad und ohne externe Unterstützung (selfsupported) absolviert werden. Es ist den Teilnehmenden überlassen, ob sie viel Ausrüstung mitschleppen oder dem mit dem absoluten Minimum losfahren, dabei jedoch nur beschränkt auf unerwartete Ereignisse wie Wettereinbrüche oder allfällige Defekte reagieren können. Ich habe das HOPE 1000 Rennen nach 2017 schon das zweite Mal gefahren, ging dabei aber auf Nummer sicher, so wog mein bepacktes Bike rund 24 kg und zählte zu den schwersten im Feld, was sich vor allem in den Steigungen und vielen Schiebe-Passagen als Nachteil erwies.
Nichts für schwache Nerven…
Soweit möglich führt die Route abseits verkehrsreicher Strassen, nicht selten auf Wanderwegen, was im Gebirge neben den unzähligen Hindernissen in Form von Alpzäunen, Toren und Drehkreuzen auch Kletterspass mit sich bringt. Das hört sich nicht nur abenteuerlich an, sondern erfordert in heiklen Passagen volle Konzentration, da ein Fehltritt oder Ausrutscher in übermüdetem Zustand garantiert fatale Folgen hat. Zur Sicherheit und Kontrolle muss jeder Fahrer ein Sateliten-Tracker mit Notfall-Funktion bei sich tragen.
Abbildung 2 - Senkrechte Abhänge links und rechts bei Stübleni oberhalb Lenk, BE
Der Weg ist das Ziel
Währendem sich die Top-Athleten um eine möglichst schnelle Zeit bemühen, geht es bei den Fahrern im Mittelfeld vor allem um die Erlebnisse auf dem langen Weg nach Montreux. Neben dem Geniessen der landschaftlichen Schönheit unter Tag, zählen die intensive Wahrnehmung der Geräusche und Lichtverhältnisse in der Dämmerung und Nacht zu den eindrücklichsten. Auf dieser Reise traf ich auf Rehe, Gemse, Füchse, Dachse, Marder, Wiesel, Murmeltiere aber zum Glück nicht auf den Wolf, vor den mich ein Bauer bei meiner späten Fahrt im Gebiet bei Habkern etwas Angst einflössen wollte. Der ausgelöste Adrenalinschub kam mir gerade gelegen, da ich mich mit den durchschnittlichen 3 Stunden Schlaf allmählich in einer Art Trancezustand befand, der sich allerdings meist nur in den Essenspausen bemerkbar machte.
Abbildung 3 - Routen-Check während der Nachtfahrt bei Habkern, BE
Neben einem Depot an Energieriegel und Gels, ernähre ich mich am liebsten in Bäckereien, den unzähligen Berghütten oder Restaurants auf dem Weg. Die kurzen Begegnungen mit so vielen hilfsbereiten Menschen verleihen jeweils einen zusätzlichen Energieschub. Ein genau solcher erlebte ich im Entlebuch bei Finsterwald, wo die 500 km Grenze überschritten wird. Der dort ansässige Hansruedi Fluder spielt jedem Teilnehmenden auf der Trompete sein ganz privates Gratulationsständchen, welches schon von weitem zu hören ist. Ich muss offen gestehen, das hat mich zu Tränen gerührt, so stoppte ich kurz, um mich bei diesem unglaublichen Gentleman zu bedanken.
Diese Motivation begleitete mich bis ins Ziel wo ich nach einem 24h-Schlussspurt in den frühen Morgenstunden nach 5 Tagen 21 Stunden 17 Minuten das Ziel in Montreux erreichte.
Abbildung 4 - Übernachtung am Ziel in HOPE 1000 Manier
Nachwehen und körperliche Beschwerden inklusive
Die extreme Belastung bringt leider auch so einige unerwünschte Nebenerscheinungen mit sich. Dies sind taube Finger und Zehen, verspannter Nacken, Muskelkater und dann eben die leidigen Scheuerstellen am Allerwertesten. Diese verheilen aber zum Glück schnell und machen sich mit einem unangenehmen Juckreiz bemerkbar, welche zum Kratzen verleiten. So ist es gut, nach der Rückkehr meine kleine Tochter beim Einkaufen dabei zu haben, die mich daran erinnert, es tunlichst zu unterlassen.
Links
www.hope1000.ch
Impressionen - Tag 1 + 2
Impressionen - Tag 2+3
Impressionen - Tag 3+4
Impressionen - Tag 4+5
Die Bikepacker 1-Sekundenschlaf Challange
Nutze deine Möglichkeiten
Mit meinem übergewichtigen Bike, dem Trainingspensum, Familie und Job der mich 100% fordert, werde ich es nie schaffen, an Events mit Top Bikepacker um ein Spitzen-Ranking zu kämpfen. Da bleibt mir nichts anderes übrig, als meine Performance in kleine Scheiben zu schneiden und diese isoliert zu verbessern. Eine Analogie finden wir z. B. im Formel 1 Rennsport, wo die Streckenabschnitte in Segmente geteilt und einzeln analysiert und optimiert werden, einer der wichtigsten ist der Boxenstopp.
NEOAIR XLITE
leicht, klein, komfortabel und heikel
Z-LITE SOL
leicht, sperrig, weniger komfortabel aber unverwüstlich
Wie es dazu kam
Nachdem ich dieses Frühjahr schon drei Löcher an meiner Luftmatratze flicken und zum Teil auf hartem Boden schlafen musste, habe ich mein Bikepacking Schlafsystem überdacht. Zum Schluss bin ich von der aufblasbaren Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite - Luftmatratze auf eine geschlossenzellige Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite – Isomatte umgestiegen. Der klare Nachteil der neuen Lösung liegt beim Packmass der sperrigen Isomatte, mit etwas tüfteln habe ich aber einen idealen Platz gefunden, der weder mein aktuelles Packvolumen verringert, noch die Aerodynamik negativ beeinflusst, jedoch viel schneller aus- und wieder eingepackt ist und zudem den hinteren Spritzschutz bei Regen verbessert.
Die Idee
So bin ich auf die Idee gekommen die Bikepacker 1-Sekundenschlaf Challange zu starten. Ich bin gespannt, welche Strategie und Lösungen andere Biker/innen haben und wie viel schneller oder langsamer diese am Ende sind. Es ist mir bewusst, dass dies nur ein kleiner Teil einer Bikepacking Tour oder Rennen ausmacht, daher bitte nicht all zu ernst nehmen. Über eine Handvoll Herausforderer oder noch besser Herausforderinnen freue ich mich jedoch sehr.
Bitte Videos an mich senden oder unter https://www.facebook.com/groups/swissbikepacker posten.
Happy Trails, Mark
CHALLANGE TEILNEHMENDE
Mark Lauzon - 2 : 45 Minuten
Vermerk:
Geschlossenzellige Schlafmatte moniert unter Satteltasche.
Video: https://youtu.be/p00IZnUWj9E
Mat Haussener - 3:06 Minuten
Vermerk:
Cooles Schlafsack/Matte 1 Rollen-System mit schlankem Lenkertasche von www.capricorn-bags.ch - Custom made in Switzerland
Video: www.facebook.com/groups/swissbikepacker
… (wir warten noch auf weitere, welche sich der Challange stellen. Es geht nicht nur um die Zeit, sondern um zu zeigen, dass es unterschiedliche Setup’s, Strategien und Arten von Bikepacking gibt. Also zögere nicht und stell dich der Herausforderung…!
Meine Strategie gegen den COVID-19 Koller
Overnight Touren (aka Mini Adventures)
Wie so viele bin ich schon seit Wochen im Home-Office am Arbeiten, so habe auch ich langsam Bikepacking Entzugserscheinungen. Zum Glück dürfen wir hier in der Schweiz noch raus und schon bald sollen die vom Bundesrat verordneten COVID-19 Einschränkungen gelockert werden, dennoch mag ich nicht so lange abwarten und mache regelmässig Overnight Touren auch bekannt als Mini Adventures.
In der Regel benötige ich ca. 20 Minuten um mir in Komoot eine Tour zusammen zu stellen, wobei ich darauf achte, dass ich Strecken wähle, welche ich kaum oder noch gar nicht kenne, so bin ich meist schon kurz nach Aufbruch im für mich reizvollen Abenteuer ins Ungewisse. Das Bike zu packen geht mittlerweile auch ganz flott, neuerdings nehme ich auch den Kocher und etwas Vorgekochtes bzw. eine Portion Instant-Food mit, damit ich vor dem Schlafen noch etwas Warmes mampfen kann. Zum Frühstück gibt’s jeweils ein Portionen-Müsli mit Wasser und dann je nach dem weiter oder wieder nach Hause.
Ich liebe es in die Abendstimmung hinein zu radeln um meist zwischen 23 Uhr und 2 Uhr in der Früh ein Schlafplätzchen zu suchen. Ich muss zugeben, dass es zeitweilen auch etwas unheimlich werden kann, wenn ich mitten im dunkeln Wald komische Tiergeräusche vernehme und in der Ferne eine Kirchenuhr gerade die Mitternacht einläutet höre. In diesen Momenten versuche ich einfach cool zu bleiben und bin froh, dass ich seit rund 20 Jahren keine Horror-Filme mehr schaue. Es kann aber schon mal passieren, dass ich mich an das Blair Witch Project erinnere, das ist dann jeweils eine kleine Spassbremse und nicht gerade förderlich für das ruhige einschlafen ;-)
Es gibt nichts Schöneres als in der Morgendämmerung bereits auf dem Bike zu sein oder gerade aufzustehen und bei einem Müsli zu beobachten, wie der Tag erwacht. Das entschädigt dann für die Strapazen des Vorabends und den nicht ganz so guten Schlaf, welchen ich in der Regel Zuhause geniesse. Ich hoffe immer noch, dass sich mit genügend Übung meine Erholung beim draussen schlafen verbessert, aber das dauert wohl noch ein Wenig.
Unten stehend ein paar Eindrücke meiner letzten 3 Overnight Touren.
Für Fragen und Anregungen bin ich immer offen.
Happy Trails, euer Mark
Overnighter I - Zu Besuch auf der Froburg…
Overnighter II - Emmentaler mag ich nicht, aber…
Overnighter III - NAPF at its best…
SWISS BIKEPACKER WEEKEND TOUR 2020 von Baden nach Lausanne abgesagt
Nach längerer Reflektion haben wir entschieden, unsere Frühlingstour von Baden nach Lausanne abzusagen.
Folgend unsere Gedanken, welche schlussendlich zu diesem Entscheid geführt haben.
Lockerung JA, Veranstaltungen NEIN
Obwohl ab dem 27. April 2020 vom Bundesrat die erste Etappe der Lockerungen erfolgt, ist es weiterhin nicht erlaubt Events mit grösseren Gruppen zu veranstalten.Socializing vs. Phisical Distancing
Neben dem tollen Tour-Erlebnis, ist einer der Hauptgründe der Tour der soziale Austausch zwischen Gleichgesinnten. Auch wenn wir beim Bikepacking meist mit ausreichend Abstand unterwegs sind, ist es nicht einfach bzw. unmöglich immer den geforderten Abstand zu halten.Gastronomie & Dienstleistungen – Geschlossen
Am zweiten Abend war geplant im schmucken Gruyère ein gemeinsames traditionelles Nachtessen zu geniessen, auch hätten wir wie letztes Jahr da und dort eingekehrt, was mit dem anhaltenden Lockdown der Gastronomie nicht möglich ist.Bikepacker Kodex
Auch wenn wir nicht allzu stark darauf rumreiten wollen, lässt sich die Tour nicht mit unserem Bikepacker Kodex Nr. 3 und 5. Vereinbaren. 3. Nimm RÜCKSICHT auf ANDERE 5. Übernimm VERANTWORTUNG für alle DEINE AKTIVITÄTENObschon ich davon ausgehe, dass die Tour zwei Wochen später durchgeführt werden könnte, wird die Tour nicht ein weiteres Mal verschoben - schade.
Aber nicht traurig sein, am 5. Juni veranstalten wir ja schon die
> 24h Herzschlaufen Challange 2020
SWISS BIKEPACKER NEWS - Juni 2019
Wir stecken mitten in der Bikepacker Hochsaison, am kommenden Freitag startet die TOUR DIVIDE und am Samstag mit dem NAVAD 1000 das Schweizer Pendant.
Wir stecken mitten in der Bikepacker Hochsaison, am kommenden Freitag startet die TOUR DIVIDE und am Samstag mit dem NAVAD 1000 das Schweizer Pendant. Den Teilnehmenden schlägt schon jetzt das Herz bis zum Hals und sie futtern zwischen der Packerei jede Menge Pasta. Wer nicht mitfahren kann wird zum DOT-WATCHER und verfolgt die Fahrer und motiviert diese zeitweilen mit aufbauenden Kommentaren auf ihrem Profil oder in den sozialen Medien, allen voran Facebook. Es wird also für alle spannend die kommenden Tage und Wochen.
NAVAD 1000
Wie vom NAVAD 1000 Organisator Willi Felix angekündigt, starten dieses Jahr so viele wie noch nie, darunter viele Veteranen aber auch Neulinge aus aller Welt, besonders gespannt werde ich Migg Scherrer verfolgen, der bezüglich Material so einiges angepasst hat und mit der Erfahrung des letzten Jahres bestimmt mit einem Podestplatz liebäugelt.
Hier geht’s zum LIVE-TRACKER
TOUR DIVIDE
Leal Wilcox, die schnellste Bikepackerin hat sich den Gesamtsieg zum Ziel gesetzt und strebt so automatisch den Streckenrekord der Frauen an.
Ganz egal ob ihr das gelingt, feststeht, dass sich wieder einige starke Männer mit ihrem Ego auseinandersetzen werden, wenn ihnen eine Frau voraus oder eben nur knapp hinterherfährt.
Hier geht’s zum LIVE-TRACKER | Hintergrund-Infos
HIGHLAND TRAIL 550
Wer vorletzte Woche den HT 550, das 550 Meilen lange Bikepacking-Event in Shottland mitverfolgt hat, konnte miterleiden, wie die Fahrer der Reihe nach «scratchen» mussten, weil die Wetterbedingungen miserabel und mitunter sehr gefährlich waren. So mussten reissende Bäche, welche durch den anhaltend starken Regen über die Ufer traten, überquert werden. Es war kaum möglich einen trockenen Platz zum Schlafen zu finden und Kleider trocknen war ausser in Gaststätten praktisch unmöglich. Nur die Stärksten und mitunter stursten Bikepacker konnten das Ziel ohne Abkürzungen und so als echte Finisher erreichen.
Wer das HT550 noch nicht kennt, > hier ein Film von Stu Tailor aus dem letzten Jahr, als das Wetter sehr schön war.
P.S: Stu Tailor ist der Typ neben mir auf dem Titelbild kurz vor Rom ca. Km 300. Mit ihm zusammen bin ich auch den letzten Berg und ins Ziel gefahren (coole Überleitung nicht...)
ITALY DIVIDE 2019 - Rückblick
Schon etwas länger liegt das ITALY DIVIDE zurück, wo mehr Schweizer am Start standen als je zuvor. Auf der verlängerten Strecke die neu von Neapel anstelle von Rom startete wurden einige Schiebe-Passagen (aka Hike-a-bike) eingebaut, die sehr an das NAVAD 1000 erinnerte.
Der Start verlief dramatisch und wurde vom schweren Unfall von Markus Meier überschattet, der kurz vor Caserta (nach ca. 30km) durch ein Ausweich-Manöver eines Mitstreiters frontal in den Gegenverkehr stürzte und sich diverse Knochenbrüche und innere Verletzungen zuzog. In der Folge musste er mit der Rega in die Schweiz heimgeflogen werden. Gottseidank geht es Markus den Umständen entsprechend gut und ich bin überzeugt, dass er sich dank seiner positiven Einstellung und dem grossen Sportlerherz wieder vollständig wird rehabilitieren können. An dieser Stelle GROSSEN RESPEKT und weiterhin GUTE BESSERUNG Markus.
In der ersten Nacht des ITALY DIVIDE wurde der Vorjahressieger Nico Valesia disqualifiziert, da er den Original-Track an einer mühsamen Schiebepassage verlies und sich so einen unfairen Vorteil verschaffte, was in der Folge für viel Diskussionsstoff in den sozialen Medien führte.
Mir persönlich lief es neben einer Magenverstimmung welche ich mir in der Vorletzten Nacht zuzog sehr gut. Zwischen den Wetter-Eskapaden mit Regen und Schnee und dem dam somit schwierigem Gelände konnte ich immer wieder meinen angestrebten «FLOW» finden und beendete so das Rennen nach einer 26h Schlussetappe überglücklich. Der entsprechende Blog-Eintrag ist noch immer nicht fertig, wird aber bei Gelegenheit noch ergänzt.
Da ich diesen Sommer 4-Wochen Familien-Urlaub in Kanada/USA widme (ausnahmsweise ganz ohne Rad) muss das nächste Bikepacker Schweiz Event noch bis September warten, das genaue Datum und die entsprechenden Details folgen demnächst.
Ich wünsche euch allen einen wunderbaren Sommer bleibt oder werdet gesund.
Euer Mark
ITALY DIVIDE 2019
As I had some serious navigation issues during the2018 edition of the ITALY DIVIDE I had a score to settle and with the new starting point in Neaples instead of Rome it all seemed like a promising adventure.
1225 km bikepacking from Naples to Torbole - ITALY
Route & Profile
The 1225 km long route was announced to “following fast rolling gravel roads with quite a few technical mtb trails in between”, I confirm that but also like to mention there are several hike-a-bike sections that are not fun for riders wearing hard/stiff carbon shoes.
The total elevation gain is approx. 18'000 meter wat translate to approx. 60'000 feet. The course is varied so every type of bike has more or less advantages. The gravel road before Siena is the best place for the engraving specialists, as is the long flat section between Bologna and Verona, where it is flat for almost 200 km. On the hills between Siena and Bologna I was very happy to be on mountain bike with wider tyres.
The last two mountains were mostly very good to ride except in the snow.
The moons indicate the 5 places I stopped to sleep. The last stretch was 258 km with two snowy mountains was done by cycling through the night to arrive in Torbole in the morning.
“if a “local” tells you that it won’t rain for the next 5 days, you better pack your rain gear”
Preamble & Preparation
As I had some serious navigation issues during the 2018 edition of the ITALY DIVIDE I had a score to settle and with the new starting point in Neaples instead of Rome, it all seemed like a promising adventure.
As a Christmas present, I registered for the ITALY DIVIDE 2019 and prepared myself mentally and also in terms of equipment and strategy. For the latter, I developed the Bikepacker Race Compass, which helped me to set the right priorities, which proved to be very helpful. The route passes through beautiful rural areas which are the absolute world-class. On the other hand it takes the riders through numerous historical places and cities that are simply awesome. In nice weather conditions, I would say that every bikepacker should have done it once, especially if you love Italian food as much as I doe. But please bear in minde, in bad weather, sweet haven turns into hell and short uphills can become endless with slippery mud holes. It can get really cold, so I had hail showers or snow on the last hills before Bologna and some deep snow on the last two mountains. So if a “local” tells you at the start that it won't rain for the next 5 days, you better pack up your best rain gear.
Further preparations were the usual training, which is close to none, since I only commute once or rather twice a week. Fortunately my way to work is quite far, so I was able to stay in shape over the winter. Additionally I organized a nice training tour in March from Baden to Geneva with some mates of the SWISS BIKEPACKER community.
I took a plane from Basel to Naples almost 2 days before the start, so I was able to perfectly tune in to Italy, assemble the bike in peace and get in the right mood for the adventure. I was coursing through the narrow streets of Naples, eating in small restaurants and having my hair cut over an espresso.
“Vito motivated me to ride much longer than I originally planned”
DAY 1 - 229 km - Neaples > Sermoneta
HIGHLIGHTs
Shortly after 2 p.m we started with the nicest weather Italy can offer. Jack guided us to edge of the city where we finally were unleashed.
Highlights
… of the first nearly 14h riding till I stopped for to take a first rest.
Riding in the big crowd of crazy bikepackers. The spirit of adventure – the journey into the unknown.
Riding on antic Roman trails/roads.
Chatting with Cameron Dube (the only Canadian beside me in the race).
Racing with Vito (a very ambitious Italian fellow) who motivated me to ride much longer than I originally planned and then James from London, the poor guy had prepared himself for a beautiful, rolling Gravel race not a MTB event with lots of hike a bike sections. I felt sorry, when he had to badly maltreat his brandnew, expensive carbon shoes so early in the race.
LOWLIGHTs
Some nervous / dangerous maneuvers of combatants at the beginning of the race. I saw several riders with abrasions from falls, nothing really bad but unnecessary and dangerous. As I will learn much later, my friend Markus Meier was seriously injured shortly before Caserta.
I got sprayed with a cocktail of pesticides by a farmer (from top to toe). As the spray had no bad taste, I kept riding till the next fountain, where I washed my face, arms, and legs.
LESSSONS LEARNED
Better listen to my inner voice. I should concentrate more on myself and also stop a bit earlier, but then sleep a bit less.
Impressions
“... we turned into a forest scattered with storm wood that blocked our way like a muddy, impenetrable labyrinth. ”
DAY 2 - 170 km | Sermoneta > Capranica
Total 398 km
The night was short. As I slept just beside the route, I often woke up, as other riders past by. In the first small town, I stopped for a well-deserved coffee and chat with some other riders. The route to Rome was ok but was only really worth seeing before Rome as we rode on the “Via Appia Antica”. This is the old Roman Appian Way, which ran from Rome down to Brindisi.
The stretch close to Rome, the Via Appia Antica, is now part of an nature and archaeological park, the Parco Regionale dell'Appia Antica.
I rode with Stu Taylor, as I will learn later, he is riding a similar pace as me. Although we never agreed, we met again and again and finally rode together to the finish line, more about that later.
Just with the rain, we arrived at the Colosseum, a master piece of history, where we and some other riders gathered in a restaurant to refuel.
After the delicious pasta I rode with a French Rooky named Lucien into the rain, which showered us stronger sometimes weaker, I was glad for the first time to have really good rain gear with me. It got dark quite early and the muddy roads required much more energy than in dry conditions.
I was not in the mood of taking pictures when crossing this muddy, impenetrable labyrinth by night. With kind permission of Aniek Rooderkerken above a picture I found on >Aniek’s Blog
The planned target in Capranica simply didn't want to get any closer and when we already thought we had arrived, we turned into a forest scattered with storm wood that blocked our way like a muddy, impenetrable labyrinth.
Squeezing our full-packed bikes through fallen trees, cliffs and crossing rivers on narrow slippery bridges in the dark seemed never-ending. Finally we got it and climbed the stairs leading up to Capranica where we devoured a boar ragout with noodles in a much too loud but luckily heated restaurant.
I've always slept outdoors at bikepacking events, because using hostels or even hotels seems like cheating to me. But when Lucien found a room while waiting for food and offered me to sleep indoors on the floor, I was happy to accept.
HIGHLIGHT
Via Appia Antica, Colosseum & Rome
Meeting other riders (first rancontre with Stu)
Riding with Lucien
LOWLIGHT
The rain in and especially after Rome.
Crossing the “MAGIC FOREST” - this nightmare turnes into a highlight as soon as you see the end, but you only really can believe its over, when you ride on solid road again ;-)
LESSONS LEARNED
It takes some stubbornness to get through such a bikepacking, but I was happy to overcome my doggedness and not sleep outside in my wet clothes in the cold night.
Impressions
“... I was afraid Lucien would fall off the bike, but he is a very experienced and tough rider, so he managed to pull through to the end.”
DAY 3 - 246 km - Capranica, Lazio to Siena
Total 645 km
In the early morning we set off and cycled the whole day through the incredibly beautiful landscapes. While crossing the numerous pilgrims on their way to Rome one greets with "ave" and smiles briefly. These short cordial eye contact create a moment of indescribably beautiful connection I rarely had before.
When you're really tired, every stone becomes a sofa
Lucien is an strong rouleur and as it was his first bikepacking event had many things to learn. He had great difficulties with his navigation device and when he was leading he missed practically every turn-off. The longer we went together, the stronger my thoughts turned more often around him instead of me, which started to bother me. So on one hand I was worried, but on the other hand somehow relieved, when Lucien didn't hear my shouts to turn off in a descent and drove full throttle down the mountain.
After about 2 hours I took a short sandwich break and just when I was about to leave, Lucien came around the corner and obviously was relieved and pleased to see me again, so we continued our adventure together and again had a lot of fun.
When we arrived in Buonconvento, there was a big party going on on the occasion of the Gravel bike race "L'eroica". We had a pizza and met Stu again, who immediately went to Siena.
Lucien would have liked to take a room to recover from the strains of the day. But I was determined to go on to Siena, so Lucien decided to clamp himself to my rear wheel. It was already deep dark, when we left the village, thanks to the moonlight, however, contours of the dusty nice gravelroute were to be recognized, which winds in large waves toward Siena.
The ascents are never very long, but with an impressive lateral gradient. The whole stretch is covered with fine gravel, so you have to be careful not to fall in the fast descents. In order to save electricity, I usually ride on the lowest level of my front lamp, as Lucien always switched to floodlight in the descents, I then rode in my own shadow, which made the whole thing even more difficult.
About 25 kilometres before Siena we caught up with Stu and rode together into the city. Lucien was tired and completely exhausted, for a moment I was afraid he would fall off the bike, but he is a very experienced and tough rider, so he managed to pull through to the end.The search for food was difficult, as we looked a bit worn out we were even thrown out of a restaurant - ok we probably shouldn't have taken the bikes with us.
Against and a sleeping place was so laborious that we gave up at the end and at 3 o'clock in the morning simply laid out our sleeping bag in a covered anteroom of a church.
Impressions
“Daniel shouted, “whoever arrives last pays”. They sprinted off as if they hadn’t done anything all day. ”
DAY 4 - 115 km | Siena > San Piero sa Sieve
Total 760 km
This tough day started with a strong Italian coffee in the first bar opening near Piazza del Compo. It was fresh, but nice weather until we stopped for lunch where we met Cliff, a guy from California I met the day before the start in Neaples. As for all of us, the last three days had obviously been hard on him and he dreamed of a cozy hotel in Florence where he wanted to get fit for the coming strains. Soon after we hit the trail again, clouds approached and before Florence it started to rain. Since I was a bit clumsy putting on my super light rain jacket, I made a big tear in the back. With a piece of plastic from a waste container I made a protection, so that the meanwhile very strong rain did not run down my back. In the consequence I lost Lucien and Stu. Near the Ponte Vecchio I met 5 soaked riders (incl. Lucien & Stu) gathering and discussing how to proceed. Finally we decided to look for a hotel room, where we all could get some rest and dry our cloth.
As the search was not successful, I decided to attack the next mountain with Stu and an Italian, later Daniel, another Swiss rider, joined. We cycled through endless mud and technically difficult terrain. It felt more like an afternoon tour with my best buddies than a 1250 km long non-stop race. After finding a cozy room to dry and an excellent restaurant to eat in, we were the happiest boys on the planet until the wake-up call at 5am reminded us that we still had a lot of work to do.
HIGHLIGHT
Good fun riding with Stu and Daniel, ... you should have seen Stu and Daniel when we cycled from the hotel to the restaurant after checking in. Daniel shouted "whoever arrives last pays". The two then sprinted off as if they hadn't done anything all day. I remained stunned, but on my face was a huge smile - what a curious, for a moment carefree and awesome time we had.
LOWLIGHT
Arriving soaking wet in Florence unable to find a place to dry cloth.
For sure the rain was an issue, on the other hand I never really felt demotivated.
LESSONS LEARNED
Super light rain jacket is good to save wight during shorter tours. For a multiday event, a more robust version makes more sense.
Due to the spontanious depart from Florence, I missed to refuel or at least buy a decent sandwich. It was not a problem, as I had enough power bars and we found a good place to eat later, but a spare sandwich or slice of pizza should be in my pocket at all times.
Impressions
“Beside my aspired “FLOW” I wrote “BE CLEVER - CONSTANTLY” ”
Day 5 - 207 km | Piero sa Sieve > San Benedetto
Total 967 km
I love cycling in the early mornings. The play of the morning sun and the rising clouds of mist impressed me very much last year at the same spot. When I stopped before the first ascent of the day to take a few pictures, I couldn't stop. Daniel passed by and I was convinced that I would see him again on the ascent, so I happily continued taking pictures. I had no idea that in a few kilometres I would face a apparently unsolvable situation which cost me a lot of time and energy.
The climb was not the problem but the longer the dirt turned into a sticky mud that finally stuck to the whole wheel so that the bike weighed about 40 kg and the tires did not rotate any more. I tried to remove the dirt a few times, but after a while everything blocked again. I tried to escape the muddy path through the bushes, but got stuck in the branches and had to return discouraged.
What the hell am I doing here? I asked myself. How am I supposed to do that? The first time, serious doubts arose as to whether I could reach the goal of Torbole, which was still about 550 kilometres away. That is not possible, so I never reach the finish. I cleaned the bike again and sat down first to calm down a bit.
In order to strengthen myself mentally, I had tied a photo of my family to the handlebar. Beside my aspired "FLOW" I wrote "BE CLEVER - CONSTANTLY" with my waterproof marker. I looked at this piece of mental doping and loudly said: "there is always a solution". By saying so, the words of my dear Edina sounded in my head "You can do it - we are proud of you".
I stood up, dismantled a lashing strap and attached it through the bike frame so that I could shoulder the bike. I knew that I couldn't drag my bike for miles, but I had to try. The thought that Stu and Daniel also came through here and they didn't react to my calls and whistles made me feel confident. And lo and behold, after about 1.5 kilometers the mud became more earthy and did not stick to the wheel immediately. I could push again and later even ride. Never before have I looked forward to puddles so much, which I always began to ride through at the deepest point for cleaning purposes.
With the rain starting later and a shower of sleet further up it became colder, but at least the bike worked again and the morale graudually returned. Looking back, the mountains before Bologna were the most difficult moment of my adventure and I went mentally strengthened into the long descent towards the city.
While warming up in front of a warm plate of Gnoggi I heard a bike approaching - Stu again. As we both knew we will meet again sooner or later, he kept on going.
After a refill of water I attacked the long flat stretch towards Montova. Beside some nice gravel roads the route mostly follows the huge dams along the Po river.
As I passed a still open Sports Bar around 11 pm I stopped for an awful sandwich. Shortly later crashed down in the traditional forecourt of Giulio Romano's abbey church at Polirone. By the was, the same place I slept in last years edition.
HIGHLIGHT
Morning mood and landscape.
Finally arriving in Bologna.
By looking at some pictures, I still can not believe I rode over 200 km that day :-)
LOWLIGHT
Mud, mud, mud, …
Rain, hail, snow, rain, …
Terrible sandwich that I probably shouldn't have eaten as I will learn the next day.
LESSONS LEARNED
Never give up, there is always a solution. If required, stop for a minute, reflect, make a plan and then go for it.
Impressions
“In addition to my already bad stomach and flat tire, I was afraid of getting a serious mental problem by starting to hallucinate”
Day 6 - 258 km | San Benedetto Po > Torbole
Total 1225 km
As I woke up, I had a bad belly and no air in the back tire, a good day usually starts differently.
I drove to the village fountain freshened up and when I just tried to pump my tire, a bikepacker passed by. Hi hello, all right? He shouted what I answered with No, I need a pump. He waved and drove on. At first I was pissed off, but I was aware that we were all a bit overtired in the meantime and you can only hear what you already think you know.
After 10 minutes I managed to pump the tire at least to a pampiges but drivable level and so I went off, hoping to find somewhere in the middle of the Po plain a beautiful stand pump - the words of Martullo Blocher "you are a dreamer" echo through my head.
Believe it or not, after about 30 minutes, when I suddenly saw a perfect floor pump standing in front of a house. In addition to my already bad stomach and flat tire, I was afraid of getting a serious mental problem by starting to hallucinate. I stopped, pinched my nose and as that hurt, I ran to the house and started pumping - madness it got really bulging and hard - one problem less.
A moment later a car stopped and exactly the same guy with the same cap and the same blue sweater as exactly one year ago told me that he was about to start the coffee machine and would like to make me a breakfast. It's the manager of the Ostello Concari. Last year I had already passed the Ostello and didn't want to turn back, this time I gladly accepted the invitation, although my stomach didn't want to eat at all.
After two coffees and an omelette we said goodbye cordially. It is so nice to meet such helpful folks. If you pass the Ostello Concari, make a stop or spend the night there.
“I prayed to God, Mother Nature and all the spirits that are floating around in the Po Valley. Please help me!”
My stomach got worse and worse, but I didn't want to stop, so I threw up twice during the ride. I felt weak and really bad. Getting so far and then having to give up because of bad food made me think. That must not be, please, please not here, not now. I am not a believing person, yet I prayed to God, Mother Nature and all the spirits that are floating around in the Po Valley. Please help me, give me back my strength, I will never mock on you again - please.
Slowly but steadily I made progress and was very surprised when I suddenly pulled up to the asshole who left me standing with a flat tire this morning. As it turned out he was Alexandros Vrezas the only Greek in the field, who by the way is super friendly, but in fact misunderstood me.
After some time I stopped for a coke at a coffee on the bank of the Po in the hope that a Coke could eliminate my sickness and give me back some strength.
The bartender immediately noticed that I was feeling bad and asked about my symptoms. Ah... there I have something for you he said and two minutes later a glass of hot water with orange peels stood in front of me. You have to drink that now and after 20 minutes you feel better.
With a hint of optimism I let myself in for the experiment and then headed slowly but steadily towards Verona. The longer I went, the better it felt and when a swift tail wind came to my aid before Verona, I began to regain my spirit.
After about 3 hours I had to recharge my batteries and got the most delicious pasta I ever ate. After I prepared myself with some power bars and a new pump for the last section, Daniel suddenly ran out of an alley. He had had to give up the race before Bologna because of technical issues. But he was in a really good mood and encouraged me to race fast, because he had found out on the live tracking that some competitors were very close to my heels.
Shortly before the first ascent I discovered the bike of Alexandros next to a restaurant and we exchanged a few words. He was a bit worried about his knee and the snow that had fallen in the mountains and the unusually low temperatures.
My plan was, like last year, to spend the night in the ascent of the penultimate mountain and then go on to the last stage in the early morning hours.
Shortly before dark I arrived at the mountain restaurant where I found shelter last year. To my consternation it was closed and I had to change my plan and keep going. Unfortunately, all the wells were tight so I ran out of water. I tried to melt water from the ever thicker snow, which was not very efficient at temperatures close to freezing.
The further I went, the colder it got, and a stormy wind came up. I knew that I was well equipped and that I would survive the night up here in an emergency. IN my exhausted state I was also aware that concentration was now the order of the day and that I could not allow myself to make any mistakes. I got lost twice briefly, which I noticed however due to missing traces in the snow and could correct. At each hut I made a short lap to look for water, but it was all locked and extinct. It was a bit scary, but I was glad that I felt tired but physically fit.
Again and again the snow became too deep and I had to push the bike for a while. So I could hardly believe it when it finally went down into the valley again. The seemingly endless descent led over 500 hairpin turns and I felt sick from the many curves.
Shortly after midnight I reached the bottom of the valley tired but relieved and just wanted some food and sleep. On the search for something to eat I met ... who probably - yes once again Stu - what a joy. With him Philippa was a funny compatriot with whom he had climbed the penultimate mountain.
After a pizza and a strong expresso we decided to tackle the last mountain together without sleep, a somewhat crazy, but also charming plan.
At the beginning it went well, but with increasing length the tiredness came back. Above all Philippa could hardly go on and Stu suggested several times to take a short break. Knowing that it would only get harder afterwards, I pushed them to continue without a break and so we managed to reach the highest point of the last mountain just at dusk.
Meanwhile it was freezing cold again and we had to take 3 breaks in the descent and shake our frigid hands and feet a little bit awake.
I never thought that I could fall asleep riding my bike, but this almost happened to me several times.
With the mornning sun it finally got warmer and in bright sunshine we reached the long-awaited finish around 07:30 o'clock.
HIGHLIGHT
To many to all mention them…
the hospitality at Ostello dei Conrari
the bartender that safed my life
best pasta ever in Verona
meeting Danniel again
riding trough the night with Stu and Philippa
arriving at the finish.
LOWLIGHT
upset stomach
aswhole not helping me with my flat tire (does not count anymore)
running out of water up on the mountain
freezing temparatures and snow
LESSONS LEARNED
Be thankfull and honor God, Mother Nature and all the spirits around
Do some crazy things you will remember when you are old.
AFTER THE RACE
This year i have allowed myself a entire day of rest after the great experience. Between lying around in the Aurora Cocktail Bar where many riders met, I regularly went to the Carpentari Bike Shop to greet finishers.
After such events I always have quite strange but positive dreams. I suspect that when I catch up on sleep deprivation and recover from physical peak performance, some processes take place that lead to funny dreams in connection with an enormous feeling of happiness. If anyone knows more about this phenomen, please drop me a line, I would be keen to learn more about it.
In one of the many bars I met someone? Yes exactly, of course Stu, Philippa and Simon. You can imagine what happens when you meet unexpectedly after the many experiences during the ITALY DIVIDE. I only say OMG - that was awesome.
Unpacking my Bike after the ITALY DIVIDE (with Audrie)
So far my personal story about what I experienced during ITALY DIVIDE 2019. If you have any question, please do not hesitate to > contact me
Regards, Mark
#2 Bikepacker Meetup - Schweiz (TOUR)
Die Weekend-Tour nach Genf war vom Format her, eine Mischung aus Bikepacking-Tour und Etappen-Rennen. Im Zentrum stand aber das Abenteuer und der Spass.
2.5 TAGE | 375 KM | 4530 HM
BIKE, ADVENTURE, FUN & FRIENDS
BADEN - SOLOTHURN - BIEL - BERN - FRIBOURG - YVERDON - GENF
Vom Freitagabend 22. März bis Sonntag 24. März 2019 tourte die Bikepacker Community Schweiz mit Bike, Sack und Pack durch die Schweiz.
Die Weekend-Tour war vom Format her, eine Mischung aus Bikepacking-Tour und Etappen-Rennen. Im Zentrum stand aber das Abenteuer und der Spass.
Es gab jeweils einen gemeinsamen Start und ein Zielort. Dies ermöglichte den Austausch unter den Teilnehmenden und war die perfekte Gelegenheit Material und deine Form zu testen. Das Ganze natürlich “self-supported”.
Die Tour kann jederzeit nachgefahren werden. Da es relativ viele Single-Trails gibt, muss damit gerechnet werden, dass diese im laufe des Sommers teilweise durchwachsen und daher etwas schwieriger erkennbar bzw. befahrbar sein können.
Etappe 1
Baden – Solothurn: https://www.komoot.de/tour/57113665?ref=wtd
Etappe 2
Solothurn – Bern : https://www.komoot.de/tour/57114618?ref=wtd
Etappe 3
Bern – Fribourg: https://www.komoot.de/tour/57115285?ref=wtd
Etappe 4
Fribourg – Yverdon: https://www.komoot.de/tour/57115510?ref=wtd
Etappe 5
Yverdon – Genf: https://www.komoot.de/tour/58450422?ref=wtd
Da die Etappen-Orte immer Verkehrsgünstig gelegen sind, können einzelne Etappen auch per ÖV zurückgelegt werden. So kann jeder individuell nach seinem Leistungsvermögen mitmachen und der Spass bleibt nicht auf der Strecke.
Folgend das tolle Video, welches Sämi Burkhart am Tag nach der Tour zur Verfügung gestellt hat.
Programm
FREITAG 22. MÄRZ 2019
ETAPPE 1 | BADEN > SOLOTHURN | 99 KM / 960 HM
Briefing ab 17:00 Uhr
Start 17:30 Uhr
Ankunft individuell ~ 22:30 Uhr
Eckdaten: 95 km / 810 hm
Streckenorte
Baden, Brugg, Aarau, Olten, Solothurn
Besonderheiten
- Haarscharf am Kernkraftwerk Gösgen vorbei. So nahe warst du noch nie auf zwei Rädern an so viel Power dran.
- Born Trail kurz nach Olten (steil / technisch also bitte vorsichtig)
Übernachten - individuell
Herberge - z. B. Jugendherberge Solothurn
Draussen- z. B. bei Pfadiheim Solothurn
SAMSTAG 23. MÄRZ 2019 - 3 ETAPPEN TOTAL 164 KM / 2110 HM
ETAPPE 2 - SOLOTHURN > BERN
Briefing ab 7:00 Uhr Avec Kaffe, Shop
vor Bahnhof Solothurn
Start 07:30 Uhr
Ankunft individuell ~ 11:30 Uhr
Eckdaten 66 km / 700 hm
Streckenorte
Solothurn, Biel, Bern
Besonderheiten
- Internierungslager Häftli- WWII der Schweiz
- Bundeshaus
- Ziitglogge-Turm
- Bären Graben
Übernachten - nein, weiterfahren
ETAPPE 3 - BERN > FRIBOURG
Start individuell ~ 12:00 Uhr
Ankunft individuell ~ 15:30 Uhr
Eckdaten: 47 km / 1040 hm
Streckenorte
Bern, Gurten, Fribourg
Übernachten - nein, weiterfahren
ETAPPE 4 - FRIBOURG > YVERDON
Start individuell ~ 17:00 Uhr
Ankunft individuell ~ 20:00 Uhr
Eckdaten: 51 km / 370 hm
Streckenorte
Fribourg, Yverdon
Übernachten - ja, individuell.
Hier > zur Seite mit Hotels, Herbergen, etc.
oder draussen z. B. beim
Restaurant Pavillon des Rives
Besonderes
Gemeinsames Nachtessen im Restaurant Pavillon des Rives ca. 21:00 Uhr
SONNTAG 25. MÄRZ 2019
ETAPPE 5 - YVERDON > GENF
Briefing ab 7:30 bei der Bäckerei Cygnes
> Boulangerie des Cygnes
Start 08:00 Uhr
Ankunft individuell ~ 14:00 Uhr
Eckdaten: 112 km / 1460 hm
Streckenorte
Yverdon, Bière, Genf
Da es in der Höhe noch Schnee hat, wurde die Strecke so angepasst, dass wir neu auf max 850 m.ü.M. steigen.
Rückrreise ja, individuell mit SBB
z. B. Genf > Zürich 15:00 - 18:00 Uhr
REGELN, LEISTUNGEN & KOSTEN
Das ist KEINE geführte Tour, es ist jedoch erlaubt in Gruppen zu fahren.
Strecken & Routing
Die Routing-Dateien werden per Email als GPX-Files und via komoot spätestens 2 Wochen vor dem Start zur Verfügung gestellt.Start & Ziel
Wir fahren jeweils am Morgen zur vorgegebenen Zeit gemeinsam los, danach fährt jeder sein Tempo und ist für seine Navigation, Verpflegung und Unterkunft selbst verantwortlich.Teilstrecken & ÖV
Teilnehmenden die eine Panne haben, sich verfahren oder nicht die ganze Strecke fahren wollen, ist es freigestellt, für Teilstrecken ÖV zu benutzen oder nur gewisse Etappe mitzufahren. Diese Teilnehmenden erscheinen jedoch nicht auf der Rangliste.Zeitmessung & Ranglisten
Es gibt keine offizielle Zeitmessung, Teilnehmende die sich aber anmelden und über einen SPOT Tracker verfügen, werden auf ww.posi-xx.ch erfasst und können live verfolgt werden. Nach der Ankunft in Genf können dann die Etappenzeiten übermittelt werden, somit wird dann ein “virtueller” Zeitsieger ermittelt in der Rangliste aufgeführt.
Wer auf keiner Rangliste erscheinen will oder nicht getrackt werden möchte, unterlässt ganz einfach die Übermittlung der Daten bei der Anmeldung.Kosten - dieser Anlass ist grundsätzlich kostenfrei, über allfällige Sponsoring-Beiträge ist aber nichts einzuwenden ;-)
#1 Bikepacker Meetup - Schweiz
Es war wundervoll so viele neue und altbekannte Freunde am 1. Bikepacker Meetup zu vereinen und gemeinsam einen Abend voller Bikepacker Vibes zu erleben.
Heute ist mein Geburtstag, mein grösstes Geschenk habe ich allerdings schon am vergangenen Freitag erhalten, als über 40 Bikepacker zum #1 Bikepacker Meetup Schweiz nach Baden gekommen sind. Es war wundervoll so viele neue und altbekannte Freunde zu vereinen und gemeinsam einen Abend voller Bikepacker Vibes zu erleben. Die vielen positiven Rückmeldungen haben mich extrem gefreut geben Motivation auch den nächsten Schritt zu einer echten Bikepacker Community Schweiz zu machen.
In den Vortrag über die verschiedenen Facetten des Bikepackings und dem Bikepacker Renn-Kompass flossen Stimmen aus dem Publikum ein und erzeugten eine tolle Atmosphäre. In der Pause gab es feine Pizzas und es wurde rege über das Gehörte diskutiert und eigene Erfahrungen ausgetauscht, eine wahre Freude dies zu beobachten und sich ab und zu etwas dazu zu gesellen.
Giracomo Bianchi, Organisator des ITALY DIVIDE
Der zweite Teil des Abends war den beiden Events ITALY DIVIDE und dem NAVAD 1000 gewidmet. Giacomo Bianchi (Oganisator des ITALY DIVIDE) berichtete via Live-Session aus Italien über sein Bikepacking Rennen, welches Ende April von Napoli über Rom Siena, Florenz, Bologna, bis zum Gardasee führt und versprühte mit seinem authentischen Italienischen English-Akzent ein Bisschen Italien in den Raum. Seine köstlichen Anekdoten wurden oft mit lautem Lachen und frenetischen Klatschen bestätigt.
Willi Felix, Organisator des NAVAD 1000
Beim anschliessende Beitrag vom NAVAD 1000 Organisator Willi Felix wurde es etwas stiller, seine packenden Schilderungen und witzige Art das Monument NAVAD 1000 etwas kleiner zu machen, als es eigentlich ist, zog uns alle in den Bann. Besonders schön empfand ich die Geste, welche Willi an Sämi Burkart machte, indem er ihn als erster Schweizer Teilnehmer der TOUR DIVIDE zu Wort kommen liess, der dann etwas über die Anfangszeiten des Schweizer Bikepackings berichtete. Das war eine Zeit in der die meisten Anwesenden noch gar nicht wussten, dass es sowas wie Bikepacking gibt, mich eingeschlossen. Ein schöner Moment, an den ich mich noch lange erinnern werde.
Nach dem Aufräumen war ich zwar richtig müde, aber trotzdem zu aufgewühlt für einen konventionellen Heimweg und so habe ich mich mit meinem OSPA vollgepackt auf den Heimweg gemacht. Auf den ersten Kilometern wurde ich noch von Nello begleitet, danach pedalierte ich bei eisiger Kälte durch die stille Nacht und konnte die vielen schönen Eindrücke des Abends optimal verarbeiten. Nach 2.5 Stunden Fahrt kam ich etwas vor 4 Uhr in der Früh, in einer Waldlichtung an einer schönen gedeckte Brätelstelle vorbei, wo ich meinen Schlafsack ausbreitete und es mir kuschlig warm machte (bei -5C). Es dauerte aber noch eine Weile, bis ich endlich in einen gesunden Bikepackerschlaf fiel – genial.
Das einzige was ich im Hinterher bereue ist, dass wir kein gemeinsames Erinnerungsfoto gemacht haben, es war einer dieser Momente die ich sehr gerne als Erinnerung auf einem Bild festgehalten hätte. Ein paar Schnappschüsse gab’s aber trotzdem, diese sind unten angefügt.
P.S: der Willi Felix ist ein grosszügiger und schlauer Fuchs. Am Event hat er eine Packung Nutrixxion Energy Bars und Gels aufgelegt, an der sich jeder bedienen konnte, was auch rege genutzt wurde. Ich schreibe ja regelmässig, dass ich eher normale Ernährung bevorzuge, habe mir aber trotzdem ein Riegel mit auf meine Nacht-Tour mitgenommen. Die hälfte habe ich unterwegs und den Rest genüsslich im Schlafsack gegessen. Die Dinger sind so lecker, ich muss mir wohl eine Kiste bestellen. Clever gemacht Willi, du hast mich voll erwischt ;-)
Introduction of the Five Peaks 500 - Budapest HU
A short interview wit the Marcel, the organizer of the 5 Peaks 500 about the event and what can be expected, taken at the shore of Danube in Budapest.
Shortly before I left Switzerland to spend XMAS in Budapest with my family and friends, I read about a new bikepacking event - FIVE PEAK 500.
I took the opportunity to meet the organizer Marcel, After a 2h chat in a nice cafe, we walked down to the Danube and recorded a short video about the event and what can be expected.
Watch the interview or go to https://www.bikepackinghungary.com/5-peaks-500-tour
#RU2AM - a 1000 km bikepacking trip from RUed to AMsterdam
It was a awsom bikepacking tour from my hometown Schlossrued in the wonderful RUEDERTAL (aka Paddle Valley ;-) - all the way up to the the bicycle capital of the world - AMSTERDAM.(#RU2AM).
It was a awsom bikepacking tour from my hometown Schlossrued in the wonderful RUEDERTAL (aka Paddle Valley ;-) - all the way up to the the bicycle capital of the world - AMSTERDAM.(#RU2AM).
From the satrting point in Switzerland, I first went to Germany, before crossing the French boarder. After 2 days I arrived in in Luxembourg. Shortly after I cycled on Belgian soil and then the Netherlands as final destination of the trip.
Click > HERE to see the zoomable route
Short recap of the adventure
Find below the daily logs and some impressions of the adventure.
Log DAY 1 - Schlossrued > Strasbourg
Took off shortly after 10am and made it to Strasbourg (200km) just with the dark. The headwind gave me lemons but the nice places I passed compensated everything. It is colder than expected so Ian happy I bought a warm sleeping bag a week ago. Lay back and enjoy the nice pictures.
Distance: ~ 200 km
Elevation: + 850 m
Log DAY 2 - Strasbourg - Saarbrücken - Luxembourg
The bad thing about a warm sleeping bag is, that it’s damn hard to get out of it when it’s cold. I had to kick myself hard but finally got it at 4:30 am. Crossed Strasbourg and share the city with lots of Party people on their way home - funny and strange. Nice sunrise but suddenly a drop to freezing temperatures froze my ass of. After serious navigation issues to find my my way out of Saarbrücken, it finally warmed up so I had a nice ride to the famous Saarschlaufe and then Luxemburg. Legs are fine and stomach back in shape. The hardest part ( at least on paper) will be tomorrow, nearly 3000 m elevation gain on 170km.
Live is beautiful!
Distance: ~ 240 km
Elevation: + 2000 m
Log DAY 3 - Luxembourg > Liége (Lüttich)
Luxembourg gave a unexpected surprise to say good bye (must watch attached movie). Rain started just when I took of and then kept fighting with the sun and strong winds till I arrived in Liege (aka Lüttich) well know for its classic road bike race. There were a lot of steep hills and some real mountain biking sections. With a high of only 8C and lots of leafs on the ground it felt like fall arrived.
Distance: ~ 180 km
Elevation: + 2400 m
Log DAY 4 - Liége (Lüttich) > Eindhoven > Rotterdam
After about 2 h sleep I woke up and checked the weather forecast. As they announced rain and heavy winds in the morning I left Liége at 2 a.m. The rain started just when I crossed the boarder to the Netherlands at 7 a.m and did not stop till 4 p.m. Arriving in Eindhoven for breakfast and as I was so good in time, I decided to add Rotterdam instead of of going straight to Amsterdam. 240 km is a poor distance for approx 14 hours riding but with the headwind and rain I’m happy it’s over for today. Tomorrow I will ride to and along the beach towards Amsterdam, the finale destination of my so far incredible journey.
Distance: ~ 230 km
Elevation: + 660 m
Log DAY 5 - Rotterdam > Delft > Den Haag > Amsterdam
Exactly 4 days after I left sweet home I heard the braking waves of the northern sea. I cycled along the beach, stopped to reflect all the things I experienced and enjoyed the moment. The rest of the day I strolled towards Amsterdam, eat fish salad and had a few well deserved beers, I therefore arrived a bit to late to find a room. So the adventure continues...
Distance: ~ 130 km
Elevation: + 250 m
Log DAY 6 - Amsterdam
The adventure of last night had nothing to do with cycling but rather to find a place to sleep. All hotels were either booked out, ridiculously expensive or asked me to leave my OSPA out on the streets of Amsterdam. No way - both or none was the obvious response. As a consequence I had to find a place, what turned out to be a real challenge but finely worked. Today I toured around and visited several bike shops to find new bike stuff/gear. For tonight I have aproper room/bed and tomorrow 6:30 am the train leaves to Switzerland.
Distance: ~ 25 km
Elevation: + 50 m
A video with a short review of the Additiv Bike Bag V2 and the Camelback Chase Vest I tried out during this tour will follow.
TORTOUR - 1000 km - non-stop - team of 4
TORTOUR is the biggest multiday nonstop ultra cycling event in the world. The race which started and finished in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, was demanding a great deal of us cyclists and our crew.
From 16th-19th of August 2018 me and my 3 bike bodies from work at andrion raced the TORTOUR as a team of 4.
TORTOUR is the biggest multiday nonstop ultra cycling event in the world. The race which started and finished in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, was demanding a great deal of us cyclists and our crew. Riding non-stop, day and night. The event kicked off with the prologue at the Rhine Falls, the largest waterfalls of Europe.
We cycled the 1,000 kilometres route over several Alpine passes in 37 hours.
Mastering this challenging adventure took blood, sweat and tears – but the unique cycling experience and feeling of achievement were worth it.
ITALY DIVIDE 2018
My second bikepacking race ever was the ITALY DIVIDE, a 935km self supported non-stop adventure with 15’000m difference in altitude. It follows fast rolling gravel roads with quite a few technical MTB trails.
My second bikepacking race ever was the ITALY DIVIDE, a 935km self supported non-stop adventure with 15’000m difference in altitude. It follows fast rolling gravel roads with quite a few technical MTB trails (Via degli Dei/Monte Baldo).
I explored the wild and remote Italy with a nice mix of history along the trail. During this adventure starting at the historical centre of Rome, I cycled through Siena, Florence, Bologna, Verona, Mantova and finally arrived in Torbole on the shore of lake Garda after crossiing two big mountains.
Highlight I
The countless nice places I passed.
Highlight II
The great Italian food - in restaurants or on the bike ;-)
Highlight III
The contrast of remote, lonesome biking and then crossing the nice historical cities.
Highlight IV
A lot of nice bkepacking collegues I met before, during and after the race.
Highlight IV
The hospitality of the Parparo Vecchio team cooking great food and offered dry place to sleep when I arrived late in the night. At 3 a. m. I was just ready to jump on the bike a storm passed and I had to wait 4 hours longer than planned. After checking the position of the ohter riders, I realized, that two Czech colleagues I met so many times before, were freezeing in front of the door. I let them in and we waited till the storm passed.
Highlight V
Cycling in the night and early mornings is like being on drugs - absolutely addictive.
Lowlight I
Navigating with my GARMIN Oregon 720 was a real nightmare.
1. Due to very similar color of the actual track and some roads I I got lost several times and had to make big detours. This is very frustrating and a real flow killer.
2. I had to change batteries minimum every 4 hour.
I returned the device back to GARMIN, they did a warranty exchange, I paid some extra so I have a new Garmin Edge 1030 for the next tour :-)
Lowlight II
The side effect from extrem long riding is that I get numb fingers and tows. It is way better than after the NAVAD 1000 last year, but still, it takes months to be back in original condition.
Another health issue are the bloated feets/legs and the blisters on my ass, but furtunately this is healing pretty quickly.
Lowlight III
I had a head-on collision with a biking woman coming on the wrong side around a corner shortly before Bologna. Beside some minor scratches, a broken break lever and grip nothing serious. After a repair stop in a nice bike shop I was able to continue.
Lessons learned
Find my speed, listen to my inner voice instead of trying to follow others.
I hate power gels (aka robo food) but sometimes its better than to run out of energy.
Always take an extra litre of fresh water with you, running out of water is about the worst thing that can happen.
Enjoy the highs and overcome the lows.
Ein Beitrag über das OSPA Exeperiment im Landanzeiger
An article about my OSPA bike and experiment in a regional newspaper (Aargauer Zeitung).
Ein einzigartiges Fahrrad besteht den Härtetest – beinahe
Das 10’000 Kilometer Experiment
Der Frühling ist fast da, die Radsaison steht vor der Tür und viele Radfahrer werden sich in den nächsten Tagen und Wochen ausgiebig mit der Neuanschaffung eines Fahrrades befassen. Die schier unendliche Auswahl von Rad-Typen, MTB, Citybike, e-Bike, Rennrad, von verschiedenen Modellen und Farben und in allen Preisklassen können die Entscheidung recht schwer machen. «An genau diesem Punkt stand ich vor rund eineinhalb Jahren und weil trotz der grossen Auswahl kein Bike meinen Ansprüchen gerecht wurde, entschloss ich kurzerhand mein eigenes, ganz einzigartiges Fahrrad zu konzipieren und mit Hilfe von Spezialisten bauen zu lassen», erzählt der Schlossrueder Mark Lauzon
Das «Ein Service pro Jahr»-Experiment OSPA nennt sich sein Gefährt, was für «One Service Per Annum», also «Ein Service pro Jahr». Denn dem Gefährt wurde sogleich ein Experiment auferlegt, welchem kein normales Fahrrad standhalten würde. Ein ganzes Jahr beziehungsweise 10’000 Kilometer ohne Service trotz Extrembelastung mitunter im Renneinsatz. Extreme Temperaturen, Schnee, Eis, Salzwasser, Regen, Schlamm und Staub – Mark Lauzon und OSPA meisterten 2017 alles.
Das gemeinsame Experiment gipfelte Mitte Juni. Dann nahm der 51-Jährige am Bikepacking Rennen NAVAD 1000 teil, einer 1000 Kilometer langen Strecke die von Romanshorn quer durch die Schweiz über alle Berge bis nach Montreux führt. «Nach sechs Tagen, sechs Stunden und 36 Minuten erreichte ich zwar total entkräftet als Drittschnellster das Ziel. Mein Vertrauen ins OSPA ist seither unerschütterlich», sagt Mark Lauzon..
Quasi von Schlossrued nach Peking
Obwohl das Experiment auf ein Jahr ausgelegt war, erfolgte der grosse Service erst Mitte März 2018, also nach rund 10’000Kilometern. Das entspricht einer Fahrstrecke von Schlossrued nach Peking. Das Experiment könnte also eigentlich als geglückt bezeichnet werden, wären da nicht zwei Schaltzüge, die vorzeitig ausgetauscht werden mussten, da das Kabel ausfranste und so das Schalten zunehmend erschwerte. Ansonsten wurde das Rad das ganze Jahrlediglich abgespritzt und gefahren. «Kein handelsübliches Fahrrad hätte dieser Belastung standgehalten», sagt Mark Lauzon stolz.
Ab dem 24. April 2018 geht’s weiter
Auch 2018 wird OSPA Mark Lauzon zu neuenAbenteuern begleiten. So starten sie am 24.April beim self-supported ITALY DEVIDE, welches ähnlich wie das NAVAD 1000 über Stock und Stein von Rom über Siena, Florenz, Verona, Bologna auf 936 Kilometer und 25’000 Höhenmeter bis zum Gardasee führt. «Wenn alles gut läuft und das Wetter mitspielt, rechne ich mit rund fünf Tagen Fahrzeit. Ich bin gespannt», freut sich Mark Lauzon auf das nächste Abenteuer. Interessierte können das Rennen via Live-Tracker Tag und Nacht mitverfolgen, der entsprechende Link und weitere Informationen finden Sie unter www.ospa.bike.
Link zum > Online-Artikel
SQLab Innerbarends 411 - Review
I tested the SQLab Innerbarends 411 during entire 2017. I rode approx. 7000km and used them in very different conditions and versatile disciplines.
I tested the SQLab Innerbarends 411 during entire 2017. I rode approx. 7000km and used them in very different conditions and versatile disciplines. From Cyclocross to XC races, from Bikepacking to 24h competitions and then countless commuting rides to work.
Barends are known since the very beginning of mountain bike and are usually mounted to the end of the handlebar. From an ergonomic point of view, a very good idea. Over time, as the straight handlebars became less and more elevated handlebars, the barends disappeared. Now handlebars have become flatter and much wider again, the barends suddenly make sense again.
Conscious or in unconscious, we all start changing the positions of our hands after some time and especially when doing extra long rides, that’s where the innerbarends come into play and offer a different position while still having the brakes on your fingertips.
I found them a comfortable alternation while riding but also discovered some unexpected but positive side-effects.
1. The innerbarends protect the navigation device and light mounted or the handlebar if you need to flip your bike upside down during inevitable repairs e.g. flat tires.
2. They are much better to push the bike in extreme uphill, this is a common activity on most Bikepacking trips and especially during the NAVAD 1000 (www.navad1000.ch), I participated back in June.
Facts & Figures
Wight: 107 grams
Price: € 39 / CHF 43 / US$ 47
Schwarzwald Bike Marathon
Race report from the Schwarzwald Marathon (Black Forest, Germany) with my best body and bike mate Nello.
I like when things turn out better than expected…
It was raining like hell last Saturday afternoon, when I picked up Nello and his two kids. After dropping of the kids at his parents-in-laws place 45 minutes later Google maps still showed another 1.5 hours to Furtwangen (Black Forest, Germany) where we planned to participate in the bike marathon on Sunday morning.
OSPA at full trottle at the Black Forest Marathon
The rain kept on even worse and we somehow felt like squeezing our adventure into a anyway short weekend. So what, we said, but we were not really convinced this was going to be fun.
After finding a suitable parking for the motorhome we had just enough time to register and loading some carb at the pasta party. As it was still raining and seemed to get colder and colder we were unsure for which distance we should register for, 60km or 90km. After checking the weather with several Apps, we decided to trust the one with the best forecast – expecting the rain to stop just about for the start of the race. We finally decided to go for the longer one with 90km and 2300 m elevation gain.
I suffered from slight stomach pain and occasional sh… since a couple days, but I was hoping it wouldn’t really bother me during the competition. After two plates of pasta we went back and had a cup of tea, delicious cookies and a good talk – something we missed in the last months. Since we work together at andiron, we meet each other more often, but we rarely take the time to talk about the really important topics in our lives 😉
I love to sleep in the camper when its raining. Hearing the drops knocking on the roof is the best mantra I can imagine – except before a bike marathon. Good night!
Next morning
Ready, steady, GO!
Nello got up first (as always…) and announced dry conditions outside. When I opened the window I was positively surprised and I thought to spot a tiny little blue of the sky between the clouds what gave a optimistic mood. Bacon and eggs is not the recommended sports breakfast but we don’t care – on Sundays we deserve and enjoy it – white bread, orange-ginger jam and Italian coffee nicely round up our breakfast ceremony. A little massage, packing the bike and off we went to win the battle.
Seconds after take-off
In contradiction of yesterday evening Furtwangen turned from a quiet, deserted hicktown into a vibrant small city, so it was not easy to find our way to the start area. With the first shafts of sunlight the start led us through the city center and shortly after we left the pavement and entered the beautiful countryside.While I could well keep the pace in the flat, many riders passed me at the first real uphill and also Nello passed me without noticing it, as I learned later.
The first hour / approx. 20 km I was unable to find my rhythm, my stomach was jammed and I could hardly breath and many of the riders passed me. Even though I was sure, that I would catch-up with most of them in the later phase of the race, it was difficult to keep calm and go my own speed. As I arrived at the first food station Nello was just about to take off. He was fairly surprised to see me and couldn’t believe I was behind him since almost the beginning of the race.
Riding together between kilometer 20 to approx. 35 was a real highlight - Yeaphiii...!!!
So we took of together and enjoyed the nice Black Forest and the beautiful track. The weather got better and better and it reminded me 5 years back, when rode together at the Transalp.
As I looked back after the next food stop I suddenly realized, that I had lost Nello. I tried to keep up my own pace and enjoyed some nice fights with other riders. As I passed one for the fifth time, he turned his head and said, “you have a very nice bike” – “thanks mate” I returned and kept on with pride.
The track mostly on wide forestry roads and some nice single tracks is a real pleasure to ride, but over time, I tended ride a bit to risky and had a moment of shock in a steep downhill when I suddenly had some big steps ahead of me. I had no chance to stop, so I just held to the handlebar and jumped over, as some smaller bumps followed I was lucky to not crash. With some more adrenalin I attacked the next uphill and thanked my guardian angel for taking care of me so well.
I saw no other rider with large tyres like mine, and generally get a lot of reactions from spectators but also competitors.
The race is really well organized and with total 7 food stations on 90 km never to far, even if you lose your bottle as I did. The last kilometers, mostly flat I joined a nice bunch of riders, together we passed a lot of other riders, that probably started the race a bit to fast.
A nice sprint to end the race.
Nello arrived some minutes later and except a short crisis, he also enjoyed the race.
After a short, cold shower (sorry Nello, it will not happen again) in the camper, we left Furtwangen with a big smile on our face. After a short stop in a nice café to eat a big piece of Black Forest Cake we safely arrived home.
As we passed the Swiss border a SMS from Datasport informed that I finished the race on 5th place in my age group - what more could I want?
HOPE 1000 / NAVAD 1000 - the ultimate Swiss bikepacking race
My first bikepacking race from Romanshorn (lake of Constance) to Montreux (lake of Geneva) using a GPS navigation device but without any outside support. Instead of taking the direct way, the track leads over the Swiss alps and takes some obscure turns to accumulate the total of 1029 kilometers and more than 30’000 meters of elevation difference,
6 days – 6 hours – 36 minutes
this is the exact time it took me to complete the bikepacking race NAVAD 1000 (>2020 its called HOPE 1000) - an ultra-distance cycling race that is an extreme test of endurance, self-reliance and mental toughness.
According the bikepacking rules the riders have to follow the predefined rout from Romanshorn (lake of Constance) to Montreux (lake of Geneva) using a GPS navigation device but without any outside support. Instead of taking the direct way, the track leads over the Swiss alps and takes some obscure turns to accumulate the total of 1029 kilometers and more than 30’000 meters of elevation difference, this is more than 3 times climbing Mount Everest from sea to summit. Beside an excellent physical fitness, this extraordinary adventure requires versatile qualities in navigation, stamina and talent for improvisation.
Preparation first...
There are basically two approaches to attack this race, on one hand the independent bikers carrying lots of material as tent/shelter, sleeping bag, food etc that allows to ride and rest independent of time and location. On the other hand, cycling with as less equipment as possible to keep the weight low and have better riding and pushing capabilities. The second option requires a bit more organization for daily route planning and finding suitable places to eat and sleep but allows to better recover, especially when the wheater gets nasty.
Ready to go
As this was my first bikepacking race, I decided take kind of happy medium and sleep outside but victual in small shops and alp restaurants along the way, the perfect choice as I learned on my way.
Ready for take-off - NAVAD 1000 / HOPE 1000 I am coming!
At the eve of the race, all participants gathered for the briefing, supper and exchange of experiences. Willi Felix the inventor and kind host of the NAVAD 1000 (HOPE 1000) informed about the bikepacking rules and perils of the race. As he suffered from fracture of his clavicula he was forced to follow the race from the control center instead of participating. With a nice bunch of international riders I decided to spend the last night in the nearby hostel.
Sutarday 17. June 2017 – DAY 1
Next morning, shortly after I arrived at the port in Romanshorn, the first riders started and I had to hurry up to not miss my start/age group. 4 riders left every minute, so it took slightly more then 10 minutes to send all contestants on their long way to Montreux.
NAVAD 1000 / HOPE 1000, 2017 - Mark Lauzon racing with his OSPA bike at the departure zone in Romanshorn, Switzerland
Initially we cycled in small groups and everyone tried to find the right pace. It was interesting to talk to so many riders during the first hours, every rider had his own story to tell, many of the combatants already raced the NAVAD 1000 before and could share their experiences. I often asked them; what they did learn from their recent participation and what they changed for this years edition. Often the answer was; I wish to be a bit faster or this time I will sleep some of the nights outside. I was impressed to talk to a riders from UK who had twice successful participated in the Tour Divide, the origin/mother of this kind of bikepacking events - the Mekka for every bikepacker as I learned.
There are no coincidences, but Markus the first NAVAD 1000 rider I already met in the train to Romanshorn, turned out to have a very similar pace as me, so we spent most of the day riding together. Markus had participated at the first NAVAD 1000 back in 2015 and setup a very clear plan for the upcoming race days.
Around 9 p.m after approximately 14 hours riding, I decided to stop my day and let Markus doe his last climb alone. I was exhausted and required a rest. After a bath in cold river in Stein, I tried to find a place to eat in town, unfortunately I had to cycle to the next village to get a warm soup. My first night I slept out on a field of fresh cutten gras, it was already dew wet when I arrived so I was happy to have my bivybag with me.
Impression of DAY 1
Facts and figures - DAY 1
From Romanshorn to Stein / 190 km / 4000 Hm
Highlight
The spirit of adventure – the journey into the unknown. Talking to so many combatants during the first hours of the race.
Lowlight
To cycle an extra 10 kilometers to get a warm soup for supper.
Lessons learned
Plan a bit better and take more break during the day.
Sunday 18. June 2017 - DAY 2
A cool and wet start before the first very hot day. When I woke up shortly after 4 a.m it was fairly cool and wet from from the dew. Packing the wet bivy-, and sleeping-bag into the Ortlieb handlebar bag was no problem, I allready knew it will be a very hot day, so I planned to unpack and dry everything during my lunch break what later turned out to be in front of the monastery in Einsiedeln.
Climbing the last mountain of the day with a magical arrival on the summit. By that time didn't knew I would have another 3 hours cycling ahead of me and that I would go to sleep without eating.
Facts and figures
From Stein to Zug
Highlight
Swim in the lake Lauerz (Lauerzersee) and the sunset on top of the hill...
Lowlight
To go to bed without supper after such a long day :-(
Lessons learned
Better planning would help - or at least buy an extra sandwich in case there are no more restaurants on the way.
Monday 19. June 2017 - DAY 3
The last mile is on finish when you cross the line.
HOPE 1000 / NAVAD 1000, 2017 - DAY 3, breakdown - repairing tire with 2 Samurai strips
Facts and figures
From Zug to Flühli
Highlight
The coffee brake in Sursee (only about 10 km from my home), where my wife Edina and youngest dougther Audrie joined. Nice swim in the "kleine Emme".
Lowlight
2 flat tires (self inflicted) when I lifted my heavy bike over the last fence (barbwire) of the day. Missing the official depot with my race food as of km 500.
Lessons learned
Stay concentrated, till the last second,
Tuesday 20. June 2017 - DAY 4
The routinge starts taking over.
Facts and figures
From Flühli to Grindelwald
Highlight
Morning coffee in Restaurant Kurhaus, Flühli
Lowlight
Hot, hot, hot weather...
Lessons learned
To know when it is time to rest.
Wednesday 21. June 2017 - DAY 5
Starting dry and ending wet...
Facts and figures
Grindelwald to Lenk
Highlight
Röschti breakfast after the first climb of the day on Kleine Scheidegg.
Visit of my aunt and oncle on the way.
Finding a very professional shop in Lauterbrunnen to change brake pads and disk. Very friendly staff - shop owner (Imboden Bike, Lauterbrunnen)
Lowlight
Muddy last summit - check images. I faced exteme difficulty to find a dry place to sleep, to sleep in a cemetery was really not my plan, but at least it was save and calm.
Lessons learned
Taking the required time to keep my OSPA bike in shape. Keeping calm in difficult but crucial situations (stuck in the mud on top of the mountain in the middle of the dark night.
Thursday 22. June 2017 - DAY 6
Some days are longer than others....
Facts and figures
Lenk to Vaulruz
Highlight
Lunch - Rösti in a superb Alp Restaurant. Beatiful view of the Swiss alps.
Lowlight
Troublesome walking and pushing. Dangerous trail to walk with he hard bike shoes and a fully loaded bike.
Lessons learned
Keep on walking - how steep the way may be...
Friday 23. June 2017 - Day 7
Thanks God its Friday....
Facts and figures
Vaulruz to Montreux
Highlight
To finally arrive in Montreux was a very emotional moment. It took some time to sink and realize what I just did.
Lowlight
I expected a nice downhill to Montreux as kind of a reward for the hard time I had the last days. But the track was tough to the very last moment.
Lessons learned
The race is only finish when you see Freddie...
Resume about the HOPE 1000 / Navad 1000
After the wedding with my wife Edina and the birth of my 3 daughters - the HOPE 1000 / NAVAD 1000 was probably the most intense experience of my life. The elevation profile represents pretty much the mood swings I had to deal with.
@Willi (inventor and host of the HOPE 1000 / NAVAD 1000) you are awesome, thousand thanks for this unforgettable adventure, but I have to admit, the longer the race went, the more I was "swearing like a trooper" about some route sections you condemned us to ride (aka: walking & pushing).
Whoever rode the HOPE 1000 / NAVAD 1000 knows what I mean ;-)
Closing words nearly 24h after arriving in Montreux
Review of my equipment
Long version - only watch if novice to bikepacking ;-)
If you have any question about the HOPE 1000 / NAVAD 1000 or bikepacking in general, please do not hesitate to contact me.
All the best and happy biking, Mark
24h of Finale Ligure (ITALY) – an adventure to remember…
Race report from the 24h MTB race in Finale Ligurie, ITALY as a team of two with Pitsch and Mark. The preamble story shows, that the adventures journey began a long, long time ago.
Preamble - Once upon a time in Africa ...
Mark & Pitsch checking the map in the middle of the Sahara - 1991
If Pitsch and Mark remember their journey twenty-six years ago, they often feel like it would be a fairy tale. Without great preparation and minimum of equipment, they set off to seek the adventure in Africa on two wheels. The journey back in 1991, they crossed the Sahara, then the Sahel and finally arrived in Ghana. After four months, they returned to Switzerland with a wealth of experience and a passport full of stamps.
Today, both are twice as old, their hair has a grey shade, but both feel physically fitter than back in 1991.
While they used to sit in the saddle of their motorcycles, they now prefer muscle-driven two-wheelers. Pitsch and Mark are convinced, joint extreme experiences build a strong connection and last for life. As they both turned 50 this year, they decided to undertake another joint sports adventure – a 24h MTB race in a team of two. The world championchip for solo rider was a perfect platform for the endeavor.
24h of Finale - the race
On the 2nd June 2017 at exactly 10 am, they started in the Italian Finale (Liguria) to take part in the 24-hour mountain bike race as a two-man team. During the 24 hours, they tried to cycle as many laps as possible on the course with 10 kilometre length and approximately 300 meter elevation gain. The track was challenging but beautiful and thanks to the perfect weather simply fantastic, Pitsch tells with a sparkle in his eyes, so you can truly feel his passion.
While at the beginning of the race, the adrenaline shifted the body into euphoric ecstasy and masked any pain, the real competition took place in the second half of the race. At midnight, both riders already pedalled for 7 hours and it began to be difficult to remain concentrated and keep physical as well as mental fatigue under control.
The hardest race was then between 2 o'clock and about 6 o'clock in the morning. When the sun showed up again and announced for most of the new day, it still had to last four long hours. This was also the time when they switched from the 2-lap clock to the break after each lap.
A lonesome warrior passing the quiet camp in the early morning hours.
Seconds after crossing the finish line of the 24h of Finale 2017
Both have survived the competition well and have straightened about 180 km and about 5000 meters of altitude in difficult terrain.
After the race, the two had a day at the sea filling the empty energy storage. Beside Mark’s flat tire and small spill from Pitsch everything ran perfectly. In 25 years, when we are 75 years old and still fit, then we are going to doe next adventure, but then probably again with motor support - both laugh.
Impressions of the race
