Since Friday, May 29, they’re on the road again: 170 participants are fighting their way through the Balkans over 1,400 km and more than 30,000 meters of elevation gain. And I use the word fighting deliberately, because for me the Trans Balkan Race is one of the hardest and most demanding bikepacking ultras in Europe….
Since 2020, you can find a deep analysis of the bikes and equipment of the major ultra-bikepacking races like the Atlas or Silk Road Mountain Race in my Bikeanalytics. The basis for these evaluations are the “Rigs of…” posts by Bikepacking.com. At this point, many thanks for your work on this and the careful gathering…
If you believe organizer Nelson, this 7th edition of the legendary Silk Road Mountain Race is the most original and wildest edition since the first one. Almost 2,000 km and 30,000 meters of elevation are on the agenda, and participants will be led into even more remote and unknown regions of Kyrgyzstan. No less than…
On Friday, the fourth edition of the Trans Balkan Race (TBR) started: 1,380km with around 30,000 metres of climbing await the participants. I have a bitter-sweet past with the TBR: I failed in the race itself and injured my hand nerve, which is still with me today. But I was also physically and mentally not…
Yesterday at 6 pm it was that time again and more than 250 participants started the Atlas Mountain Race 2025 in Marrakesh. The race has become one of the most popular in the ‘scene’, which has led to a real rush of registrations. As a result, many applicants received cancellations or were only able to…
So far, I have mostly limited my analyses of bikes and equipment to the more well-known bikepacking ultra races, such as the Atlas Mountain Race, Silk Road Mountain Race, Tour Divide or Hellenic Mountain Race. But there’s really no reason for this, apart from my personal interest in these races. And so I am expanding…
Since this morning, more than 170 participants are once again on their way to cycle through Kyrgyzstan from Bishkek. This year’s Silk Road Mountain Race is even longer and goes even higher. There are almost 2,000 km to cover and around 30,000 metres of altitude to climb. With around 1,548 metres of elevation gain over…
The second Hellenic Mountain Race started a few hours ago, a bikepacking race through the Greek mountains that has it all: over just 883 kilometres, 27,800 metres in altitude have to be overcome. That means 3,148 metres of elevation gain over 100 km. A “tough board”. Just like last year, I took a look at…
For many years I have been analysing the bikes and equipment of participants in some of the larger bikepacking races. The basis for this are the “Rigs of…” articles from Bikepacking.com, where some participants introduce and briefly describe their bikes. Two weeks ago I introduced you to Bikeanalytics Atlas Mountain Race 2024 and analysed 109…
It’s that time again and 228 adventure seekers are waiting impatiently in Marrakesh – as I write this – for the rain to stop, for the race to finally start and for them to set off on the 1,300km with around 21,000 metres of elevation gain. But this delay gives me time to present my…
Since this morning they are on the road again: 115 solo riders and 16 pairs have set out to cover 1,879km and 31,690m in Kyrgyzstan at the Silk Road Mountain Race. This time the start is in Karakul, in the east of the country and takes them over 14 passes, higher than 3,000m. I have…
Καλώς ήρθατε! A new Bikepacking race and with it a new evaluation of bikes and equipment: as of this morning, a total of 111 riders* are on the road to conquer almost 1,000 kilometres and an incredible amount of altitude in Greece. The Hellenic Mountain Race (HMR) is the third race format of Nelson Trees, who…
As of today, Friday, February 3, 6 pm, more than 200 participants are on their way to ride 1,300 kilometers within 8.5 days through the Moroccan Atlas Mountains, climbing more than 20,000 meters of altitude. The Atlas Mountain Race is now taking place for the third time and there can be no complaints about a…
This morning this year’s and second Atlas Mountain Race started in Morocco. 135 riders are now on their way through the Atlas Mountains and have 1,165km and 23,000 meters of altitude ahead of them. The AMR is a rather technical race, which is mainly characterized by the expected heat and the quite gaping supply of…
On August 12, the Silk Road Mountain Race will start. Riders from 17 nations will set out to finish the 1,900km long and over 37,000 meters high race. Besides the climatic conditions, the challenges at high altitude and in changing weather and temperatures between 40 degrees plus and minus 15 degrees, the mental strength will…