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…
Gunnar had a birthday and wanted to go on a bike tour for it. No sooner said than done, but this tour was to be nothing other than the Devils Trail in the Harz Mountains. The name was promising and the dates also sounded good: over 184 km and more than 4,300 metres in altitude,…
In January 2020, I set up my Salsa Fargo for the first time. And I’ve been rebuilding it ever since. The reasons for this were often wear and tear or the defect of certain parts, but above all technical innovations and the many experiences that I have been able to gain in the more than…
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…
Ten years ago, I wrote about a small series of videos that were released about a relatively new long-distance race at the time: the Transcontinental Race. Back then, the race was still from London to Istanbul and Specialized presented the AWOL, a kind of gravel bike for long distances, with which the two co-developers of…
Note: After my article about air pumps, I contacted Cycplus, who provided me with one of their electric air pumps for a test. I can keep it. So that’s advertising. It’s not often that I hope for a puncture or even look forward to one. But during the rides at the Gravity Festival, I did….
Note: At my request, Tailfin provided me with a frame bag for the test. So that’s advertising. When it comes to bags for Bikepacking, it’s easy to talk about Tailfin. They have been gaining in popularity for some time now, not least among performance-orientated Bikepacking fans. After the AeroPack, with which they were able to…
Let’s be clear from the beginning: the Trans Balkan Race is a real challenge and cannot be overestimated. Bea and Luca have built a track through the Balkans that is second to none: very challenging trails and tracks, remote landscapes with long sections without catering and a weather/climate that constantly increases the level of difficulty….
Only a few more days and then I’ll once again be at the start of a bikepacking ultra race: this time it’s the Trans Balkan Race, which runs 1,380 km through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro and starts on 31 May in Sežana, Slovenia. And I’m really looking forward to it, because it’s not “just”…
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…
I’m currently putting together my equipment for the Trans Balkan Race and have shared my thoughts on which air pump to take with me on Instagram. Let me put it this way: the topic is obviously emotional and I have rarely received so many replies and comments. So I decided to take a more fundamental…
I was really looking forward to this: finally getting out with my bike and luggage for almost two days, switching off and enjoying nature. The days and weeks leading up to it had been very demanding at work, so I was glad to finally be able to concentrate on the simple things again. The reason…
As some of you may have noticed when reading this blog, I was looking for an MTB as a new, additional bike for me. And I initially put you and myself on the wrong track when I presented my 10 XC MTBs from which the new bike was to come. And I actually had the…
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…
UPDATE: I have updated and expanded this post. You can find the new article featuring 81 UL tents here: https://www.biketour-global.de/en/2026/03/29/update-2026-81-ultralight-tents-for-bikepacking-bicycle-touring-compared/ Enjoy! A few years ago I took you with me on my search for a tent for my next bikepacking race. I looked at several tents and categorised them according to certain criteria. I then…