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…
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…
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…
Note: Cyclite provided me with the bags for testing at my request. So this is advertising. A lot has happened in recent years when it comes to bikepacking bags. In addition to an increasingly differentiated range of bags and systems, there are also more and more manufacturers producing customised bags. And there are also new…
Please note: I mention and describe brands and models in this article. And this may also be advertising. It’s something of a tradition, because for the past 10 years I’ve been presenting bikes for the new year that I find interesting, inspiring or simply beautiful. What began in 2013 as an overview of touring bikes…
Please note: Böttcher provided me with the test bike. Therefore this is an advert. There is a background to this bike: a few months ago I tested the Evolution gravel bike from the Heide-based manufacturer. Afterwards we stayed in touch and in the summer Böttcher approached me again and asked if I would like to…
For almost two years I have been preparing for this, training many hundreds of hours and covering thousands of kilometres, optimising my bike and equipment and also preparing myself mentally: the Bohemian Border Bash Race was to be my highlight this year and continue my small series of successful ultra-endurance bikepacking races. And I wanted…
On Saturday, 2 September, at dawn, the Bohemian Border Bash Race will start in Jetrichovice, located in Bohemian Switzerland. And the best thing is: this time I will be there. Last year I unfortunately had to cancel my participation at short notice due to a Corona infection. But now everything seems to fit and I…
On September 2, the Bohemian Border Bash Race will start and this time I will be there. Last year I unfortunately got Corona shortly before the start, so I’m trying again. 1,360 km and around 24,000 metres of altitude are waiting for me in Bohemia. Even though the asphalt/hard road surface part is quite high…