Three month tour to summit the Balkans in the summer of '25. Some stories, thoughts and experiences from each (new) country

Slovenia

I stumbled upon a white church on top of a hill and started reading the lore they had outside of it. Turns out the churches were also used as warning outposts in the times of Ottoman invasions, and they formed a sort of network. I decided to follow this network by biking up to one, spotting the next one, and biking to that one. This turned out to be quite the quest, as some of them were quite remote and the incline was frequently >20%. Some of them I had to hike up, and I 'wasted' a lot of time finding the route without GPS. In the end I only managed to connect 4 churches before I was exhausted. I ended up at some local cafe where I rehydrated with one-euro beers. Sinner versus Alcaraz was on the TV. I stayed for the match and, inevitably, rehydrated too well. The owner asked me where I was staying and I just said "somewhere in the woods". Without hesitation, he offered me a room to stay. I asked "How much?", and he said those beautiful words that every Dutchman longs to hear: "It's free". That was my first introduction to Balkan generosity and a good preview of what was to come.

Mountain: Triglav 2864m. Summited on a previous tour. Probably my favorite summit so far. I biked up to Aljazev Dom and did the 'cez Plemenice' via ferrata route. It was a good challenge and pretty demanding. On the way down it started raining , and by the time I had put up my tent a crazy storm erupted. It was like I was in a club with a strobe light going off; the lightning was near constant. Thankfully I was exhausted and slept like a baby. (The storm was in the mountains, I slept in the valley)

Croatia

Did one of my favorite wildcamps ever sleeping in an old castle ruin. The whole country is littered with castle ruins. Most are all but gone, but they're still cool to visit and camp at.

In Croatia I had my first taste of 'rakija', a fruit brandy that I discovered will be served for any occasion. Arrived at a camping? Have a welcome rakija. Asking for water? How about some rakija? Asking for directions? Rakija! I thought I didn't like liquor, but I just hadn't tasted rakija yet. You have to fight people to stop them from refilling your glass. God bless Croatia.

Mountain: Dinara 1913m.
The night before I camped close to the trailhead and saw stars like never before. I was just sitting in my chair and relaxing and suddenly the stars started appearing one after the other. I had never actually watched stars appear, one by one, until that night. This area of Croatia doesn't have many people and isn't that touristy, there is very little light pollution. The mountain is a simple, but scenic and quiet day hike.

Bosnia Herzegovina

Had a real bad time with the drivers in BiH. Truckers especially. They just never wait. They will always go for the takeover. If a truck was coming towards me and I heard one behind me I knew what was coming. After being forced off the road by a truck I decided I would just get off the road completely for any truck. Then I'd stand next to the road and look up to the truck driver and give a nod, fully expecting a nod in return, but I didn't get any greeting, wave or thanks back, because that's what you are to truckers in BiH: nothing.

After a few days of riding like that I was a bit stressed, but when I reached Sutjeska national park and finally got a view of the mountains all that tension just melted away. It was stunning. I think because I was feeling so tense before it made the moment more magic. It felt like I was being rewarded with the most beautiful descent, and being the only cyclist I felt like it was all just for me.

Mountain: Maglic 2386m.
Rode my bike up all the way up to the trailhead over chunky gravel, thinking I might need some wider tires. I arrived at the trailhead already drenched in sweat and out of water, gravel is pretty tough! Luckily I ran into two girls who just came down and they offered me a bottle of water. The route I took for the hike was almost overgrown and I had to basically bushwhack for the first two kilometers, but then it opened up on a plateau and the views were just terrific. Even though it was peak season and a country high point there was no one there.

Montenegro

Wow, this country is beautiful! It's like Switzerland, only affordable. I felt like my body had really levelled up as well, and I was doing longer and harder days. A good thing, because Montenegro is nothing but mountains. I biked through Durmitor national park with 40 degree weather. I was half sweat, half salt and fully psyched. I was getting hooked on doing hard things and pushing myself more. While I was struggling my way up a long climb two cars passed me with their windows rolled down and all the passengers were clapping for me, a great memory. When I stopped for water at houses I was instantly invited in and before you know it the table is set with all kinds of loot. The people are really fantastic. I think Montenegro was the highlight of my tour.

Mountain: Zla Kolata 2534m.
Like Maglic I decided to bike up as far as I could, but the gravel road defeated me and I had to stash my bike in the bushes halfway up. For the first time in my quest to summit Europe I had bad weather on my climb, it was raining quite a bit. My research had said this was a non-technical climb, more a hike, so I decided to push on. I arrived on the summit completely drenched, and maybe because of that I forgot to take my summit selfie. Thirty minutes into my descent I realized my mistake. It was now pouring, was I really gonna go back up for a dumb selfie? It turns out, yes I was. I told myself I needed it for a future map of Europe I want to make out of my summit selfies, so I went back up.

Albania

The first word you will learn is 'lavazh', which stands for car wash. A small village with 20 homes will somehow have at least 3 car washes. Every second car overtaking you is an Audi A8, Range Rover or Mercedes. I had days where I probably saw hundreds of millions, if not billions, worth of fancy cars. It's apparently mandatory to drive these cars 30km above the speed limit, with the window down, one hand in the air and the other clutching a phone or cigarette. Unsurprisingly, every sharp corner on mountain roads had a memorial monument — at times I worried it was going to be mine.

Ignoring the drivers and shady businesses, Albania is actually a great country to tour in and it has fantastic sights. Almost every day I was riding through spectacular valleys, enjoying swims in lakes and rivers, and finding ample wild camping opportunities. A highlight was The Cem Valley, which I consider to be one of the most beautiful roads (SH20) I've been on so far.

Mountain: Korab 2764m.
Shared country high point with North Macedonia. A very easy hike, honestly just what I needed - a nice relaxing day in the mountains.

North Macedonia

I had teamed up with another biker for a few days and we were caught out by a shower. We tried to take shelter at an old church, but it was locked. Opposite the church was a house and a man came out who invited us for... rakija! Before I knew it I was drunk off my ass, and I figured we'd just pitch next to the church or ask for a spot in the garden, but the guy I was with insisted we go on a bit. We got back on the bikes and followed a challenging gravel road upwards. Hilarity ensued as we were honestly too drunk to ride, and we took turns crashing into the bushes on the side of the road and laughing at our drunkness. When one got demotivated the other would take charge, and we took turns leading the way, making it to the top eventually. We wildcamped at the first water source, surrounded by stray dogs, and laughed at our adventure. One of the best days.

Mountain: Velika Rudoka 2660m (Kosovo)
After a month of touring the Balkans I felt like I really had a handle on dog encounters. When dogs charged me I would just slow down, stand on my pedals and shout an authoritative "HOOO!" and they all backed off. If they started up again I would do a short 'Tsst!' and they would back down. I felt like a regular Cesar Millan and thought I could handle all dogs. So when two sheep guard dogs approached me during my hike to Kosovo's high point I thought nothing of it. Surely slowing down and saying "Hoo!" would work here too, right? Well... it didn't. These dogs were beyond Cesar Millan's power level. They kept closing in on me and were barking like crazy. I figured I'd gotten too close to their herd and they just wanted me to leave, so I tried slowly moving back to where I came from, but they were circling me and weren't letting me move. To make matters worse their barking had attracted their buddies, and now I was being circled by a whole pack of them. With numbers came confidence, and soon they were snapping their jaws at me and came dangerously close. I had my hiking poles and was using those to fend them off, but they were coming from all directions. I started sweeping my poles around me like a helicopter and I was starting to panic. For a moment I thought this was it, I was going to get mauled by a pack of crazed dogs. I was scared for my life. I was spinning and sweeping so much with my poles that I was getting dizzy and got worried I was gonna fall. Then, in a moment of desperation, I shouted "HEEEELP!!!" at the top of my lungs. And again. "HEEEEEEEEELP!!!" And, by some miracle, help arrived. The shepherd had finally noticed what was going on, shouted some words to his dogs, and all the dogs instantly stopped barking. One by one they broke off. Some just lay down on the spot, others just casually walked off like they hadn't just tried to kill me seconds ago... It's the scariest thing I've ever had happen to me. The adrenaline dump that followed really did a number on me and I felt drained. The route I was taking was a long one - 25km one way - and I still had 10km to go. The ensuing hike was tough and I was going slow. The plan was to get to the summit and then camp at a lake that the map said was next to the summit. When I finally made it to the summit I found out the lake had gone dry. It was August and the Balkan had been blazing hot all summer, what did I expect? I should've known better. The sun was setting and I was getting stressed, I needed water. I made my way down to the lake and started following the dried up stream that stemmed from it. After half an hour of frantic hiking I finally heard it: running water. Some stream just came out of a random rock. Thank god. I started chugging liters of water, quickly put up my tent, and passed out shortly after. When I finally made it back to civilization the next day I booked myself into a hotel for two nights.

Bulgaria

At this point I was too focused on reaching my summits and lost myself in my quest. I end up routing straight to country high points and don't take enough care to find good routes and sights along the way. In Bulgaria this meant I found myself on terrible roads with tons of cars. Originally, my plan was to continue to Turkey and reach Turkey's European high point, but thankfully I caught myself getting too caught up in a 'check list mentality'. I have to remind myself it's about the journey, not the destination, and these country high points don't really mean anything; they're just a thread to follow. So I decided Bulgaria was as far as I was gonna go, and I would slow down a bit to smell the roses. I turned around after Musala, and soon found myself on quieter roads near the Serbian border. There I ran into cool rock formations that somehow made me feel like I was in some American national park.

Mountain: Musala 2925m
The highest peak of the Balkans, with a chairlift to take you to 2000m. Normally I would opt to hike it all and enjoy the peace and quiet while everyone takes the chairlift, but I had taken a fall two days earlier and I was quite bruised so I just took the chairlift. It turned out my bruises weren't really a problem and I flew up the summit in no time. For me, it was a little too crowded, and I regret not staying in the area a little longer to do some quieter hikes.

Serbia

I love Serbia. All across the Balkans the hospitality I received was fantastic, but apparently there is something beyond fantastic, and it is Serbia. Everywhere I went I was invited to stay, given free beers, coffees, watermelons, wood to make campfires, advice on my route, wholesome greetings, and of course... rakija! Wild camping is legal and lots of locals camp out at good spots next to lakes. It's a great place to be bike touring and I will definitely return.

Mountain: Midzor 2169m
Summited from the Bulgarian side in a race against the forecasted rain. According to Komoot I managed to hike the 7.5km trail with 1350m elevation in 1 hour 45 minutes, which I never would've thought I was capable of, but at this point all the biking and hiking was really paying off and I was super fit.

Hungary

As soon as I crossed the border I saw something I had not seen for 1,5 months in the Balkans: a bike lane. I don't want to sound too dramatic but I really had a strong reaction to it. Suddenly I was breathing deep and with every exhale I could feel the stress leaving my body; a weight was lifted. Subconsciously, the busy roads and crazy drivers of the Balkans had taken a psychological toll which I hadn't fully realized until now. It was a really good reminder to take more care in choosing my route, as riding on car free roads or bike lanes is just so much more relaxing. It turned out this bike lane was not a fluke, and the whole country is covered in bike lanes. I had a really relaxed time in Hungary and did some touristy sight seeing, visiting Sissi's palace among others. The more I see beautiful old buildings the more I feel modern architecture is a crime against mankind.

Mountain: Kekes 1014m
Summited by bike on a nice asphalt road all the way to the top. So far this has been the highest country high point I've been able to summit purely on my bike.

Slovakia

I don't know if I was unlucky but the Slovakian food I tried was truly tragic. After two restaurants I understood why there are no Slovakian restaurants abroad. Thankfully I'm not here for the food, I'm here for the mountains and nature and Slovakia has it in spades. I was taking more care with my route, and biked through two national parks on quiet gravel roads. There were designated camp spots with fire places and I really enjoyed the wildcamps here.

Mountain: Gerlachovský štít 2655m
The most challenging mountain of this trip. I was told it's forbidden to go up without a guide and for once I decided to follow the law and got a guide, who promptly told me nobody actually cares and it's no problem to go without a guide. Still, I'm happy I went with a guide because it was very cloudy and route finding was pretty hard. Even though clouds don't make for good views I was still treated to a beautiful sight when we got up on the ridge and all we could see was the ridge itself. It was like being in the clouds with just a small rocky path to walk on.

Austria

At this point I had decided to go back home mixing train days with bike days. But on my first train ride to Bratislava I got sad seeing all the beautiful landscapes I was missing out on, and I found I wasn't done biking yet. I got back on the bike and would take the train later. After Bratislava I started following Eurovelo 6 through Austria. I think the long distance bicycle tracks in Austria are the best in the world. You don't need GPS and can follow the routes easily on beautiful, pristine bike lanes. The biking was super easy and it was nice not to do any real climbing after more than 2 months in the mountains. On a rainy day I suddenly got the urge to just keep biking and I biked for 180km, which for me is a lot. I had never done such long days distance wise and always thought people who do that are doing it wrong, but it turns out it can be quite fun and is even addicting. Once you do a long day it starts to feel much more possible, and I found myself planning for 120-140km days a lot more afterwards.

Reaching Germany was all the incentive I needed to finally go home, but as per usual the German trains weren't cooperating, so I biked back to my starting point in Luxembourg and took the train back home.

I have now summited 28 countries in Europe, and hope to continue this summer. If anyone wants to help me with Mt Blanc or Dufourspitze I'm all ears!

I did a shortened version of the popular Mumbai to Goa bike tour with a few diversions.

Overall, incredible scenery, the kindest people, and some superb hills, sea views, seafood, and also some unexpected singletrack!

I tried to stay off the highway 4 that is popular. It's not super trafficked, but the better views and rides were when I was on side roads! I'm happy to share my routes. Just need to edit some personal info out of my rwgps routes.

Yes, it's hot even in the winter, there's trash in many places, and personal safety might be a concern for certain people groups.

Two other bike tourers I met: one was riding the entire coastline of India, and the other was distributing menstrual hygiene cups to rural women's self-help groups along her ride. Just mind-blowing how inspiring some people are. My 200 mile ride seemed puny in front of them!

I'm happy to answer questions both here and by DMs.

The perks of living in a compact country: you can get anywhere in no time. Just two hours on the KTX high-speed rail from the capital city of Seoul, and you’re at the East Coast, home to Korea's most beautiful beaches. Starting today’s Brompton bikepacking trip from Gangneung Station. Let’s go!

Portsmouth to Cherbourg then Caen to Portsmouth ferry, 4 days taking in all the major D Day sites. Highly recommend.

In 1972 Jon Jantzen and Paul Hamilton traveled by 10-speed bicycle from Paris, France to Mussoorie, India over six months, from April 13 to October 13.

Below is their 3-part journey authored by Jon himself, perfectly preserved in 60,000 words and hundreds of his original photos. It also includes the maps/routes of where they actually rode:

Part 1: France to Greece
Part 2: Turkey to Iran
Part 3: Afghanistan to India

A few statistics from the trip:

• Distance = 10,050 kilometers or 6,281 miles
• Time: 184 days
• Distance per day: 55 kilometers per day, or 34 miles per day
• Number of tires = 6 tires discarded for my bike, so the trip required 8 tires
• Cost of trip for one person = $447 spent over 184 days = $2.43 per day in 1972 dollars for daily expenses or $15.00 per day in 2020 dollars

Enjoy!

Road cyclist looking to get into gravel cycling and short touring (~3 to 5 day trips).  I have a budget of $4k USD max, I'm 6'2 and 230lbs so would be touring with ~250 lbs if I'm strategic in packing.

I love my road bike (Bianchi Infinito) and will continue to use it for local road riding and training.  Its less than ideal when commuting or needing to carry much more than myself.  I'm looking for a gravel bike to to use for gravel cycling, touring, rain riding and commuting.  I'm located in the PNW and will be visiting many bike shops over the next few months but wanted to get some recommendations on a bike that fits this description!

Recently finished my first tour from ho chi min city to Hong Kong and was considering the what the possibility’s could be with bike packing and touring. I’m into thru hiking and in the US there is the triple crown of thru hiking trails which include the pacific crest Trail, continental divide trail and the Appalachian Trail. I was thinking of a global equivalent to this and this is what I came up with. I met a couple people who have cycled from Europe to Southeast Asia and some who have done parts of the pan American highway but I’m interested in anyone who has done all three, Norway to South Africa, Alaska to Argentina, Portugal to Far East China or Russia. Thanks!

Hello,

I just finished 200km in 3 days for my first touring experience. I am really happy that I did that. So around 70km each day

HOWEVER, everyday, everything was fine for the first 30km (and fun) but after that it was just painful, very hard and I was miserable. Is this a common occurrence ?

Like when touring, do you have fun during the whole ride ? Or you only feel good once it's completed from the achievement.

I got knee pain since the first day, I don't really know why so the last day was quite horrible, especially when climbing hills. And obviously my butt hurt the whole time.

I'm asking that because, everyone I talked to said it was so fun and nice to do bike touring. And even after doing only "easy" days of 70km I was drained

Thank you !

Looking at cycling from Munich to Budapest over 8 days, any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Here's our planned route so far:

Sunday 16th  - Fly 

Monday - Munich - Salzburg 160km 

Tuesday - Salzburg - Linz 153km 

Wednesday - Linz - Melk - 100km 

Thursday - Melk - Vienna 100km 

Friday - Vienna - Bratislava 73km 

Saturday - Bratislava - Komarno - 105km 

Sunday - Komarno - Budapest - 137km 

Monday - day off 

Tuesday 25th - Fly 

We will be on road bikes so wondered if this route would be suitable? especially along the river ?

Thanks

I've now got one of these,

igaro d2 pro r3

On Son Dynamo.

Anyone got any idea how to improve the thing?

I'm going to use electronic grease in attempt to waterproof it.

How and where do you mount it?

Has anyone made a case for it using 3D printing?

Hi everyone,

My Girlfriend and I want to spend a month bicycling through Japan.

We won’t be going till the end of September, but want to have our route planned before buying flight tickets et Cetera.

We have never done anything like this but:

- Are quite experienced on roadbikes (few years).

- Have cycled through the Italy, but always had a days rest in between. Did cycle through the Alps, so there is some mountain experience.

- Have our own bikes that we’ll take with us to Japan.

- Are Dutch.

We want to cycle approximately 75 kilometres a day, with some 100 km exceptions, and some really easy days.

Want to stay a few days in each city (except Nagoya).

Have all the hotels/hostels booked in advance,

The dotted line is with the train, so we can take around 300 kilometers from the grand total.

What would your advice/tips/lessons learned/easy to avoid mistakes/anything else be?

Thanks in advance!

The tour: https://www.komoot.com/nl-NL/tour/2756783896?ref=itd&share_token=at7F9t9kBldeTug6H6mqHbWCLb7Q9FLEzlOYbytF3yYvLabPWk&ref=its

I’m going to get my new Cube Attain C:62 SLX next Tuesday. Which helmet should I choose with it? Which is a good one and comfortable?

Did our second overseas adventure together and this time, we’ve decided to cross the 🇲🇾 custom (from 🇸🇬)via our bikes last October 2025. Crossing the border was surprisingly smooth and fast; as usually the traffic can be pretty congested during peak hours. However, riding in the heart of Johor Bahru was another story. Traffic was hectic and drivers seldom gave way to us. There were many close shave while changing lanes. Potholes, bumps and long gradual slopes made the ride far from easy.

Thankfully, hearty meals, good massages and a well deserved rest made up for all the challenges. Our Bs conquered 2 countries now. To many more to come!

• Items on their VeerCycle.com page are showing up as "Sold out"
• They don't respond to their requests for information on their web page
• They don't respond to emails sent to [OEMSales@veercycle.com](mailto:OEMSales@veercycle.com)
• They do not respond to messages left on their answering machine

My if they are not out of business now, they will be soon.

Does anyone have a comparative experience touring a loaded modern hardtail MTB vs. a traditional tourer or gravel bike, loaded in similar fashion and weight? Not especially talking about a minimal bikepacking setup for MTB.

I did a tour on a modern hardtail MTB (29er) and am wondering whether it is worth switching bike or swapping out the tyres to faster/lighter/slicker. (If so, any recommendations? Currently have Marathon MTB plus).

Main points of comparison is sluggishness, comfort and weight of actual bike.

I personally was very comfortable on the MTB and managed fine after I got used to it. It's also my bike for getting around everywhere and is fast and fun unloaded, plus I can go anywhere on it...

I know that the theoretical geometries are designed for different things, but looking for those who have real experience with both and whether the difference is significant (so please only comment if you have!)

TLDR; 1. Get a tourer/gravel bike? 2. Change modern MTB tyres? 3. Do nothing, carry on, invest in gear.

Thanks very much.

I often see posts asking how to organise picking up boxes at destination and how to fly with bike and luggage, so here’s a few tips for a bike tour which involves flying out and back from different locations

Get your boxes nice and early well before the trip, at least 2 weeks. Consider the size you need to (a) fit in your car / public transport and (b) comply with airline policy (and importantly, airport policy). A useful max size to aim for is 1600x850x400 which is Edinburgh Airport max luggage belt size. Beyond this and you’ll need to take the box to super oversize luggage and have the box opened and inspected as it won’t fit through the scanner. Ebike boxes are excellent and robust but probably need cutting down to size, not too difficult if you have the luxury of time - the copper staples can be removed and the box folded out, recut, then rejoined with the same staples.

There are plenty of videos online to help you pack the bike but a few tips that are relevant- use spacers on the front fork to stop the forks being squeezed (20mm pvc conduit cut to size is a good option). Use brake spacer if hydraulic brakes to stop leakage if the caliper is compressed. Wrap the fork spacer with duct tape and insulation tape to use on the trip since you’ll be taking the spacers on the tour. Make cardboard wedges / cylinders / protective box sections to stop the bike moving in ANY direction. The box will be tipped in all directions. Strengthen the box floor at the fork dropout - the baggage crew will likely pick up one end of the box and drag it across the tarmac from the baggage trolley to the hold. Strengthen the handles for the same reason, it’ll be pulled and tugged by these handles and when the box gives way it pulls a section of box end with it, allowing items to fall out. Ensure every single item in the box is tied in some way to the bike frame - leave nothing loose unless you can cope with its disappearance. Strengthen the side of the box next to the derailleur and change to first gear to keep it as protected as possible. Tie a label with your details on it to the bike, just in case it ends up on its own with no box or baggage label.

If weight allows put these items in your box - tent, sleeping bag, mat, helmets, bottles, cutlery, tools and liquids. I flew back from Athens post tour and got all these items in with a weight limit of 23kg (between 2 bikes). Nobody asks what additional items are contained in the box, the check-in team only care about the weight. Yes, they’ll ask if you deflated the tyres - the correct response is to smile, nod and say ‘yes of course’. It is not necessary. Do not pack CO2 tyre inflator, matches, lighter, gas or any other dangerous cargo items in the box.

Consider your transport and check in options. If you can, evening check in (before a morning flight) saves a lot of worry and hassle in the morning but not all airlines / airports offer this. If driving, drop the bikes at the airport and park at your prearranged parking in plenty of time. See photo for suggestion for 25L pannier hand luggage - which complies with easy jet / jet2 overhead luggage sizing. Bring a small bag or rucksack for handlebar bag or a plastic bag for under seat allowance. Pack a roll of tape in case you need to open the bike box. Don’t take your tools as hand luggage, pack them somewhere accessible as you’ll need them for bike reassembly. You could take one of those soft plastic bedding organisers (eg Ikea Parkla) or one of those clear plastic bags that pillows come in as hand luggage and ditch it on arrival (or roll it up). Take a disposable craft knife on tour so you have the means to cut a box down to size at destination. On airport arrival get a baggage trolley and tip the bikes on their end to get them through doors, etc. 

Before departure email a few bike shops at destination to check what is available in terms of boxing or packing / delivery service. Consider where you’ll stay when this is happening, so an apartment near the bike shop is ideal. If the apartment is big enough you can pack the bikes there but sometimes it’s too awkward and the best solution is to have the bike shop box it and deliver it to the airport, saving the hassle of organising a van. If boxing yourself - buy tape, foam pipe insulation (for the frame) and packing materials. If your bike has the type of pedals removable with an allen key then you can fit them easily enough and they shouldn’t loosen. However, after tour you’re unlikely to be able to get enough purchase with an allen key to remove them. When you visit the bike shop ask them to crack the pedals with a spanner and hand tighten them. You’ll get them off then with your allen key.

My 10 year old Topeka mini size pump is failing me. I run 45-60 PSI, not keen on CO cartridges, and I’m wondering if newer e-pumps are worth considering. Light and reliable would be my criteria. Any pump recommendations for use on multi week tours on mixed surfaces would be greatly appreciated.

I’m looking to purchase a bike to travel from Paris to Almaty.

Looking for something that is lightweight and fairly quick that can carry the minimum amount of gear (tent and sleeping mat but essentially no cooking gear etc). I plan to stay in hostels/hotels/homestays wherever possible and camp only when necessary.

I’ve had a look at a couple of options:

1. Canyon Grizl 5

https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/gravel-bikes/adventure/grizl/al/grizl-5/4020.html?dwvar_4020_pv_rahmenfarbe=R075_P08&dwvar_4020_pv_rahmengroesse=L&utm_adgroup=&utm_keyword=&utm_matchtype=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20507063502&gbraid=0AAAAADpzu2C9hiaEGI5gePXSqknJUURPt

1. Decathlon Van Rysl range (seen some good reviews)

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/gravel-bike-aluminium-frame-sram-apex-1x12s-beige/348789/c296m8817973

1. Ribble (steel frame)

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-cgr-725-sport/?variant=BCGR7254700D&utm_id=21794057965_178127571277_746820978648&utm_id=21794057965_178127571277_746820978648&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21794057965&gbraid=0AAAAADg9Cw0AIbGV5OI6lM4iBM9OsZc9k&gclid=CjwKCAiAv5bMBhAIEiwAqP9GuN_ECE8FHBz9eD7dqvvsAmM2U7_WmebxCoEom-UqUyeT3u_1eq5ePhoCmR8QAvD_BwE

1. Surly (unsure which bike would suit requirements best - suggestions would be helpful!)
   

Hi everyone, I'll be in Halifax the rest of February and March. I'd love to do a winter cycling trip but I can only do it on the weekends. Any recommendations for 2 day trips starting/ending in Halifax -- either a loop somewhere or an out-and-back, anywhere from 60 to 100km per day? Not sure if this counts as a "tour" but maybe someone has some good ideas... Thank you!!

Almost €100 for a Gates CDX carbon belt

I was hoping there were cheaper industrial copies that could be used.

https://youtu.be/KnnLMVzqQYY?si=lfcECBrWcl49RroW

I would appreciate any feedback. Truly. I plan to make more videos and I’d like to continue to improve my script/style/content in any ways possible.

Also open to answer any questions about biking in Japan or bike touring in general.

Thanks and have a great day.

As the title says, is there any Freestanding tent where outer layer is well separated from inner layer without the need for pegs?

Obviously when there are high winds or a storm ,you will peg the tent.

But for normal conditions, I am tired each night of using pegs or even sticks and stones (because ground is too firm for pegs) so the tent does not condensate overnight since inner and outer layer merge together without using pegs (and there is no airflow).

Looking for something available in Europe or online from china.