Farawayistan

Author: Robin & Sabina

  • #Festive500: The 500KM Holiday challenge

    #Festive500: The 500KM Holiday challenge

    Christmas usually comes with loads of food at family gatherings. But for many cyclists the days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve have a whole different priority: the #Festive500. The global challenge is to ride 500 kilometers in eight days. So this year we spent a big chunk of the holidays on our bikes.

    We, well one of us.. completed the challenge with a mix of different rides: road, gravel and virtual in two different countries. Here’s our photo report.

    Day 1: Volcano Circuit

    We kicked off the challenge with a bunch of laps around Watopia’s Volcano Circuit. Indeed, a ride on the indoor trainer. Of course, cycling outside is way more enjoyable, but the Swedish climate during December isn’t really pleasant. We only had six days of time, so the head start was a warm-welcome begin. It was Robin’s longest ride so far indoors. Mentally it was actually pretty okay. Sabina rode it in two different rides, one at midnight and one during the day.

    Robin: 108 km / 537 m / 3:43:14 h / Zwift
    Sabina: 110 km / 542 m / 4:01:48 h / Zwift

    Day 2: Frosty road ride around Häckeberga

    On day 2 it was time for an outdoor ride. The route was based on a ride Robin did back in September, during much warmer temperatures. The day began with frosty vegetation, frosty roads, frosty everything. Roughly halfway in we had to shelter in a supermarket with a hot chocolate to defrost our fingers and toes. Yet again, a fairly easy ride with photo breaks.

    Robin: 101 km / 556 m / 4:24:14 h / Sweden
    Sabina: 101 km / 637 m / 4:26:14 h / Sweden

    Day 3: Skåne to the volcano

    While the cold but beautiful scenery on day 2 made up for a lot, the cold and grey during day 3 was a bit more challenging. The wind near Skåne’s coastal gravel roads combined with the wind chill of minus 2 degrees Celsius were tough. After 55 km and rain showers about to start, We decided to move to somewhere warmer – to our sweaty pain cave. Here we both rode a few more laps through the virtual lava fields.

    Robin: 92,5 km / 345 m / 3:57:06 h / Sweden + Zwift
    Sabina: 89 km / 317 m / 3:54:26 h / Sweden + Zwift

    Day 4 Teanu island

    Waking up on day 4 of the #Festive500, motivation was nowhere to be found. Opening the curtains of the sleeping room definitely didn’t help. With sore legs Robin hopped on the trainer once again. YouTube videos, Spotify, a video call with his mum and a phone call with Michael from @BikepackingSweden luckily killed the time. He managed to ride a little over 80 kilometers.

    After the long ride on day 2 Sabina’s knee had started to act up. We raised the saddle on day 3 but it was too little too late. On day 4 it was still too painful to ride. After a mini warmup she already had to stop. Maybe some rest will help?

    Robin: 82,2 km / 334 m / 2:59:56 h / Zwift
    Sabina: 13,1 km / 64 m / 29:41 h / Zwift

    Day 5: Mandatory rest day

    No time for cycling today, as we flew to The Netherlands to visit our relatives! Sabina tried her sore knee out, but it was still too soon.

    Sabina: 4,2 km / 11m / 11:31 h / Zwift

    Day 6: Hometown ride 

    After the mandatory rest day Robin’s legs no longer felt like his feet were stuck in a bucket of concrete. Sabina’s knee was still a mess, which unfortunately ment she had to give up.

    No Sweden, no Zwift. Instead we had a typical Dutch winters day with rain and wind. We totally forgot how densely everything in the Netherlands is. The amount of cyclists is gigantic. On a single day you see more cyclist than we see in Sweden in a whole year. Robin: “It felt really good to cycle on familiar ground around my hometown. Even more so because I was in company of my father! The fact that I came home completely soaked didn’t mind me at all.” 

    Robin: 71,6 km / 26 m / 3:02:55 h / the Netherlands

    Day 7: South-Holland

    On Robin’s sixth riding day – and the seventh day of the challenge – he was about to complete the #Festive500. A ride of just 45 kilometers was enough to mark 500 kilometers. Robin: “The weather was pretty good and I had planned a ride I rode a lot when I was still living in the Netherlands. The route follows the Waterweg (canal), the shoreline and back zigzagging through the greenhouses. I was planning to ride on New Year’s Day too, but the next morning I couldn’t be bothered. After all it was time to bake ‘oliebollen’ – a Dutch delicacy of deep-fried round doughnuts eaten with New Year’s Eve.”

    Robin: 60,5 km / 70 m / 2:36:29 h / the Netherlands

    Robin managed to cover 516 kilometers in six days of riding. Unfortunately Sabina had to call it quits after 318 kilometers because of a knee injury. Luckily her knee felt better after a few days of rest and soon we were able to ride together again. Not because we had to accomplish a challenge, but simply because we love to ride our bikes.

    Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

  • Our new gravel racer bikes: The 3T Exploro

    Our new gravel racer bikes: The 3T Exploro

    All cyclists know, that nothing beats #newbikeday. You could combine all the wonderful gifts on Christmas and your birthday, and it wouldn’t even come close to the feeling of cycling on a fresh new gravel racer. So you can imagine how thrilled we were when DHL had a very special delivery for us from 3T bikes, all the way from Bergamo, Italy.

    After dragging our heavy loaded steel touring bikes over the roughest roads and toughest single trails, we wanted something completely different. Gravel is the way we roll these days, and we absolutely enjoy picking up some speed. A quick and light ride had been on our wish list for a long time, so we teamed up with 3T to find our new dream bicycle.

    Pioneers

    3T is a brand well known for their bicycle components. The real bike freaks know they produce top of the notch rides too. A short history lesson tells us that Turin Tube Technology (that’s what those 3 T’s actually stand for) originally focused on the manufacturing of steel tubing. The brand really made name for itself in 1981 with the release of the Superleggero drop bar. At that time one of the lightest drop bars available on the market. 

    3T has a track record of being first: first to introduce modern aluminium to cycling, first to produce an aero handlebar and first to design gravel specific wheels. Since 2008, 3T added the production of carbon-fibre composite materials to their production line. Another first-timer was the release of the first aero-carbon-gravel bike: the 3T Exploro.

    3T Exploro gravel racer

    The Exploro was exactly what we were looking for, a quick and lively feeling carbon bike. The design by Gerard Vroomen is extremely lightweight and made for fast off-road exploring. The bike is designed to fit road, gravel and even mountainbike wheels and tires. Sporting 700c wheels, it handles tires up to 40 mm. But if you want to ride really rough terrain, the setup with 650b wheels will accommodate 2.1 inch (52 mm) knobby mountainbike tires. 

    Choices, choices

    The Explore comes in many builds. We both have the same frame, but a completely different bike. Where Sabina (WTB Venture 650b x 2.0”) can ride any terrain with incredible comfort, Robin (Schwalbe G-one 700c x 35) is fast fast fast on hard packed and tarmac. We both really wanted to try SRAM’s Force group set. Sabina even went a bit overboard and opted for Force/Eagle AXS etap.

    Gravel cycling weekenders

    A big bonus is that we now have a way bigger radius for our overnighters and (long) weekenders. The bikes are perfectly capable of carrying a few bikepacking bags, as long as we keep the kit to a minimum. These bikes are definitely not made to go on bikepacking adventures for months in the back country. That’s neither the kind of riding we have in mind. We actually chose the bikes to go out on long day rides and maybe even participate in gravel events.

    Exploro Team Force/Eagle AXS ETAP

    Off-road monster with SRAM Force AXS, Eagle XX1 derailleur & 11-50 cassette

    Handlebar   3T Superergo TEAM Stealth
    Shift/brake levers   Sram Force1 Hydraulic DoubleTap
    Rear derailleur   Eagle XX1 AXS Long Cage
    Brakes   Sram Force1 HRD Hydraulic Disc w/ Sram 160mm Centerlock rotor
    Crankset   Sram Force1 44T
    Cassette   Sram Eagle 11-50T
    Wheelset   Fulcrum Racing 7 650b
    Tires   WTB Venture 650b x 2.0” Tubeless, Tan Sidewall
    Saddle   Fizik Antares R7
    Pedals   Shimano SPD

    Exploro Team Speed Force1

    Pure speed-focused spec for both road and gravel rides

    Handlebar   3T Superergo PRO
    Shift/brake levers   Sram Force1 Hydraulic DoubleTap
    Rear derailleur   Sram Force1 Medium Cage
    Brakes   Sram Force1 HRD Hydraulic Disc w/ Sram 160mm Centerlock rotor
    Crankset   Sram Quarq Prime Carbon Power Ready 40T
    Cassette   Sram 11-speed PowerGlide 11-36T
    Wheelset   Fulcrum Racing 7 700c
    Tires   Schwalbe G-ONE ALLROUND Performance 700x35c
    Saddle   Fizik Antares
    Pedals   Shimano SPD

     

    Post scriptum

    The attentive reader may have noticed that Robin’s bike is not equipped with 700c wheels, as mentioned in the specifications. Last week a young kid on an electric scooter drove head-on into us. This resulted in a lot of scratches, bruises and a broken front wheel. Luckily the amazing folks at BienVélo will patch them all up, so they are soon all pretty and shiny again.

    Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

  • Bikepacking in our backyard Häckeberga

    Bikepacking in our backyard Häckeberga

    Who could’ve thought, that the seemingly disappointing end of our bikepacking journey was actually the start of something great. On our way from Georgia to Japan, we now suddenly hear ourselves call Sweden home. How’s that for a plot twist. We are happier than ever, here at our new base camp from where we can partake in all kinds of outdoor adventures. Right in our backyard.

    When COVID-19 was hitting China and Italy hard, we still had a spark of hope that things would calm down soon. But the situation only got worse. We soon realized that cycling from one country to another would be close to impossible for a long time. Let alone cycling from one continent to another.

    Cycling life after COVID-19

    We spent months, if not years preparing our adventure. And even though we had some time to let reality sink in, it still felt like an abrupt end. Don’t get us wrong, we are definitely not complaining. All things considering, our grief over a mere holiday cut short is nothing compared to what so many people have and still are facing in the darkness of this pandemic.

    Time to go home. But that was just the catch. We didn’t have a home. Or a country that we wanted to call home for that matter. Returning to the Netherlands wasn’t really an option for us. At least not one that we would opt for. A cold turkey arrival would have meant an abrupt end of adventure. Living an adventurous outdoor life isn’t impossible in the Netherlands, but we figured that other places would simply be better. And there was one odd duck in the lockdown mania that stood out to us.

    Malmö & Häckeberga

    That odd duck was Sweden. Friluftslif-loving Sweden, with more forest than you could ever imagine. We’re currently based in the city of Malmö, the third largest of Sweden with only 320,000 inhabitants. An old harbour city with a cool mix of tradition and modern architecture. The Öresund Bridge connects the city with the Danish capital Copenhagen. By train, it takes only 18 minutes to reach København.

    Besides the city and it’s conveniences, the area of south Sweden, named Skåne, offers some other great quality’s. Right outside Malmö you’ll immediately set foot in nature. Just a stone’s throw away there’s the Häckeberga Nature Reserve. It’s one of the most valuable forest habitats in Skåne. Landscapes vary from ancient pastures, rolling fields and expansive forests. Also known as: gravel paradise.

    Train tracks and gravel

    Skåne offers an extensive network of trails and gravel roads. There are thousands of kilometers of trails and the amount of gravel roads is almost endless. According to the guys behind the website www.grvl.se there’s over 250,000 kilometer of gravel in whole Sweden. Local knowledge about routes is needed, otherwise you’ll have no idea where to start planning your ride. A lot of gravel roads are dead ends, which lead to logging areas or to completely nothing. Sometimes it’s inevitable to conquer challenging trails and hike-a-bike through thick forests to link gravel roads together. But that’s part of the fun, right?

    Mountain biking

    Right in the heart of Häckeberga lays an impressive web of mountainbike trails. Over the past years the Swedish Authorities have actively promoted mountain biking. Thanks to the increasing interest more trails are continuously being built. There’s even an MTB-park just 4.5 kilometres away from Malmö’s central train station. The trails in Häckeberga are challenging and technical. Sharp corners, muddy surfaces, rocks and roots make riding here quite demanding. The official trail is 35 kilometers long, but there are way more trails waiting to be ridden.

    Camping

    The Swedes love to camp. There are hundreds of camping grounds spread out all over the country. The majority are with facilities such as shops and restaurants. But wild camping is the way to go in Scandinavia. Allemansrätten, the right of public access, allows you to pitch your tent almost everywhere you want.

    Allemansrätten is not just about camping. You’re basically allowed to walk, ski, boat or swim on private land as long as you stay at least 70 meters away from houses and gardens. Cycling is included in this as well.

    Cycling and hiking is not as divided as it is in for example the USA. There’s no ban on cycling on hiking trails. But since the trails are designed for hikers you’ll need to give priority to hikers as a cyclist. There are exceptions and prohibitions by local ordinances, but these are very rare. The motto of Allemansrätten is ‘do not disturb, do not destroy’. But mostly, enjoy! (yes we added that last bit ourselves)

    Windshelters

    In Häckeberga, and all throughout the rest of Sweden, you can find these wooden semi-closed structures. These shelters (vindskydd in Swedish) are the most common type of shelters which anyone can freely use. In peak season most are even equipped with fire wood for the fire place. The shelters are the perfect getaway for short weekenders and full-on bikepacking adventures. Did we already say they are free to use? For everybody?!

    Now and then we scrape a minimalist camping kit together and ride to a vindskydd to escape our new city lives. The closest one from our home is only 14.5 kilometres away. There’s nothing better than breaking the routine of a working week. After lighting a campfire it is time to crawl into a warm sleeping bag. The next morning we prepare a cup of coffee and ride back to town.

    Work and play

    We are now trying to find a healthy balance of earning our livings (and hopefully saving up for some rad adventures to come) and enjoying the great outdoors on two wheels. It’s easy to get sucked in to working and social life, especially because those are fun too! We both enjoy our new careers a lot.

    Sabina is passionately saving the world with Too Good To Go. A social impact company driving a movement against food waste. The app connects users with businesses that have surplus food, so that this food can be enjoyed instead of wasted. Robin started working as a freelance editor, mostly for komoot. Komoot is a route planning app that inspires people to go out exploring by bike or foot. 

    Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

  • Where are they now? – Part II

    Where are they now? – Part II

    We were wondering what everyone is doing nowadays, and figured other people might have the same question. That’s why we decided to put together a ‘where are they now’ (you can read ours here). We would love to read your story. Here are some of the stories we’ve collected so far, but stay tuned for many more to follow!

    Venga.vamos

    You might know Silvan better as venga.vamos. He left his home in Germany in februari 2018 to travel the world by bicycle. Can you imagine traveling around for that long, what a dream! 

    Silvan was cycling in Brazil together with Isaura when the pandemic hit Europe. He decided to not fly back to Germany, straight into the pandemic, because Brazil was still calm at that moment.

    He and Isaura had already been staying at a Warmshowers host in Bahia for four weeks. The house is very close to National Park Chapada Diamantina. Now five months later them and two other travelers are still stranded in Bahia. ‘If I knew how bad Brazil would be affected and how the situation would have developed in other countries for example in Europe, I probably would have left Brazil and flew back to continue my journey in Europe’ Silvan says.

    Luckily he is at a good place. He doesn’t need to pay rent and he shares all the food expenses and always cooks together with his new travel buddies. In exchange they help around the house and the garden – there is always something to do, so it’s kind of a win-win situation.

    He is hoping to go back to his home in Germany, but not before he and Isaura get to visit her family in Chile and Costa Rica. Now they are just waiting patiently, in that same waiting mode as five months ago, just waiting for borders to open up again. ‘It’s a little bit frustrating because we can’t plan anything midterm, but we are still happy to be stranded in paradise and trying to make the most of our days here.’

    Silvan is using his time in lockdown to learn to travel inside rather than outside. A beautiful purpose, that many of us now finally get a chance to.

    Rnbcycles

    We met Rob and Bex in the very cold border town Sary-Tash in Kyrgyzstan last year. This adventurous couple started their journey in Indonesia and were slowly but steadily cycling back west all the way to the U.K.

    Rob and Bex were cycling through the Uzbek desert when all of a sudden the whole country shut down all borders. There were no cases of covid so it caught them by surprise.  They found a nice, affordable room in Khiva for a month, to wait until the borders would open and the ferry across the Caspian would start again.

    However after hearing from their embassy and England’s prime minister, they listened to their announcements that all British Nationals abroad should come home immediately. That same day they packed up the bicycles and jumped on the 15 hour train back to the capital Tashkent. ‘In the hostel in Tashkent we met back up with five other cyclists we had met the previous week, who were also trying to get home. We all signed up to a flight which was going to be at some unknown cost, to some European city at some time… perhaps within 2 hours. It turned out to be 5 days but we got the flight to Germany and then another flight back home.’

    When they got back to England they moved into a caravan living and working on a permaculture farm in Somerset. ‘It didn’t really feel that different from life on the road that we had known for the last 17 months. It was so rural that we didn’t really notice any restrictions for Covid.’

    When we met Rob and Bex they were already talking about living on the countryside, growing their own sustainable food and even keeping bees. It looks like this pandemic has fast forwarded them straight into this wish.

    Bex: ‘We are really happy that we got home when we did and believe that things happen for a reason. We have been in France now for three weeks and have bought a house with land. In November we will move to France to live there as permanent residents.’ Rob will enjoy setting up their organic smallholding whilst Bex will continue her work as a teacher and examiner online.

    Projectpedalfurther

    Of all the bicycle travellers we follow, Sara and Andreas were the first to fly back home because of covid. We remember being a little surprised with their decision and naively thinking it surely couldn’t be that bad (little did we know). While we were still happy cycling in India, Sara and Andreas were in Vietnam when they first read about the virus.

    At first they didn’t do much. ‘We didn’t think it was a big deal. Later we talked to many locals and started to read English written Vietnamese newspapers. The fact that China is not only a neighbouring state but the Chinese are also the biggest tourist group in Vietnam made us believe that the situation would get worse pretty soon. Sara’s parents wanted to visit us in Vietnam, but we thought that this would not be a good idea due to her age and the not very advanced health care system in the country.  This and the fact that we did not want to be stranded somewhere and depend on the help of our governments and evacuation flights, made us decide to fly back to Switzerland.’

    They left Vietnam on February 10, just three days after they had first thought about flying home. ‘We knew that some of our friends but also random people we met during these days did not understand our decision, as Corona did not really seem to be a threat in other parts of the world at that time.’

    Sara and Andreas are still in Switzerland and now live with Sara’s parents. At first they thought it was only for a few weeks until they could continue their trip in America, but the virus was faster. Their flights to Los Angeles were cancelled a few days after they had booked them.

    They thought of cycling in Spain or maybe in France, but after weeks looking for opportunities to travel they decided to postpone the trip until spring 2021. They use this time to work and replenish their bank accounts. At the moment Sara is working as a teacher again and Andreas works as a contact tracer for the health department trying to fight this shitty virus.

    Looking back they feel like they made the right decision going back when they did. ‘Although the interesting thing is that both Vietnam and our next planned destination Taiwan have done very well in fighting the virus. So we could have travelled a little further. But the fact that most airlines have stopped flying and so many people have had to go home on special flights after being quarantined in hotels still makes us believe that we did the right thing, even if it was perhaps a little too early.’

    This Swiss cycling enthusiastic couple definitely isn’t done cycling yet. They are now making the most of their time in Switzerland.  ‘For years we have spent our holidays and most of our free time on our bikes, and we will continue to do so. We are lucky, Switzerland is a cyclists’ paradise and there are still many unpaved paths and paved roads to discover.’

    If the situation allows it the project to pedal further will continue next year. Luckily Andreas and Sara don’t feel like they are running out of time. ‘Some years ago we decided not to have children. We are not in the business of “travelling – writing a book about it – starting a family – building a house”, which makes it a little easier to wait. Still, if we are honest, it sucks. We don’t think too much about possible destinations at the moment, because for now it just doesn’t make sense. But we would love to cycle the Americas one day. And also the return to Kyrgyzstan or the Himalayas is on our list.’

    Were you also cycling somewhere on this big blue and green planet when the pandemic shit hit the fan? We would love to read your story. Post it down below in the comments and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

  • Bike touring during COVID: Where are they now?

    Bike touring during COVID: Where are they now?

    We were wondering what everyone is doing nowadays, and figured other people might have the same question. That’s why we decided to put together a ‘where are they now’. We would love to read your story. Here’s our story for now, but stay tuned for many more to follow!

    Where was Farawayistan (Robin and Sabina) when shit hit the fan

    We were in India when we realized this situation wasn’t going to get any better soon. 
     

    What we did

    That was definitely not a place we wanted to get stuck, so we decided to bail to Bali. Sabina’s family was planning to visit there, and it seemed like a cool place to do some digital nomadding for a couple of months before hitting the road again.
     

    Where are they now and what we are doing

    It was way harder to find digital work than we planned and Bali was also heading towards a full lockdown. We were starting to run out of money too, so we decided our chances would be better in Europe. Moving back to the Netherlands didn’t feel right to us, so we moved to Sweden instead. Here we have a lot of amazing nature and freedom to do shorter cycling trips, which we can combine with our work. Robin is focussing on his photography and is working as a freelance editor for komoot (amongst others) and Sabina is fighting food waste at Too Good To Go.
     

    In retrospect

    Looking back, it might have been a bit naive to fly to the other side of the world to wait it out. We hoped this would pass sooner, which it obviously didn’t. But to be honest no one could have really predicted that this pandemic would have grown to the monster it became. So we lost quite a deal on expensive flight tickets, but we did get three amazing months on a very tranquil Bali in return.
     

    What the future holds for us

    Cycling across borders is out of the question at this moment. But we have a very big playground in this amazing country. Sweden is covered in luscious forests and the north is calling. We go out with our bikes as often as we can. We are definitely going on some European explorations way, way off the EuroVelo. In the back of our minds we are planning wild adventures, the Kyrgyz outback, and maybe even a race in the Atlas Mountains…

    Where are you now?

    1. Where were you when you realized shit was about to hit the fan?
    2. What did you do?
    3. Where are you now and what are you doing?
    4. In retrospect is there anything you would’ve done differently?
    5. What are the plans for the future?

    Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

  • Biking Bali

    Biking Bali

    Bali is probably not the first destination that comes to mind when planning a cycling trip. Most people only know Bali as a hip and trendy beach destination. But this Indonesian paradise island has so much more to offer than cocktails at the beach and selfies at rice terraces. The rich Hindu culture, nature’s beauty around every corner, friendly locals, amazing gastronomy and the steepest climbs you’ll ever ride.

    We arrived on Bali when the Covid-19 pandemic was about to hit the world hard. The situation on the island was still relatively calm. We had big plans to discover every region; hike-a-bike the active volcanos, cruise along the coast line and explore the undiscovered northern part. In reality we only went out for day trips and a few overnighters.

    Bikepacking Bali

    We stopped touring

    The Indonesian government hadn’t proclaimed a lockdown, but it felt wrong to freely travel around. With genuine biketouring out of the question we still felt extremely lucky to be able to go out and ride our bicycles in the area around our base, Ubud. Riding in this area made us fall in love with the island. It’s pretty much a perfect cycling destination if you ask us.

    Riding on Bali

    Riding on Bali is extremely challenging. The tarmac may be perfect everywhere but temperatures are boiling and the humidity is insane. Monsoon rain showers are a common thing. They come out of nowhere and leave you completely drenched. We weren’t complaining since it’s the perfect way to cool down.

    Since Bali is a volcanic island the roads are ridiculously steep. Most roads are north-south oriented, however there are east-west connections too. Riding these usually means conquering deep gorges and fighting your way back up on inclines well over 20 percent.

    The scenery makes every drop of sweat worthwhile. Starting at black colored volcanic sand at the beach you’ll pass bright green rice paddies and eventually make it to higher altitudes with magnificent sights on active volcanos.

    Local cycling community

    There is a small cycling community on Bali. Especially in the early morning we saw young kids cruising around on mountain bikes. Further inland you can find some pretty hardcore bike parks located between the lava fields. Pickup trucks with downhill bikes in the back are a common sight. In the lively capital of Denpasar there is a cool bike shop called The Bike Shop Bali. They carry a lot of cool brands and have quality materials if you might need spare parts.

    Warungs everywhere

    Another great thing about cycling on Bali is the abundance of warungs (local shops). Gado Gado, Nasi Goreng, Satay, fresh coconuts and of course Kopi Bali. Every local warung can fix you up, and usually for a very decent price too. A good thing, because cycling on Bali burns a lot of calories and refueling is super easy this way. Indonesian and Balinese food in particular is amazing. 

    Perfect little Ubud

    Ubud was the perfect base for us. Getting lost in the small streets of the family compounds where the aromatic smell of sweet incense fill your senses. It’s central and within five minutes you are surrounded by rice paddies. The layers upon layers of green rice terraces are broken by weaving palm trees. Ubud also tends to be a few degrees cooler than the concrete jungle of the southern beach towns. 

    What bike to bring

    There are roads for every type of bike on Bali. Take your full suspension mountain bike on a spin in one of the bike parks. Race up the steepest climbs on your road bike or pack your panniers as light as possible and tour around the island as soon as it’s possible again.

    The amazing scenery combined with the excellent craftsmanship gave us a real creative boost. Taking some time away from touring also provided us with the opportunity to think about how we want to continue our travels. Instead of viewing this pandemic as a blockage on our way we seek new paths. Our new path is now leading us to Sweden, but to Bali we will someday definitely return.

    Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

  • 4 reasons why cycling is the best way to travel

    4 reasons why cycling is the best way to travel

    Last year we cycled 8,000 kilometres through Central Asia and the Indian continent. This has truly led us to believe that cycling is the best way to travel. Here are the four things we like best.

    You wake up in the morning by the chirping of the birds in the apple orchard. Yesterday afternoon you had a chat with the apple farmer and he invited you to join him and his family for supper. You were treated like their guest of honour and the children kept firing questions at you about your trip.

    After an extensive dinner accompanied by the family’s delicious homemade wine, you excuse yourself. You are quite tired after that beautiful bike ride and still have to find a place to pitch your tent. “Put it in the orchard!” the man suggests. The children happily show you to their favourite spot where you can camp under the stars.

    Hospitality at its best

    We experienced this kind of hospitality nearly every day. Passing cars spontaneously stopped to fill our panniers with fresh fruit. A favourite in Central Asia is the watermelon, which is quite a challenge to carry on a bike! As a cyclist you will experience this kind of hospitality and helpfulness more as a rule rather than the exception. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

    Pure bliss of freedom

    On a bicycle trip, no one tells you what time you should be ready. There is no travel schedule and you decide where you go and how long it takes you. You can stop anywhere and anytime to take pictures. Or for a chat, usually started by the curious inhabitants of that small village that you just cycled through.

    On a bicycle trip it is also not necessary to book expensive excursions to see the area. You simply cycle through it yourself. This makes it much easier to get off the beaten track. Encouraged by the locals, who often like to give you an insight into their daily lives. You simply cannot compare that with an excursion to places where thousands of visitors flow through day after day, year after year.

    You got this

    Of course there are also challenges with a bicycle trip. You have to know how to fix a flat tire, and if your chain gets stuck there’s no-one but you to fix it. It is also important to think carefully about the right camping equipment and good cycling clothing. For example, it is advisable to purchase good cycling shorts with chamois for rides that can easily last as long as six hours.

    You can put bags on almost every bicycle, but be wary you don’t bring too much. Every extra kilo on your bike means a lot more effort on your side. This might seem easy in flat areas, but cross a mountain range and you will definitely start to feel it. Fortunately, the mountains also bring lots of joy. After that steep climb when finally reaching the top you quickly realize you did that all by yourself! An ultimate sense of bliss.

    Cycling makes you happy

    Being outside all day is very likely to make you happy. You get more energy and enjoy the abundance of vitamin D. You don’t have to worry about the dreaded holiday pounds on a bicycle trip. You can (and want to) eat all day long, which is actually for the best. You burn a lot of energy with all that cycling! Sports have also been proven to lower the stress hormone cortisol, making you not only feel happy, but also relaxed.

    Enough reasons to leave the suitcase for the next trip but take the bike inestead! After a year of world cycling, we are convinced. Our steel rods will takes us everywhere from now on.

    Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

  • The broken gear list

    The broken gear list

    If you ain’t got much, you make sure that what you’ve got matters. We put a lot of thought in what items we brought on our bicycle tour and these are the ones that unfortunately didn’t completely survive. Here’s the full list of gear that (we) broke.

    We’ll mention for each item if we believe it was a failure of the product or our own stupid fault. This list could be of help if you are researching what to bring on your bikepacking trip or bicycle tour.

    Broken kitchen gear

    Let’s start with our kitchen. You can see the full list of our kitchen gear here. The majority of our cooking gear is from Sea to Summit. Overall we are very happy with their stuff. It’s lightweight and pretty durable. 

    Sea to Summit Alpha Pan

    So we completely blame Josh and not Sea to Summit for breaking our Sea to Summit Alpha Pan. He forgot to flip out the handle so the plastic grip was right over the fire. It melted and we had to peel it off, but we are still able to use the pan. Good stuff.

    Mokapot and Sea to Summit X-brew

    It seemed as if we were doomed to not drink coffee. The cheap mokapot we bought lasted for one day. To be expected, but still we were quite disappointed when the handlebar broke of because it had melted. The Sea to Summit X-brew wasn’t a great success either. We didn’t find the right coffee, so it tasted more like coffee flavoured tea. Not the best. After a few uses the metal filter also broke when we were cleaning it.

    After a few months of cycling without our own coffee maker (we spent a lot of money in coffee shops) we finally got our hands on the Aero press Go. Of course, we forgot to buy coffee in the city and try buying that in tea sipping rural India.

    Victorinox Swiss army knife

    Sabina also broke Robin’s Victorinox Swiss army knife when she tried cleaning it in boiling water. ‘That will sterilize it’, she thought. Yup, it sterilized the hard plastic casing right off. Again still usable, so she still doesn’t get why Robin got pissed. The knife took payback immediately by the way, it cut her finger while flipping in all the clean blades.

    MSR WhisperLite stove

    Our MSR WhisperLite stove started malfunctioning in the midst of The Pamir Highway. Luckily our friend James had a spare fuel line which seemed to cause the problem. The stove comes with a small maintenance kit. If you’re going on a long tour and are travelling in remote areas like us, we recommend bringing along the MSR Expedition Service Kit.

    Camping gear took a hit

    Just like our cooking gear our camping gear (full list here) is under heavy duty too. We’ve camped in appalling conditions and three items didn’t proof to be bombproof.

    Sea to Summit silk liner

    Both our Sea to Summit silk liners tore at the bottom, but we could easily get that fixed by a seamstress. We categorize this under normal wear and tear.

    Sea to Summit air seats

    We used to carry two Sea to Summit air seats, but one got punctured by a small stick on the ground. We fixed it with the repair kit which worked like a charm. Now we don’t carry them with us any more, simply because we didn’t use them that often. Who needs seats when there are rocks.

    MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2

    MSR is well known for their excellent warranty service. We’ve heard many stories about tent poles snapping, bugs eating their way into the tent through the bottom and even a tent being ripped apart by monkeys on a Thai beach. Luckily we’ve only got small holes in our MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2. These are easily repaired with the repair patches. It really helps to use the MSR Footprint. It’s an extra barrier between your precious tent and sharp debris, gnarly twigs and taunting thorns.

    Popped panniers

    Midway the Pamir Highway Sabina’s Vaude panniers ‘popped’ open on the seam. The glue came undone, so we had to tape the bags shut with duct tape. Luckily this temporary fix lasted all the way to Almaty where she could swap here panniers for brand-new bikepacking bags.

    Wardrobe falling apart

    There’s probably nothing under as much stress as our attire. We are outside almost 24/7 and our clothes are what protect us from the sometimes brutal elements. We are impressed by the durability of our cycling apparel. It’s what we wore pretty much all the time.

    Take a peek into our panniers and see our full wardrobe here.

    Fjällräven Karl Pro trekking pants

    We bought the Fjällräven Karl Pro zip-off trekking pants because they promised us a durable material. It only took about two or three months for the fabric to rip and a lot of the seams to break. We barely used them while cycling, so that couldn’t be the cause. We washed the pants max once every three weeks and regularly applied new wax. Unfortunately Fjällräven doesn’t have a good warranty policy. They simply dismissed this as caused by extreme use and don’t take any responsibility. Guess we’re not buying these again.

    Quoc Gran Tourer Shoes

    A company that does have a great warranty on the other side is Quoc. The Gran Tourer is perfect for gravel ride but didn’t survive hike-a-biking up Tajik mountain passes. The entire sole came off and Robin had to ride with a duct taped shoe for the rest of the Pamir Highway. Quoc was really cool about it and send him a new pair. These are now being saved for future gravel rides and he now uses the Shimano XM7 for the rough stuff.

    Icebreaker shirts

    We wear wool every day, merino wool to be exact. And we almost never have to wash it. Icebreaker sent us some clothing before our trip, and we absolutely love it. It’s anti-bacterial, breathable, light weight and itch-free. Merino wool isn’t known to be very durable. The fibres are extremely thin, so we expected the items to wear down after such heavy use. So we are very impressed that we’ve only got a few small holes in our shirts. These were easy to fix with a needle and thread and a YouTube video explaining how to darn.

    Icebreaker Quantum gloves

    Sabina’s Icebreaker Quantum gloves didn’t work out that well for cycling. The fabric tore on all the seams, and we tried having it fixed, but they were broken beyond repair. When we head back to the cold again we are definitely investing in some cycling specific gloves. Any tips?

    Robin’s biggest nightmare: a broken Fujifilm X100F

    On a trip like ours there are two things that we absolutely cannot live without. First there are the bicycles. Can’t ride without them. The second is the camera’s. Capturing it all is our passion and there’s nothing we love more than sharing our adventures. Our beloved Fujifilm X100F gave up on us in Nepal. 

    It hadn’t been working as it should for some time. But now we couldn’t get a sharp picture at all. Also, the optical and electronic viewfinder can be alternated, but it got stuck somewhere in between. It’s pretty useless now and our expensive travel insurance isn’t covering it.

    We have a warranty from the store where we bought it, but then we would have to physically return it, and we are nowhere near the store. Fujifilm also gives a one-year international warranty but Fujifilm Indonesia (where we are now) cannot repair the camera. Luckily we still have the Fujifilm XT3 to keep shooting.

    How about the bikes?

    If there’s anything that has been under a lot of stress (if you don’t count our bodies) it’s the bicycles. Our Avaghons have proven to be sturdy companions. Besides a lot of battle scars there aren’t any serious damages. We have never even had a flat.

    When Sabina’s bike fell of a bus in Nepal the rear wheel had to be replaced, but the frame was still intact. There’s just a small dent in the top tube left. You can read more about our bikes here.

    Be ready to repair it

    It is inevitable that stuff will break when it is used under such challenging circumstances. You don’t go out cycling without a tube repair kit, so why not have a repair kit for other items as well. These items have helped us repair everything on the go.

    Tent repair patch
    Repair kit for air mattress
    Sewing kit for repairing clothes
    Tube and tire repair kit
    High quality tape
    High quality zip ties
    Superglue
    Multitool

    Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

  • Bikepacking videos – Part II

    Bikepacking videos – Part II

    Still stuck in lockdown? And already watched all films on our first collection of bikepacking videos? Then you’re in for a treat.

    At popular request here’s Awesome bikepacking video’s Part II!

    Bikepacking the Mongolian Steppe

    By Jay Bird Films

    There’s something special about the Jay Bird films. The vibe and pace are just awesome. It’s all about exploring and having a nice time on and off the bikes. They don’t only make great films, they make bikepacking bags too! We’d love to get our hands on these Bags by Bird.

    Because we’re a big fanboy and -girl; here’s the extended (39 minute!) version of Bikepacking the Mongolian Steppe.

    Huayhuash

    By Joey Schusler

    The Peruvian Cordillera Huayhuash is one of the most remote mountain ranges in the world. It’s rainy season and the circumstances at this altitude are unforgiving. “It’s like pushing a wheelbarrow up a staircase, while breathing through a drinking straw”. Disaster strikes with a bad crash and they run into some shooting Morochucos. This adventure is truly beyond.

    Melons, trucks, angry dogs

    By ERTZUI FILM

    Recep Yeşil and Erik Nohlin take us along the mighty Transcontinental Race in four episodes. Halfway through the race the riders’ perspective changes. There’s no room for rushing any more, they just want to cruise across Europe. It turns into a wild and inspirational journey in so many unexpected ways. Thanks for the tip Ana!

    I Just Want To Ride – Lael Wilcox and the 2019 Tour Divide

    By Rugile Kaladyte

    There’s no question about it. Lael Wilcox is the world’s best ultra-endurance bicycle racer. Did you know that in a race she doesn’t even filter her water to save time? Even when there’s cow shit or horse shit nearby. “I’ve done it before and been fine. I do it for every race. Filtering water is just too time consuming. It’s a risk, but there are a lot of risks we’re taking out here. It’s just one of them.”

    But it isn’t just about beating a record or finishing first. The equally talented Rugile Kaladyte beautifully captures how Lael just wants to ride.

     

    Our First Time Bikepacking

    By Mahalo My Dude

    If you don’t know the awesome video’s of Mahalo My Dude yet, get in for hours and hours of YouTube. This is their hilarious first take on bikepacking. They headed to the beautiful Sunshine Coast of British Columbia for four days and 95km filled with bikes, beers and some pretty sick trails.

    Admissions of an Amateur Bikepacker

    By Johnson Studios

    How hard could it be?? Ben Johnson thought when he came up with the idea of bikepacking and self-filming a solo adventure in the Andes of Peru. He had zero bikepacking experience.

    We can totally relate, because this is exactly what we thought when we started our bike tour on one of the most difficult bikepacking routes out there. With a full touring set-up that is. Like us Ben found out how hard it can be. But also just how beautiful and rewarding.

    Follow all our adventures on Instagram.

  • COVID-19 update (we found a home on Bali to stay safe)

    COVID-19 update (we found a home on Bali to stay safe)

    Self-isolate. That’s the new way of life these days. In our last COVID-19 update we told you how we fled from India. Our next move was finding a safe place in case of an outbreak, which according to some is just a matter of time. We are happy to say that we found a home to stay safe on Bali  This is how we are planning to keep safe.

    Can you imagine roaming free, cycling wherever you want. Doing everything in your own pace with no-one telling you what to do? Sounds like a dream right? Well, we were living it. This pretty much was our life for the last eight months. And then all of a sudden it was over.

    #stayhome when you don’t have a home

    And that’s okay. We needed to figure out what #stayhome was going to mean for us not having a home. Going back to the Dutch mayhem didn’t appeal to us. We just had to find a place to live in a country where we’d never before. A little scary, but mostly exciting. We knew that Ubud and Canggu where popular places for digital nomads, so these became our two options.

    Friends of ours were staying in Ubud, so we went here first. And it was love at first sight. We absolutely fell in love with Ubud and it’s very apparent Balinese culture. The architecture, the traditional music, the smiles and the friendliness of the Balinese. It warmed our hearts.

    No Canggu

    We visited Canggu too, but we just never got the same vibe there. If high-end co-working spaces with impeccable design are your thing. Or you love to strut in hip beach clubs and drink cocktails after a day of surfing on perfect waves is in your alley, go to Canggu! We think that we just aren’t that hip any more. Are we getting old?!

    It also feels wrong to sit in a communal working space in these times. Before we had the ability to prepare our own food, we had to go out to eat. You wouldn’t believe how many dirty looks Sabina got when she was coughing because she choked on a delicious Balinese green pancake. It was definitely time to start practice social distancing.

    Our new home

    We wanted a place where we’d be happy to be locked down in and from where we’d be able to work on all the amazing stories and footage from the last eight months. And boy did we find it. We found a home to stay safe on Bali. It’s a gorgeous villa with a loving family. We have a swimming pool, a lush tropical garden and super fast internet. We’re surrounded by rice fields yet close (10 mins cycling) to the supermarket and other necessities. We even get housekeeping every other day.

    The crisis behind COVID-19

    Do we need this luxury? No. Does it do anyone any good? Yes. The pool maintenance guy who just had a baby a few days ago gets to keep this job. The cleaning ladies can continue receiving a pay cheque and so does the gardener.

    We see more people getting in extreme financial trouble than people actually getting sick. This causes a lot of stress which can easily result in mental health disorders. This can have a great effect on the physical health too. So we try to choose wisely where we spend our money. Is it going to those who need it?

    Spend your money wisely

    Another example is the fruits and veggies we get home delivered. The farmers on Bali were preparing for high season, but with the corona crisis restaurants are not buying. A local initiative helps these farmers and buys the produce for fair prices and makes boxes for people to get delivered to their homes. 

    I’m sure there are a lot of local initiatives in your area too. Just ask around. We’d love to hear which ones you are inspired by or involved with in the comments!

    Stay calm

    Also don’t forget to think about mental wellbeing. We found a home to stay safe on Bali where we can practice meditation, exercise (indoors if necessary), try new recipes and allow ourselves to relax without scrolling on social media or reading the news. Instead, check out these awesome video’s we found!

    Stay safe, stay sound. If you want to talk, we are here.

    Follow all our adventures on Instagram.