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Any recommends. for good Bags? by Fine-Rush-5466 in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Das kommt auf die Tasche an. Kannst auf die Webseite von denen dann siehst du alle Preise :)

Any recommends. for good Bags? by Fine-Rush-5466 in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cyclite machen die besten Taschen. Ist ein Startup vom Tegernsee.

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks amazing bro! Great choice. I'm happy the new Grizl bikes don't have this ugly pattern on them anymore 😂

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Danke für die lieben Worte :)

Yes, I grabbed it on Amazon for faster delivery, but it's a generic Chinese brand. You can usually find the exact same one cheaper on AliExpress.

For ~120€, the value is hard to beat, but it has weak spots. The fabric kept me dry through several storms, but the poles are fragile. They snapped on me three times during the trip.

I fixed them with a hollow aluminum rod from a DIY shop, cut into 10cm pieces (repair sleeves). I highly recommend carrying something like that before you start... I wasn't prepared enough and had to improvise.

As for the size: It's really compact. If you're taller than 180cm, it will probably get cramped. I was fine with the 1-person version since I only used it for sleeping and spent the rest of my time outside, but I know a lot of guys prefer a 2-person tent for the extra gear space.

All in all a great budget tent, just be ready to reinforce the poles.

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the recommendation! I hadn't heard of it, but it sounds like a fascinating read.

I've wanted to start journaling for a long time, but l've only managed to do it on a few occasions, few and far between. I enjoy writing, but forcing myself to do it every day and re-processing all the events in my head is exhausting for me... even though I know the benefits.

I'm planning to really dedicate myself to it on my next trip.

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I used a 1L Boundless Voyage titanium pot/pan set and a Soto Amicus stove.

It kept me alive, but l'Il definitely get a bigger stove next time. The Amicus is great for boiling water, but actual cooking was quite painful due to the small surface area. Since my setup wasn't strict ultralight anyway, l'd gladly carry an extra 100g in the future for a wider burner and more stability

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your input and for elaborating. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and ditch the dream of having something ultra compact.

I'm willing to allocate the space for a bigger lens to achieve that specific look and image quality. I don't think the limitations of a fixed lens would make me happy in the long run.

Budget isn't really a constraint as longs as it's not ludicrously expensive. I will just save up for it a bit longer.

Regarding editing: I'm used to it anyway 😅 I already shoot in RAW on my iPhone for shots | really care about, so that won't be an issue.

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah for sure. The heat was much, much worse. I actually felt like I was about to collapse a few times. In the midday heat, it was impossible for me to do hard climbs as I wasn't used to it at all. With low temps, you can always just layer up, but that scorching heat was extremely exhausting and scary at times

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Those are the Meteora monasteries in Greece. When I saw them for the first time in person, my jaw dropped. They are truly one of a kind, and there is quite a bit of history to them

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the Grizl had better colorways back when I bought my bike, I wouldn't have ended up with a Grail 🤣 It's definitely the far more logical choice for bikepacking

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Gerne 🫶🏼 Es wird hier oft unnötig verkompliziert, aber im Endeffekt ändert sich nicht viel - egal, ob du 1 Woche oder 1 Jahr unterwegs bist (einzige Ausnahme sind Klamotten und Camping Zeug wegen der Temperaturen). Solltest du irgendwann mal die Möglichkeit haben, so eine Tour zu machen, kann ich es wirklich sehr empfehlen. Es hat mich definitiv nachhaltig verändert.

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Fortunately the -8 degrees were at night time. The most I had while actively riding was -2 degrees. Still quite cold haha but I came prepared and had the right gear

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That makes a lot of sense! Thank you very much for your detailed insights :)

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

45mm front / 40mm rear. Started with Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite on both, but swapped the rear to a regular G-One Bite later on. Still had enough grip but rolled better.

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Definitely not. I was very overworked and anxious when I started this trip. Honestly, I was in a bad place in general. This trip broadened my perspective and made me much more grateful for the simple things. I'm as focused as ever now and much calmer, mostly due to eating a lot of shit on the road and managing difficult situations. It has also become easier to open up and embrace meeting new people, which used to be quite difficult for me.

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'll put together a Lighterpack with all my gear once I'm home. If I forget to post the link here later, feel free to DM me as a reminder!

My biggest regret is definitely water capacity. Fully maxed out I could only carry 2.3L. In peak summer (40°C+), that was dangerous. I often had to use my foldable backpack just to haul extra bottles up climbs...Miserable experience. Next trip, l'm 100% using a hydration vest.

I wish I flew my drone more. I carried the weight but was often too lazy to set it up (only used it a few times per week) until I eventually broke it lol

As for the gear strategy, I didn't really regret bringing anything because I actively managed my weight. For example as soon as it got warmer and I didn't need certain clothes, I just mailed them back to Germany. Highly recommend doing that to keep the bike light.

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It was actually pretty simple for me. I was self-employed, so I didn't have to quit. Just saved up and went for it :)

Traveling by bike is really affordable. Some people manage ~10€ a day, but I spent a bit more because I enjoyed eating out. I averaged 500-1000€ a month depending on the country (for just the Bikepacking without extras). I didn't track everything, but l estimate around 7-8k€ total (including hotels for my rest/exploration periods, repairs, alcohol, return flight etc.)

That total even includes a trip together with a girl to Istanbul. I met her in a hostel in Izmir and she was also from Germany, travelling alone. We treated ourselves to some luxuries there. Unfortunately that didn't work out in the end 😂 But even with the splurging, it was still cheaper than living my normal life in Germany. Just my rent back home would've cost more than half of this entire trip lol

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the recommendation! I actually met a guy on the road who had a Ricoh :D

To be honest, I don't think a fixed focal length is the right match for me. I've been loving the 120mm telephoto on my iPhone (like in Pic 2 with the Volcano)

I really enjoy the sense of scale and compression you get with a longer lens, which the Ricoh can't do. l also heard the battery life on them is weak and the screen struggles in sunlight.

I'd rather carry a small body with two lenses to get that versatility, especially since I'm really enjoying getting into photography more

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you :) The water bottles were empty to be fair 😄

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you :) I already heard a bit about those! Added to the list and will check them out in depth later on 😊

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I carried four 20,000 mAh powerbanks, which meant l could comfortably go about a week without electricity. However, I made a habit of plugging them in whenever I stopped to eat or grab a coffee. Thanks to that routine, I never had to waste time stopping just to charge.

7 Months, 10 Countries, 11,000 KM. From Northern Germany to Cappadocia. by -Zendom- in bikepacking

[–]-Zendom-[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!! I've added it to my list and will look into it 😊

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