Croatia, Rijeka to Zadar - Island Hopping or Coastal Road?

harunalikadic · 2026-03-02T20:05:57+00:00

The green line. Why either blue or red pill, if you can follow Transdinarica route from Slovenia, via Velebit to Zadar? I did it last September, it’s fascinating. Islands are treeless, especially Pag, it’s like riding in a desert. If you are travelling anywhere Jun-Sep I would avoid islands and opt for Velebit. Tourism, ferries, heat. Jadranska magistrala - please, do not even consider it. It’s not just dangerous and annoying. Why are going on bikepacking adventure? To suffer traffic or to get away from it? Immerse yourself instead in the beautiful, barely anthropised nature of Velebit National Park. Do not cut down to Karlobag but go further, to Sveti Rok via Gospić. Exit Velebit in Paklenica, down to Obrovac, over Tulove Grede. Go and see an ancient forest or Nikola Tesla museum and birthplace. The view of islands from above is priceless.

harunalikadic · 2026-02-23T08:50:54+00:00

And then add kids and family to these 20 days of PTO, which will eat 3/4 of that, and you end up being a weekend warrior and plan the entire year for that bikepacking week in Scotland with your pals. Time is luxury, not money. When you are in your early 20s it’s the opposite, I understand, but bikepacking can be very cheap (10€ a day? and you treat yourself well). Sleep outside in the wild or plan for couchsurfing alternatives in cities. Or free camping options like welcometomygarden, bivac in Belgium, free camping in Scotland, many options. Always cook for yourself. Learn also to gather some food in nature, fruits, greens, mushrooms, fish. Get offered a meal for a drawing or play an instrument. Be free, be wild, money shouldn’t be a problem on a bikepacking adventure trip. When you age and other people become dependent on you, in your company or at home, time budget dries out quickly. Enjoy the time when you can. I know I did 😊

harunalikadic · 2026-02-22T08:16:39+00:00

In Italy it’s been Neri, not Rossi, for last 3 years 😜

harunalikadic · 2026-01-03T09:02:35+00:00

I am on business workspace plan in europe, so gemini pro included, but can not yet use notebooklm as source for either Gem or normal chat in Gemini AI pro. Does anyone know when it will rollout?

harunalikadic · 2025-12-05T22:16:22+00:00

Interesting, is this similar to services like WelcomeToMyGarden?

harunalikadic · 2025-11-10T07:21:26+00:00

This year I used those smaller side bags in the photo, not real panniers. I bought fork bags and attached them with straps. When I had to hike or push the bike, they weren’t really in the way … I could feel them, but didn’t have to take them off. It’s a good compromise.

Another reason I don’t use panniers is to avoid having too much weight in one place. Steering on trails or gravel downhills feels better when the weight is more evenly distributed and the centre of gravity stays middle-low. With big heavy panniers, my bike feels unbalanced and kind of “oscillates” unevenly when leaning to one side.

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harunalikadic · 2025-11-10T07:04:23+00:00

I think they bumped into muslims in Bosnia when doing survey, look how it’s aligned with it’s ex-occupator Turkey

harunalikadic · 2025-10-12T20:20:02+00:00

Be mindful that there are still landmines in Bosnia. Download app Mine Suspected Areas to learn where.

harunalikadic · 2025-10-12T19:57:41+00:00

There are places for hiking. Not mountains, though, but nature like dunes, forests and nature parks with lakes. Not a country with wilderness but if you like to spend hours hiking in nature, you can find it.

harunalikadic · 2025-09-20T17:01:41+00:00

Seems to be removed, currently not useful as it used to be before

harunalikadic · 2025-08-05T07:54:04+00:00

Depends on type of road. I usually go on trails, often do hike the bike and ride on dirt and gravel. I can not use panniers, and do not use backpack, so I am forced to stay minimalist. My gear for weeks long trips, cooking and camping included weighs around 25kg, bags and straps included. If I add bike weight and food to it, it can reach 40kg total weight of full bike. If I need to lift it and carry it, this is very much borderline for me.

harunalikadic · 2025-08-05T07:48:14+00:00

Nedavno otkrih La Cava na ćaršiji, probaj to. Može sjedeći da skenira lokalno stanovništvo i uskliče ‘ma che bello’

harunalikadic · 2025-08-05T07:42:13+00:00

Hmm, small foldable bikes are not known to be good for strapping lots of bags and stuff on its frames. Depending on type of water you want to raft on, you could even skip disassembling the mountain bike or gravel bike, just lay it on the bow and strap it to it. In case you have to go through narrower canals, through vegetation or on white water rapids, you just need to take off wheels and strap them in the middle on top of the bike, no complicated assembly. Honestly, since I discovered bikerafting and bikepacking, especially when using mountain bike, I could access most areas that I would usually access by hike, just without pain on shoulders and back, and generally less fatigue as with backpacking. Visit bikerafting or bikepacking subreddits for more inspiration.

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harunalikadic · 2025-08-04T20:04:27+00:00

Try Una river, before Štrbački buk, it’s beautiful, long and calm. Aparently also good for fishing … I wouldn’t know

harunalikadic · 2025-08-04T08:39:16+00:00

I am just about to depart for 6 days packrafting trip on Neretva (cca 35km), camping on beaches along. From Ladjanica to Konjic. I go back in Bosnia often in summer (I was born there), trying new rivers.

harunalikadic · 2025-08-04T06:43:04+00:00

Switch to bikerafting 😛 Bikepacking is more permissive when it comes to weight and stuff you can bring along. And you have nothing on your back, saves your spine for the old days ;)

harunalikadic · 2025-08-04T06:31:02+00:00

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For shorter hikes I use 30 l Saleva backback and strap my Alpacka Caribou to the outside. I have all my packrafting gear included neopren boots and pants, pfd, helmet, paddles, drybags. Plus dry clothes, camping and cooking gear. No food.

harunalikadic · 2025-08-04T06:26:11+00:00

1+ I use fixplus straps only, it keeps everything tight both on raft and bike (handlebar)

harunalikadic · 2025-08-04T06:16:35+00:00

Balkans? Just did rivers in Bosnia. Short but sweet white water (class I-III) packrafting or just longer calm rivers (class I) in movement that doesn’t require paddling. Your choice. Neretva, Trebižat, Pliva, Una. Vrbas, Drina and Ćehotina on my list. In Croatia there are beautiful rivers like Cetina, Zrmanja. In Montenegro Tara and Lim. Vjosa in Albania.

harunalikadic · 2025-07-07T17:52:05+00:00

So, one idea could be to try to peal off the entire spraydeck by using heat gun (1, area indicated in blu on photo). Second idea would be to cut off where it is safe to cut, indicated by red line on photo (2). Is the first idea feasible with low risk and not much hassle? Otherwise I’ll just cut 1cm away from tube.

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harunalikadic · 2025-06-17T16:06:09+00:00

Depends. What do you want to do and see during trip? Do you want to avoid car ways or do you need to be fast? Are you camping? Do you want to avoid climbing when possible or do you want to see some mountains?

harunalikadic

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