Euro > Asia x Bike

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First Tour 2021-2022
Euro > Asia x Bike

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Hitchhiking

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina ‐ Jul 3, 2025

130 km

Long push to Sarajevo. Airbnb
Dobretići ‐ Jul 2, 2025

28 km

The morning till past midday we spend at the waterside, and the cute town of Jajace. We leave only after the weather starts cool off a little to tackle a big climb to set ourselves up for the following day. The evening views from the top, dusky colors and calm air are serene. We find a farmers field to pitch our tents
Brana ‐ Jul 1, 2025

80 km

We find free camping at the lake outside of Jajace and it’s a memorable place. We almost spend another night here. The water is clear and the waterfalls are plentiful. There’s even a cliff jumping platform that sits on a 25m waterfall! I want to, but I don’t. There’s tons more places to flip and dive off of.
Kluć ‐ Jun 30, 2025

78 km

After a couple days break in beautiful Bihać, Liam and I ride along the karst-sinkhole covered valley and find a unique camping spot among the crater strewn lush moonscape.
Bihać ‐ Jun 27, 2025

83 km

A longer day, and I make a friend! Billboards of Plitvice National parks line the highway, the waterfalls look amazing, it’s a detour and not cheap to enter. I think it’s possible to find a way to make it work, but as I cool down in the fresh water, another cyclist stumbles upon me. Liam is young - 21 and it’s already his second major tour at 17 he set of for the Trans American route, completing it two years later. He’s from he USA, and like me, he’s dashing out of Schengen, and is pl [...]
anning to finish he day off in Bihać. I change my plans and join his company.
Grad Otočac, Croatia ‐ Jun 26, 2025

47 km

The riding is lovely, the water is crystal clear and I meander along in search of the source of the Gaka River - an ancient spring called tonković vrilo. Delicious fresh trout for dinner!
Krasno ‐ Jun 25, 2025

45 km
Vidikovac Sviba Lookout ‐ Jun 24, 2025

56 km

Thrilled to see the Mediterranean again, I could feel it and smell it miles before. I get excited, even giddy as the landscape opens up in front of me. There’s a lookout overlooking the Croatian islands and I call it home. Sunset is beautiful and the rocks I sit on stay warm long into dusk. I sleep agin in the open air.
Delnice ‐ Jun 23, 2025

58 km

I know I’ve crossed my productive limit looking at my average speed the last couple of days, but today I started to become unusually irritable..
Ribnica, Slovenia ‐ Jun 22, 2025

78 km

The hilly karst region is surprisingly tiresome. Fasting while on tour probably wasn’t a good idea. My bowels feel better, but my fatigue is stagnant. The heat forces me to take longer breaks and more often. Anything is a good excuse to hop off the saddle in the shade
Kranj ‐ Jun 21, 2025

87 km

New beginning: I ride out of the Julian Alps and past Triglav- Slovenia’s tallest mountain, and into hay field and rolling hills. Kranj, once a far away city on the map, now I’m here and it’s real. I’m plagued with unforgiving diarrhea and realize how tired my body has become over the last couple weeks.
Tarvisio, Italy ‐ Jun 20, 2025

71 km

I ride the Alp Adria route to Travisio and camp just kilometres from the Slovenia, not ready to leave Italy just yet.

Last trek in Italy

After only a few kilometres riding in the morning I found a busy bike path. The award winning Alp Adria Route goes from Strasberg to Trieste and followes a former railway. I understood the term cycle...
Amaro ‐ Jun 19, 2025

77 km

Only slightly off the main tourist path and already the towns feel a little different. Hard to say exactly what. By the end of the day I was all the way down to 300m and made camp on the bank of Tagliamento east of Tolmezzo.
San Pietro di Cadore ‐ Jul 18, 2025

59 km

I woke up to yet another spectacular mountain sunrise, the northern face of the Three Peaks reflected the orange glow of the sun. I was in a perpetual state of awe. Around midday I reluctantly turned away and retraced my steps back to Misurina and descended over a 1000m into the valley past Auronzo. A sharp turn east took me through a 4km long tunnel after which I followed the Piave River to Chompolongo where I made camp for the night
Tre Cime ‐ Jun 17, 2025

29 km

These roads are steep! 10-15% grade and a long way. All so worth it though, my hike ended up being less than 100m because I was able to ride all the way to the base of Tre Cime! I missed the sunset glow on the west face by mere minutes, but woke up to a superb sunrise! The Queen of the Dolomites indeed, the view was incredible; every mountain peak had a unique flavour and could have held centre stage in any other mountain range - but here, the Tre Cime hogs all the attention!

+4
Cortina d'Ampezzo ‐ Jun 16, 2025

39 km

Start my day with a visit to a castle then go up and over Passo Falzarego and into Cortina as the rain comes in. I see a wicked photo of a mountain in a magazine and decide I gotta go there. It’s not too far away so I make the move to and head out of town, anticipating a big overnight hike the next day
Livinallongo del Col di Lana ‐ Jun 15, 2025

23 km

Dumb idea. And I missed the wicked light show from the pass…
Sass Pordoi

6 km

My rest day started chill. Amazing sunrise and a call home. But, the more I looked at the mountain, I concluded that I have to see the view from the top. So, by rest day turned into a hike up Pordoi Sass. In the afternoon, I regrettably and stupidly descended, only to end up riding into the thunder storm.
Jouf de Pordoi - Passo Pordoi - Pordoijoch ‐ Jun 14, 2025

64 km

My biggest day thus far! I had planned for only three, but I couldn’t help but push to complete all four of the Sella Ronda passes! I was caught in an afternoon thunderstorm midway through, but managed to arrive in Passo Pordoi at 10:30pm. The 2700m of elevation took 6.5 hours of riding, the climb to Passo Sella and Pordoi each took 2 hours! Man, it was totally worth it though!
Pozza di Fassa ‐ Jun 13, 2025

50 km

Taking the Val di Fiemme i Fassa was a good choice. I only wish I had known about the Palaeontology and the Great War Museums along the way!
Aldein - Aldino

64 km

I continue my decent into Bolzen/Bolzano, but then am faced with a crossroad. To follow a northern route or a southern route. I sit in the shade for over an hour weighing the critical decision. In the end I decide to go south and follow yet another railway- bike route up the Fiemme and Fassa Valley to the famed Sella Ronda bike circuit. The Via Claudia Augustina route continues to Venice; easier perhaps, but the Dolomites are calling my name!
Burggrafenamt - Burgraviato ‐ Jun 11, 2025

98 km

Now on the sunny side of the Alpen pass, I take the back seat and descend over 1200m throughout day along the Adige River to the beautiful city of Miran. One of the easiest, yet rewarding days I’ve had on a bike. It gets hotter!
Graun - Curon Venosta ‐ Jun 9, 2025

90 km

I pivot away from my previous heading to Innsbruck and follow the ancient Via Claudia-Augustina road, now turned bike-route over Rechen pass and enter into find myself in the South Tyrol region of Italy!
Mühlsprung, Austria

74 km
Schwangau, Germany ‐ Jun 8, 2025

118 km

By chance, I notice that the idyllic castle, Schloss Neuschwanstein is close by and it’s not much of a detour so I go the extra mile and camp next to the lake. This is one of the places my German family took me 10 years ago, why would I not go back for another glimpse?
Lindau (Bodensee) ‐ Jun 7, 2025

83 km

After several sunny days, of course I’m met with a chilling downpour as I resume my tour! I’m not ready to leave yet, but the realization that my Schengen Visa is limited to the end of the month, I’m pushed to get back on the bike and continue east. My plans are dashed, and I’m bummed that I couldn’t see my Swiss friends more, but I’m excited with the new possibilities of the Italian Alps and the Balkans!
Constance ‐ May 29, 2025

140 km

I join friends on a ride around the Bodensee
Constance ‐ May 27, 2025

After exploring the nostalgic city and briefly seeing a friend, I return to Konstance
Freiburg im Breisgau ‐ May 25, 2025

A series of perfect timing (and planning) gets me on the train to Freiburg and in time for dinner with my high-school-exchange host-family! Seeing the little one all grown up and taller than me made me realize the time that had past since I was last there…
Alpnachstad, Switzerland

17km loop, 1000m elevation in 4 hours
Schwarzenberg

Decided to stay an extra day and join Mosas on a hike to Pilatus! 🏔️
Basel ‐ May 22, 2025

Returned to Basel via Istanbul again and stayed with an old friend who I haven’t seen since 10th grade!
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt ‐ May 21, 2025

Pro tip of taking a 10le public bus took me to the wrong side of the airport and the far side of town. I paid another 10le for the return ride and I still had to walk 1.5 km from the closest drop off😅. 200m before the airport I took a taxi for 50le 💀

+3
Sharm el-Sheikh

98.4 km

Noon Bus to Sharm
Sharm el-Sheikh

It looked closer on the Map. But, in the hot afternoon sun the 45min walk became a test of endurance - trekking through the urban desert of concrete and asphalt! I missed the International Freedive Comp (some dives past 90m!) but I got to have a final goodbye with a friend and chill at the resort for free, then did some last-chance snorkelling before being kicked out. Luckily they were friendly and some staff drove me to a place I could eat and wait out the rest of the afternoon before my fligh [...]
t.
Sharm el-Sheikh ‐ May 2, 2025

Night out at the Farsha Beach Cafe

+2
Dahab ‐ May 20, 2025

Midnight Picnic
Dahab ‐ Apr 30, 2025

Bedouin Style Desert campfire
Dahab ‐ May 7, 2025

Everyone eventually trickles home. I extend my stay and Andrew helps me downsize and find a place in a quiet hostel. El Rayga

+8
Dahab ‐ May 1, 2025

We packed all our stuff in the back of a taxi truck and moved to a ocean front villa in Assalah

+5
Blue Hole ‐ May 3, 2025

At 150m depth,the Blue Hole is internationally renown for excellent freediving and deep diving

+6
Beginner Zone ‐ Apr 30, 2025

New hobby?

+6
Dahab ‐ Apr 28, 2025

Off to the final destination at the Red Sea, Dahab!

+3
Mount Sinai ‐ Apr 27, 2025

Sunset hike up Mount Mosas

+5
St Catherine ‐ Apr 24, 2025

The fabled ancient monastery in the heart of the South Sinai Mountains!

+3
Faiyum

Escape from the city to explore small local pottery artisan shops

+3
The Giza Pyramid Complex ‐ Apr 23, 2025

The Mecca of tourism, but for good reason!

+4
Cairo ‐ Apr 21, 2025

Next stop: Cairo!

+4
Alexandria ‐ Apr 15, 2025

A break from the bike. I join a gang of friends to explore Egypt!

+3
Constance, Germany ‐ Apr 13, 2025

Finally met up with Johannes. Last time we I saw him was 2017
Constance ‐ Apr 12, 2025

87 km

I push on and arrive a day early
Pfäffikon, Switzerland ‐ Apr 11, 2025

67 km

The lakes route
Zug ‐ Apr 10, 2025

70 km

There are many Swiss routes but they are very difficult to follow for very long.
Altdorf ‐ Apr 9, 2025

80 km

The final pass is unfortunately also closed. Less than 50km from the source of both the Rhone flowing south to the Mediterranean and the Rhine flowing north to the North Sea. Sadly, I pivot down valley and away from the trusty EV route
Realp

The Glacier Express
Oberwald

25 km

The overpass is still closed due to snow so I’m forced to take the train. I don’t mind too much because it has been slow going. Snow and cycling don’t rhyme
46.385646, 8.130148 ‐ Apr 8, 2025

65 km

Valley detour. Warum?
Sierre, Switzerland ‐ Apr 7, 2025

83 km

Met a fellow bikepacker Antoine from Belgium. Inspired me to seriously think about working in the EU this winter…
Monthey ‐ Apr 6, 2025

76 km

Some of the most beautiful country I’ve seen and excellent riding!
Fugueres, Spain ‐ Mar 25, 2025

60 km

Stretching and rolling is helping my knee

+3

Dali’s Day

As I did not want to push my luck, I sought to give my body a day to recover. Waking up to sunrise, I packed up my tent before anyone gave me trouble. In the cover of the night I had taken up camp on...
Lake Geneva, Switzerland ‐ Apr 5, 2025

62 km

Decided to go around the lake on the west side to enjoy the mountain view and the sunrise
Geneva ‐ Apr 4, 2025

25 km

Not the best camp..
Geneva ‐ Apr 3, 2025

50 km

A bit of a shock to arrive in this busy and compact city
Genève

In the Lyon train station I decided to just make the hop right to Geneva
Lyon-Saint-Paul, France

It’s not cheating!
Orange

Final track along the lower Rhone River before I hop on the TER train to Lyon
Avignon ‐ Apr 2, 2025

85 km

I make a new record of riding an average of 20.0kph over 4.5 hours riding
Arles ‐ Apr 1, 2025

90 km

I make a friend and we ride to Arles

Arles

Turning away from the coast was daunting, but I was comforted by waterways the whole way; first the by canals, and now the Grand Rhone. Not long after lunch, I caught up to a French cyclist and we rod...
Montpellier Beach ‐ Mar 31, 2025

67 km
Agde ‐ Mar 30, 2025

95 km

Tailwind all day!

Sunny Sunday

I guess when the weathers nice and I’m fit and able, there is less to write about.. Today marks the last day I’ll be riding along the French Mediterranean coast. In some sense, it’s everything one wou...
Sigean ‐ Mar 29, 2025

10 km

With winds forecasted for over 100kph and with yesterdays experience with headwind, I only cycled 10km before I hung up my hammock and called it a rest day
Sigean

77 km

Headwind all day, up to 80kph!

Scenic wind

A man from Bordeaux confirmed my suspicions, “this is known as the windiest place in France. They hold windsurfing championships here”. Tomorrow, it will be dangerous, he added ominously. 30 minutes l...
Site de Panissars ‐ Mar 28, 2025

The start of the French Mediterranean section of Euro Velo 8

France! And EV-8

France! I don’t know what it is but I’ve been in a great mood since I stepped foot in this country. Border crossing days are always memorable - good or bad. This was a good one. The jont up to the bor...
Saint-Cyprien

81 km

France!
Teatre-Museu Dalí, Spain ‐ Mar 27, 2025

Salvador Dali’s final masterpiece - his own museum in the centre of his hometown
Museu de la Marihuana ‐ Mar 22, 2025

Hemp Hash and Marijuana Museum
Figueres ‐ Mar 27, 2025

19 km

Most of the day spent in town and at the Dali museum
Girona ‐ Mar 24, 2025

63.1 km

Catalan Country

Another ride day! Somewhat surprisingly, it was sunny all day - just as the forecast had predicted. Since I had arrived in Girona after sundown, I spent the morning exploring the historic Jewish quart...
Calella ‐ Mar 23, 2025

62 km

With rest came moral and better weather. I decide to abandon the mountain route in favour of the beach, and left as a hellish rainstorm enveloped the whole city, I only barely escape

+2
Barcelona ‐ Mar 21, 2025

19 km

Less than 10km and my knee is in pain. I stop to rest and the rain begins. Miserable, I turn around and head to the nearest hostel. I stay 2 nights

Slowing down

I have a deeply ingrained need to save a dime wherever possible a matter of principle. While practical at times, it’s also a huge waste of time as well as valuable energy and a massive bore. While I c...
Barcelona ‐ Mar 20, 2025

23 km

I make chili con carne pasta in the parking lot and head out of town to camp with a view of the busy tangle of highway

The other side of spontaneity

Well, I think this might finally be the end of a frustrating episode. The flexibility of having no plans also breeds rushed and incomplete planning… I’m not convinced that the dichotomy is an intrinsi...
Barcelona - Sants
Madrid ‐ Mar 17, 2025

An hour and a half after boarding the train I find myself in the dazzling city centre of Madrid. I had meddled around during the day and had finally deported in the late afternoon, now it was dark but the city was far from ready to sleep.

+6

A New Form of Travel

I’m on a train from Avila to Madrid. Looking out the window, all I wish for is to be riding out there, right now. The tundra-like pastures are dotted with granite boulders and black bovine, the gray c...
Ávila ‐ Mar 16, 2025

107.5 km
Salamanca ‐ Mar 15, 2025
Ciudad Rodrigo ‐ Mar 12, 2025

83 km

+6
Pinhel, Portugal ‐ Mar 10, 2025

55 km

+4
Trancoso Castle ‐ Mar 9, 2025

66 km

+5
Ston’s Camp ‐ Mar 8, 2025

67 km

+3
Caramulo ‐ Mar 7, 2025

61 km

+4
Aveiro ‐ Mar 6, 2025

41 km

+2
Orbitur Camp ‐ Mar 5, 2025

127 km

Long day riding. The buildings and flat, farm and river feel of the countryside near Vieira reminds me a lot of Japan. From afar, there are many similarities. A lot of the day was spent riding the Euro Atlântico bike path which runs along the coast here. Maritime Pine is the sole dominant tree species here growing from the seaside all the way to the inland mountains with Eucalyptus being the choice of the plantations. Logging in the recent past seems to have wiped out huge swaths of the land, [...]
reducing it to mellow sand dunes of shrubbery. It appears that replantarion was attempted, however the success of the trees was questionable at best… There were many huge clear-cuts and some small selective-type harvesting but the largest were in excess of 10km across that I saw. Maybe I’m being too critical, but most of it looked like it was cut in the last 5-10 years and neat till marks were present everywhere, but I only saw a very small handful of saplings! The riding pathway on the other hand was high quality!

+7
Leiria ‐ Mar 4, 2025

107 km

Leaving Foz, it began to rain, it got bad enough, that I hunkered down at a Berger King to dry, charge my phone and steal wifi. I ended up sitting there for a few hours and started working out how to use TravelMap. I replied to messages and sent photos to friends to prove I was still alive. By the time I left around 14:00 it was sunny out and I enjoyed my afternoon ride along the coast. I thought my legs were tired yesterday, but I was hurting today too, even when pedalling downhill… I had pum [...]
ped my tires an additional 10 psi to now 45psi in the morning, but something was off. With high volume tires like my 2.5’s you can’t pump them up too much otherwise they become bouncy. Finally, I stopped and spun my front tire - fine, then my rear - not fine, the tire would hardly spin… after I readjusted the brakes (yet again), the rest of the day was bliss. Almost the whole ride today I was on a dedicated bike path following the coast, so nothing to complain about; even the constant headwind couldn’t foul my mood. The last 20 km was dead strait, and it was a slow decline the whole way and a sweet ride. Seafood pasta salad and fries for dinner followed by a customary espresso to finish. Although, I have saved up for this trip, it’s in my nature by now to try and save money on everyday expenses. My budget for this trip is the equivalent of how much I usually spend in Canada over a year. I have been ruthless with my saving for the last 7 years and have averaged around 25-30k including all my expenses. My budgeting plan now is to spend as little as possible on accommodation and transportation (hence the bike and camping gear), the two biggest money drainers, for food and experiences I’m more relaxed, breakfast and lunch I’ll grab from the grocery store, cafes or street vendors, but for dinner I’ll go big with (almost) no budget. Good gear is a must and so is data.

+8
Foz do Arelho ‐ Mar 3, 2025

17.8 km

My legs were begging for a rest day, so I complied. On the map Foz da Arelho rooked like a good beach spot for a sunny and it did not disappoint. The lagoon to the south is apparently the largest inland saltwater lagoon in Europe. The sun was in full force so I managed to wash my clothes and dry them in the steady breeze. I even went for a swim and had a shower. I had a redemption meal after last night fatty dish’s and enjoyed a four course meal featuring another octopus salad (this time only [...]
lightly oiled), seafood soup, skate fish, and tiramisu, with an evening espresso.

+6
Óbidos ‐ Mar 2, 2025

110 km

Fist long day on the bike. After riding through mud, sand and chunky gravel yesterday and today, I’m glad I opted for wide tires. The tubeless and fast rolling tread of the Extraterrestrials are faring pretty well so far on the mixed terrain I’ve been riding. I was muddy and soaked, but determined to have a good meal I asked to sit down at a 4.5 star “Portuguese-style restaurant located within the castle walls of Obidos. The German lady next to me looked less than thrilled and shot me som [...]
e well deserved side-eye. I ordered octopus salud and crispy pork belly. After a days riding, I was looking to refuel but the fat density of my meal was nauseating! The octopus salud which was fresh and delicious was swimming in olive oil like soup and if regular pork belly wasn’t fatty enough, wait till you try piglet pork belly, with a side of potato chips. I revered the age-old wisdom of following water downstream to find civilization, and followed the aqueduct up and out of town to a quiet place to pitch the tent.

+5
São João das Lampas e Terrugem ‐ Mar 1, 2025

+3
Sintra

It wasn’t 2 hours since I woke up and I found myself hike-a-biking up a foot path to the top of the mountain which is a mix of a vertical granite boulder field and jungle. I didn’t know what to expect from Sintra, I just knew that it was on the list of “things to do in Lisbon”. I think I googled this at the airport when I was planning to stay low for a day or two to get “aquatinted” with the new and unfamiliar country. That plan lasted until I also saw that Capo da Roca was (only) 60 [...]
km from the airport. Shoulda taken mom’s advice… Biking through the town in the morning, I saw a castle way up top overlooking the town, but also, I think at least the whole south of Portugal. I thought to myself, there’s no way I’m biking up there; stupid idea and not an option. Less than 10 minutes later, while wandering around the empty streets looking for coffee, I found that I had become committed to finding my way to the top. I think when you bike or hike up a hill, you become reluctant to lose elevation, so, the bias becomes to keep going up. That’s my theory anyway, because I actually had no intention of biking up there. At the castle entrance I was told sorry, not open till 9:30; great, at least I can eat breakfast and chill a little in the hour… The history of this place is interesting, you should look it up. Apparently they found evidence of people living here since 5000bc, the fricken Neolithic Era! Between the Moorish Castle and Palace of Pena, a had my fill of tourists attractions. I didn’t miss the crowds and long queues but I’m glad I spent the time while I was up there. I have to say it took conscious effort to follow through with the whole ordeal, otherwise I think the entrance fees and tourist vibe would have dissuaded me.
Sintra ‐ Feb 28, 2025

17 km

While eating an unplanned yet surprisingly good sushi for dinner in Colares (I left 5 stars), I decided to make my first detour to the historical and picturesque mountain town of Sintra. Feeling good riding in the dark, the up track blew by without much thought. I found a quiet empty lot and pitched my tent for the first time. I watched enough videos of the fancy Durston X-Mid 1 that it already felt pretty natural to set up.
Colares, Portugal

16.1 km

First stop, Decathalon for rain pants and backpack cover. I was still feeling foggy and off until I indulged in a vending machine coffee. The coffee totally revived me, and with the revival came back my motivation, strength, willpower and I could think again! I finally made it to the start line, Capo da Roca, the Western most point on the European Coastline. There, the sun shone, and it was glorious!

+7

Capo da Roca
Alcabideche ‐ Feb 27, 2025

28.2 km

Rough, rough first day. I almost QUIT! The jetleg, sleep deprivation from only 3-4 hours of sleep a night for the last week, and the torrential downpour all eroded my moral on day one. I also managed to take every wrong turn trying to get out of the city and my phone screen wouldn’t cooperate in the rain. Cold, wet, exhausted, and mentally defeated. What a way to start the journey. I sat in a supermarket cafeteria for a couple hours, my shoes and clothes completely soaked through and stared [...]
out the window, seriously reconsidering what I had decided to do with my life… I was unable to think clearly or do much to help myself. I bought food but didn’t eat it, but almost falling asleep, I realized I just desperately needed to rest. With my phone battery draining astonishingly quickly and unable to navigate the hotel apps I decided to find a place to camp. I found cover in a storage shed in a gravel pit and tucked in, too tired to set up a tent, inflate my air mattress or even take off my wet clothes or jacket. In my stupor I thought my clothes would dry with my body heat. Bad idea, everything else got wet, but I managed to “sleep” for 12-14 hours.
Lisbon ‐ Feb 26, 2025

After assembling my bike at the airport I find my way to the nearest park for the night.
Lisbon Airport

Finnally arrive in Portugal at 17:30. By the time I find my box and set up it’s late. Photo credit to Josh

+2
Lisbon ‐ Feb 25, 2025
Calgary, Canada
Vancouver, Canada ‐ Feb 25, 2025

I still have never ridden my new rig outside. Everything comes together last minute. New wheels and drivetrain.

+6