There are probably a few lessons that stuck with me...but fewer that made it this far in my brain.
\- Don't rush. Rushing leads to bad decisions when choosing the right gear on the trip. I prepped my gear for the next day the at night. Charged up devices, AXS batteries , laid out clothes and alternatives. Knowing the next days plan helped with what to carry on me, and what to leave in the van for a mid day swap. Our big bags were not easily accessible so we needed day bags in the vans.
-Bring a fresh bike. Do not put things off thinking you will do them after the trip. Fix the bike, and fix it again after. Grease everything, over grease if necessary. Most bike storage places in EU are not heated. So our bikes got washed and put away wet nightly.
-DH casing tires are a must. Continental Kryptotals, Schwabe Super Gravity Big Betty's were fully trouble free. Maxxis tires got roached daily by other riders.
-Brake pads and rotors! Order stuff from European distributors to your accommodation. Cheaper than NA prices and lighter bags to deal with on the way over. A liter of Shimano mineral oil was $15.. Over a kg saved while hauling the bike around.
-AXS is king! Cable free shifting is great on the trip. Sure you may need to carry a spare der. that costs a $600 but being able to deal with it without dealing with cables in a dark, Italian horse stable at night is great.
-Do the Grouse Grind with a heavy pack weekly. No amount of riding prepares you for all the hiking with the bike on your back. Start doing the grind!
-Learn some basic language. Sure Basque is almost impossible but basic Italian and French is super helpful in Refugios chatting with hilarious old men. Eskerrik Asko!
-Leave some space for the unexpected. Make sure your flights are flexible, get there earlier than you think and be prepared to leave later than planned.
-Bring spare shoes. Ideally the second set being a disposable one at the end of its life cycle. Nothing better than leaving a pair behind in the garbage for the flight back.
-Bring the right plug adapters. Ones in Italy are different than the ones in France! subtle but different. some adapters don't work in Italy.
I am sure there are many more I can't remember but will come to me just before my next trip.
Dec. 30, 2024, 9:18 a.m. - Deniz Merdano
There are probably a few lessons that stuck with me...but fewer that made it this far in my brain. \- Don't rush. Rushing leads to bad decisions when choosing the right gear on the trip. I prepped my gear for the next day the at night. Charged up devices, AXS batteries , laid out clothes and alternatives. Knowing the next days plan helped with what to carry on me, and what to leave in the van for a mid day swap. Our big bags were not easily accessible so we needed day bags in the vans. -Bring a fresh bike. Do not put things off thinking you will do them after the trip. Fix the bike, and fix it again after. Grease everything, over grease if necessary. Most bike storage places in EU are not heated. So our bikes got washed and put away wet nightly. -DH casing tires are a must. Continental Kryptotals, Schwabe Super Gravity Big Betty's were fully trouble free. Maxxis tires got roached daily by other riders. -Brake pads and rotors! Order stuff from European distributors to your accommodation. Cheaper than NA prices and lighter bags to deal with on the way over. A liter of Shimano mineral oil was $15.. Over a kg saved while hauling the bike around. -AXS is king! Cable free shifting is great on the trip. Sure you may need to carry a spare der. that costs a $600 but being able to deal with it without dealing with cables in a dark, Italian horse stable at night is great. -Do the Grouse Grind with a heavy pack weekly. No amount of riding prepares you for all the hiking with the bike on your back. Start doing the grind! -Learn some basic language. Sure Basque is almost impossible but basic Italian and French is super helpful in Refugios chatting with hilarious old men. Eskerrik Asko! -Leave some space for the unexpected. Make sure your flights are flexible, get there earlier than you think and be prepared to leave later than planned. -Bring spare shoes. Ideally the second set being a disposable one at the end of its life cycle. Nothing better than leaving a pair behind in the garbage for the flight back. -Bring the right plug adapters. Ones in Italy are different than the ones in France! subtle but different. some adapters don't work in Italy. I am sure there are many more I can't remember but will come to me just before my next trip.