ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 มิ.ย. 2024
- #SicilyDivide #bikepacking #adventure
I had one goal this year: Finishing my first solo-bikepacking tour. Although, not being new to ultra-endurance cycling: The Sicily Divide route broke me. This is my story.
ABOUT ME:
Hi, I am Nono. I am a amateur triathlete and bikepacking enthusiast from Hamburg in Germany. I love exploring the world by bike whilst learning something about myself and the areas I am visiting. I believe that challenging my mind and body and sometimes reaching my limits helps me to grow and improve as a human-being.
LET'S CONNECT
If you have any questions, ideas, feedback or want to otherwise get in contact: Let's have a chat on instagram: / nononymus
ABOUT SICILY DIVIDE:
The Sicily Divide route is a beautiful bikepacking trail cutting right through Sicily from Trapani in the west to Catania in the east. With a distance of 458 km (285 mi) and 8,550 m of elevation gain (28,051 ft) it's recommended to do this adventure in 7 days - I tried to do it in 4 days.
Website: sicilydivide.it/en/
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0:00 Intro
1:33 Chapter 1: The start
4:00 Chapter 2: Good vibes
5:20 Chapter 3: First struggles
10:00 Chapter 4: Cretto di burri & Poggioreale
13:43 Chapter 5: Night ride
16:01 Chapter 6: Finally Food
17:28 Chapter 7: Starting day 2 in Montevago
20:35 Chapter 8: Breakfast in Sambuca di Sicilia
22:11 Chapter 8: Railway Bridge
23:18 Chapter 9: Heat & Exhaustion
28:49 Chapter 10: Final push
32:48 Chapter 11: Defeat
36:20 Chapter 12: Redemption at Hanse Gravel
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#outdoors #cycling #documentary
Having done the full Sicily divide route about a month ago, may I suggest that next time you just stop any of the local cafes and bakeries that are on route? Have an arancini and a coffee and stop making out it's just fully into the wild with no infrastructure? You may also want to make contact with the Sicily divide team who provide a brevet card which is stamped at recommended sleeping and eating spots on route. Finally you might want to shed a lot of that weight you are carrying, you are going to struggle to have a good time with a 29kg setup on a climbing heavy route.
Thanks for your comment and congrats on finishing the route. How many days did it take you? Next year I will go back and do the same!
My plan was to stop at cafes and bakeries but I guess I was just super unlucky because almost always when I came across one, they were closed. Doesn't matter if it was morning, noon or late afternoon. Maybe it was also due to the season? Anyways, take Salemi for instance: according to Google right in the old town's center there are several bars and cafés, a burger place and a pizzeria. Google Maps says that at least half of them are opened during the day. When I was there, however, it was a ghost town. Don't get me wrong: I am not ignorant and I am not complaining. I understand that the depopulation of villages and thereby the sinking of life quality on the countryside is a real issue for regions such as Sicily. I am just a tourist passing through. I know that. The point I want to make is: I tried to plan as good as possible, but the plan didn't hold. And yes, I got the brevet card, which is nice and helpful, if you want to sleep in a house/flat. But I prefer sleeping in a tent because it makes the whole experience more wholesome. So it didn't help me much.
Regarding the equipment: I already have some of the lightest equipment there is. But I brought a lot spare parts like a chain, tires and tools. I wouldn't want to miss that. And of course the camera equipment (although being very light) is a factor, too. Maybe 5 kilograms including a strong powerbank. Anyways, the solution I chose in later bikepacking adventure is: different gearing, shorter days, and more food on my bike to be more self sufficient. So far that worked very well.
Ciao @@nonoexplores, I'm from the south of Italy and I can tell you that what you see on Google Maps doesn't really reflect the reality. The level of technology adoption is very very low there. What I suggest in the South is to plan the route according to these "rules":
- General rule: everything closed from 12:30 to 16:30. This you should plan as a fact and everything you find open just take as a gift from God :) You cannot count on restaurants either for lunch, Italians in the South generally do not make use of restaurants for lunch ... mainly we use them for dinner.
- Bars: you can count with them open from 6:30 to 11:00, then is very questionable. It very much depends on the mood of the owner if it stays open
- Grocery stores: this is what you can count on but not all of them are the same. South of Italy is full of small, family driven, grocery stores but here, again, the opening hours are not guaranteed. If you want to have more predictability you should search bigger chains like Eurospin, Conad, Lidl, Pam, Coop.
- Bring dry food with you that you can rehydrate and eat in case of emergency.
- Eat enough carbs, every 30-40 minutes you need to eat something and ensure, at least one of your bottle contains electrolytes (you can bring powders that you just add to your bottle when refilling)
The last thing. I failed a lot of times with these trips and, thanks to my failures I learned a lot of things. So enjoy the failures because they bring knowledge and great experiences! Enjoy cycling is a wonderful sport!
See you on the roads ;)
@@marcocasamassima389 thanks mate! Just saw your answer now. Your rule of thumb for opening hours is super helpful - and it fits exactly to my experience. Many thanks. Dry food is something I now always have with me. Powder carbs for bottles, too. I just find the ratio between carbs and weight and space needed not so ideal with them for bikepacking. But I have them for the occasional bottle ...
Do It in 4 days instead of 7 was maybe the worst decision. As someone said "It's not a race". Anyway i think that the wild sicily Is Better than the touristic sicily.
Yeah, with video production, too. For me the best part of bikepacking is sitting down and not pedalling for a while. Can't do that often if the schedule is super tight.
Thanks for the video, one of the best bikepacking ordeals on YT in my view. I agree absolutely stunning Sicilian couintryside. Look forward to rthe next one !! and yes I have liked & subscribed
Ahhh that's so amazing. Many thanks for the appreciation . The next video was already shot and I am currently starting editing. 🙌
Where’s the fire dude. Are you racing or bikepacking? And you’re doing content for TH-cam at the same time. A recommendation, do it for you not us.
More cynicism, please, he's doing it not for us, but for our advertising dollars.
Less whining, more riding. Less swearing would help. Next time more realistic daily mileage, better food planning, etc
The bike is to heavy for only 480 kilometers, too much stuff on the bike.
Ive never seen something like that scene of you eating pizza 😂 it looked like you'd pulled it over you like a blanket! I dont know how you didnt burst out laughing just seeing yourself like that but i guess you were just super drained at that point. It was very endearing from my POV though 😁
WELL DONE for attempting something so hard and getting as far as you did. Some of the stats you were throwing out were just crazy! 29kg, more than 2000m of climbing in a day with barely any food! I think youve had more than enough people telling you that you tried to do too much so im just here to say how impressive you are, and how likeable you were even in your darkest moments.
I'm bike touring in a couple of weeks and will be climbing about 1000m per day, i will think of you when it gets tough and feel like i've got it easy! Thanks for the great video, keep doing what you're doing and take care of yourself bro! Much love from hilly Wales.
Great video! It's true that once you start bikepacking, you can't stop just like that, no matter what kind of problems you've had during your adventures. Memories that we get from our trips will be in our minds forever.
So wise! I am still thinking a lot about this trip and I learned so much from it and about myself. More than I probably would have by just finishing the route. And for me that's the important part about challenges and adventures: learning something about myself.
Beautiful vidéo and shared feelings. Looking Forward to tour next adventure
Many thanks! Very nice to hear that you liked it. I wanted to show true emotions (including the lows) and not making the average everything-is-amazing-social-media-stuff.
A very important thing to remember among the differences between northern and southern Europe are the opening hours. Here in Italy, for reasons mainly due to the warmer climate, we are used to eat between in the evening after 8 p.m. and there are restaurants open even until midnight. In the end, love your video and have fun discovering the "Bel Paese" by bicycle ;)
Many thanks! Happy that you liked the video! Yeah I knew that it would be lonelier during the day than - for instance - in Germany. However, I was under the impression that during lunchtime Italians would take a longer lunch break which they spend in small bars or restaurants. This was, however, not the case on the countryside, which is probably also du to its low population density. But I learned that and will rely less on local infrastructure in the future.
Really enjoyed your video. Quite the challenge and adventure you had. Well done and looking forward to the next one.
Lovely, thanks for the comment and the appreciation ☺️. Next trip will be in Spain - this time with my girlfriend and not alone, though 😅. But solo-bikepacking is also on the list for this year ☺️
It was a really nice watch, wish you good luck in adventures to come
Many thanks! I am currently on the Montañas Vacías bikepacking route! Video will come! 🤟
Have done a bit of bike packing in my time and watched more than a few bike packing vlogs and yours ranks in the top 5 . Your honesty , your attitude , your cinematography, sound, everything just brilliant . Your comment on the train about facing failure is something many aspiring bike packers should think about. Chapeau on such a great video.
Hey mate, many thanks for your kind words. Much appreciated! It's great to see all the positive feedback after being honest and vulnerable to a wide audience. But it's good to hear, that this is appreciated. I want to tell stories as they are and not polish them for social media. And if other people can learn something from my mistakes (and successes) even better.
Great! Inspirational! we learn a lot when things don't happen like we're expecting...
Every trip is a learning experience 👍
Cool video. It's interesting to see not only success story. Incredible views. You need more ultra-endurance experience for trips like this to keep going day after day. Good luck with future adventures!.
Thanks for the appreciation. I personally think that failure is part of an adventure or an challenge and sometimes has to happen, so that all the successes really feel like proper achievements because you know that they are not given but must be earned. That's at least what I felt in my last bikepacking trips after Sicily.
Enjoyed watching your video. This looked a tough route indeed. Thanks for showing us those abandoned villages. Interesting. Great drone shots. And you fitted all that in when cycling these vast distances on this rough trail!
But looks like you also learned a lot on this trip. Hope you keep it up and take us along again.
As I am older now and not an athlete at all ( never have been), I try to do fewer km so there is also some time to enjoy. 😉
Thanks for the appreciation! And yes, I definitely learned a lot. Mainly, as you say, to reduce the km per day. Ride safe and enjoy!
Absolutely LOVE your video! Sure, the scenery and the sunsets are great, but without the visible&audible content of you moving through this environment, without seeing your physical condition and your physical effort, without you conveying your dramatic range of emotions of perceived failures and successes...well...without those your video would just be another pretty Sicily travel ad. Not that a travel ad is bad...but dude, YOU are the star of the show...and STAR you did! In this one relatively brief video, you exhibited ability to provide dialogue evidencing uncommon ability to communicate with depth. Your German accent was just strong enough to add delight, rather than impairment. Your videography appears to be well on its way. In my humble opinion, you probably have the potential to be the next Iohan Gueorguiev. Surely, it is going to take you a while to even approach his level, but I think you might just be able to pull it off. Exceedingly rare quality potential. If you are not already familiar with Iohan, check out his See the World TH-cam videos, and take in just how huge a compliment you just received.
@bohurley2051 Wow! What a lovely comment. Many many thanks. Great to hear that you also appreciated the - let's say - more honest and true side of the video. I sometimes have the feeling that in social media many creators do not dare to show the downsides of their adventures and maybe shy away from showing what it truly cost them. I tried to show both sides and I did challenge myself on purpose to experience both. I believe that in this "sweet spot" between failing and succeeding you can learn the most. Therefore , great to hear that you appreciate that. And thanks for the comparison with Iohan. Didn't knew him before, but super interesting stuff. Not sure if I can live up to that but your comment motivates me to try at least. Enjoy your day
This is an incredible video. I really felt it!
So happy to hear, that the emotions (the ups and downs) translated and you could feel it. Many thanks for watching
Looking forward to seeing you again doing the Sicily Divide. We know you can do it! 🙌
Take at least 7 days this time please!
Many thanks! I am also looking forward to it and I will give it more time. At least I will plan a buffer. So that I don't have to catch a flight directly after the day of my planned arrival so that I have more time if I need it!
@@nonoexplores yeah, that would be great and beneficial to you because you also don't need to push yourself to the limit and you can have more time for recovery between days of riding. Ride safe always Nono!
Your drone footage is epic. The bridge collapse and the history were my favorite parts. Your emotions juxtaposed to the beauty were stunning. Just keep pedaling man!
That's amazing to hear. Many thanks. Very motivating. The next video is already in the making. 🤟
Great video, thank you.
"I'm faster!! Whoa!!" Super rad video. I didn't know how beautiful Sicily is. Wonderful video.
Many thanks! ☺️
Super Reisebericht! Zwei Ideen dazu: Eventuell solltest du hoch kalorige Survivalnahrung mitnehmen. Speziell für diese Tour mit den steilen rauen Anstiegen wäre ein Racehardtail geeigneter. (Bessere Bergänge, Bremsen und Federgabel). Alles Gute, Wolfgang
Hi Wolfgang, danke für deinen Kommentar! Bei meinen Trips danach hatte ich tatsächlich auch Survival-Nahrung dabei. In Sizilien hat dummerweise die Kartusche, die ich am Flughafen gekauft hatte, nicht auf meinen Kocher gepasst. Deswegen hatte ich dann keins auf der Tour. Aber ab jetzt nehme ich immer was mit! Und Race Hardtail klingt sinnvoll. Recherchiere ich Mal. Danke dir.
Not a total defeat. You showed a lot of detail in there. As it was the first time you did it, it was always gonna be a journey of firsts, with a lot of learning. Well done for the effort.
Super Video, toller Schnitt und gute Musik. Danke fürs mitnehmen! Hat echt Spaß gemacht!
Gerne geschehen und vielen Dank!
OMG, sorry. traveling in Italy and eating plastic shit salami from the supermarket. What an awkward moment.
Yeah, that was definitely a weird experience. I was also hoping for more culinary experiences 😅.
Zu Beginn des Video hab ich schon gemerkt, was ein Brett dieses Video ist. Hast einen Abo verdient und bitte hör nicht auf !!!
Mega! Vielen Dank für den Kommentar und das Abo! Nächstes Video is in the making.
great music and video thank you
I have a feeling that one day you will go back to beat this route :) Great video! I was thinking about this route but now have the idea how it really looks like!
That's motivating. Many thanks! I am super sure that I will beat this route next time! And you should do it, too. It's an amazing route with stunning nature, landscape and interesting sights and places.
Great video, great adventure, i try to be a little more flexible while on a bike ride because things don't usualy go as planed, but i love it when all gose wrong, that's where the adventure is!
So true! And yes, I added a bit flexibility into my later rides too. But it should still be a bit "tight" to keep the thing "interesting" ^^
Tolles Video und mega spannend!
Danke dir! :) Freut mich
Just completed my first unsupported bike packing ride from Burgos to Valencia and had almost the same experiences as you! Its really tough!!
Burgos to Valencia? Maybe we accidentally met. Because I just finished the Montañas Vacías route which is in the same area 😅. Anyways, sorry to hear that you had a rough experience, too. But somehow good to know that there are others too 😅. What's your biggest learning?
@@nonoexplores My biggest lessons were to take less stuff on the bike, and just to keep going at your own pace no matter what . A lot of riders abandoned this on the very first day due to mud (or clay). Don't worry about the GPS data and how many miles are left, just focus on getting to the next stop or village. Lastly, simply enjoy the ride, you may never go back!!
innazitutto complimenti per le riprese e soprattutto per l'aspetto narrativo: il tuo viaggio è sembrato davvero una sorta di purgatorio ed è emerso molto bene il conflitto con la natura. Alcune volte sembrava fossi in paradiso, altre all'inferno. Dopodiché, per fare solo bikepacking è necessaria una minima conoscenza dei luoghi al fine di programmare le tappe. Arrivare in un paese quando i ristoranti e gli esercizi commerciali sono chiusi significa che si è sbagliata la pianificazione. Se penso di fare solo bikepacking in scozia, per es, devo aspettarmi orari diversi da quelli italiani e condizioni atmosferiche particolari. Detto questo, l'unica cosa che veramente non comprendo è la fissa nel finire il giro in 4 giorni invece di 7. Può essere un'idea, ma bisogna ricalcolare le variabili alla luce delle scoperte che si fanno (es le deviazioni) o delle proprie sensazioni. Se ti fossi fermato a un certo punto, per esempio dopo il giorno 2, se te la fossi presa più comoda, ascoltando il tuo corpo, sono sicuro saresti arrivato fino in fondo
Many thanks for your comment! Especially happy to hear that you liked the storytelling. I did a lot of planning, though. However, the information on Google Maps and websites of restaurants and supermarkets where not right. So that made it difficult. But you are right: My learning is to have more wiggle room or more buffer so that if something goes wrong or is unexpected I can react to it. In Sicily, though, I couldn't do this because I only had very few days of vacation left for the year 😅. So I went with the risk and hoped for the best. Especially because I did a very similar route (8000m up, 400km long) before also in 4 days. But it was a risk and it didn't work out. In my later bikepacking trips I arrived two days earlier and left two days after the planned end of the route. That worked quite well so far.
Hallo Nono, sehr hochwertig umgesetzt, schönes Color Grading und grafisch schön aufbereitet, gratuliere zum Video!👍🏻Respekt, dass du angesichts der gefahrenen Kilometer dermaßen hochwertige Aufnahmen zusammengebracht hast. Als Solo-Bikepacker mit Filmen geht einem einfach die Zeit aus, ich schaffe bei anspruchsvoller Strecke nicht viel mehr als 70 km pro Tag. Ohne Filmen hättest du das ja locker geschafft 😉 Abo hast dir verdient! LG Daniel
Hey vielen Dank für deinen Comment! Freut mich sehr, dass von jemand zu lesen, der das auch einschätzen und wertschätzen kann. Ich habe bereits ein weiteres Video abgedreht und habe deutlich mehr Zeit fürs Filmen (und Pause machen und Essen) eingeplant und das lief dann auf jeden Fall besser. Waren dann tatsächlich im Schnitt auch ca. 70km mit 1100hm pro Tag. Und danke fürs Abo. Haste zurückbekommen! LG
wow! great video
Many thanks 🙏. The next video is already in preparation ☺️
Brilliant, if brutal film. Thank you.
Great comment. If there would be a DVD, I would print that on the cover 🤣
I'm impressed you can take footage when you're having a bad day, it's not easy to multitask when you're just trying to make it through the day. My personal take is when someone says a trip should take 7 days I take 9 days and spend more time taking pictures and eating lunches. Nice video, the riding looked beautiful despite the hardship, thanks for sharing.
Hey many thanks for the comment. The filming definitely took a lot of time - although I did a test ride with filming before it took more time than expected and was one reason why does Sicily trip did not really work out. In my latest bikepacking trip in the Spanish mountains (video is currently being edited) I planned more time for filming while still making it hard enough to be a proper challenge that excites me. This time I think, I found a good balance.
Ride and learn, tri-guy/cry-baby ;). Nice documentation, enjoyed watching.
Great video and camera work, ride safe everyone !
Nice to see your experience.
Have switched from mtb pedals and clickshoes to flexibel trailrunners and flat pedals. It will make up our hikeabikes much easier. Especially on lose soils
Thanks for sharing your great adventure. Your friends from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Thanks for watching!
Wow. That was amazing. What an adventure. What a beautiful video capturing that experience. I hope you take in all the learnings such an experience gives. Looking forward to your future videos and adventures!
Many thanks! Very cool to hear that you liked it. More videos will come!
Despite your negativity in many sectors, it was interesting that by the end of the trip that you wanted to experience more in the future. This is the only way we grow, as we learn from our experiences. You don't need others to get on here and tell you what to do or not to do. Im sure you know. Keep it up and stay positive!
Thanks mate for the wise words. They are exactly my thinking too! You learn through hardships. And I am in the privileged position to "chose" my hardships - and being able to end them if they become unbearable.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I'm sure you've learned a lot. However, here's some thoughts... Don't over plan and be happy to abandon the planning you do. Plan appropriately e.g. know where to restock. Give more wiggle room time-wise. Allow an extra day or two when booking your flight home. Pack 80% less stuff and the stuff you take needs to be multi purpose - e.g down jacket is a pillow or an extra layer for your sleep system. Ditch the tent for a simple bivy bag. You spent time and energy putting up a tent in a perfectly good shelter - a building!! You even injured yourself doing it!!! Take a water filter. Always have some hi energy food with you. Big block of chocolate, peanut butter, cheese, bread - and piece of fruit and restock every shop / convenience store/ supermaket - if you need it or not. When I go on long multi day trips, aside from the stuff I take on my normal rides, I take: a bivvy (270 grams), a lightweight tarp sometimes, only when needed (180 grams), an ultra light down jacket (320 grams), and sleeping bag (390 grams)... and that's it. I'm sure you've learned all this now though. Thanks for the vid and good luck with your next trips. Always test your gear and choices locally first and if you want to go back to finish what you started do it regardless of subs and stuff like that. Good luck. Dave xx www.goinglong.co.uk
Hey thanks for the advice and the comment. Some of your suggestions are definitely learnings I also made.
the most important is: wiggle-room. My mistake was not to plan with more time buffer (I basically didn't have more vacation days left at work😅) . In my latest trip I arrived two days earlier and flew home two days later so that I would have the chance to react to unforeseen circumstances and could for instance include a rest day if needed.
A bivvy is something that I will definitely try in the future. However, I currently believe that I would find it hard to get enough deep sleep in it (more a mental thing). And my tent is so light that a bivvy is not much of a weight save. However, the building time might be an argument. I'll think about it. Thanks!
What I already did in Sicily and on later routes even more is to always stop for food when I find something and to buy stuff even when I don't need something in the moment. In Sicily, though, I was incredibly unlucky because so many shops were closed although my research on Google Maps and their websites (if existing) said they should be open. But hey, that's part of the adventure. Anyways, on my latests trips I also packed more hiking meals that only needs some hot water.
And yes: I will definitely go back to Sicily and do it again!
Thanks for your comment!
Ich habe so mit dir gelitten und mitgefiebert - ein echter Krimi! ☺️
Many thanks! Much appreciated. That makes the hardships more worth it.☺️
ja ja der me me me ich ich ich wahn, auch ICH have gelitten!
It did look hard, and extremely remote.
It's difficult re weight. Its tempting to travel light, but you are alone in such a remote area you don't know, and would be taking a huge risk if the weather turned bad.
Maybe next time try an easier route, an have a good chance of finishing.
Well done for your later route. So many beautiful places in Germany
Bruder, you did a really good job with filming and editing! Come to Croatia and other Balkan countries!
Good idea. I would love to! Do you have any routes you can recommend?
Good job, I am in Sicily this week and the one thing I have learned is this place is always throwing curve balls. Google maps is on crack and expect the unexpected.
Hope you go back and do the adventure again with more time, and show off the amazing countryside. I personally would love to do the route but in 9 days.
Yeah, totally right. Google Maps cannot be trusted there. I knew that I couldn't fully rely on it, but in regard to opening times and places, that only existed on the map, its a far cry from reality. I wasn't expecting such a stark contrast. Anyways, I learned that and I am allowing for more stopping time now so that I can wait for a restaurant to open, If I have to.
I have been exactly there brother. The walking up 20% gradients in the dark, solo, past hungry and big caloric deficits literally screaming at the abyss of darkness.
But you learn from it. And you are always better for it. Keep going man.
Hey mate, that's good to hear. Many thanks. As you said: it's a learning experience. And I personally think that exactly these hard things and especially failures can teach you the most. At least I learned a lot! The last two bikepacking trips already went way smoother.
@@nonoexplores looking forward to your next trip.
Great video. Just came back from Badlands solo in 12 days. Incredible ride. If I may, one tip: just take a few chainlinks, unlikely you would need an entire replacement chain. I had a few Hotpot meals with me to deal with possible lack of restaurants. My bike was also heavy at 35kg excl. water. Would defenitely try to go with max 29kg on a next trip, taking a bivy instead of a small tent. Good luck on your next adventures!
Congrats on finishing badlands! One day, I'll attempt it myself. Smart tip with the chain. You are probably right that a few chain links should do the job. Good thinking because the spare chain is super heeeeavy. And yes, since Sicily I always carry hotpot meals with me too! It's adding weight but I find it's definitely worth it. Good luck to you too!
Hey Nono. Great video, amazing trip and I'd like to do something like this. Love the places you visited, especially the concreted village that was hit with an earthquake. I only suggest one thing - keep profanity to a minimum as TH-cam algorithm might decrease the amount of times this video is shown to the public or ban it all together as any audience can watch it but overall great job, well done. Liked, subscribed, commented! :)
The quality of this video was worthy of a GCN special. Amazing and well done for how far you got.
Thanks a ton! That's amazing to hear. CGN's longer documentaries are definitely something to aspire to.
I hope you do Sicily again and take some more time to make it enjoyable.
I will!
Bravooo
Davvero molto bello. Complimenti 👏👏
grazie molto 😊!
Congrats man , From Costa Rica! Pura vida Mae ! , hey it would be nice another video comparing the weight and the list of items between 1st ride, 2nd ride, and last ride, so we can also learn from you. \thanks this is definitely very inspiring . God bless you and keep you safe all times.
Many thanks for the nice comment! I just finished a 10 day bikepacking trip in Spain and I am planning to do a equipment video showing all the stuff that I brought with me. Stay tuned!
what a shitty good time ;+) your editing ist wunderbar!
Haha, wunderbar comment. Many thanks!
In may I had to abandon a gravel tour in sardegna due to several mistakes on my side and errors in open streetmap. It was sad but you learn and go on.
Thanks for your comment! I think 'failing' is also just a part of an adventure. But good to hear that there are others😅. I hope you still had a good time (or at least during later tours).
Ya I think what killed your trip was not packing enough food and planning around Siesta. All of Italy closes from 1-3pm at least and many dining restaurants don't open until 7pm. So if you can plan the stops around that you should be able to do it Great attempt and cool ride to Poland as well. I was in Hamburg in 2000 and it was a cool city.
haha, I was there in April and despite the up and down of the weather, it is the best month, flowers everywhere. I am sicilian from Catania, but not living there anymore. I'll finish to edit my video hopefully in June. I did my own route, a round trip of 800km, 10,000 mt elevation, going through Etna and Nedrodi then to Corleone, Favara, Ragusa and Catania. I had several challenges too. I know you were new of Sicily, but there is much more than this "divide"; actually, the proper divide would be to cycle the Nebrodi Dorsale, cutting green forests on the watershed/mountain range which is north of your route. Neverthenless, Sicily is interesting indeed, but not properly functional when it comes to bikepacking. Sundays closures, lunch closures, bad country roads and lot of elevation, with dogs. One must adapt or being aware. In order to cycle the inland of Sicily with an average of 120 km a day, one must be totally devoted to the ride: time for drone images and film must be reduced to the minimum. It is fundamental to stop riding before it gets dark. This is south of Europe, there is no twilight after dawn. Having said that, Italy is pretty amazing and mostly better looking and cleaner than Sicily along the "divide". Villages are in better shape, facilities are better. PS: I have the same bike ;)
Hey mate, that's great to hear that from a Sicilian. I was hoping for a comment from a local. Many thanks for your insights.
Funny that you mention Etna and Nebrodi. During planning the route I also thought about that part of Sicily which looked super beautiful and interesting. Initially I was also thinking about making my own loop from Catania up to Messina and back. Maybe one day. Looking forward to your video, though!
Anyways, good to hear, that you agree that it's difficult to bikepack in the inland due to lacking infrastructure and closures of restaurants and DOGS! I didn't put much dogs in the video, but they were definitely a factor to consider. Most of them were super aggressive.
Anyways, thanks for the comment and I will definitely go back to Sicily and do it again!
@@nonoexplores good good. I am eager to see the interests upon the "sicily" subject and releasing the video would be interesting for that. The most of my followers/subscribers are americans. As I said, I did it in April (12th-25th) and I wasn't properly fit for the season. The Etna day was the first day, and it was pure climbs. The Nebrodi is a MTB route, it gets rough in several spots and one must push the bike. Not fun, but the place is solitary and pleasant. In general, sicilian minor roads are very steep, meaning that having a car, one would go with the second gear. The island has few plains and valleys are narrow. Mountains are all over. Anyway, you did a great editing/filming job and that is something that I look on a video. There is a good story behind. I am working on mine right now. Next time, try to book these hilly terrain tours at the end of the cycling season, like in September or October, when the body/mind is kinf of used to respond to the bike-touring hard days. At least, that applies to me. As I live in Sweden, I don't cycle during the winter and in April I was still pale and unfit for the challenge. My legs pain lasted days. Since I'll present my docu-film on an exhibtion (it won't be the same video as per TH-cam but still based on Sicily), I had to do it in April. BTW: you did not film the trash, but i'm sure you didn't find the island to be properly clean :D
@@vladywashere Yeah, I guess I was also not yet fully ready for the tour because it was early in the year - and I had COVID 3 months before the trip. Maybe that was also a factor that killed my fitness. Anyways, next time I will maybe do it in September or October. Oh and in fact the areas I was in were not that dirty with trash and stuff. Catania was though^^ But I don't mind. Anyways, looking forward to your film!
Mensch, super Video. Das mit dem Futter ist aber wirklich blöd gelaufen.
Hey, danke dir, Ulle. Ja, ohne Futter ist's hart😅
Italy observes siesta. It's too bad you weren't aware before this trip. When I first traveled to Italy it was a shock for me too. Also, wish you would have given yourself more rest the first day and not ridden so late into the night. Seems like you're wearing yourself out, and potentially making things unsafe for yourself. Enjoying the video nonetheless because you're sharing your feelings and the scenery is beautiful. Have no idea how you're managing to film this too.
Thanks for your comment! Yeah it was all a bit much but I was also looking for a challenging and uncomfortable experience. This time , however, I guess it was too much. In later trips I found a better balance. 🤟
I gave this video a like, but i'd prefer you to go back and enjoy yourself instead of suffering. Take more time, stop for restaurants, enjoy the scenery, shoot more video. Good luck with your projects.
I will! Many thanks
You should go back. Go in October, after summer, when conditions are drier, not wet after winter. Allow the 7 days (or more) that the route recommends. We never have a tight schedule or a ticket we can't change. Things happen, your bike breaks and you have to take an unplanned day off while you get it fixed etc...
Yes absolutely trough. Since Sicily I now always plan two days time buffer before and after the trip so that I have the chance to react to any unforeseen circumstances.
Looking forward to seeing the next video where you complete Sicily Divide. Give yourself 14 days not 7. Sicily isn’t a place you need to rush home from. Have a little recovery holiday up in Taormina after you reach Catania. Take a nap in the hottest hours. Only mad dogs and English men go out in the midday sun
Hahaha, I guess I am a mad dog then 😅. But yeah, I am also looking forward to doing it again - with some changes 😃
Hills ain't an issue with a recumbent trike. Have a rohlof on the back, 44/32/22 chianrings. Taking it easy , goes up a 15% at 2-3 mph , spins out in highest gear at 30mph
Which month did you do this? If during summer there is a chance that many of these restaurants are just closed for summer holidays. I noticed that in Catalunia at less touristic areas.
I did it in April. Maybe everything was still closed ? I don't know. I just think that this is just something one has to expect in depopulated areas. At least that's what I learned now.
Great video. Wich bike do you ride, and how many kg does it weight? Good luke for the next attempt .
Many thanks. I rode a Canyon Grizl AL 7. Its an older version. I love the bike but cannot recommend the gearing which is not suited to bikepacking with slot elevation. Canyon's newer Grizl bikes are better suited.
I enyoyed your trip but I should schedule the stages a bit slower. You certainly hot a heat stroke and that can be dangerous. Do it again with a friend, take your time and give your body more time to adapt to the climate.
Awesome effort , what is the next trip mate?
Many thanks, mate. My girlfriend and I just finished the Montañas Vacías Bikepacking route in Spain. This will be the next video (or video series, let's see).
Amazing video and story! Loved it!
That's so great to hear. Thanks for watching! The next video is currently in edit :)
2:56 eating process chips in a bag... in Sicily... land of culinary art...
Yeah that was sad... Was imaging it differently 😄
I almost feel sorry for you... you really didn't get the spirit of Sicily, and going to a foreign country means getting to know the culture and habits. Restaurants are mostly open for lunch and dinner and closed in between in whole Italy not just Sicily. I personally had the best time and food during my Sicily Divide in March 2023. Also sleeping in B&Bs in the central Sicily was very affordable and generous hosts would give you some advice on how not to suffer without food (: but in general nice video with great aerial footage
Loved your video..! Too many try to portray only the pleasantries of touring by bike. There are many times when it just sucks large...! I am now in my 60s and have done 10 oversees Eurotours ranging from 3 weeks to 3 months cycle touring. Most recently, Corcica, Sardinia, and Sicily last fall, so I get the topography. You are one tough MF but you need to cut yourself some slack. You can't possibly set those kind of time/distance goals solo. Your drone stuff is great but has got to be impacting your results. Hey, I know, diddley..., but only want you to succeed. Thanks again for keeping the pain and pleasure real...GMac
Many thanks for your comment! And wow, I hope I will be able to do such great tours as you do in the future too! Great to hear that you appreciated the honesty and truthfulness. As you said: too many polish their adventures, but I think the hard parts are the most interesting ones. Anyways, in later rides I definitely did cut me more slack and planned shorter days. Much more enjoyable 😅
Hi, fahre die gleiche Strecke im September mit meinem Grail und 40mm Reifen. Würdest du mir auch 45mm empfehlen wie auf dem Grizl?
Hey, danke für die Frage. Ich habe sonst auch 45er. Habe aber für Sizilien extra 40mm genommen, da es ja doch relativ viel Straße gibt. Für die erste Hälfte der Strecke war das auf jeden Fall die richtige Wahl, finde ich. Zumindest wenn man es eher auf Tempo anlegt.
@@nonoexplores Danke für deine Antwort
31:50 "Why would anyone eat a pizza like this?"
A lesson in pisspoor planning and preparation.
I am curious why you would want to turn a seven day ride into a four day ride, is it just the physical challenge? I haven't bikepacked yet but I imagine I would be way more into seeing local sites along the way.
Thanks for the question. So I personally like hard mental and physical challenges. That's why I enjoy triathlon, bikepacking and even open ocean sailing. I personally find, that if you reach a certain limit and overcome certain challenges you can learn a lot about yourself. That's what motivates me and what was motivating me especially for this trip. But exploring and seeing new places was another part that excited me. However, as I learned, the combination of both is hard to achieve. It's better to focus either on "racing" only or on easy riding and allowing time for stops and sightseeing. In my later trips I think I found a better mixture.
Just bad planning and a bit of bad luck! , less weight, realistic goals, planning foods and you will make it next time!
That's the plan!
Sehr geile Doku. Das mit dem zu hohen Puls vorm ins Bett gehen ist eine guter Gedanke, werde ich mal drauf achten. Mit welcher Airline und welche Flughäfen hast du genutzt? VG Daniel
Hey Daniel, danke für deinen Kommentar. Ich bin von Hamburg aus über Mailand nach Catania geflogen, habe einen Mietwagen genommen und bin mit dem dann nach Trapani gefahren. Theoretisch gibt es auch einen Zug, den ich lieber genommen hätte, aber ich habe einfach nirgends Infos oder Antworten bekommen, ob ich mein Rad in den Zug mitnehmen kann (scheint aber doch problemlos zu gehen). Bin mit Ryanair geflogen, was ätzend war, weil durch den Stop in Mailand waren es nicht 2 sondern 4 Flüge und ich musste demnach 4 mal für den Radkoffer zahlen.
OMG I also have gelitten, sooo much drama.
Haha, great to hear. Many thanks
Very beautiful images. Personally I don't need all that ongoing explain talking, and ""healing" talking even less.
Yeah those "deep" thoughts were just too much. Especially in the end. "Even if you plan everything". Aside from not running a proper gear ratio, not testing a 29kg bike on steep climbs beforehand and informing yourself about refueling opening hours ahead. It was designed to fail, so cut the mentoring, please.
@@karlhungus6388be gracious. It was just his second back packing adventure, and he has learnt a lot. I enjoyed the detail he provided.
People are welcome to do what they want, how they want, but I think they would have a LOT more fun NOT trying to be 'epic', and instead spending more time meeting some locals at the best-rated bakeries and cafes. Sicily is way too beautiful and full of good food to be experienced as just mile-grinding.
you my man! ;)))
Thanks for your comment! After a boring winter where I additionally had COVID I wanted a real challenge and was indeed looking forward to "mile-grinding". However, you are right, that this way of doing things does not allow for absorbing all the beauty of the Sicilian countryside. In my latest trip in Spain I found a good balance, though. Around 8-10 hours of riding and more time for stopping, eating and checking out sights and highlights.
if this broke you, consider it a lesson for life. because in reality, nothing bad really happened to you.
this is where the cycling culture is right now. underprepared folks (in terms of local realities, of packing, and even of fitness) are going out there, doing stuff that supposed to be beautiful but having a horrible time.
also, filming yourself for half of the screentime seems to be a new rule.
if you are ever to canada we will make a bikepacking trip ok
I once lived for two months in Vancouver. Always wanted to come back. I'll let you know ☺️
This route is ideally best done in a light setup staying at the hotels mentioned on the official website. Did you actually get the brevet for this or just went for it?
At 23:09 you took the wrong route from someone, the official route on the website has a detour for the broken bridge. Please stop misinformation :)
For a better experience and actual food, I think you need a tour guide or help from Giovanni. We truly enjoyed Sicily Divide, there were plenty of food stops and you just need to organise the route splits in a way that fits your pace and time. You might have had better luck splitting into 6 days or 7 as recommended from the website.
Hey, I find sleeping in a tent during bikepacking make everything more wholesome and gives me a stronger connection with nature and land. In previous (and later) bikepacking trips this always worked out and wasn't a problem. In the future, though, If I want to do a route in a fast time, I might consider hotels though.
Regarding the bridge: I did the route more than a year ago and the bridge just collapsed a short while before my trip as I later found out. I got the track from the official Sicily Divide website. At that time it was not yet updated. But good to hear that it is now.
Se avessi fatto la rotta lungo la costa, ti saresti fatto meno male e avresti potuto mangiare del buon pesce😊
460km in 4 days and you seem to have disinterested 😅
Man you definitely need to get in shape!
What’s the point unless you’re in the Tour de France
Eegit
I would suggest that, as a triathlete, you may have not focussed enough on riding a relatively heavy bike up hills in preparation for this trip. I have just ridden most of the Montanas Vacias in Spain on a steel Surly Ogre with a total weight of 35kg. I'm 58 years old and NOT a strong cyclist by any means. There were plenty of 15 to 20% climbs on that route that didn't require pushing the bike. As I say, I am not a strong cyclist, going as far to say I am weak cyclist as plenty of others were passing me, so I was shocked when you were pushing a light 29kg up a 15% gradient. As I suggest, maybe focus your training in a differnt manner next time.
Hey mate, how nice! I just finished MV a couple weeks ago too! What a lovely route. This time I also took more time and it went quite well. But the climbs in Sicily were definitely harder. At least in my imagination. But I have also a different gearing now, which probably was a game changer! Good riding to you too!
Ya I think when you said you were hot and cold at same time you were sun stroked and dehydrated.
That's interesting. This could be true. Wasn't thinking much about dehydration but this could definitely be. Thanks for the comment.
@@nonoexplores ya dehydration usually makes you feel cold. Also irritable. So if you find you’re dropping f bombs and feeling cold .. get some water .. even if you have to beg for it. Sunstroke is also dangerous for sure ..
Like the real vibes: the ups and down in mood, the shaking muscles of low sugar. That’s reeal. But you should made it in more days and easy. Too much on your plate
Many thanks. I think to few people share the lows that are part of adventure or this sport (if you want to call it that). But these are the moments that are important and where I and others learn something. So that's why I wanted to share all the emotions.
first of all. nice documentary. for a debut thats very solid work! i woudl suggest more voice-over and less talking into the camera. would make it even more professional! but reall: top job! thx for taking us along
to your struggles... well as other said already... thats too heavy for a bike. you sure 29kg is correct? only metal parts in your bags? my gravel is 9kg and my equipment with tent and everything and the bike bags is less then 7 kg. so with loads of water and a lot of food i dont go above 20
food:... southern italy is not alive until sunset. you would have needed to bring 2000kcal of food for yourself every day. when i ride italy i have 10 snickers a day and then a pizza at night. pizza daytime.... would kill me. you were just craving pizza cause you were on constant low blood sugar.
gears: all those bikes used to be sold with racing gear. that was plane stupid. now they have GRX and APEX.... which are just a little more forgiving. i never understood why these bikes dont come with MTB setups. you never really go faster than 40km/h.... if so you just let it roll. what you need is a 0,7 or even lower gear in these italian 15% roads with bags on your bike. thats i think a huge marketing mistake of the idustry... coming from gravel and cyclocross races propably. i just mounted a shimano XT on my gravel. works lovely
at minute 21 you say something like "ah sitting in the sun, watching the landscape have some food, this is how i imagined this trip to be" ... but at the same time you cut the trip vom 7 to 4 days... that doesnt make any sense
sleep more. it will be very relevant
you will get more experiences and will love your next trip - i am certrain! good luck
Hey, many thanks for your long and reflected comment. Happy, that you liked the video. Regarding the voice-over: thanks for the input, I'll take in consideration.
Bike weight: yes, the weight is correct. I already have superlight stuff and there is not much lighter stuff on the market. Besides water, the heaviest things were repair stuff and spare parts, then my camera gear (although the lightest you can find) and then snack bars and food. I thought a lot about the equipment weight beforehand and tried different things and even did stuff like cutting my tooth brush to half it's length 😅.
Food: Yes, that's something I learned. So I have been bikepacking in the north of Italy (which is of course different than Sicily) and there were plenty of food options during the day. I knew that Sicily would be different. Therefore I meticulously checked the opening times of all restaurants and supermarkets on the route beforehand and made a list for myself. However, the opening times always were different. That's something I definitely learned and during my latest two bikepacking tours I planned more time for waiting so that I have enough time to wait at least an hour until a supermarket or restaurant opens.
Gears: True! I don't understand why the market is selling (or sold) bikepacking bikes with these gearings. Canyon at least changed that at least a bit in their newer Grizl versions. However, I did a similar bikepacking tour in the past (8000m up, 400km, 4 days) with the same bike, so I new it should be possible. Since then, however, I installed a larger MTB cassette and are planning to install a very small 1by chainring in the front. That should make climbing easier.
Minute 21: True. That seems like a contradiction. My plan/hope was to be around 12 hours on the road every day from 7am to 7pm so that I would have at least in the evening 30 minutes time to relax in the evening sun. I knew that this wouldn't be a chill sightseeing trip. I was looking forward to a challenge that was pushing me at my limit but would still be doable. That it wasn't doable this time is okay, though. From this failure I learned so much and the two tours that I did afterwards (and finished) have much more meaning now.
Many thanks for your thoughts :)
Good trip but you show how to not do it right
Personally, I think hills were made by the devill
But they are so rewarding once you have reached the summit 😁
all the negativity, so anoying
"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better." Samuel Beckett
Cool video 🤙
Many thanks! And wise thoughts by Beckett. In fact, that is exactly the mentality that I apply to all my live. Better to try something crazy and fail than always staying in the comfort zone.
this could've been a great video of relaxed biking in amazing landscape, instead we got half an hour of relentless whining, all a result of wanting to do the route in half the recommended time combined with bad planning. can't recommend this.
Agree with this. The plan for 4 days seems in retrospective silly, as you feel pressured to keep moving instead of taking time to photograph beautiful murals, etc.. At that point I would have ditched the 4 day agenda and just ridden as far as needed in a day, stopping wherever, instead of pushing after dark for the planned stop.
So I did a very similar route in the past in the same time frame. So in theory it should have been possible for me, since I did it before. However, filming took more time than I calculated. That's something I learned and my later bikepacking tours included shorter daily distances to allow for more filming and taking breaks.
I'll never understand why fellow bikepackers don't ever plan to carry more than half a day's worth of food. Not having food for a full day is ridiculous. Not waiting 15 minutes for a restaurant to open when you desperately need food is incredibly bad judgement. Not trying to hammer on you and I'm sure you already know what you could have done to improve...but you failed your trip because of bad decisions and poor planning. This is on you, not the route.
So my take is that if you spend 14 hours on a trip, but only 9 hours actually riding, you are spending so much time making a video of your experience, that you don't experience it. Restauranteurs and shop owners are not going to wait for you to turn up. It's probably more exhausting trying to be a film maker than it is being a bikepacker.
This might be true 😜. In my latest filming & bikepacking trip I found a better balance, though.
I’m surprised that claiming to be an “Athlete” you’re in such a bad shape 😅, I guess you are not a cyclist and have a lot to learn, inform yourself about the route and plan accordingly, gear ratio and ultralight gear if you want to go fast, food and resupply can be planned ahead. If a see a route that has 15,000 m of elevation, I know what I’m getting into! Why do you complain so much? Or is it drama for TH-cam? Anyway I saw the video because I’m interested in the route, it looks like a fantastic ride but you made it sound like the most difficult thing ever when is not, you’re just not fit and prepared to tackle it, cheers dude!
Hey, as I pointed out several times, the route is definitely amazing and I am looking forward to doing it again. Regarding the athlete thing: I am an amateur triathlete. So no cyclist. Anyways, in the past I did a very similar tour (8000m up, 400km long) in 4 days, so I thought I could do it again. The difference this was, that I could not rely on the opening times of restaurants and supermarkets, as I saw them on Google Maps. This made resupplying difficult given my tight time frame. I learned that and ever since I try to rely less on local infrastructure and bring my own stuff.
dont understand why unexpert cyclists has to do super difficult trip. It is just for YT visibility or what? You could have been 7 days trip as it was racomanded and it would have been super hard anyway. Mah
Well, I believe that you have to challenge yourself from time to time to grow. It's the difficult and hard moments where you learn the most about yourself. That's why I did this trip and do triathlon for instance. But sure, in other bikepacking trips I do often make it easier for myself.
@@nonoexploresi agree with you, but bikepacking is already really challenging by definition, maybe do it even super more maxi mega challenging to me make it looks kind of clickbait stuff, like not doable at all, like "why man?" 6 days are not difficult enough? 😂 but off course you probably felt the challenge pracrible. I felt like this because the video was really good and i just wanted you to finish it 😂
Yeah, the thing is that I finished a similar route with around 400 km and 8000 vertical meters in 4 days before and it was hard but doable. So I wanted that experience again but this time it wasn't doable. This happens, I guess , if you are doing things close to your limit. Success and failure are super close to each other.