A month ago I’ve posted here my plan to cross the Alps on a mountainbike. It’s Wednesday, 16th September, I am sitting on my sofa and realizing that my bike dream is about to unroll in 60 hours.
When I was younger, waiting for a big adventure always felt like a neverending add before my favourite TV show. This time I fell like being teleported forward in time.
My last month was about working, riding and having fun with my YT Family.
YT Rolling Circus Stromberg 2020
Support from Young Talent – new trailmachine YT IZZO Pro Race
When I told my colleagues from YT about my project, solo TransAlp ride 365 kms, 13910 meters vertical in 7 days, they’ve got interested. In fact, they’ve got interested so much that they provided me new trailbike 2020 YT IZZO CF Pro Race for this project.
After testing that bike for two days I felt in love with it and I think that it’s the best bike for my TransAlp project I can imagine [from the bikes I’ve tested in my carreer]. It’s light, it pedals extremely well and it’s super fun to point it down the descent.
I’ve got my IZZO yesterday, and I’ve hanged some stuff on it right away. I like the clean shapes of this bike, but not as much as to have a lighter backpack on my shoulders for such a long ride.
Am I well prepared for this physical challenge?
Good question. My answer is: “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter.”
TransAlp is more about a strong mind than strong legs. It’s about being mentally prepared to suffer. It’s about adapting the ride to the mountain and its weather conditions. About navigation in the mountains. About the ability to fix stuff and find solutions to the problems.
Fear is Heavy.
Fear is Heavy is the motto of this trip.
I remember when I’ve packed myself for a two-day mountainbike ride to Kralova Hola with my best friend Viktor 5 years ago.
I had a 32-litre backpack fully stuffed with unnecessary things, excessive food that went bad on 2nd day, and clothes that I didn’t use. It was annoying to ride with such an anchor, not to mention that I was constantly getting hits to my helmet from that backpack during the ride.
For this trip, I’ve chosen a minimalistic approach.
2 pairs of socks. 1st on my feet, second spare to be washed and dried on a mountain hut during the night.
2 bike jerseys. 1st on my torso, second spare to be washed and dried on a mountain hut during the night.
Got the point?
Every gram count. Every cm cubical count. Play Tetris.
Forget about the weather forecast.
Bad weather forecast had canceled more great bike trips that I can imagine. People tend to plan awesome rides, and then they’ve got turned down by wrong weather forecast 4 days before their adventure is about unfold.
I was fooled by inaccurate weather forecast too many times to stay at home this time. When I look on the weather forecast for my trip, it looks cold, half-cloudy, rainy and thunderstormy. But do you know what? I will be better watching thunderstorm from emergency shelter, than sitting at my cozy sofa.
That was what I had to say today. Will text you later my friend.
Come to join me on WAS TransAlp wrap-up beer in Davos after I finish this trip. Facebook event here.
One more thing. I would like to send a big thank you to Whistler Adventure School which is supporting me in my crazy dreams. Having such a unique relationship with my school teachers and managers is rare. Mountains connect good people.
