Grenzsteintrophy bikepacking Monday Update

By Paul Errington

Grenzsteintrophy Race progress

Sunday..
So far.. 195km on the first day, 230km yesterday but 1100m peak today so 125km ish. Need to average 140km a day from here to make the flight. Tough going from here, only 1 guy ahead of our little group of 3… Just hoping to make it to the end of the course.

Monday..
Well the guys I was riding with quit this morning.. Went to ride a 300km shorter route to end saying the course was too hard. I wouldn’t mind but one of them was the organiser!!

Your next reads

Cycling in Europe

Europe, with its rich tapestry of cultures, historic paths, and breathtaking natural beauty, offers a myriad of cycling adventures for enthusiasts ...
April 26, 2024

Atlas Mountain Race bikepacking rig and kit list

Essential kit for bikepacking the Atlas Mountain cyciling race Sonder rider Stu Taylor recently completed the Atlas Mountain Race in Morocco. It's...
June 22, 2023

Giro di Monte Bianco Cycling in Europe

The Tour of Mont Blanc is an 11 day trek around Mont Blanc. I didn’t have 11 days, I wanted to keep a lunch appointment with a friend in 3 days tim...
September 04, 2011

Teuchters on Tour

We are Calum and Owain and we’re the Teuchters on Tour! Calum and Owain with their noble steeds in Norway Our humble beginnings date ba...
September 18, 2018
Learning on the road

Learning on the road

Last month James and Adrian headed off on a 100 day tour of over 20 European countries. Although very familiar with the two wheeled type of transp...
August 25, 2011

Ultralight bikepacking through Norway

We’re heading north from Oslo airport, three hours into a five hour drive, crammed into what feels like a much smaller car than we originally booke...
October 19, 2017

The Islands of Faroe-way: Part 1

There is not one reason why the Faroe Islands, and then there is not a single reason why not. This seems to be the most common question I get asked...
February 07, 2019

Lisbon to Malaga: A Bikepacking Adventure

I look back to see if the chase is on, and it is. Coming at me like a rocket is a Portuguese street dog. Black and tan hackles up, teeth and a bark...
April 25, 2019

Singletracking Elbrus - Dan Milner

_It started with a nip to the shops for some bread —perhaps an unlikely spark for a mountain bike circumnavigation of Russia’s Mount Elbrus. And no...
June 26, 2020

Pyrenees Traverse – Mules, Munitions and Million Star Hotels

It's early evening as we make our way up a long, very long fireroad to the mountains above Plan, nestled in the Spanish Pyrenees on our 6 day trave...
November 30, 2016

Battling the elements, Cycling through the Romanian Carpathians (pt 1)

Chris Marton has kitted out his Sonder Santiago Grand Tourer and is pedalling East through Europe. "Romania was never really on my radar as a d...
April 15, 2023

Salzkammergut 2009

I went. I saw. I did some riding. I got very wet. they stopped the race.. That’s the super edited highlights of the 2009 Salzkammergut Trophy race....
July 28, 2009
Crank the Shield 2010

Crank the Shield 2010

We had been on the look out for someone to ride for us in this year’s Trans Provence when Paul Errington suggested the Bearded Man. BM was already ...
September 24, 2010
Crank the Shield Day 1

Crank the Shield Day 1

Bearded Man manages to borrow a bike for the first stage of Crank the Shield. Part 2 in our 4 part special following the Bearded Man around Crank t...
September 25, 2010
Crank the Shield Day 3

Crank the Shield Day 3

Bearded Man leaves the mud behind and starts to enjoy some manicured single track. Part 4 in our 4 part special following the Bearded Man around Cr...
September 27, 2010
Crank the Shield Day 2

Crank the Shield Day 2

Bearded Man gets bogged down in the quagmire on day 2 of Crank the Shield. Part 3 in our 4 part special following the Bearded Man around Crank the ...
September 26, 2010
Trans-Provence MTB stage race

Trans-Provence MTB stage race

In the first of a series of reports, Dave ‘Bearded Man’ Warren will be filling us in on the daily happenings at this years Trans Provence Mountain ...
September 29, 2010
Trans-Provence Day 4-5

Trans-Provence Day 4-5

Reporting back from the Trans-Provence Days 4 and 5, David Warren is starting to wonder how life will be the same again having to ride back at ...
October 05, 2010
Trans-Provence - The Final Days

Trans-Provence - The Final Days

We’ve been pleased to support the Trans Provence Mountain Bike Event again this year and it looks to have been another amazing 7 days. In his l...
October 07, 2010
The Grenzsteintrophy Experience

The Grenzsteintrophy Experience

I couldn’t find a quote which summed up my feelings towards the 2011 Grenzstein Trophy course so I quoted myself ;) “A Political border does not ta...
June 28, 2011

Trans-Provence Days Enduro race

In the first of a series of reports, Dave ‘Bearded Man’ Warren will be filling us in on the daily happenings at this years Trans Provence Mountain ...
September 29, 2010

Grenzsteintrophy self supported bikepacking

Bike packed. bag packed. feeling pretty stressed. The event starts today. 800 miles to ride. got a schedule to ride too . lets hope the legs and th...
June 17, 2011
The Grenzstein Experience Part 2

The Grenzstein Experience Part 2

Day 2 was approached more business like… alarm at 4.30am.. we were packed and moving by 5.00am. The riding in the morning featured a lot of eque...
July 08, 2011
The Grenzstein Experience Part 3

The Grenzstein Experience Part 3

The start of day 3 was the same deal as day 2 ... 4.30am alarm and away by 5am. This time we were straight onto the tank plate then off for a sh...
July 15, 2011
VTT in Langedoc

VTT in Langedoc

This is less of a daring deed and more of a heads up for a great area of France. Last week I found myself in the Montagne Noir in the Languedoc are...
September 25, 2012

Emily Chappell - biking round Iceland

Emily lands in Iceland and heads straight for the nearest bike shop. After getting a lot of advice from Emil at the Kria shop she evaluates all the...
March 05, 2014

Holyland MTB Challenge

So what an experience HLC was!!! I am still blown away by it all and it went way beyond my expectations, physically and emotionally very draining b...
April 29, 2014

Helen Lloyd - it's too cold! But I'm in Yakutsk!

Helen has been travelling through Russia in some bitterly cold conditions and bivvying out when she can't get in a hotel. Our Filo and Hunka XL are...
February 27, 2014

Finding our way in the Holyland

Toward the end of 2013 I heard about a new bikepacking event, a 1300km self supported race across Israel . the Holyland Bikepacking Challenge. I wa...
May 07, 2014

Holyland MTB Challenge - Sun, Sea and Jerusalem

Waking in our dusty clearing we were soon rolling and the trail we couldn’t find the night before was just as elusive in the daylight.We resorted t...
July 22, 2014

Holyland MTB Challenge - The desert dash and the finish line

So what an experience HLC was!!! I am still blown away by it all and it went way beyond my expectations, physically and emotionally very draining b...
July 25, 2014

Riding the Rovaniemi 150

A number of years ago I completed the Arrowhead 135 winter race in the US, I rode a single speed non fat wheeled bike 135 miles in the snow on snow...
March 04, 2015

All roads lead to Tuscany

The Tuscany Trail is a mountain bike event which follows a 560km route from Massa over the Apennine mountains to Capalbio. It passes through the ve...
April 22, 2015

Tuscany Trail 2015

I dragged my large black bag through the hustle and bustle of arrivals to the relative peace of the grassy area next to the taxi cabs. The cabbies ...
May 27, 2015

Edale - Classic 30k Loop

The new Sonder bikes have been kicking around at Alpkit HQ for a few months and I've managed a couple of sessions at Sherwood Pines and some local ...
October 05, 2015

Adventures of a Swig Bottle Part 1

When my mum first suggested we should cycle across the Inner Hebrides to Jura, I knew there was no way I could wangle my way out of this one. When ...
July 29, 2016

Pips Tour De France

We’re just back from riding 3200 kilometres through France... Just the two of us, father and son, on a tandem, for a month. So what were the highli...
September 10, 2016

Tandem Trailquest

No one should need to look for a reason to get out on a bike at the weekend, but when the working week is long and the Sunday mornings are dark a l...
December 12, 2016

High Altitude Gnocchi

After all the planning it nearly didn’t happen. Less than 24 hours before we were due to leave the UK for Turin, our van dropped its clutch and var...
February 22, 2018

A Bike Ride through Romania

We received this lovely message from Richard, fresh from a Romanian bikepacking adventure. Hi Rowan, I’m sending some of those "me, myself and I"...
November 13, 2017

Cycling Iceland

This was not my first visit to Iceland, I came over in the summer of 2014 as trail crew for the Fire and Ice Ultra. This mainly involved driving a ...
March 09, 2018

Surf and Turf

In this day and age, when you are presented with the opportunity to escape society and live the simple life off-grid with no worry of phones, email...
April 29, 2018

The Iceland National Trail: Part 2

Over the past 5 years, I have been seeking bigger and greater experiences. For every challenge I undertake though, there has to be a greater mea...
October 09, 2018

Everesting by bike

As outdoor people, most of us at one time or another have been asked “Why would you want to do _____?” by a colleague, friend, or family member who...
March 26, 2019

Athlete Adventures: Iceland National Trail

This month I’ll be flying to Iceland with my bike to cycle circumnavigate the country on a new route. The route involves 3324 kilometres of mixed t...
August 08, 2018

The Islands of Faroe-way: Part 2

Missed part 1?. Catch up here. I learnt quickly; EVERY road is up, every meter is slow when you’re pulling 25-30kg of kit behind your head, the she...
February 11, 2019

A Hill In Holland

After their introduction to Everesting, Alpkiteers Rich and Tom armed themselves once againwith Sonder Colibrisandheaded to Holland for another mis...
April 03, 2019

A Treasured Outdoor Moment - Rovaniemi 150

A Treasured Outdoor Moment - Andy Young At the grand old age of 64 and after a lifetime of mountain biking and outdoor work, I decided to reboot...
January 14, 2022

From Gibraltar to Amsterdam

One of our lovely customers, Richard, got in touch to tell us about his off-road bikepacking trip from Gibraltar to Amsterdam. He did on his Camino...
July 22, 2022

From Rome to Home

Our Customer Support Heroes are inundated with wonderful stories from our customers about their adventures. We never, ever tire of hearing them. Ca...
November 25, 2022

Battling the elements, Cycling through the Romanian Carpathians (pt 2)

Part two of Chris Marton's Santiago Cycle Tour through Europe. "That day I was aiming for Deva in the western edge Transylvania, a historic city...
April 22, 2023

A Summer French Divide

Young Tom and his dad Rich had grand visions for a big trip this summer holidays, but you know how it is, some things don't always go to plan. Howe...
July 26, 2016

Ireland To Asia: A Year On My Bike

On 31st August, Sean Hoban left his home town of Waterford, Ireland on an epic year long journey that would see him cycle through Europe to Asia. S...
October 12, 2018

Where in the World would you Ride your Bike?

A few weeks after we went into lockdown, we started to daydream. The mountains were calling. The roads were calling. The trails were calling! We as...
July 30, 2020

Teuchters on Tour Continues

Owain and Calum are currently cycling from Tromso in Norway back to Scotland. One week in and they are working down throughNorway to Bergen- across...
August 15, 2018

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

=