Ride Across

Author: j s

  • Day 13: last day, the Black Sea and Bospherus

    —

    by

    j s
    in ,

    Start: 03:58 on Saturday, 3 August 2024, Orhangazi, TurkeyElapsed time: 21:53:39Moving time: 16:52:37Distance: 354.61 kmElevation: 4810 m This was it—the final day. Setting Out No gravel today (or so I thought), and I was full of motivation. I’d picked a slightly longer route that was supposed to be flatter and stick to bigger roads. Theoretically…

  • Day 12: Maybe the hardest day so far

    —

    by

    j s
    in ,

    Start: 05:51 on Friday, 2 August 2024, Biga, TurkeyElapsed time: 16:58:00Moving time: 12:14:06Distance: 254.69 kmElevation: 3425 m This was a rough day, no way around it. For the first time on this ride, my legs felt tired right from the start. Gravel and Mental Strain I had spent a lot of time planning routes on…

  • Day 11: Asia, CP4 and more gravel

    —

    by

    j s
    in ,

    Start: 04:29 on Thursday, 1 August 2024, Keşan, TurkeyElapsed time: 17:54:43Moving time: 15:24:47Distance: 287.75 kmElevation: 3798 m Routing choices have a way of backfiring. Despite prioritizing distance and elevation over gravel, I ended up with all three—extra distance, more climbing, and gravel. Just my luck! Lost Maps, Slower Progress As I left the hotel and…

  • Day 10: Reaching the Mediterranean – Greece and Turkey

    —

    by

    j s
    in ,

    Start: 04:11 on Wednesday, 31 July 2024, Serres Municipality, GreeceElapsed time: 17:48:41Moving time: 14:24:31Distance: 343.72 kmElevation: 2578 m Checked out of the hotel at 4 in the morning, and the receptionist refused to charge me for the Coke I had the night before. A nice gesture to start the day. I got underway later than…

  • Day 9: Another routing mistake, crossing North Macedonia and entering Greece

    —

    by

    j s
    in ,

    Start: 05:32 on Tuesday, 30 July 2024, Kumanovo, MacedoniaElapsed time: 14:07:04Moving time: 10:33:56Distance: 291.14 kmElevation: 2066 m When the sun rose, I finally identified the strange smell from the night before: forest fires. They were burning on the hills in the distance, and the smoky scent filled the air. When planning my route, the obvious…

  • Day 8: Finally riding again, entering Kosovo and North Macedonia

    —

    by

    j s
    in ,

    Start: 05:37 on Monday, 29 July 2024, Bijelo Polje Municipality, MontenegroElapsed time: 20:35:37Moving time: 14:57:51Distance: 327.07 kmElevation: 4452 m I woke up after a mediocre few hours of sleep. I’d camped by the side of the road, but it wasn’t flat, so I kept sliding off my sleeping mat all night. It was a mess—I…

  • Day 7: Major routing mistake, more hike a bike – Montenegro

    —

    by

    j s
    in ,

    Start: 06:25 on Sunday, 28 July 2024, Foča Municipality (RS), Bosnia & HerzegovinaElapsed time: 14:48:44Moving time: 10:48:21Distance: 200.44 kmElevation: 3269 m The day started off well. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and I was optimistic about having a good ride after the disaster of the day before. Little did I know it would turn…

  • Day 6: Parcours 2, first day in hell

    —

    by

    j s
    in ,

    Start: 04:44 on Saturday, 27 July 2024, City of Zenica, Bosnia & HerzegovinaElapsed time: 17:42:26Moving time: 14:22:08Distance: 247.19 kmElevation: 4022 m I woke up after a few hours of decent sleep near the graveyard, got on the bike, and headed toward Zenica. After crossing a small hill, I joined a main road leading to Sarajevo.…

  • Day 5: Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina

    —

    by

    j s
    in ,

    Start: 04:38 on Friday, 26 July 2024, Samobor, CroatiaElapsed time: 19:00:01Moving time: 13:36:41Distance: 337.65 kmElevation: 1928 m The day started off well, riding through Croatia. While the roads weren’t as good as Slovenia’s, they were decent enough. There were no climbs, and everything went smoothly. The heat started creeping in as the day progressed, with…

  • Day 4: Parcours 1, CP1 – Slovenia

    —

    by

    j s
    in ,

    Start: 04:08 on Thursday, 25 July 2024, Villach, AustriaElapsed time: 18:03:46Moving time: 14:53:39Distance: 333.75 kmElevantion: 4270 m The route started in Villach, taking me through Italy for a few kilometers before crossing into Slovenia. The first challenge, Parcours 1, began at the top of Mangart Mountain. After descending, I tackled the Vršič Pass, the highest…