Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
No Wrong Season
To get your winter wheels in motion… This past February, Sven cycled from Bonn (Germany) to Vienna (Austria). Not the ideal season for bikepacking, but Sven decided it was better to ride in bad conditions than not ride at all…
Words, film and photos by Sven Garbe
At the time of this trip, I was a university student. But since I was a child I had the dream to become a pilot. The chance to make the dream a reality finally came about and I had to get to Vienna in order to sign the contract for my training. So I quit my job, left university and made the proper transition… I rode there by bike. As I had one month of free time, I didn’t take the direct route, but some detours, in order to really use my days wisely. I actually planned to ride mostly gravel roads, but I underestimated the amount of snow and ice, so I had to switch to bike routes and paved roads in many places. It was still an adventure…
Keeping Warm
Mountain Equipment Compressor Hooded Jacket
An insulated jacket was absolutely necessary this particular trip. I wore it while camping and when exploring cities in between. In addition to being super warm and useful, it looks good while wearing it casually on off days as well.
Base Layers
My hooded Under Armor Cold Gear sweater and Buff helped me quickly adjust the temperature on/around my head and neck. The hood is thin enough to wear underneath the helmet. And the Buff was great while riding, as well as around my mouth and nose when sleeping outside. As a matter of fact, I wear that sweater every time I go bikepacking. Combined with another Under Armor Cold Gear longsleeve and T-shirt, I kept pretty warm.
Fox Racing Sidewinder Polar Gloves
They were sufficent most of the time, but when it got really cold, I had to wear additional thin gloves underneath.
On My Feet
On this ride I was wearing my everyday Shimano SPD Shoes but I installed wool insoles and wore merino socks. This helped a little, but during the coldest days I dismounted my bike every few kilometers and started pushing, just to get the blood circulating.
About Sven Garbe
You can see Sven’s previous film, Bikepacking Trans Germany, here. Or, for more you can follow Sven on Instagram @cyclingkrauts.
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