Since ultracycling became my professional as well as "playful" activity, the space for the classic summer holiday has become increasingly smaller.
Between races, extreme adventures and various competitions, time for a few days of relaxation is always kept to a minimum.
For this reason, the idea of combining the two things has found a meeting point in the most romantic form of travel for a two-wheel lover: the cycling holiday.
However, I wanted it to be something relaxing, beyond the normal physical stress caused by the many hours spent in the saddle.
Accustomed to the very heavy backpack with which I often set off without a specific destination, and intrigued by the increasingly widespread number of "bikepacking" setups, I picked up the phone and contacted Michele from Miss Grape. The following day my Wilier Cento10NDR (an endurance bike which, look, I had just started testing) had with it everything needed for a riding holiday.
The road wouldn't have been a problem, I wanted something that was "no stress", so no tables or predefined routes, but just the desire to leave by pedaling every day.
A round trip from the base of Monte Grappa, where I had left my car parked. 5 days through the Venetian pre-Alps, the Dolomites, the splendid South Tyrolean cycle paths between Bolzano, Merano and the Stelvio Pass, Valtellina, and the return through Valcamonica and Lake Garda.
All with a set-up that allowed me to pedal 200-250 km every day, taking the right breaks but, at the same time, with the possibility of increasing the pace and forgetting about the luggage.
A configuration which, from this moment on, will allow me to plan new quick "getaways".
After all, a bike, powerful lights and the right bags are enough for a weekend away, right? 🙂
