In january my new Canyon gravel bike arrived! After doing some local rides it was time to really put it to the test with a 3-day bike packing trip from my hometown in Flanders to the Champagne region in France. The trip was 300 km in total.
Gear:
– Canyon Grizl CF SL 6 AXS
– Restrap saddle bag
– Restrap handlebar pack
– 2 Ortlieb Fork bags 5.8L
I slept in AirnBnB’s so I only needed fresh clothes, some food, isotone powder and maintenance equipment.
I rode 115 kms on day 1, 130 kms on day 2 and 60 kms the last day so I could arrive at around noon since my family also arrived then with the car and we could spend the rest of the weekend together.
My stamina is not what it used to be since becoming a father, so it was a hard trip, also considering there was a constant head wind of 4-5 bft and there had been a lot of rain the past weeks. About 50kms of the 300 was unpaved, ranging from nice gravel to full on deep mud.
My ass is destroyed, my left knee and right achilles tendon hurt, but I had so much fun! The bike did great, I only had one flat tyre (I didn’t find the time to convert them to tubeless yet).
Looking forward to another bikepacking adventure, but it will have to wait since we are expecting our second son in June!
by tverbrug