Round two on the saddle was a whole different ballgame. This time I had a proper bike under me, and it changed everything. Still carried too much gear, but at least I wasn’t dragging half my apartment across Germany like on my first tour. Weight-cutting for 2026 is already on the roadmap — first thing to go: the Ortlieb Pack Rack. Great kit, wrong trip.
A few key lessons slapped me in the face early on:
• I froze. Next year I’m packing a proper sweater, not playing hero.
• I’m shifting my departure from early May to the end of May. Cold mornings are one thing; freezing all day is another.
• My device defaulted to “Road Cycling” instead of “Bikepacking.” Realised this on day two because it started throwing me onto main roads. Nearly got clipped a couple of times thanks to some very friendly (=deranged) drivers. Next time I’m double-checking settings before rolling out.
The biggest headache?
By the end, both Achilles tendons were swollen. Turned out my saddle was 2 cm too low. That tiny mistake made me develop a weird ankle swing that shredded my tendons over long distances. Since then I’ve retrained my pedal stroke to stop those little “relief movements” that feel good for five seconds and ruin you for five days.
But hey — I covered Berlin → Regensburg (540 km) in about five days and I’m already plotting the 2026 leg: Regensburg → Bologna, adding at least another 100 km to the journey.
The trip itself was, as always, something special. Only downside: my former boss managed to call me during my holiday for absolutely no reason and tanked a couple days of solitude. But aside from that blip, the ride was exactly what I needed.
Already looking forward to next May. Honestly, I wish I could do these tours more often.
Oh and one more!
If anyone has the time, I’d really appreciate a rating or critique of my current gear setup. I’m always trying to refine my loadout for multi-day long-distance trips, and honest feedback helps a lot. Also, I’d love to hear what other European bikepackers are running these days. What’s in your kit for multi-day tours? What are your must-haves, nice-to-haves, or things you’ve ditched over the years?
by SuperstesVitaeAmans
4 Comments
I look at pictures like this and I can’t believe places like that exist. My area looks like “Fast and furious murder, kill, death zone”.
May is a difficult month as you know the weather will get better, it’s just a question of when. I always take a short trip to NL at the beginning of the month and have experienced everything from a heatwave and freezing temperatures.
Looks like a fun trip tho. Thuringer bratwurst always make a good camp meal!
Noting down the Leipzig – Regensburg leg.
I did Berlin – Leipzig this year and that looks like a good continuation. Thanks for the idea 💡
Beautiful area to plan a tour.