From Regensburg in Germany to Peschiera del Garda at the picturesque Lago di Garda. Our first ever multiday bikepacking adventure. Or rather credit card bikepacking. Armed with just 11 and 16 liters of luggage we traversed over the Alpes following the footsteps of Roman emperor Claudius. Or mostly. FlixBus’ routing does not abide the laws of Claudius, and hence we took off from Regensburg. 9 days of cycling, 72-94 kilometers a day, taking our time to eat at bakeries, cafes and restaurants, and sleeping at B&Bs and hotels. We loved it.
Equipment
Bikes: we both brought our road bike at hand, a Sensa Emilia Lady and a Canyon Roadlite AL. Rock solid, fairly new (<5y) bikes, both equipped with approx. 1:1 gearing ratios and 28mm tires.
Bags: two Ortlieb Seat Packs, one M (11 liter) and a L (16 liter). We found the L version to sit firmly, with little to no sway (due to the two velcro straps and the 45 degree angle?), whereas the M version moved substantially more.
Spares & tools: a multi-tool and pump each, 3 spare tubes, a patch kit, a first aid kit, and a powerbank and cables. We only ever needed the multi-tool to adjust the saddle. We both used a Garmin navigation system for easy way finding.
Clothing: cycling bibs, shirt and socks (1 pair each, I think Eef brought an additional shirt). 1 set of summer clothing (shirt, short, underwear), flipflops and personal hygiene equipment (chamois cream, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant). That’s it. Given we’d finish between 14:00 and 16:00 on a daily basis, and the sun would always shine, we decided we could do with a single set of cycle clothing, washing them every evening and drying over night.
Route
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9