Equipment and material
This section emphasis the equipment which is necessary to stand a so long travel.
The bike equipped with Ortlieb panniers has already proven itself multiple times. The packing list from the tour around Italy in 2022 is still available; building on that and using the experiences from four years ago, a new packing list can easily be created.
- 2 sets of cycling clothes (to be washed in the evening)
- Rainwear and clothes for the cold
- normal clothing for the evening
- tools and spare parts
- Opinel knife
- lights and navigation for bike usage
- mobile, money, id card
The bike requires highly durable road bike tires, as they will be subjected to extreme stress from my weight, the luggage, and any potential thorns on the road. On the trip to Italy, this resulted in 13 flat tires, which is something I want to avoid this time around. Road bike tires are a must because their low rolling resistance allows for fast progress, which is absolutely necessary given the average daily targets of 120 km. At an average speed of 20 km/h, this already amounts to 6 hours of riding time per day—after all, there should still be enough time left for breaks, sightseeing, and chatting with people. I will avoid unpaved roads as much as possible.