The Radavist

Ortlieb has been making bicycle touring bags for what seems like an eternity but over the past few years, they’ve begun to make bikepacking bags, always offering a few clever details and their legendary waterproof construction. Newest to this lineup is the Handlebar Pack QR, or quick-release. These bags lash to your handlebars in seconds, perfect for big, expedition rides, long gravel trips, and S24O alike.

Specs:
-$160 MSRP
-11-liter capacity, plus two small exterior mesh pockets
-IP64 – dustproof & waterproof to 1-meter for 30min
-Sustainably made in Germany

See more at Ortlieb.

These days, gravel bike designs can be very redundant, something German manufacturers like Nicolai Bikes are looking to overcome. Their newest design, the Argon GX, is as much a gravel bike as it is a touring bike but look closely for some clever manufacturing detailing.

Through 3D modeling and engineering, Nicolai is able to construct durable and lightweight 7020-T6 frame components. Each of these pieces are made on modern 5-axis CNC machines and allows for the construction of so-called “Hollow Mill” assemblages. The bottom bracket and chainstay yoke in the Argon CX use this technology to both shed weight and set their offerings apart from their competitors.

Other details include the option for a Pinion gear box, fender/rack mounts, flat mount disc calipers, internal routing, and designed geometries to fit just about any body type. Head to Nicolai to see more!

A reader from Leipzig sent this short video over for us to enjoy on this Friday morning:

“My name is Jacob and I’ve been a cycle messenger in Germany for more than 10 years now.
This week we had an unusual and unexpected outbreak of winter here in Leipzig with strong winds and heavy snow for multiple days. The city was totally unprepared, I saw snow plows getting stuck in snow and all public transportation was off for multiple days. Since I needed to send out some letters and therefore had to go outside anyway, I decided to take my track bike and camera and try to get some nice videos of the snow-cycling-chaos.”

Thanks, Jacob!

‘Grenzerfahrungen’ (Borderline Experiences) documents a self-supported cycling journey along the European Green Belt. Born and bred in Germany, Markus Stitz traveled 700km along the former Iron Curtain on a gravel bike through the federal states of Thuringia, Lower Saxony, Hesse, Bavaria, and Saxony in October 2020, shortly after the 30th anniversary of the German reunification. The film launches the Iron Curtain Gravel Trail, a new bikepacking route mapped by the round the world cyclist, which is available to download for free at Bikepacking Germany.

With build kits ranging from €1890 through €2690, the new Vasco Gravel Bike by German company Tout Terrain offers up a fully-steel frame with lots of options for riding or touring. The Vasco features 435mm chainstays, 71º head angle, 73º seat angle (size medium), and clearance for 700x40mm or 650x47mm tires. While there are many options in this already packed market, Tout Terrain knows how to design versatile bikes and the Vasco fits right into their catalog. See more information and the entire Vasco family at Tout Terrain.

Over the past few years, the trend of bikepacking has really taken over, and with good reason! Riding on singletrack, fully-loaded is a real treat. You don’t have to worry about cars dusting you out and can truly be isolated if that’s what you’re going for. Yet, I can’t help but feel warm and fuzzy for classic touring bikes as well. I caught my bicycle touring bug on a road bike, then a touring bike, and then bikepacking, yet the lines and functionality of a classic tourer is so timeless. Tout Terrrain, makers of many on and off-road touring bikes, just announced their Blueridge touring models. Pictured here is the GT build spec and it has it all!

Specs:
-Integrated Expedition Rack II with optional EX-Rail system and Ortlieb Quick-Lock3 Mounting Kit
-Rohloff gear hub option for proven reliability
-Derailleur drivetrain option for precise and light shift action
-Thermocrom premium tubing for maximum strength-to-weight ratio
-700c wheelset favours speed and efficiency
-Drop-bar options provide aerodynamics and multiple hand positions
-Gates Carbon Drive belt-compatible frame for a strong, clean and reliable drivetrain

See more at Tout Terrain.

Dyed in the Wool is a German bicycle bag makers and the XL Bar bag is their interpretation of the ultimate handlebar bag. This isn’t a reproduction of a bag, this is 100% designed from scratch with a fully-waterproof shell, reinforced with an HD foam and HDPE liner, making a rigid bag that maintains its shape when it’s attached to the bike, eliminating the need for a rack. If you did want to use a rack, the XL Bar Bag mates nicely with the Nitto F-16.

The outside of the bag is wrapped with Molle webbing allowing you to play with attachment points and mount lights as well as other accessories creating a really versatile platform no matter what you need to carry.

The XL Bar Bag retails for €180,00.

Features:
-YKK Water Resistant zippers
-HDPE liner
-DH foam liner
-Recycled ripstop lining
-1000D coated Codura
-Coated Xpac
-Dyneema Paracord
-MOLLE webbing

The Good Times Roll is a group of friends that like to take on ambitious rides. This past summer they rode from Freiburg to the Bodensee, through Switzerland along the Rheinfalls, through Lichtenstein, over the Vorarlberg where they encountered snow and almost got lost but somehow made it all the way to the Königssee in Berchtesgaden.

Saturday, the 9th and Sunday, the 10th of May, 2020 brings about the fifth edition of the Rando Imperator, a European Randonnée from Germany to Italy. The event is part of the official Italian Audax calendar offering three different brevet courses: Munich-Ferrara (600km), Munich-Bozen (300km), Bozen-Ferrara (300km) and Bozen-Mantua (200km). See more information at Rando Imperator.

Kalamaja 2001 is a video showcasing a bikepacking adventure ride from St. Pauli, Germany to Kalamaja, an old part of town in Tallinn/Estonia. This trip took three riders the entire 1900 kilometres in 8 days through six countries to the beautiful east in northern Europe.

Continental adds some chubby tires to their rubber catalog, designed for gravel riding. The new Terra line comes in a Trail (650×40, 700×40) and Speed model (650×35, 650×40, 700×35, 700×40). These tires are made in Germany and feature sidewall protection via Continental’s ProTection Technology. See more at Continental.

If you’re looking to get off the beaten pack of European gravel routes and explore one of Central Europe’s most beautiful National Parks, then be sure to check out the Bohemian Border Bash. It takes place on the border between German and the Czech Republic. While the Bohemian Border Bash is not a race, it will provide many challenges as you navigate through sandstone pinnacles, gorges, streams, and winding gravel roads for as far as your eye can see.

Check out the full press-release and more information below and you can register now at the Bohemian Border Bash.

This is the third video the boys at ERTZUI FILM have produced for Germany’s premier wheelbuilder, Light Wolf Studio and if you’re wondering why they spend so much time documenting this talent, well, watch the video! … and if you like this, check out the full-length edit at their Vimeo.

“Almost ten years ago, David Phillips started a little bicycle repair shop in the heart of Munich called Guten Biken. What kicked off with fixing bent derailleurs, snapped chains and broken spokes in a cramped basement workshop, hidden away in a back alley, turned surprisingly quickly into a proper bike store. As Guten Biken went on growing as a business, we became more and more engaged in our passion for building custom bikes. But through that growth we always stuck to a simple conviction – that every bicycle that gets pushed over our doorstep, no matter how old and rusty, deserves a second chance (or at least parts of it). ”

Head to Go Fund Me to read more about this fundraiser for Munich’s Guten Biken.