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Hello Rogerio ! So nice to read about your planned trip on the Danube, this is a so wonderful trip. Although we have not traveled in May in that area, it is off season and I am pretty sure that you will find accommodations easily. There are so many of them that they could not be all full. Typically, when we look for a room or apartment before or at arrival in a city, we use an application like booking.com for searching. We prefer places with a reception open all day so that we can go directly and book onsite or reserve through booking.com and expect an answer within the hour. We have observed that apartments like airbnb are not always responsive within an hour and in those cases, it is preferable to plan 24 hours in advance. With our foldable bikes, we do not ask for a bicycle storage but I would advise to ask when you plan to book. For the trains, many of them have a carriage wagon for bikes but we did not need those with our small bikes. You will need to check with the train reservation site, I think they normally offer the option to specify that you have a bike. Enjoy !!!!

@@robgilbert3395 Enjoy, this is so beautiful in October. Just include long sleeves for early mornings.

We will also try this in October with our bike Friday pakits. Even more ultralight, one single backpack each for clothes, and the bike even fits as a carryon backpack ;)

@@Lyferemixed Wow, a bike as a carryon, this is ultra-super-light ;)

The Pakit is light, but a little bit over the 8kg limit It helps to have frequent flyer status and they look the other way for a kg or two;)

Hello ! Both legs are very nice, quite different and worth doing. I have preferred the Porto-Lisbon leg because: 1) Porto is an awesome city, 2) there are numerous cycling paths along the sea or inland and 3) there are some areas with nice cliffs. The Faro-Lisbon leg has a lot of spectacular cliffs but we rarely cycle along them during the day and see them in the morning/evening when sleeping in a coast village. We also cycle more often on busy roads or gravel/sand segments. Don't hesitate if you have more questions.

Grand merci d'avoir pris le temps de nous faire ces bons commentaires. Nous souhaitons effectivement faire la Sardaigne à vélo, avez vous un parcours à suggérer? Pas certain toutefois pour la Corse, les virages en épingle aveugle nous font un peu peur. Peut-être en randonnée pédestre par contre?

​@@Freewheels_caje vous conseille la Corse en vélo électrique il y a beaucoup de dénivelé je vous suggère le Cap Corse ! La sardaigne, je n'ai pas d'itinéraire mais très beau! Je n'arrive pas à voir la liste de votre matériel de camping, quel tente avez vous? Et combien coûte vos vélos ?

@@juliep.9636 pour voir tout l’équipement, utilisez ce lien: drive.google.com/file/d/1q_oZLUDCzP3gD_svHlf1SxBduoYnfDT8/view. La tente est une Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2. Les vélos varient de 4000 à 6000 Cad$, voir Helix.ca

In fact, we did half of it (from Faro to Lisboa) from south to north, and the wind was irregular, sometimes with us, and for the last 2 days against us. That is the latter that made us decide to take the train from Lisboa to Porto and cycle back south to Lisboa with the tail winds, a very strong Nortada that made our ride a pure delight. And yes, it is a wonderful country to ride.

I wrote the message before seeing you getting to Porto by train 😁. But yeah, the French got the Mistral and we have the Nortada, almost everyday that strong wind shows up, mostly in the afternoon, sometimes all day, except in the night. Usually North or NorthWest (rarely NorthEast). And you feel it especially pedalling.

Hello ! I would prefer to have mudguards and as soon as they are made available from Helix, I will get some. With a folding bike, it is important to have some mudguards that do not intervene in the folding process. Hopefully, the mudguards should be available this year. In the last 3 years that we have adopted folding bikes, we made several trips and we have been very lucky to have only an average of one day of rain per 2 weeks and it was tolerable. So, crossing our fingers while waiting...

@@Freewheels_ca thank you for the reply. I am in the same boat. My Helix arrived in june and I am commuting by train and bike now. Had a few downpours so far so bought some "musguards" to clip on while waiting for the Helix mudguards. Fingers crossed here too...

Thank you so much for taking the time to mention! Enjoy cyclotouring!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you so much, it is a pleasure to have a nice comment from the other side of the planet. One day, we'll cycle in Australia. Enjoy cycling....

Thanks much ! Feel free to ask questions about your upcoming trip, I am sure that it will be a wonderful journey...

@@alainlapierre9850 thanks 😊

Hello ! I do have a document describing what equipment we carry on our website: freewheels.ca in the Equipment menu. Here is the link: drive.google.com/file/d/1eNfnkw0dDjFAGxOCNY_GpvGX181Pppso/view?usp=drive_link.... In terms of clothing, we keep it to the minimum, one set of cycling clothes one set of evening clothes. We wash some clothes almost every day, and they dry quickly since they are lightweight pieces. Hope this helps ! By the way, what is the pf link not working ? I tested all links and did not see any issue.

Merci beaucoup pour vos commentaires. On rêve de faire la Sardaigne, auriez vous un parcours à suggérer.

@@Freewheels_ca j ai simplement fait le tour de l ile par les bords , j aime voir la mer j ai un profil komoot , je pense que les tracé sont accessible a tous, si non refaites un petit message ici et on trouvera une autre solution

I guarantee that there are many ways to do the Danube from a « transported luggage » manner to a self-camping scenario. The relief is flat, it is mostly on cycling path and one can select short or long distances as there are accommodations regularly. Most tour organisation quote it 1-2 on 5. So don’t be afraid of any difficulties.

Of course ! As I explained in the textual description of the video, our route was a bit different from the one proposed by Italy cycling guide. Here are the 2 sets of GPX... 1. Our route: drive.google.com/drive/folders/10i44G9HLpAfkbE_WNwjoxVB2UJoRDVp-?usp=drive_link 2. The route of Italy Cycling Guide: dgenk2ebcidb9.cloudfront.net/Southern-Sicilian-coast-gps-files.zip Questions are welcome. Enjoy !

Merci mille fois pour vos commentaires. J'aimerais bien faire la section avant Ingoldstadt un de ces jours. Au plaisir !

The important is to enjoy every moment whatever how we do it. Enjoy !

Nos rack arrières sont des prototypes faits par Helix et sont différents de la version commerciale qui devrait sortir cet été. Le nouveau rack sera fixé au vélo par des encrages appropriés et il reste sur le vélo pour le rangement dans la valise. Une partie du rack se contracte afin de prendre le minimum de place et se range tel quel avec le vélo dans la valise. Helix sortira aussi une valise cet été qui accepte le vélo avec son rack dessus.

Très intéressante vidéo ! :-) Question hébergement : avez-vous déjà testé le site Warmshowers? Si ce n'est pas le cas, je vous invite à essayer. Bons voyages.

@@Cyclalex oui nous sommes membres warmshowers et l’avons essayés quelque fois dans le sud de l’Italie mais n’avons pas eu aucune réponse. Nous sommes pas mal déçu du manque de réponse même s’ils sont dans l’impossibilité de nous recevoir.

Of course you can, just make it happen :)

Thanks much for your appreciation, this encourage me to continue. Stay tuned, 2 more videos are coming this summer: Sicilia and Apulia.

@@alainlapierre9850 Your choice of using Helix as your touring bikes is perfect in terms of how easy you can fly with the bikes, durability(titanium), handling and ride comfort(24 inches wheels).

Thank you so much for your comment. Stay tuned, 2 more videos are coming about South Italy.

Unfortunately, not yet. I was told that the sample for production is being tested, so it should be very soon.

This is so exciting, I am sure that you’ll love it. We just came back from Sicily and Apulia and the bikes were awesome and so practical in the multiple public transportations that we took. I recommend the new Helix rear rack which should be available very soon. I talked to the Helix team yesterday and they were assembling the sample before going in production. Also, the production of the suitcase has started. Enjoy!

No kidding, we were effectively taking the Bari-Rome train on Saturday morning. Let’s say Hello next time 😊

We are simply using reinforced garbage bags used on construction sites. We found those in our hardware store (rona.ca) in Quebec city.

Thanks for your comment. Another Helix cyclist have found a rack that goes on the left fork with a pannier. I found it unbalanced but it works. During this trip in southernItaly, we have taken several public transport to get to the starting point of our itinerary, and the speed of folding was really appreciated, when they announce your train gate 5 min in advance. We really love those bikes, confortable, stable and versatile.

Great, thanks for your nice comments and we might also go back one day since we liked it so much.

On paper, Samsonite was claiming 62 inches, but In fact, the linear addition gives 65 inches without the wheels and 67 inches with the wheels. However, our experience is that they check the weight at check-in (max 23 kg) but they never measured the length. So, it is a risk but after 4 trips, they never measured and we are pretty confident that they won't. In any case, be aware that Helix is coming with a suitcase in the coming months and I have been told that it will be compliant to the 62 inches limit. See here: helix.ca/store/product/?productID=12

We reserve a room in an hotel in the city where we land and we leave our suitcases in their luggage room for the duration of our trip. We take them back the day before returning home. They normally keep our suitcases for free.

This is a very interesting question (comparing the Helix and Brompton T line) because the idea of making movies about our setup came from an encounter of an Italian cyclotourist who already had a Brompton Titanium and he was in love with our bikes for different improvements over what he had: larger wheels, standard components like the Shimano Dura-Ace derailleur, 11 gears (9-34), disc brakes,... and still fold in a suitcase compliant with airline regulations. About the rear rack, Helix will release a rear rack in the coming months for which I gave my list of wishes. I confirm that the rack will fold seamlessly with the rear wheel and will not really increase the outer limits of the folded bike (it is not prototype rack seen in my first movies, it was improved with a completely new design). About the terrains, we have tried gravel, sand, cobblestone, asphalt with the luggages and it works really great. We have gravel tires and regular tires, which we change based on the trip we are doing (ex: gravel in Portugal but regular along the Danube). Keep in mind however that I weight 165 pounds with in addition 30 pounds of luggage. I welcome other questions.

Thank you so much - your perspective is just what I needed in my decision! I think the helix makes the most sense for longer tours, even with the larger tires and standard components. I’m looking forward to the rear rack as well. My concern has been, since I haven’t been able to get on one of the bikes for test ride, is that the clamp and folding mechanisms are not as robust as the Brompton. Would you say that they hold up for the long-term, hard-core use of an every day cycle tour? Thank you so much for doing these videos! They are so helpful and very inspiring!

I had similar concerns before buying, that's why I went directly to the factory in Toronto. We did 5 trips in 2 years and regular commuting, more than 5000 kms so far and the joint are still like new. To reassure you, you could ask questions in the 2 Helix Facebook group that I know about: the Hong Kong Helix bike club (facebook.com/groups/529965727638324) and the Helix Bike Backers (facebook.com/groups/232673718420071). Although I am a big fan of Helix, I understand that this is not Brompton with their distributor network, popularity and the number of accessories. For smaller rides and daily commute, Brompton is an excellent choice. Remember also that lots of people travel with Brompton, even the greatest cyclotourer of all time, Heinz Stücke, who did the last 100,000 km of his life with a Brompton. However, for us, touring with luggages days after days is our main usage, and I am a technical gee with concerns about stability and security, so I am ok to take the risk of working with a small company that offers a better suited bike for our needs. Hope this helps in your decision :) @@ggregory2031

That is so cool. You will also need a rear rack and the Helix rack should be commercially available next month. For the panniers, I have the 22.5L and Lucie has the 17.5L. By the way, I have listed all our equipment in this document, available on our site (freewheels.ca), here it is: drive.google.com/file/d/1VnqMrcmr1dveCTzN0_VGDw_dU8Qq1AYt/view?usp=share_link

Wow, thank you so much Alain for the detailed info. You definately have created a whole new modality of foldable lightweight cyclotouring!!! @@Freewheels_ca

I also found those which you can convert into a backpack. What you recommend them (especially the lower inside part facing the wheel) for cyclotouring?@@Freewheels_ca

We have been using prototypes of the upcoming rear rack. The commercial availability is scheduled for this march-april timeframe.

This is really exciting, I am sure you’ll love it. A suitcase is also coming tios spring

Sure ! Be aware that in this section, we did not follow Eurovelo 6 entirely because we wanted to visit some Hungarian cities. Here is the link to the GPX: drive.google.com/file/d/1XR-TyijEfsyuMiP42xgRrVaS0DAypplv/view?usp=sharing

We take one night in an hotel on arrival and leave our suitcases in their luggage room during our trip.

@@Freewheels_ca thanks!

@@Freewheels_ca cool thanks! Have you ever tried as carry-on?

Our suitcase containing the folding bike and our camping gear is way too big for a carry-on, it is in fact the maximum size and weight of the checked-in luggage. See our videos at freewheels.ca in the menu 'Equipment' to see the details. @@TheHuxely

Merci beaucoup pour le compliment, j'espère aussi que le plus de cyclotoureurs possible découvrirons comment cette façon ultra-légère de voyager rend le voyage tellement plus facile. Pour nos valises, nous les laissons effectivement à la consigne de l'hôtel que nous choisissons pour l'arrivée (ex: 2-3 nuits) et le retour du voyage (une nuit). Avant de réserver l'hôtel, on s'assure qu'ils peuvent prendre nos valises en consigne. C'est la seule réservation que nous faisons, les autres nuits seront décidées à chaque jour et surtout en camping. Souvent, le choix de notre itinéraire implique de prendre un transport en commun pour se rendre au départ du trajet de vélo, voir par exemple sur notre site freewheels.ca notre voyage au Portugal, en Grèce et sur le Danube. Pour le Portugal où les chauffeurs sont effectivement chauffards, l'eurovélo 1 est en majorité sur chemin tranquille mais avec quelques portions sur route qui peuvent être évitées (route alternative ou taxi), voir notre vidéo sur le Portugal. Je conseille de choisir un pneu pour 'gravelle' puisqu'il y a passablement de portion sur gravier. Finalement, j'ai étudié des dizaines de vélo pliable avant de porter monter notre choix sur helix.ca, qui livre d'ailleurs ses vélos partout dans le monde . D'après moi, c'est le meilleur choix dans le monde aujourd'hui et je l'affirme sans être sponsorisé par Helix. Il est vrai que le Brompton est le vélo pliable le plus vendu au monde, et plusieurs personnes l'utilisent pour voyager, mais je trouve les roues trop petites et le nombre/amplitude de vitesses trop limité. Si vous avez d'autres questions, n'hésitez pas. Pour aider votre choix de vélo pliable, voici deux liens intéressants: www.cyclingabout.com/best-folding-bike-bicycle-touring/. et www.youtube.com/@2Bikes4Adventure

@@Freewheels_ca Bonsoir, merci beaucoup pour votre réponse. Je vais checker pour l'Helix. Pour le Portugal, il n'est pas toujours possible malheureusement de prendre des routes alternatives. Beaucoup trop de circulation. Exemple : Portimao/Monchique. Quand je pense que j'allais en charrette à la plage avant qu'on entre dans l'UE ! 🙂 Je vais regarder vos autres vidéos, car j'ai beaucoup apprécié votre façon de filmer et narrer votre aventure. Bonne soirée.

Je rêve d'une 'belt' sur mon Helix mais je n'ai jamais entendu parlé d'une telle possibilité. En fait, une belt demande un cadre différent afin de tendre cette courroie et je n'ai jamais vu cette possibilité non plus. Peux-tu retrouver l'article, ma recherche sur Google ne me révèle rien. Je vais aussi demander au concepteur...

Salut Luc ! J'ai vérifié avec Helix et ils n'ont aucune intention d'offrir une courroie pour différentes raisons. Ils estiment que la technologie des dérailleurs/chaine est mature, légère et facile d'entretien n'importe où dans le monde.

C'est donc ben l'fun d'avoir de tes nouvelles, bien sûr que je me souviens de toi. Je ferai la boucle cette année, je n'ai pas de chance pour le 1000km, je remplaçais quelqu'un l'an passé. Nous irons en Italie ce printemps, à suivre !!

Merci du compliment. En fait, il n'y a aucune boutique du vélo Helix, ils vendent directement de l'usine (helix.ca) dans tous les pays du monde. Vous pouvez donc l'obtenir sans problème en France. Pour les ajustements annuels, ils utilisent des pièces standard, donc ça peut se faire dans n'importe quelle boutique. Si il y a un problème avec le cadre ou des pièces non standard, il faut contacter helix.ca et soit qu'ils envoient les pièces ou vous envoyez le vélo à Toronto (ce que j'ai fait une fois d'ailleurs). Pour d'autres marques de vélo pliable, il y a de bons articles sur cette page: www.cyclingabout.com/category/folding/ Bonne chance!

Kalimera ! You are so kind ! We really wish to meet again, that was a lot of fun!