Riding Hardcore Bikepacking Trails On My Touring Bike [EP.11]
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- Опубліковано 18 вер 2024
- In biogeography, the páramo is a tropical alpine ecosystem with a predominance of scrubby vegetation. Páramo made up the majority of my ride this month, so it seemed like an appropriate name for this film! This episode is particularly special because it features Michael Dammer, one of the Trans Ecuador route designers who provides lots of insight into bikepacking across Ecuador. If you value my work, Patreon supporters will now be getting early access to my films and exclusive access to my Q&As - please consider helping me to add a drone to my film making! / cyclingabout
PAYPAL (one-off donation!): bit.ly/paypalcy...
🔥 INSTA: / cyclingabout
🌎 FACEBOOK: cyclinga... 🚵🏻♂️CYCLINGABOUT (endless bike travel info!): cyclingabout.com
MY BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller bit.ly/2wyXM0T
MY GEAR LIST: bit.ly/2C1BCKF
MY ROUTE: ridewithgps.co...
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic G9 + GoPro Hero 6
MUSIC: Jazz Hop Cafe Mix: • Video
![A Wild Ride from the Equator to Death Road [EP.12]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/K7FtLKqa-vE/mqdefault.jpg)
![A Wild Ride from the Equator to Death Road [EP.12]](/img/tr.png)
![I fell off a cliff (30m/100ft) with my touring bike [EP.9]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OHssGSUQ42s/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for all the work you do, I love your videos and how you show off the Earth we live on. Safe travels.
Thanks for the kind words, Nick!
im working in a small workshop all day when i watch your videos i feel free.
You've been editing/producing your videos in a way that they look like documentaries of different genres, not just a plain video sequence with voiceovers. I love that. Must be pretty difficult to do that while you are travelling
I'm glad you're appreciating the variation! 🙏🏼
Dude, you are inspirational and have an iron will, but when you fell, my heart was in my mouth. Thankfully you are ok. Loving the adventure. Perhaps one day.
Thanks Ross! You should definitely get out there on a bike adventure. Some of my best trips have been weekend overnighters around my home town of Melbourne, just sayin'.
The last four videos including this one are next level Allee. Keep it up mate!
I'm shocked -- but glad -- you're still alive. Just the opening shot nearly caused me a diaper change! How many times I've seen you riding the edge of a deadly precipice, only to make a quick turn and find yet ANOTHER man-killer on the other side of the "trail." Combine that with the fact that while you're at speed you never truly know whether the next blind turn actually has trail under it or is simply sky. The gods must truly be with you. I pray they remain there!
Awesome Vid Alee. I recognise how much effort goes into not only editing these, but also capturing all that footage when you're all by yourself. Great stuff.
Thanks for the kind words!
Death! Either from a bull goring or just plain getting sucked under the surface of a muddy road or bog. Amazing riding and scenery - keep it coming!
Cheers! Pretty stoked I didn't get attacked by a raging bull. 😱
I like this series because it doesnt just so all the fun, but the hardships. Its awesome :)
Beautiful country, fascinating underlying story. The ambition to create a bike route in the clouds can only be conjured by someone who has ridden the trail and fallen in love.
There's no doubt Michael loves Ecuador. ❤️
I’ve just watch eleven episodes. I just can’t imagine how tough you must be to tackle endless hurdles; thick mud, cold, heat, wet, mad bulls, high altitudes, route-finding, feeding yourself, snow.... I’m inspired, but I think I need to start out with easier routes and distances first. Thanks for making these videos. I’m sure most of us can’t imagine how much work went into capturing the footage and editing.
Great to see Koga got your bike back together. That is a great endorsement. Also really great to see you recovered from that tumble. Loving the journey and can't wait to start mine. What wonderful adventures you are having.
Your videos are some of the best on UA-cam in general, but I think this one really stands out. Thank you for making them.
Thanks Dan. Stoked you like them!
@@Cyclingabout p.s. this episode isn't showing on patreon
Cheers - yeah, I uploaded them then hit the road for a few days. Will pop it up when I next have wifi!
What a wonderful piece of storytelling. Thank you.
Thanks!
You have to be one of the calmest people on the planet.
When I used to work in an office, my nickname was 'zen' because I controlled the things I could, and let everything else brush over. 😅
I need some tips hahaha great video mate.
Absolutely beautiful and diverse place. Clear skies then suddenly intense thunderstorms :P
I love the Andes mountains! It's been such a great year following them.
Any cycling I do after watching this is going to seem so so much easier. Thanks for posting great video.
Thanks Ted!
Very inspired watching your video and the can do attitude. Lovely filming, music and narrative across a harsh terrain. Look forward to the next adventure.
Thanks! Should be in Colombia by the end of the next film. 👌🏼
Huge kudos for you! Can't imagine the stress of pushing your bike along those trails. Last weekend I hiked my bike for 10 kms on abandoned trails as night fell and it was so frustrating. I only hope this experience pays off someday. Anyway, safe travels, buddy!
Amazing.....breathtaking .....You, bike, and the trail.....
Thanks!
Always inspiring, man! Thank you for your hard work and your amazing shots!
You're welcome! 🙏🏼
Those trails look like a blast to ride down
There were a lot of fun times this month. 🤙🏼
WOW!!!!! EPIC ride
keep it going............!!
Your Koga really seems to stand the test of nature & wear and tear👍🏻
It's amazing I've only broken one spoke and had four punctures on this trip so far!
AWESOME! BREATHTAKING VIEWS! BE SAFE! HAVE FUN! GOD BLESS & BE WITH YOU ALWAYS! ENJOYED!
Im so glad you were not hurt when you fell.....stay safe buddy
Cheers! Luckily fell into thick mud.
What a tremendous work you did, I see this video for the third time and it stays wonderful to see and feel
If I could like this video twice I would. Amazing.
One day UA-cam will get that double-like button sorted. 👍🏻
One of your best videos so far. I am like you wearing shimano sandals through most everything. I have switched to suspension fork though to save on wheel and tire damage. Great stuff, thanks for filming and keep up the good attitude.
Cheers! Glad you liked it. 🙏🏼
Absolutely stunning!
Absolutely stunning views
Look at that dude's pipes! Gun show! IMpressive!
Beautiful cinematography! Your perseverance on so many difficult sections is inspirational :)
Glad to hear! Would be awesome to have more people out there, discovering the world in the best way possible. 🙏🏼
Bravo...Mr. Koga
If that guy that is voicing over thinks that this rout is EVER going to be a popular bike rout, he must be smoking some fine Ecuadorian!
If you aren't aware, there are two different versions of the Trans-Ecuador. One is more mellow, appropriately named the 'dirt road route'. The trail I'm following is the 'singletrack route', which is certainly not for everybody!
@@Cyclingabout I think.. certainly not for anybody...
Another great episode! Love the soundtrack too.
6:49 - Props to the stuntman.
Thank you so much! Definitely the best bike touring videos ever for motivation purposes. No regrets for paying for the Patreon subscription.
The audio mixing could benefit from some work though. However everything else is so amazing that it really doesn’t matter at all.
Cheers! Are you referring to the audio sync with the GoPro footage? I'm having some trouble with the latest GoPro firmware update and my video editing software... I can't work out why it now won't co-operate! Hopefully, I've got a solution soon...
Thanks for making yet another inspiring video!!! Keep it up!
Cheers Mike!
Now that is mountain biking!
Incredible skills and will. And you have to do the route twice since you need to place the go pro to film ahead of you each time. You are an example of resilience.
Cheers! Setting up the camera and filming myself isn't my favourite thing to do, but I think the results are worth it. 😎
@@Cyclingabout It is indeed. The quality of videos is exceptional. Thanks a lot for those moments of intense happiness, mate!
That guy (sorry don’t know his name) at the end is a big dreamer (hoping that his dream come true), and you, you did some work through that section to get to where you wanted to go. Awesome work!
Michael is definitely a dreamer, but the guy has achieved a lot in his life, so I have no doubt he will make something happen in the coming decades!
I love this! keep safe
Hi, you catched wunderful pictures. I'm impressed! 👍 Greetings from Berlin. Frank
Epic videos after another. Your world tour has been crazy from the start. Thanks for the videos you make. Safe trails
Thanks so much! Yeah, it's a lil crazy, but it has just become normality for me now! 😂
I've never seen some one riding such trails with all that cargo. Awesome job man .. your choice of handlebars customization is just like me
Very nice video. Lucky with the bull, Love your editing technique. Take care, Al
Cheers! 🍻
Super hezké video držím palce při dalším oběvováni krás naši hezké planety 🌏👍👍👍🚴♂️🍀🍀🍀🌞🌞🌞přeje biker eda🇨🇿
As always, awesome and inspiring video! Thanks for that!
And, man, do you ever think about giving up? All the places you go through are absolutely breathtaking however it surely seems like it's no walk in the park.
Cheers from Brazil!
I've turned around many times on this trip, so I guess that's kind of giving up. But in general, I try to stick to my plans. Normally if I push through the hardship to the next section of trail, I'm rewarded 10x over (my videos show that I think) - there are only a few places where I've regretted my decisions, and that's normally due to having bad weather.
It's an amazing visit!
IMHO, that bike might survive terrains like these, but for sure there are other bikes that both can handle these terrains with ease, and give you less pain. Riding a signature bike is great but it won’t do magic.
Peyman Norouzi For the mix of riding I do (pavement, dirt roads, off-road), I think my setup is perfect. 👌🏼 Some sections of Ecuador would’ve been better on another bike, but that country was by far the exception in terms of percentage off-road!!
CyclingAbout OK, cool 👍
Maybe the lesson about crossing unknown paddocks is to stay close to a fence so you can quickly scale and chuck your bike over to avoid bulls or other beasts that might want to turn you into a rag doll.
Congrats you beat El Pàramo. On a CX bike!! Well done.
Good shit man, really enjoyed this one.
Cheers!
Top notch videos mate!
Thanks Pedro!
Wow, outstanding!!
Thanks so much!
The struggle is real!
I would love to see a video of you talking about you eat when your away from civilization. Also, what gear you've found to be essential... and non-essential. I imagine over time you've needed less and less?
I actually carry way more! These days I'm lugging around all kinds of camera equipment, a laptop and other electronic things. I have an article on my website regarding what I eat: www.cyclingabout.com/guide-bicycle-touring-vegan-travel/
Hot diggity that into!
Man, great ride, great landscape
I love these videos, but can’t help thinking 🤔 if a bike packing setup would be better on this type of terrain?
Of course, it would! However, the majority of the time I'm not actually cycling on terrain like this on my multi-year bike tour.
CyclingAbout I was just gobsmacked with how you rode some serious mountain bike terrain! How’s the Santos holding up? Any issues re spokes etc? Keep the fantastic videos coming😎😉👍🏻
@@Wallaby1961 Just a broken spoke and four punctures on the Koga since Patagonia. 💪🏼
CyclingAbout my mistake! & that’s really great durability on the rough stuff😎👍🏻 Koga looks a great bike
great content, love it
Haha awesome riding! You need an enduro bike over there!
I reckon something with 130-150mm would do the trick for the descents here. Missing my mountain bikes, but doing my best with the tools I got! 🔥
Beautifully edited as always! Those panoramic views are great.
I’ve been planning my first long bike trek of my own (nowhere near as long as yours) in a triangle from my home in Belgium, to Luxembourg, Germany, and back. I plan to stay in small hotels so no tent, but I still must bring ALL of my food for the six days. If you have any tips, that would be very helpful.
I guess it depends on how much space you have. Foods that can be rehydrated with water are perfect for multi-day sections, curry sauces, pastas, high-calorie snacks (dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter muesli bars), flatbreads, lentils, beans...
you can for sure buy a lot in the supermarkets on the way, germanys food there is pretty cheaply priced
I must say you’re a tough dude
I don't know how you can do it. I have been there on a bicycle, with the altitude, rain, cold, fog. It was the most difficult ride in my life but I was on pavement and you are on the dirt. Incredible. How can you stand the cold with sandals?
I guess my feet are just used to it!
that bike is worth every penny of its price
Look on the bright side of your fall, at least it wasn't a Wahoo Kickr. You WERE tired.
Amazing trip and great video. What a beautiful part of the world. I know your an equipment expert so your bike is probably perfectly dialed. As a novice though I couldn’t help thinking that plus sized tires might’ve helped out on some of this terrain. How come that isn’t the better choice?
When I arrived in South America, I was expecting to spend about 10 months riding on roads. The first 10,000km or so was 95%+ paved, but as I got further north I found myself doing more off-road. I ended up switching to 27.5" wheels in mid-2019 and currently use a 2.8" front and 2.6" rear tyre.
Wow I want to do it!!
You should design sandals with spikes in them.
They would've been so damn sweet for the last few months in Ecuador!
another banger :)
🤙🏼
11:58 Leonidas would say that was Sparta.
Very cool! Can you explain your video production method? Just sitting in a tent with some video editing program? :)
Hah... nah, I normally stay at hotels/hostels for a week per month to edit all my photos and videos. I use Premiere Pro editing software and spend about 4-5 days selecting the music and clips I want to use for each film. 😊
Come to India please! Love your videos man!
I'll be back one day soon - I love travelling in India! The last time I visited was 2009, so my return is overdue. 👌🏼
I was going to say it looked more like a mountain bike track then I saw a guy on a horse! Either way I'm not sure you had the ideal bike or setup for that trip!
I definitely would have benefitted from a mountain bike and ultralight kit for Ecuador!
Krásné video ráj na bike super 👍👍👍🚵♂️🏕🌞❤️
👌👌👌
Awesome. Did you ever think about getting a fat tire bike? Those are my favorites for (offroad) bike touring.
Sometimes it'd be nice to have more rubber, but I still do lots of riding on smooth roads while I'm crossing continents!
First off, Allee - my deepest apologies for ROFL at 6:51......I can't help it - it's like watching your puppy trying to negotiate a ladder downstep - or your teenage kid doing something warned against doing 1001 times to no avail - which reminds me - what have we said repeatedly about cliff edge biking?! - Not listening are we, Allee?......couldn't you at least get a base jump parachute and wear it at all times?.....:-)....so amazed at your off-road on a loaded touring bike sprees though...:-)...but get that parachute, mate....asap......okay?!....:-) - PS - An interview with family/school-mates etc about what you were like growing up, could be fun....:-)
Thanks. I'll see what I can do about getting family/friend insights!
you are funny in sad way. beautiful video
Can't quite tell if that's a compliment... but thanks!
Es que está época para Sus América, es la peor, para viajar, porque llueve todos los días
Y en Argentina, tendrás eso también y peor...porque los cerros se derrumban, y no hay calles ya que son ríos. Así que si vienes tienes que tener mucho cuidado
Besos y suerte.
I don't mind the rain. It's all part of the travel experience!
Another great video but far too short. More, more, more....please.
More isn't necessarily better! Trying to make my films as engaging as possible while also capturing the mood and showing the series of events. 😊
Waiting for HD..maybe my connection sucks...nope connection is fine..I'll wait..its only 360p now
Definitely wait for HD or 4K! There are some really nice views to take in, so you'll want ALL the resolution!
1080p is good to go!
You are the most intrepid biker I have ever seen. I have a couple of questions. Are you using a satellite phone? There aren't any cell towers in the middle of nowhere. Also, you are riding in sandals. Don't the bottoms of your feet hurt from the sole flexing? I have to have very stiff soled shoes when cycling. Otherwise, I suffer serious foot pain. I'm enjoying all of your videos. 👍☮️🌞🚲
I don't use a satellite phone. I just research things a lot before I go out into the wilderness.
The sandals are cycling sandals by Shimano. Not as stiff as a high-end mountain bike shoe, but great for touring.
Has gravel not been discovered there yet?
Like you haven't been hardcore bikepacking since the start of your trip... I was just watching your video and hoping the next shot would be a nice and smooth easy road... but no sir! You have to push it to the limit, don't you? 😉
Ha... it's not intentional! The best places to be in Ecuador are, undoubtedly, the hardest ones to access. It'd be nice if there were smooth dirt roads to get there sometimes.
nice scenery - would it be more efficient w a 1-wheel trailer vs panniers?
99% of cyclists would look at this "trail" and say, no friggin way. Which is the way it should be.
As Michael explained in the film, there's a big reward on offer to those who dare take on a route like this.
I’m excited because I’ll go there this summer 😁
I must say i will try to keep it positive as the video was great with scenery, etc.. however it looked like the most miserable trail if ever there was one to NEVER go bike touring on!! Lol sry you're cool but that bike trip must have been one of those "yeah I shouldn't have done that" but kudos to you for sharing man. ✌💜😎
Your nuts love ir by next year you be riding a fatbike with full bikepacking setup
I'll be back to cycle Bolivia/Argentina/Chile with a fatbike/bikepacking setup next time. There's heaps of stuff I need to investigate down that way with a different bike. 👍🏻
I been riding fat bike for 6 years with bike packing setup .. what I love about it is you can go anywhere any season .. if you need advice on setup ask away @@Cyclingabout
@@Bikepacking Cheers! I've actually never travelled with more than 3.0" rubber... looking forward to it.
Allee, I wouldn't mind helping you to create transcriptions for your video in my native language. I am sure others would help as well. You need to allow "community interactions" - or whatever UA-cam calls this - though.
That'd be amazing! What's your native language? Let me look into allowing that feature right now...
@@Cyclingabout I speak German, but once we have a proper English version the translation to many other languages should be quite straight forward.
@@rene78 Cool - so interactions are turned on, and I also have a link you can use to access the translations here! ua-cam.com/users/timedtext_video?ref=share&v=LE9wGCNCQ7A
Many thanks for this!
@@Cyclingabout Hi Allee, was just checking whether people can activate the English transcript, but somehow it is still the automatic one ("Welcome to Kill it oh!" ;) ). Maybe you have to approve it in a way? I first did the English one since the automatic translation to other languages works extremely well from English.
Is there a reason you chose KOGA as opposed to other makes - like STANFORTH or PATRIA?
I wanted to put a modern aluminium touring frame through the Alee D stress test. 💪🏼
Quilotoa
Love the video, but get a +tired bike
Cheers! But I'll stick with my slicks as they're 4km/h/2.5mph quicker on the smoother road sections.
My jaw dropped when I saw some of the stuff he was riding on those wheels.
Love your videos! I'm thinking of using your camera same setup for my next tour. G9 + GoPro Hero 7 Black. The G9 os an amazing camera. My only reservation is the size - how do you find it while cycling? Smaller cameras require a lot of feature sacrifices. Many, many thanks!!
Good choices! I don't find the G9 form factor to be a problem at all - I use the GoPro for all my onboard stuff, so the G9 is only out when I'm stopped, and its size doesn't really matter then. The G9 fits neatly into my handlebar bag with the camera insert/padding.
@@Cyclingabout Cool! I'm really excited to get my hands on this camera. Thanks for the reply and I'm enjoying your videos very much.
@@TravelsByTrike Glad to hear. All the best!
Amigo, how you hold the smartphone on your handlebar? Link to item to buy? I like tus videos, gracias
The product is called Quadlock, and it comes highly recommended. www.quadlockcase.com/
Thank youf ro the lovely videos. I think you have dealt with the choice of equipment elsewhere but why torture yourself with such narrow touring tyres? My friends smirk but I float over that stuff with a true FAT tyre in 26, 27 or 29", say 3 or more inches cross section. I routinely ride Schwalbe 4 inchers and sand, rocks and some types of mud are not such a pain. Better to bea ble to keep pedaling than slip-sliding away.
I ride a mix of terrain and the vast majority is smoother surfaces where a 50mm slick is ideal. My bike is essentially the best option most of the time and I think it makes sense to compromise for the short sections of off-road rather than the other way around.
I spent 4 days in Cotopaxi and rode around there. Not as good riding around there like yours.
Are you have a crue or something for shooting you journey? Or all about you record by your self?
Hello from bandung city indonesia. You must try riding bcycle in here
I film everything myself. 👌🏼