When good gear meets great days

We have reached Ancona today. The day felt a lot like yesterday: same sunshine, same scenery, and pretty much the same rhythm for this Easter Monday - except for one solid climb to reach Ancona… and today’s ice cream was double. 

Let’s talk a bit about gear for those who are curious. Having the right equipment really is half the job done. After several days of cycling, including the last two with over 80 km, we can now have some informed feedback.

First, the bikes: we chose steel touring bikes rather than aluminum ones, and honestly - they’re fantastic. They’re light, yet they absorb vibrations really well. We’re both super happy with them, and even after a long day, we don’t feel all that exhausted. They’re German bikes from the brand «Das Fahrrad». No surprise, the Germans really know their stuff when it comes to bikes.

When I ride long distances, I usually struggle with two things: my back and my seat. So we did our homework beforehand to avoid those issues, especially to be able to last for many days.

For my back: I went with a butterfly handlebar and a stem that raises things a bit higher, so I can ride in a more upright position. So far, it feels great.

As for the seat: we had saddles fitted to match our sit bone width (measured in-store!), with ergonomic gel padding. Absolutely amazing - no pain so far. On my hairdresser’s advice (he’s a big cycling fan), I also got «Assos» cycling shorts (a Swiss brand) with nice thick padding, and honestly - it’s night and day. My hairdresser is the best; every time I see him, we end up talking about cycling. He even gave me loads of shampoo samples so I’d have less to carry!

For panniers, I went super minimalist, so I’m doing well weight-wise. For now, we’re carrying all our camping gear, though we’re not sure we’ll actually use it. This time of year, B&Bs or hotels, are almost the same price as campsites…

Pascal, on the other hand, is carrying much heavier bags. Being the geek he is, he brought his laptop along 😂

But it does mean he can keep working on the blog! He put together a quick and simple version just before we left, and now he’s improving it along the way and adding new features. Many of you have asked about being able to leave comments and reactions - stay tuned, that’s coming soon! He just does not want to commit to a date 🤪