A new event. Amazing!! www.lesperitdelbikepacking.org/el-piri-info

Train hard!! But maybe too late for that advise haha... Make sure your bike is okay and don´t go with skinny tires. Most will go for tires around 44/45 mm. Some rough sections. Some pretty steep sections too so think about gearing. Last two editions I rode with 36 in the front and 11/42 in the back. Don´t go with road shoes. There is a bit of hike-a-bike. If they don´t chance the course. But most important. Enjoy! It´s a great event and beautiful course. Good luck!

@@MarcoHeemskerk I have done all those things a part from the road shoes! Guess i will be hiking in my white shimanos lol!!!!!

Kan me niet herinneren dat dat een probleem was. Was helemaal in het begin bij het uitrijden van de Zwette. Einde van eerste scene van het filmpje. We zijn het kanaal alleen overgestoken, hebben er verder niet op geschaatst.

Er was door de Friesche ijsbond gewaarschuwd het kanaal niet over te steken. Volgens mij was het kanaal na het afgelasten van de elfstedentocht weer vrijgegeven voor de scheepvaart. In Harlingen lag de vaargeul ook open. Jij hebt zo te horen niet gekluund en je kon er veilig overheen. Dank voor je reactie. Zelf ben ik opgestapt ten zuiden van het kanaal bij de Boxumerdijk.@@MarcoHeemskerk

Hola Gina, No és fàcil. Però, molt bonic i un gran repte

Hola Andres, En Girona encuentras todo tipo de terrenos por eso me gusta un neumático que a mi me sirve para todos. Me gustan los WTB Raddlers 44 mm. Saludos, Marco

All I have. GoPro Quick is failing a bit...

Thx! Route is part of the Traka and you can find those on their Komoot or website. Klassmark.

Thx! Was great day on the bike. At the moment I´m riding WTA 44mm Raddlers but the race I did with WTA 45 mm Riddlers. You need a tire that is suitable for all kinds of terrain. I like them both.

Your videos are soooo helpful for the tire choice. I am doing the 200 for the first time this year. Are you going for the 360 again?

@@antoniosoto6766 thank you! Cool! You are going to love the course. The 200 (as now on Komoot) is much nicer than last years version. Yes, I´m doing the 360 again. Looking forward to it! All the best with your training!

Hi Andy, we are riding gravel bikes. A bike that is between a road bike and a mtb. So like a road bike with wider tires, or a mtb without suspension... Bikes come in all shapes, sizes and prices. Prices from a couple of thousand euro to as crazy as you wanna go. Check your local bike shop. Sure they can tell you all about gravel bikes and gravel riding. Great fun!!

@@MarcoHeemskerk thank you. How much it cost your in specific? What brand and model it is?

I would go for 45. Although if you do the 100, 40 is also fine. For 200 and longer you need a bit more comfort and also those routes are a bit rougher.

The route as now posted on the site is great. You will have a beautiful day. Good luck!

Well spotted Michael!! It´s to keep the cows in or out. It´s like a gate and you can ride trough it. But at speed it´s a bit scarry haha.

Thank you!! And I think I agree ;-). Although there are great docu´s out there but also a lot ´not so great´ ones. I just film like I take photos.

Thx! And congratulations with getting an entry. I know the feeling haha. But it was amazing and a great experience!

Hi James, There are alternatives. They arrange taxis or there is a ride back with less elevation and mainly roads. But if the weather is good I would definitely recommend doing this one. It´s so worth the extra effort!! And it´s not a really hard climb. It´s a long one ;-). I think most riders took one of the alternatives ways back to Granada.

@@MarcoHeemskerk thanks so much, it looks insane and I’ll certainly consider it if I’m lucky 🤔 enough to get a place. One other question, did you pre-book some accommodation at the finish before you set off from Granada or did you just sort it when you arrived.?

@@jamesridley401 after finishing Badlands you see everything in a different prospective haha. Hope you make it in. Amazing experience. We booked an Airbnb in Granada from Thursday (start was Sunday morning so plenty of time to settle in) till the next Saturday. So we could leave our things in the apartment and had also time after the race to relax and see the city. And Granada is a very nice place! In Capileira we didn´t book in advance. You just don´t know when you get there... It was no problem to get a room once we were there.

@@MarcoHeemskerk fantastic info Marco, thanks. Yes I can imagine it is an experience that will put a lot of things into perspective. Congratulations for finishing and thanks again for the info. Cheers

Hi! Nothing much. Weather was warm and dry. A bivi sack, sea to summit sleeping mat, sea to summit pillow, sea to summit liner (thin sheet you normally use in a sleeping bag) and a down jacket. No sleeping bag.

@@MarcoHeemskerk :Hi Marco ,nice option ,what the Bivi you used ?

@@miramoneric6988 A basic one. The brand is LACD (biwaksack B-WP).

Thanks!

Hi Kris, thanks man! Yes, great memories. Epic event! I sufferd on the climb though. My ass was so sore, as will as my achilles. Could´t sit, could´t stand... But the pain is gone, and the memories are here to stay!

Thank you, Peter!

Hi Jan, Trainen, heel veel trainen! Gravel in en om Girona is pittig. Kan ruig en steil zijn. Moet je dus ook wel een beetje aan gewend zijn. Kies ook voor niet te smalle banden. Ik rij met min 40mm. Verder ben ik met een camelbak gaan rijden. Maakt het drinken makkelijker en daardoor drink je ook meer. En dat is niet te onderschatten. Zeker als het warm is. Veder is het een mooi en goed georganiseerd evenement. En zeer de moeite waard!

@@MarcoHeemskerk dankjewel en complimenten voor je videos

Hi Bob, Think you can find it in my Strava, account ´Marco Bravissimo-Girona.com´

Hola Patrick, Gravet is a local gravel cycling club here in Girona Spain. They organized a trip to France to ride a course there. Was a great day out and a beautiful route.

It was! Gravel riding in Girona is the best!

Was a great ride! Beautiful route.

Girona, Campllong, Caldes, direction Lloret, direction Tossa, Santa Cristina, Puig Cavarres, Montnegre, Els Angels, Girona.

@@MarcoHeemskerk gracies.

WTB Riddlers, 37mm. I like them a lot but I will go to slightly wider because often I ride in pretty rough terrein.

@@MarcoHeemskerk what Will you use in the future?

Hi Randall, thank you for your reaction. In Girona we are still in complete lock down. I´m inside since Saturday the 14th. So on the Tacx on the balcony is the only thing we can do. But I really miss my freedom and doing the great rides here. Hope this gets better soon and that you are able to come to Girona again. If you look for a nice place to stay check our company www.bravissimo-girona.com. We offer a wide range of great apartments in the center of town. Hope you don´t mind me making a little advertisement in these for our business hard times ;-). Keep safe and well!! And fit of course :-) Grtz, Marco

Marco Heemskerk Thanks Marco. And thank you for the information. We were in Girona in September gravel riding with The Service Course and had rentals booked for this week. We will come back when things return to normalcy. We liked Girona. We are in isolation in Canada as well, not as much as Spain yet. Riding the trainer as well since the weather is rather cold, still around 0 degrees C. Take care and thanks for sharing your rides.

​@@randallmiller3842 So sorry we can´t ride in Girona right now. I´m sitting on the balcony and the weather is great. Perfect. Hard to have to stay at home now. We work a lot with The Service Course. Nice people and beautiful bikes. For them difficult times as well. I also posted some rides we did with them. The Gravel Bananza series are so much fun! I hope in Canada the weather gets a bit warmer soon and that you are then still allowed to ride outside! All the best and have a good weekend!

Thx! Was a great day!!

Thx! You can look me up on Strava if you want. ´Marco Bravissimo-Girona.com´

Thx! You can look me up on Strava if you want. ´Marco Bravissimo-Girona.com´

I will, thanks mate!