Bikepacking To The Gods: An Epic Greek Cycling Odyssey

[@gcn]

Where would you go on your perfect bikepacking adventure?

[@AussieInJapan]

Australian to a small country town with a pub that serves cold beer & a sensational parmy.

[@kostantinmarinkov5039]

You should come to Bulgaria!

[@alexandersnider734]

Love my local Cascade mountains, but would someday love to do the mountains arounds Slovenia.

[@superyamagucci]

@@AussieInJapan So anywhere in NZ. A "parmy" is presumably some kind of pie.

[@thommomonk]

NZ South Island Australia

[@bittiapina]

Oh what an absolute delight this was! You guys went on a proper adventure. This is my favorite kind of GCN content for sure. Also really enjoy the branching to other countries to see what they have to offer in terms of biking adventures, really cool stuff.

[@gcn]

We're glad you enjoyed it! We do loads of adventures like this on GCN+, check them out here 👉gcn.eu/GCNFilms

[@conordunne1]

Thanks so much!! Conor

[@DnDMF]

The bikepacking videos from GCN are a gem. Here in Greece, cycling tourism is on the rise the last two years. There are many mountains to climb with amazing views and most of the route will be with very few cars. Pretty much a climbers paradise. But, don't expect the tarmac to be as good as the one in the video.

[@gregvassilakos]

Everyone tells me not to expect good roads in Greece, but I've found the roads to be better than those I often encounter in the United States. My rides in Greece have been in the vicinity of Corinth and Loutraki. The roads there are generally in very good condition.

[@DnDMF]

@@gregvassilakos I didn't say that they are generally bad. It depends the region. Many times, if a road has little traffic it is rarely maintained. This summer I did the tour of Corfu. Beautiful route but the worst road network I have ever seen.

[@Gk9311]

​ Greece totally lacks the infrastructure to accommodate bicycles, but that's not all, the worst of it is that the drivers here are probably the worst in all of Europe. It's extremely dangerous to use the road network. It is a sad situation.

[@DnDMF]

@@Gk9311 I disagree. It is not more dangerous than any other country in Europe. In Athens and Thessaloniki it is sketchy but in the rest of Greece it is safe enough, especially on country roads. Also, I haven't heard of any other country where cyclists and heavy vehicles drivers have mutual respect. More than once, a truck driver protected me against other cars, or waited for me patiently to cross. And on narrow roads, whenever I can I pull over to let them pass.

[@gregvassilakos]

@@Gk9311 Yes, and it astounds me that Greek cities are not following the lead of Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Paris, Oslo, Barcelona, etc ... in creating networks of protected bike lanes and restricting parking to get people out of their cars. Greece has the best climate for cycling in all of Europe. Greece must import all of its petroleum and motor vehicles. Shifting people onto bicycles would have tremendous benefit for both the environment and the economy.

[@ViktorNordahl]

Possibly the best piece of content you've pulled off as of yet! Brotherhood, cycling, adventure, what more can you ask for :)

[@gcn]

Thanks, Viktor! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@conordunne1]

Thanks Viktor, we had a blast filming this one. Glad you enjoyed the watch!! Conor

[@Songbirdstress]

@@conordunne1 I love that you do stuff I never will. Kind of Advanced Master Class lol. Mine is Artemis.

[@patsigg2980]

Excellent video. I was lucky enough to meet Conor and James on their experience on day two. They were just resting at the side of the street, which gave me the opportunity to jump out of the car for a short chat and some photoes. As an enthusiastic rider and GCN watcher this absolutly random encounter left me speechless and delighted. Both of them actually are as heartwarming and gentle as we know them. Thanks to you guys for brighting up my bikeless holiday. Keep on creating this kind of content. Best regards Patrick

[@conordunne1]

Ah nice one Patrick!!! Great to meet you!! Glad you enjoyed the video... What a place we were all lucky enough to travel through. All the best Conor

[@rogersmithchiropractic7355]

Well done great Vid, I am British but live in Thessaloniki. I bike pack through central mainland Greece every summer, I get that you had to do Olympus as it is the most famous peak but there are actually much more spectacular on and off road bike packing routes from Pindos mountains through Tsoumerka, Agrafa and Karpenisi down to Delphi. All that takes about 10 days but is stunning. Greece is the Secret bike packing paradise. Shhh dont tell anyone.😁

[@hellkitty6663]

I was just wondering, if greece is bikepackable 😁 Do you think the weather in March is stable and warm enough?

[@rogersmithchiropractic7355]

@@hellkitty6663 March is probably the worst month for weather predictability, weather can swing between winter and spring and back again sometimes from one day to the next. The mountains can get heavy snow in march but it varies from one year to the next. If you wait until April or May you will have much better options. Depends on the route you want to go of course. The best bikepacking in Greece is the central mountainous regions which are best in summer.

[@timothyswatzell221]

Cowboy coffee. Full boil for 3 min and then turn it off. Let set for a min and then poor about two oz of cool water on the top. Doing this it will Knock the grounds to the bottom. Enjoy. Great video

[@r.davies2702]

Imagine climbing that mountain and coming across two brand new Storck gravel bikes. Your prayers would've been answered, and amazing descent would follow 😂 Well done guys 👍

[@PCXMODSGR]

I am very happy to see GCN in Greece(or Hellas as the proper name is) long time sub but no mention of my country! So this is exactly what people need to see and come explore and have fun here! I encourage anyone to come with their bike and have the time of their life (during the summer months as far as cycling goes)! kudos for the pronunciation spot on! More videos please!

[@thegrizzlys]

Cycling is good here almost all year around, August being disgustingly hot and maybe Feb being a little cold/wet but I do agree its good to see some "mainstream" coverage of cycling in Greece

[@gcn]

Greece was AWESOME! We'd love to come back soon, if not for the cycling, then a bit of sun! 😉

[@Ok_Rouleur]

I’m planning to come next spring and then go on to Turkey

[@PCXMODSGR]

@@Ok_Rouleur First part of your plan is excellent the second half no! You can visit Konstantinoupoli but nothing else(in my opinion)! Italy also is a great choice which is nearby! Also Spain ! Or after your visit here a tour of Balkan countries!

[@thegrizzlys]

@@gcn plenty of amazing routes to explore

[@tonykarabatsas1762]

I am a Australian Greek and hail from Thessaloniki. Greece is a beautiful place to ride bikes. I keep 2 bikes in Greece and love riding on both road and gravel. Great to see GCN doing something in the most beautiful place on earth. You should also do a similar climbing video on Mt Parnasos and Meteora. Again great mythical places. Love GCN

[@paulcollingridge8387]

This reveals so much what a really, really nice guy Hank is.... Supportive, gentle, encouraging.

[@philtahmindjis1211]

As a bloke of Greek decent (but Aussie passport) and an Olympian and a person who has always wanted to go to Greece and a gravel cyclist you have hit all my hot buttons at once. Great video. I’m going as soon as I can. Great work guys.

[@geoffreyhoney122]

Absolutely one of the best gcn videos yet! Didn't even mind the product plugs! Thank you Hank and Connor for a truly EPIC adventure!!I love how you demonstrated that improvisation is essential when bikepacking! It NEVER totally goes to plan. Fox, cameraman, clothes. It all calls for thinking on your feet. Great idea for bike attachment Hank! Great video, but it made me squeamish!! I couldn't have takenthose heights!! Well done both. Thanks for taking us along on the adventures!! Can't wait for the next one!!

[@conordunne1]

Ah that's super nice to read, big thanks Geoffrey!! It was some adventure, absolutely loved it. Glad you enjoyed the video!! Can't wait for the next one now :) All the best, Conor

[@yiannialexiadis5847]

My mother land. What a beautiful video you guys have done. I have family in Thessaloniki, I do miss it. Thank you all who worked on this. Great riding, looking forward to more like these.

[@Tonytruand09]

⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠👍👍👍👍👍FEEDBACK TIME: THIS is one of the video type i really enjoy and why i also signed up for GCN+. The adventure, comradery, sceneries, challenge, the gears.... The perfect video.

[@dimitrioskaltsas674]

Glad you enjoyed our backyard, guys! Plenty more climbing and other hidden gems in Greece, both in the north around our Thessaloniki and all over the country really, mountains, valleys, lakes, islands, you name it! Add incredible weather year round to the mix, and you have yourself a cyclist's paradise. We consider ourselves really lucky around here... See you next time around. (PS: one very quick question, how did you get off the mountain? 😁)

[@conordunne1]

Thanks Dimitrios!! I loved Greece so much. We are actually planning something more in Crete at the moment, if you know anyone in the cycling scene there who might be good to get in touch with.. it'd be super helpful! And we rode off the mountain, bottom to top in one go. Actually it was a big regret we didn't film it, I still have blisters from the descent ha. thanks for watching, Conor

[@calcradden6293]

These kinds of titles get me so hyped

[@mariacristinaperezlegorret7593]

Guys!!! You are my heroes!!!

[@gcn]

You think these two a strong, check out Ollie's recent ride 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqHEanmQfbSXrbs

[@spirosmergianos1845]

Awesome ride! Thanks guys for picking our beautiful country to show it to the world! Hope you had a great time here in Greece and get back to discover some more of our hidden "gems"!

[@gcn]

We'd love to come back!

[@The_One-Eyed_Undertaker]

Bloody fantastic!!! THIS IS THE WAY. Forget about $10,000 carbon bikes or even $150 3D printed titanium GPS brackets that 99% of us will never be able to afford. Keep this adventure biking videos coming. Kudos to Connor and Hank for reaching the summit and this fantastic greek odissey.

[@phreakanimal]

One of my favorite films on your channel & any adventure / biking channel for that matter. Well done, this video deserves to be seen and loved.

[@poppyblack3356]

When I saw this my mind went like "Can´t wait for GCN go on a bikepacking adventure to summit mount Everest xD." Imagining Connor and Hank making stupid one liner jokes while biking through Khumbu Icefall.............(and yes, I need help xD)

[@nadeem9485]

You guys are so brave in getting to the peak! Why am I so glued to GCN videos? I only got into cycling this year… thank you guys and you should be on mainstream TV!

[@simon_hollins]

Better than ‘mainstream’ TV! Stay on YT where you make brilliant films for fans, not dumbed down reality TV for the masses.

[@gcn]

Thanks for the message, Nadeem, welcome to the community! If you loved this content, you'll love what we're doing over on GCN+ 👉 gcn.eu/GCNFilms

[@Seppster58]

All I can say is WOW!! Love these epic adventures. Hank and Conor again literally ROCKED this video. Well done GCN for another excellent video to keep us subscribers glued to our screens.

[@gcn]

We're glad you enjoyed it! We do loads of adventures like this on GCN+, check them out here 👉gcn.eu/GCNFilms

[@TBATTIECYCLING]

One of the best videos you’ve produced

[@gcn]

Thanks Levi!!

[@andrewhayes1339]

This is without doubt my all time favourite GCN video. Thank you so much for making & sharing this with us all, I could actually feel the emotion. This is the sort of adventure/holiday I can only dream of ❤😊

[@conordunne1]

Thanks so much Andrew, that's super kind! All the best, Conor

[@ajreycer3294]

This Conor and Hank bromance is really the content I needed today

[@JZ-xu3vg]

One of the coolest vids i've seen here in a while. Inspirational - wild - well rounded - pure adventure.

[@matt_acton-varian]

"I'm putting my like in the hands of Hank"... You're a braver man than me, Connor! 🤣🤣

[@conordunne1]

It dawned on me once more when we were tied together.....

[@jambrok1926]

You guys really do have the best job in the world. Loved this.

[@OXI28101941]

So, so pleased to see a cycling adventure in Greece on the channel. You also need to come to Crete! Just as you say, early in the morning even good roads outside major cities have hardly any traffic. On farm roads you are lucky to meet anyone.

[@gcn]

Crete would be incredible - we'd love to visit!

[@OXI28101941]

@@gcn, I'd be more than happy to do anything to help, just let me know!

[@vagelino46]

Welcome guys to my city and to my country. I loved the music background and of course I was big suprise to see you there. I hope you come back soon and to enjoy the Greek hospitality.

[@liamticehurst1933]

Absolutely stunning. I climbed it last year. Sea level to summit. Best climb I’ve ever done and a super long day!! Chapeau guys

[@ThisIsANameBruh]

This always bothered me with cycling and Greece. Even the Capital, Athens, has 3 alpine-length climbs surrounding it. The country's perfect for cycling yet it remains completely unknown in the global community. Thanks for sharing GCN! Hope you enjoyed your trip.

[@MeerkatsusBJJVideos]

Awesome film, well done guys! I had vertigo just watching those summit scenes. Amazing!

[@kyriakosfatouros4071]

That's a great video guys! So everybody knows about the greek island and beaches, but no one knows that Greece is about 80% mountains, wild, pristine and seriously beautiful!

[@nathanstuyvesant7191]

I’m waiting for NASA to go back to the moon so GCN can send Hank and Mark Beaumont to do a 3 day ride up Mons Huygens (tallest mountain on the moon at roughly 5,500meters)

[@benjaminberba2606]

Videos like these continue to inspire us to push thru with our cycling hobby.

[@beyond8981]

Love the chemistry between you both - made the film

[@DB-sj8km]

Such a great video, and these two are a GREAT adventure pair. Great music, editing, and of course camera work as well. Wish I could give more than one like.

[@karlr6810]

An epic ride wouldn't be proper without some hike-a-bike. Sometimes, I have to do the same when in the mountains here in Colorado. Phenomenal adventure and video, thanks for sharing. 🤘👍

[@ronnierazon1742]

This a great adventure. Thank you very much. Love it you both are always great for some epic epic crazzzy adventures. Keep it up and enjoy. Thank you Gcn for always having an awesome epic content.

[@paulhiggins1668]

Amazing video and even more amazing to see Hank described as the most sensible person on the team. Well done guys. More videos like this.

[@alinapopescu872]

He's also the only one with serious climbing experience. I believe this is what Conor meant,

[@OllyKilo]

That was quite an odyssey. Enjoyed every second. Thanks chaps.

[@238949]

Absolutely amazing film, I could feel the excitement coming through my screen, the second GCN video that has moved me to emotional tears, so proud of you both x

[@gcn]

Wow, praise indeed! We're so glad you enjoyed this video as much as we enjoyed making it - your support is so important, it's great to hear it! 💪

[@manuelamichaela811]

It was a great pleasure to watch this video of friendship, joy, cycling, history and adventure‼️ And very professional quality of filming and cutting btw - big 👍

[@conordunne1]

Big thanks Manuela, glad you enjoyed this one!!

[@dominicwitherowdwp2467]

Brilliant! A friend and I climbed Olympus in 1993 and the memories of that adventure are ever cherished. What a fabulous video. Thanks, GCN!

[@gcn]

We hope you enjoyed your ascent as much as we did, thanks Dominic!

[@andrifsig]

incredible video! This is the main reason why I watch GCN videos! Epic adventures and achievements, hopefully a lot more to come!

[@gcn]

We're glad you loved it, and there is a lot more to come! In the meantime for more epic adventures, check out GCN+ 👉gcn.eu/GCNFilms

[@ImAnEmergency]

This was the best thing I could have had my morning coffee to today. Cheers to GCN as well as Hank and Conor for beasting their way to the top!

[@gcn]

We're glad we could make your morning that much better!

[@nickex9369]

I absolutely love seeing GCN cycling at my home! I hiked up to the top a few years ago from Litochoro, I can't imagine how it was by bike. NICE

[@johnflynn5255]

My fear of heights was nothing in comparison to how much I enjoyed conor and hanks True adventure scaling those last few razor sharp peaks... Well done to you both AND the team who made this such an enjoyable watch.... Next stop Everest .

[@lucvanginneken561]

Best GCN Adventure Ever ❤ This genuinely inspires me to do epic adventures of my own.

[@chrisfurby8241]

Epic fellas 👏👏👏 Love tagging along on these journeys and great drone footage on this one 👍

[@ondrejmitas3325]

Tremendous visuals, loved seeing it. Can we please have a short video demonstrating the jacket bike sling technique, Hank?

[@chiennanyang1]

This is amazing, please do more videos like this, big adventure in amazing location.

[@williamkeys5701]

This reminds me of the time I spent on Crete a few years back. No epic climbs like Mt. Olympus but there were plenty of low traffic paved roads and a few nice climbs right from my doorstep. Thanks for the beautiful travelogue.

[@dandalstraphotography]

Thank you so much for this epic film! The cinematography was incredible and last bits at the top looked terrifying and I’m so happy no one got ‘dropped’. But my favorite part of it all was the bromance between Conner and Hank. They seemed so happy to share the journey together and I can’t for their next challenge.

[@peterl3463]

God.... i 'm so jealous of you guys! Well done Conor & Hank for doing that amazing ride. As a Greek i'm really proud and i hope you guys can do more of Greece rides even for the not so fit people.

[@stevenss8070]

Wow, epic tour, nice pictures. Thanks guys for taking us with you.

[@amc5966]

AMAZING. Well done lads. Brave getting up that summit!

[@stevenking9357]

This was an epic video, thanks for taking me along on your trip to Mt. Olympus. Thoroughly enjoyed it!!

[@marcguerino5645]

This was absolutely WILD! What an insane trip. Would love to see more videos like this! Keep it up guys well done!

[@conordunne1]

Thanks so much Marc!!

[@shanelewis2255]

Beautiful and epic ride!!! 😍 Watching Hank walking the ridgeline making me nervous 🤣

[@juliansuizo767]

What a treat this was! 💪🏽💪🏽 hope to see more of this kind of videos!!

[@DrAlafro]

I'm so glad you visited my home country Greece. Whilst Greece is not very popular is cycling culture it has some breathtaking, literally and figuratively, mountainous roads. On a side-note, if you think Thessaloniki is hectic, try Athens 🙂

[@thedoginside]

Like Little & Large, Abbott & Costello, you 2 are the dream team for this kind of video. Top job again 👏🏼

[@dennisdownes9319]

"HOLY F**K!!!!!!!!" 29:59 Any snarky remarks I had about you not having cash have been completely been forgotten and replaced with absolute respect! Amazing and scary finish. Well done. Great video!! DD

[@bobqzzi]

That was great. Challenging, spectacular, not a death march. Perfect

[@ninghua5312]

One of my favorate GCN adventure!

[@Pedalsandrides]

A quite epic bike packing mates, yet so rewarding.. I see two demigods of cycling 😆 😆. Keep up guys, more ride like this, thank you for showing Mt. Olympus.

[@phunkalicious4]

I was in so much fear just watching them climb the last saddle. Bravo, Conor , Hank and GCN.

[@TTDFAN144]

I’m only 5 minutes in but I can tell the rest of this video is going to be amazing!

[@gcn]

We're glad you're enjoying it, and hope you loved the rest of the video too! Always great to hear from THE GCN Fan!

[@jeffreywilliams3646]

For guys who travel a lot, no cash is rather a huge error. Looks like a lovely trip.

[@nicksnowball7998]

Are we going to talk about that missed high 5 at 12:15? Or shall we just ignore it?

[@birkaster]

I really love that Conor pats on Hank on the shoulder all the time which is usually something Hank does to... everyone? In one of the GCN shows, there should be a compilation of "Hank pats"

[@toadstool1313]

Greece is brilliant place to ride. Greeks will tell you that you'd be mad for cycling there, but I found the roads to feel generally safer than the UK and the surfaces are super smooth, with huge climbs/descents all over the place. I stayed several months in Athens and found some of the best climbs I've ever ridden right out of the city. Combine that with gorgeous sea to cool off in, it's perfect.

[@galloglas6907]

This was epic well done Conor and Hank, cycling, camping and climbing a total adventure packed challenge in a very beautiful destination. This is exactly why GCN gets my subscription keep up the great content.

[@briancarter8694]

Hank is really taking some punishment lately! These long rides you do for GCN, they are all phenomenal. But this one may have been the best, The scenery was beautiful and it was shot really well. It looks like a blast, keep them coming!

[@tcheev6306]

Great GCN quality content as usual , u can even feel leg pain trough it 16:38 🦵

[@jerrysterling4432]

BEST GCN content for sure. Is there a bikepacking GCN channel? If not, I have no idea what yall are waiting for :D FUN!

[@peterslater7791]

loved this. what an adventure! and what a great team GCN has. incredible!

[@alexk3806]

Great to you guys finally making it one of Europe's cycling unsung heroes. It's such a great place to have bike adventures. I can also recommend the Peloponnese, down south. Great mountain roads, lots of gravel if you want it, plenty of good food.

[@todd4654]

Wow! That was just awesome…you guys just keep raising the bar. Enjoyed that video so much. Keep up the great work and videos.

[@heidijarvis777]

One of the best videos, well done lads, super brave to climb to the top.

[@manueldinis2941]

Big kudos to you two, that last part did look easy at all!! glad you made decision to finish it on foot, great job!🍻

[@bratSebastian]

I'd find no trouble at all climbing to the top, but sitting there like you guys did having at the back of my head that literally at the back of it is just a space with a limited surface under my body to hold it and not let it fall into the abyss... I feel like I need to lay down on the floor just by thinking of it. That was quite a horror movie before a bedtime. Thanks GCN!

[@rathatchaowanich253]

Welcome to the GCN show, the Global Climbing Network :) Great job guys!

[@DVKajak]

So cool to watch! I already enjoyed Manon's adventures and now you two guys. Awesome! Please keep up with this content.

[@madmick9205]

Big thumbs up. Awesome achievement for you both. I don't have the words, so just brilliant and then some:)

[@CreativeLivingProject]

Cycling AND Mountaineering! Kudos, guys! and the team. This was a good use of 30 minutes of my life!😂

[@SoferAmator]

Thanks for sharing the adventure with us, Greece is so beautiful 😍❤️!

[@shaunwhiteman6028]

Absolutely amazing guys, what an adventure

[@manitolas]

Thanks for visiting 😀🇬🇷, great climb, 🤟🤟🤟😀

[@joowwwllllll666]

Awesome video guys. I can remember my dad telling me stories about climbing Olympus 😀

[@gilesy62]

Awesome video guys! Another Great GCN video. Thanks for sharing!

[@fabianbinder3681]

Being forthcoming to travelers is deeply engrained in Greece because of their myths. Who knows, could be some god in human disguise, better be nice…😄 Absolutely love the country!

[@LUKEXIMUSIC]

Such an amazing video! Geniuely one of the best I've watched in a while 😀

[@TonInter]

Good job climbing the mountain, and kudos to your camera person, really impressive shots.

[@texasflood1295]

The word "epic" gets overused quite often these days but not in this case. Truly an epic trip for Conor and Hank.

[@gcn]

Thanks for the epic comment! We're glad you thought it was as epic as we did - stay tuned for more epic videos coming soon!

[@texasflood1295]

@@gcn Epic

[@martinhayes8490]

Wow, that's was one of the best (free) videos you've done! Well done on the summit, hope you got a chance to ride back down and get in the sea again!!