www.long-expeditions.de

Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist !

Would I do the tour again?
Definitely

I had a lot of fun riding the trike, but not so much in the mountains and with the (too) much luggage I had with me!

A trike is already much heavier than an MTB, for example!

It is also much slower when traveling, but that didn't bother me!

I would never go on a trip with a “normal bike” again, because with a recumbent trike you can see much more of your surroundings than with an MTB, for example, thanks to the upright sitting position!

Full suspension is a great advantage on a trike for long journeys, but please don't use junk like the ICE trikes, but something sensible like the
Pirol , Steintrike or the HP - Scorpion

It was a bit of a torture in the mountains...

The supply of food on the way was a real problem, I couldn't take as much with me as I ate!
My calorie consumption was extreme, sometimes well over 6000 kcal.
It was good that some nice people helped me out along the way!

The Pirol Trike was first class, anyone who knows me knows that I'm not just saying that because Pirol was my sponsor!

Except for the spokes in the front wheels that came loose from time to time and the crack in the rear wheel rim,

which can certainly be attributed to my riding style on gravel and which lasted another 600 kilometers, the Pirol Trike has more than proven itself.

It is a great pity that it is no longer being produced, because it was the only real
MADE IN GERMANY
trike on the market!
Unfortunately, the bad advertising from Pirol itself and misinformation from some stupid contemporaries from the various forums and some trike dealers & manufacturers have ensured this !
Stupid people who have never really ridden a Pirol trike, but have bad-mouthed it at every opportunity ....
Once again, so typically German !

My Pirol Trike on the way back from Fairbanks to Whitehorse in Dawson City.

The Schwalbe Big Apple tires have proven themselves on every surface during my tour!

The Ventisit seat cover is the best, no wet back no matter what the temperature!

The Ortlieb recumbent bags don't live up to their promise, they are not 100% waterproof like the normal bags and there is no buckle in the middle to secure them ....
On my 2009 tour I had water in the bag several times and many times ants, spiders and other crawling creatures, sorry, but I really need waterproof bags on my trips ...
The waterproof case didn't work either, halfway through the tour I replaced it with the normal Ortlieb bags!

Unfortunately, the zipper was constantly jammed or wouldn't close at all, despite intensive care with silicone paste...
However, it should be borne in mind that I often opened and closed them every day for months, I don't think the cases are designed for that, more for the leisure rider...
That's a real shame because I actually really like the cases!

The normal waterproof Ortlieb bags are still the BEST!

My main mistake on this tour was that I simply had far too much equipment with me, which spoiled the fun on the climbs!

Next time I'll take an electric motor, as support!

But there is a big problem of transporting the lithium-ion battery, almost all airlines don't transport them in the plane ...

I was very surprised by the helpfulness of the other travelers I met along the way, you immediately recognized the travelers who were always ready for a chat and the tourists who are always on the run and just rushed past, regardless of whether you needed help or not ...

I was really disappointed by some of the local business people...

( of course with positive exceptions )

I've never seen Alaska and Yukon that way!

The (business) people were sometimes very, very unfriendly to cyclists, this was not only my experience, but also that of the other cyclists I met!

The absolutely exorbitant prices, e.g. charging up to $40 for pitching a tent on a campground, or even worse not letting you onto the campground because you don't fit in with the super motorhomes etc. ...

The Alaska of the 80's unfortunately no longer exists, the outdoor spirit that I learned to love so much is gone, thanks to the many tourists and the newly arrived people from the lower 48 who no longer have the spirit that people used to have...

Today it's all about the money, just like here in Europe...

But thank God I'm not going to Alaska because of the people ...

But there are a lot of good-hearted people out there in Alaska!

Thanks again for sponsoring the Pirol Trike Mr. Bahner, without your help the trip would not have been possible!

I realized how excellent the Pirol trike really was compared to other trikes in 2014 when I unfortunately bought an English ICE trike that was really terrible!

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So will I be traveling with a recumbent again?

In any case, I am currently converting my recumbent quad for the next big trip!

But this time with an electric motor, Rohloff hub and a Schlumpf mountain drive!

Continue with:

A day in Bautzen with Pirol

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Only those who risk going too far, will discover how far they can go!
Expedition in the USA, Alaska & Canada, Scandinavia with folding boat, motorboat, catamaran, motorcycle, off-road vehicle, bicycle ...

www.long-expeditions.de

Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist !

Would I do the tour again?Definitely

Would I do the tour again?
Definitely