A 45-day electric cycling journey on e-bikes, kicking off on July 30th — this is the very first bike expedition we’ve ever undertaken. We know absolutely nothing about cycle touring. We don’t have a detailed plan. But we do know where we’re starting from, where we want to end up, and when we need to be back. Everything in between? You’ll see it unfold on our social media and blog.
Why are we doing this?
We want to find out whether two completely untrained people can pedal for six weeks straight on electric bikes, sleep in a tent every night, and still manage to work as usual. Basically — is long-distance cycling on e-bikes something regular, everyday people can pull off? 🙂
What will come out of this trip?
When Lukáš first came up with the idea of cycling across Europe, we tried to Google as much information as we could. But we quickly realised there’s very little out there in practical, beginner-friendly terms. If you’re not already an experienced cyclist, most of the available resources aren’t much help.
That’s why we want to put together a comprehensive, practical guide for anyone thinking about doing something like this. Once we’re back home, you’ll be able to read our full guide to long-distance electric cycling — from the very first idea to the first push of the pedal.
What gear to choose, which bikes to go for, what you absolutely must pack, how many kilometres you can realistically cover per day with all that luggage, what you’ll get to see from the saddle, what it’s like sleeping in a tent on the road, and how much the whole thing costs. All this and much more will be coming soon. 😉
Approximate route plan
We’re setting off from the Czech Republic and riding through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Albania all the way to Greece. From there, we’ll catch a ferry to Italy, cycle up through the country to the Dolomites, spend a few days there, and then take a bus back home for the final stretch.
The total distance works out to around 4,800 km, but we won’t be pedalling the entire way. We’re planning to shorten certain sections by hopping on buses or overnight trains as needed, so that we’re back home by September 14th.
Postcards from the road and supporting seniors
Some of you have already been asking whether we’ll be sending postcards from the road again. We will — but this time with a twist. Any extra funds you send our way will be donated to a Czech charity called Hurá na výlet, which organises trips and leisure activities for seniors and people with disabilities.
Where to follow us
Since we’re total social media creatures, you’ll find us pretty much everywhere — on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and right here on our blog, as well as in the online edition of Reportér magazine.
- Instagram Lucie
- Instagram Lukáš
- Instagram Loudavým Krokem
- Facebook Loudavým Krokem
- YouTube Loudavým Krokem
- Reportér magazine online edition
Trip partners
We love supporting brands and shops that we’ve been happy with for years, or that make products we’re genuinely excited about. We teamed up with several of them as partners for this trip. Some provided us with gear (4camping, Nanosilver, Lada Vyvialová, Sport Arsenal, Profidresy.cz), while others contributed financially (Altclub.com).
4camping
We’ve always bought our travel and camping gear from 4camping (and we’ve got a lot of it!), because they’ve always given us brilliant advice — who else is going to navigate all those sleeping bag sizes, waterproof ratings, and similar specs, right? In our opinion, it’s the best outdoor e-shop in the Czech Republic, so we were thrilled to agree on a partnership where they provided us with camping equipment and several cycling accessories. Thanks to this collaboration, we got to meet Víťa, an avid traveller and outdoor gear specialist, who walked us through how to properly choose a sleeping bag and sleeping pad.
Nanosilver
We’ve been involved in the Czech nanotechnology scene for a few years now, which is how we came across Nanosilver — a Czech brand that uses nanotechnology to produce fantastic functional clothing and sports accessories. Thanks to silver particles bonded directly to the fabric fibres, their products are antibacterial. That means you can wear the same t-shirt or socks for several days in a row (they claim up to a week — we’ll report back! :)) and even after a full day of sweating, they smell fresh as laundry in the morning. They kitted us out with cycling jerseys, t-shirts, and various accessories that we’ll be using throughout the trip.
Sport Arsenal
Like any proper expedition cyclists, we’ll be carrying all our belongings in panniers mounted on our bikes. And since we’re hauling a ton of tech and equipment (we need to work, take photos, and film along the way), the bags need to be high-quality and waterproof. The best Czech manufacturer for this is Sport Arsenal, so we agreed to test their product line designed specifically for longer expeditions.
Lada Vyvialová
When you hear “nanotechnology textiles,” designer clothing probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Yet not far from the Czech city of Ostrava, gorgeous dresses and fashion accessories are being made from Czech nanomaterials. Beyond being beautiful, they’re incredibly practical too. UV filters woven into the fabric prevent the sun from heating your skin, keeping you cool even in sweltering weather. The silver content eliminates odour from sweat, and the natural lightness of the materials makes Lada’s dresses the perfect travel companion.
Proficyklodresy.cz
Almost exclusively in the Czech Republic, proficyklodresy.cz imports Livall smart cycling helmets. These helmets come with built-in speakers, a walkie-talkie function, Bluetooth connectivity, and LED lights around the back that flash to alert drivers to the cyclist’s presence. Since people keep asking us whether we’ll get bored on the bikes, we want to test whether you can comfortably listen to podcasts or music while riding.
Altclub.com
Our lives are pretty closely tied to cryptocurrency. Among other things, Lukáš writes regularly for the online crypto community Altclub.com, which decided to support our trip financially. If you’re just getting started with crypto, looking for a reliable source of information, or want to join a community of people who live and breathe cryptocurrency, check out Altclub 🙂
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (best for everyone) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
