When her van broke down in Crete, Anne Kress decided not to book a flight to get back home to Germany. Instead, she grabbed her 20-year-old mountain bike and camping gear, then pedalled 3,300km home through 11 countries.
Listen if: You love spontaneous adventures, dream about bikepacking the Balkans, or want proof that bike adventures can start with small, imperfect gear.
The story in a nutshell:
Anne was midway through a climbing trip in Crete when her camper van broke down in the middle of nowhere. With Easter shutdown looming, not wanting to take a flight home, and stranded in the what felt like the 'middle of nowhere', she decided to ride it her old mountain bike all the way back to Germany. Not via the “boring” coastal route, but off-road through the newly created Trans Dinarica route through the Balkans. All up she cycled over 3,300 km, with a hefty 63,000 meters of climbing as well.
Key takeaways:
- Listen to your inner voice: The wild idea in your head might be the one that changes everything.
- Start with what you’ve got: You don’t need a shiny gravel bike to take on an adventure. Anne rode her third-hand, 20 year old mountain bike
- Open yourself to people: Human connections are the true highlights for Anne from this adventure.
Golden quote: “I listened to my intuition… and suddenly I had the idea: I could ride home.”
Read more about the Trans Dinarica Cycle Route
Follow Anne on Instagram - @anneadventure.de
Check out Zorali for all your outdoor adventure needs!
Check out Ombraz Sunglasses - I'm a fan and I think you will be too!
Buy me a coffee and help support the show!
I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:
👉 Zorali – Great Outdoor Clothing and Equipment
👉 Helinox – Lightweight outdoor chairs & gear
👉 Ombraz – Armless sunglasses perfect for bike travel
👉 CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)
Follow us on Social Media!
Instagram - @SeekTravelRide
Facebook - Seek Travel Ride
Sign up to the Seek Travel Ride Newsletter
Leave me a voicemail message
Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify ...
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com