Bikes of Taunus Bikepacking No.8 2025

Nils Opgenorth

Age: 29

Cap number: 73

Location: Stuttgart, Germany

Bike: Custom-built Canyon Grizl CF SLX. Running a 10–52T cassette with a 40T chainring for the steep stuff. For a bit more comfort and grip up front, I'm running a Schwalbe Thunder Burt 2.1", while the rear rolls on a slightly narrower Schwalbe G-One R 45mm, which should give me a good balance between traction and efficiency on those longer asphalt stretches.

Key items of kit: I am trying to go fairly light this time, so only an emergency blanket for the sleeping setup, so let's hope it stays warm :) Besides that all my clothes are in my frame bag and the top tube bag is reserved for food only. For lights I am running Exposure Lights, which should get me through the nights without any required charging.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Moritz Schön

Age: 26

Cap number: 14

Location: Frankfurt

Bike: Specialized Crux

Key items of kit: 54mm tyres up front, 50 in the rear. SON 28 + Ladelux light+charger for my devices. 38 x 10-52 gearing for good climbing.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Stefano Gennaioli

Age: 44

Cap number: 69

Location: Basel, Switzerland

Bike: BMC URS 01

Custom DT SWISS GRC 1400 Wheels with SP Hub Dynamo Supernova M99DYPRO Front Light / B&M K-Werk USB Charger & Buffer Battery AWOL Switch to re-direct hub-dynamo power between Light and Charger

SRAM AXS Force / Transmission Drivetrain 38T/10-52T WTB Resolute 50mm Tires Easton ALX Carbon Bar Fizik Argo R1 Adaptive Saddle

Key items of kit: Bags and Racks: Tailfin Aero Rack and Front Bag, Apidura 4l Frame Pack, Apidura Direct-Mount Top Tube Bag Velocio Hydration Pack Bivy bag, sleeping pad and sleeping bag. Featherweight Cooking Stove JBL Boom Box for mental health :-)

I am celiac so lots of gluten-free tortillas and dry food!

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Gabi Winck

Age: 62

Location: Brixen/ Southtyrol/ Italy

Bike: Bike: Trek Procaliber 9.8, Carbon, IsoSpeed, Fork: Fox Performance 32, Boost110; Retractable seatpost: Fox Racing Transfer SL Factory; Crank: e*thirteen TRS Race Carbon, 30T; Cassette: Shimano XT M8100, 9-50, 12-speed; Brakes: Shimano Deore XT M8100 hydraulic disc; Bontrager RSL Integrated handlebar; Wheel front: XM 421 - DT Swiss, Hub Dynamo: SON 28; Wheel rear: Bontrager Kovee Elite 30 Carbon, Tubeless Ready; Tyre: Vittoria mezcal III 29’’x 2,25’’; Saddle: ISM PL1.; Syntace Aerobar.

Key items of kit: BAGS: I hope that in the end I don't carry too many things to in the Tailfin AeroPack Carbon, maybe 1 Tailfin pannier, top tube bag Cyclite, Skinfit Garda Handlebar Bag or Jones H-Bar® Pack, Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag Handlebar Bag; my Apidura racing hydration vest.; a Tailfin Cargo Cages mounted on the suspension fork.

GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Front light is a SON Edelux II powered by a Son 28 dynamo and on my helmet: Lupine Piko; rear lights are Bontrager flare RT and Lupine Rotlicht Max LED. Battery chargers are NC-17, Connect APPCON 3000; mini pump: Lezyne Micro Floor Drive. I also hope that I find my way safely with my Garmin Edge 1040 Plus. I want to dream for a few (or more?) hours in my tent Nordisk Lofoten2, Therma-a-Rest NeoAir mat and my sleeping bag Yeti/ Passion One (350g)... and last but not least that my seat bones are not too strained on my saddle ISM PL 1.1 in my beloved cycling shorts Skinfit tri shorts and Skinfit Colombier. As always- no matter about the weight: As my lucky item I absolutely have to bring my little scuffed white BEAR with me, who accompanied me on the Race around Rwanda, Panceltic Ultra (2024), Atlas Mountain Race, GBDuro, TransBalkan Race, NorthCape4000 and Three Peaks Bike Races, Lakes ‘n’ Knödel among others.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Kristian Buljan

Age: 44

Cap number: 4

Location: Frankfurt, Germany

Bike: OPEN W.I.D.E ENVE Edition self build up

Key items of kit: My legs & Mechanical shifting forever ;-)

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Lukas Eger

Age: 36

Cap number: 08

Location: Sulzemoos

Bike: Nordest Sardinha Ti + Rigid Carbon Fork, GX Eagle mixed with 9-50 e*thirteen Helix Cassette and Absolute Black 30t oval ring, Carbon Newmen Advanced SL X.A. 25 Wheels, Continental Race King 2.2 front and rear, Formula Cura brakes, Syntace P6 High Flex Seatpost, Beast Components Flat Bar 740mm, Ergon SM Pro Saddle, Ergon GS2 Grips, Profile Design T4+ Aero Bars, Shimano XT Pedals

Key items of kit: Bags: Apidura Racing Top Tube (phone+snacks), Apidura Back Country 2.5L frame pack (toiletries+electronics+clothing), Apidura Downtube Pack (tools), Restrap 7L Adventure Race Saddle Bag (sleep kit+clothing) Sleeping kit: Alpkit Kloke Bivi, Thermarest Neoair xlite, Sea to Summit Spark 0, Tyvek ground sheet Clothing: 7Mesh Skypilot Jacket, wind vest, buff, arm warmers, leg warmers, merino longsleve+tights (sleeping), spare socks Lights: Lezyne Macro 1400+, Lezyne Zecto Drive rear light GPS: Coros Dura Hydration: 750ml bottle + Uswe Rush 8L hydration vest

Frame type: Hardtail - Fully Rigid

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Alex Gleiß

Age: 53

Cap number: 29

Location: Kelkheim

Bike: RIDLEY KANZO ADVENTURE

Key items of kit: KIT: 38 - 11/46

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Dani Haudenschild

Age: 34

Cap number: 37

Location: Kassel

Bike: Ritchey Outback, Microshift Sword 36tx11-48, Pathfinders 47

Key items of kit: Bags are a mix of Revelate, Wizard Work, Nuclear Sunrise

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Andreas Hölderle

Age: 42

Cap number: 7

Location: Bräunlingen

Bike: Bombtrack BEYOND+ ADV. 1x 12 SRAM Eagle , 30t front chainring and 52t back, Hope Tech 3 Duo E4 Scheibenbremse, SONdelux + Forumslader.

Key items of kit: Garmin Edge Explore 2, Ortlieb Seat Bag, Ortlieb Frame Bag, Cumulus Sleeping Bag, Thermarest Mat.

Frame type: Other

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Michael Sherman

Age: 38

Cap number: 27

Location: Offenbach am Main

Bike: Focus Mares AL - 2018

Key items of kit: Bags: Assos x Ortlieb Frame Pack 3L, Ortlieb Valve Drybag 6L, Fuel Pack 1L, Restrap Stem Bag 1L, Evoc Hydro Pro 3 with 1.5L Bladder.

Electronics: 2x Lezyne Infinite Power Pack & Multi Drive 1000 Lumen Front Light, 10k Powerbank, Fast Charger, Magnetic Cables, Wahoo ELEMNT Roam, iPhone.

Sleep: Sea to Summit Spark 1 Sleeping Bag, Ultra Light Small Mattress, Inflatable Pillow, Thermo Bivy as Footprint.

H&M Boxer Shorts and warm long Socks

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Alex Dorner

Age: 51

Cap number: 97

Location: Obertshausen, Germany

Bike: Specialized Epic

Key items of kit: I’ll be riding my Epic which I setup with dropbars. SRAM Force/Eagle Mix 36/10-52 Wheels custom Aerycs with SON dynamo SON Ladelux as front light and charger Lupine Rotlicht at the back Wheels are Continental Race King Bags mixture of Tailfin AeroPack, Apidura top tube bag and custom Cyclite framebag Coros Dura for navigation

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Mareike Sanner

Age: 43

Cap number: 22

Location: Lahnstein, Germany

Bike: Canyon Grizl CF SL 8

I changed to tubeless setup and now run Schwalbe G One R tires (45 mm)

I also changed my cassette for better gear range from 11-34 to 11-40

Key items of kit: Ortlieb Seatpack (11 litres) : sleeping gear Ortlieb Accessory-Pack (3,5 litres): first aid, wet wipes, spare powerbank, spare TPU tube for emergency, mini lock, headlight and other small stuff... Restrap Race Top Tube Bag small: electronics Restrap Framebag (1,5 litres): food and spare rooms for small stuff Topeak Freeloader: snacks, small stuff like oil, disinfectant, spork, most needed tools... Topeak Escape Pod: Tools

My personal gamechanger since last year: Camelbag Chase Race 4 (hydration pack) with a 1,5 litres bladder

Navigation: Wahoo Elemnt Bolt V2

Luxury item: self knitted socks (as a gift from the mother of a good friend) to prevent cold feet in my sleeping bag at night :-)

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 650b (27.5")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Robert Viljoen

Age: 47

Cap number: 49

Location: Friedrichsdorf

Bike: Rose Psycho Path

Key items of kit: My Rosie: Shimano SLX components and DT Swiss Spline X1900 wheel set Ortlieb handlebar and seat packs

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Jens Zickermann

Age: 37

Cap number: 86

Location: Mannheim, Germany

Bike: MYRAD Allroad Titanium custom bike, with this set up I wrote during the last years already several ultra races like Traka, Badlands,… Custom Paint job, 650b wheel set with 48mm gravel tires will give me extra comfort during the race. Group set I’m riding SRAM Force Road set up with 5DEV Gravel Titanium Crank Set with 46/33 and 36/11 gearing.

Key items of kit: Ortlieb Bags

Michael Schelfhout

Age: 44

Cap number: 61

Location: As, Belgium

Bike: Mondraker Podium Carbon RR SL, custom finish: SRAM Eagle, Magura Trail SL, SID Ultimate SL, CaneCreek eeSilk, SQLab handlebar + saddle, and Ergon grips. Difference versus 7 serpents: 30T chainring for ultra smooth climbing, and Schwalbe Rick XC 29x2.25

Key items of kit: Salsa EXT framebag, Broadfork undertube bag, Rogue Panda Bismarck bottle bag, Brooks top tube bag, and small handlebar bag. Minimal sleep kit (for emergency), lots of food, and less cold weather gear than 7 serpents (max altitude will also be 1000m lower).

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Tim zimmer

Age: 36

Cap number: 88

Location: Cologne, Germany

Bike: Salsa Cutthroat

Key items of kit: I'm running a 50mm Schwalbe G-One RX Pro in the front and a 45mm RS in the back. Tubeless, of course. My SRAM AXS Eagle 10-50 cassette coupled with a 38 tooth chainring will get me up the steepest climbs and a Supernova M99 Dy Pro wired to a SON dynamo hub will turn night to day. My cleats will be locked into a set of Garmin Vector 3 road pedals if the weather is good. I'll swap them for a MTB version if the forecast suggests muddy conditions. My kit is completed by a set of Apidura racing bags inside of which I keep the usual suspects plus a Silca Elettrico Ultimate electronic pump whose ultra compatibility I'm testing this time around.

Frame type: Hardtail - Fully Rigid

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Katharina Cichon

Age: 33

Cap number: 57

Location: Schotten

Bike: Specialized Chisel with rigid carbon fork, 1x12 Shimano XT, oval chainring, full frame bag custom made and other bags by Topeak.

Key items of kit: Sleeping system with Thermarest NXT mattress, Cumulus down quilt and custom made bug bivy. Light and power system from Lupine. Garmin Edge 1040 for navigation and Salomon hydration vest. Tubeless repair kit.

Frame type: Hardtail - Fully Rigid

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Tante Mäkki // Markus Straussner

Age: 31

Cap number: 24

Location: Lake Constance

Bike: I ride a completely self-built Romanceur. The highlight is the frame and the fork. All the steel tubes I used are NOS tubes from the 80s from Columbus and Reynolds. As I don't care about trends, I decided to build the bike to fit 33 Challenge Limus tyres and of course I don't ride disc brakes but dual pivot brakes. The bike is a classic randonneur, hand-built by myself in my frame-building workshop.

Key items of kit: The fine details are within the self-built frame and fork as well as in the choice of components. The Nitto stem with 31.8 mm clamp in combination with the Ritchey handlebars. The customised solutions, such as marrying a modern Shimano XT 12-speed crank with the old ITA bottom bracket shell. The beautiful Dia Compe brake levers. The Manything cages on the fork and the three King Cage bottle cages. But the biggest and most elaborate highlight is the seatcluster. I lengthened the sleeve and placed small leaves around the seat tube, similar to a band that stretches around the seat tube. As there is no more time for painting, I ride the bike raw and have plotted and glued on my own decals.

Frame type: Other

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: No

Philipp Kuhlmann

Age: 38

Cap number: 19

Location: Hamburg, Germany

Bike: 8Bar Mitte Steel Frame, Carbon Fork, Custom Wheelset, Shimano GRX 1x

Key items of kit: Full set of Reisefix Bags

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: No

Robin Findewirth

Age: 59

Cap number: 64

Location: Mainz (Germany)

Bike: Mondraker Chrono Carbon, BY 2021, MTB- Crosscountry

Key items of kit: Drivetrain: 1 x 12, 34T Chainring and 10 - 52T casette, Sram GX AXS, Fork: Rockshox SID SL, Tires: Continental RaceKing 29 x 2,2', tubless Frame Bag: Blackburn, Toptube Bag and Seat Bag: Restrap, Fork Bags: Ortlieb, Sleeping setup: seatosummit air mattress, sleeping pad and pillow,

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Georg Heckens

Age: 56

Cap number: 9

Location: Frankfurt

Bike: Specialized Diverge STR - S-Works

Key items of kit: Cyclite Satteltasche 12,9 l Cyclite Top Tube Bag 2,2 l Garmin Edge 1050 Lupine SL Grano Frontleuchte Garmin Varia 515

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Lisa Nemetz

Age: 33

Cap number: 55

Location: München

Bike: Canyon Grand Canyon 6, a bit heavy but (hopefully) very comfortable for the race.

Key items of kit: 27.5" wheels with Vittoria Mezcals, climb-friendly gears (30T, 11-51). A mix of bags, Lezyne and Knog lights, Apidura vest for hydration, lots of space for food. Sleeping bag for the night, still undecided on whether to take a mat or not.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 650b (27.5")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Marco Bottenghi

Age: 36

Cap number: 71

Location: Viadana MN Italy

Bike: 3T Expolro Racemax

Key items of kit: Frame bag by Kicking Donkey

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 650b (27.5")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Deborah

Age: 38

Cap number: 65

Location: CH-Lalden

Bike: Canyon Grail CFR Di2

Key items of kit: Navigation device, mobile phone, toothbrush, spare parts, sports nutrition, power supply, lighting, money, valid health insurance card 🫢

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Pascal Streng

Age: 31

Cap number: 16

Location: Frankfurt am Main

Bike: Factor Ostro Gravel

Key items of kit: I call this Setup „the Double Mullet“ We have a Mullet in terms of the tyres and another Mullet in terms of the drivetrain, because the Taunus can be pretty Rough and steep. 55mm Continental Dubnital in the Front and 45mm G-One R in the back (Unfortunately there is not enough space for more) SON Dynamo hub spoked on a roval C38 rim with Sapim CX Ray Supernova M99 DY Pro in the Front and Supernova E3 Tail light in the back Black 36T Alugear Chainring in the Front and 52 Cassette in the back Apidura Bags and Hammerhead Navigation

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Ben Brophy

Age: 28

Cap number: 83

Location: London

Bike: Canyon Grizl 7 AL. Schwalbe G-One Bite 45mm tyres. GRX820 drivetrain.

Key items of kit: My first ever multi-day bike packing trip so we’ll see how it all holds up. Sea to summit dry bags attached to handlebars and Ortlieb quick rack with voile straps. Canyon frame bag. Alpkit bivvy, sea to summit insulated sleeping mat, down quilt. Garmin Edge Explore 2 for navigation. Two big bags of Haribo and wired headphones for music, so I have one less thing to charge.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Ross Anderson

Age: 49

Cap number: 12

Location: Kriftel

Bike: I am riding my Milanetti Libero CX a bike built in Italy by a shop in Frankfurt. They took the old name and brought the brand back to life. The bike is my commuting bike with a few additional items of kit, such as my 11-42 cassette.

Key items of kit: Mixed bags from Apidura, Topeak and Rock Bros. Shoes by Lake, navigation by Garmin.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: No

Karsten Morisse

Age: 61

Cap number: 40

Location: Melle (Germany)

Bike: Rose BackRoad Limited, Di2, 38, 11-42

Key items of kit: Apidura Framebags, Supernova M99 Dyn + Tail Light, Schwalbe G One Ultrabite

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Volker Dupp

Age: 50

Cap number: 89

Location: Höhr Grenzhausen

Bike: Arc8 Eero

Key items of kit: Frame Bag from Gramm Tourpacking Berlin for food and important stuff. Front roll with sleeping pad and bivy sack. Seat Pack for sleeping bag. Tob tube Bag for Electronic.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: No

Patrick Das

Age: 59

Cap number: 6

Location: Heusden-Zolder (Belgium)

Bike: Mason Exposure. SRAM AXS mullet build Rival/GX, 36t Alugear chainring paired with 10-52 cassette. DUKE rims on DT Swiss 350 hubs with Schwalbe G One Pro RX 50mm. Ritchey Venturemax 44cm handlebar with Profile Design aero bars for comfort. Lights are Fenix (front and helmet), Lezyne in the back.

Key items of kit: Tailfin Aeropack / framebag / toptube bag When carrying my Hilleberg quilt (probably won´t) it will be in a Sea-to-Summit drybag on an Allygn Diamond front rack. Sleep system: Outdoor Research Helium bivy with Sea-to-Summit mat and pillow. Electronics: Garmin for navigation, 2×10000MAh Nitecore for power. Camelbak Chase hydration vest with 1,5l blader.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes