About Minchi
14,670 km
716:08 h
Recent Activity
Minchi went gravel riding.
July 29, 2025
The day starts with some rain, just a little drizzle, kind of nice after last days' extreame heat. The first part is road, first down the valley and then a climb up. Half way through the climb I hit a rock and my front tyre gets a pretty big side cut :O Crisis!!! The cut is too big for a tubeless fix, so we decide to patch it from the inside and put a tube, and then adding a lot of tape around it to keep it tight and protected. I was really worried about how this would work, especially with all the gravel segements that we had ahead and no bike shops any near by... but it actually made it through the whole trip!!! With the tube, the tyre didn't sit perfectly and was a bit bumpy, but it worked. At km29 we stop in a restaurant. The women there didn't speak any english but she understood very well "double espresso" and we bought some snacks. Then she brought for us 3 peaches, so nice! From there, we entered a gravel climb that we were a bit worried about, but the terrain was good, so it was fine. It was gravel for pretty much the rest of the day, some of it a bit bumpy. In the last 5km the gravel road was under constructions. No cars allowed! But they let us pass with the bikes :) Our destination is a little village in the middle of the mountains, it was very remote. There was supposed to be a market, but a guy tells us that its closed down and he asked if we want to buy cigarrettes instead haha We sleept in another guesthouse. This time the owner doesn't speak english, but google translate does the job. Another amazing homemade dinner (burek and salad) and breakfast (albanian pancakes)!
06:10
83.5km
13.6km/h
2,350m
1,700m
Minchi went gravel riding.
July 28, 2025
Today we go back to our original planned route! Direct from the start we hit a gravel climb, the terrain is well packed and we really enjoyed it. The descent afterwards was flowy and real fun! We were so happy to find some smooth, well packed, gravel finally. From km ~25 we get into a road, and it will continue with tarmac for the rest of the day. At km35 we take a little break in Vau i Dejes and buy some snacks, from there it starts the climbing. Nice, low trafficked climbs for the rest of the day. Lunch stop in Pukë and from there straight to our guesthouse just outside Shkozë. This was the first night we will sleep in an Albanian guesthouse, and what an experience!! They prepared homemade dinner and breakfast for us, with all products from their garden, and sat with us and told us about Albanian history. Very bike friendly as well. We liked this place so much, really recommended (booking.com/hotel/al/guesthouse-lika.html)
05:12
97.3km
18.7km/h
1,900m
1,450m
Minchi went gravel riding.
July 27, 2025
This was our first day having to use plan B due to forest fires the day before that takes us out of our original route. We somehow manage to connect a route from Koplik towards the place where we booked for sleeping: "Hotel Paradise". We go straight there, connecting some bigger and smaller roads. We leave all the bags at the hotel and decide to go for a light-weight ride up the hill. We ride the reverse route that we were supposed to do that day. It goes up a canyon road, always next to the river and with very nice views. Perfect slopes, great rest day! We go all the way the asphalt climb and then just turn back, doing a stop for lunch and swim in a restaurant by the river. Easy and chilled day - well needed. Since the ride wasn't too long, we have all afternoon to chill at Paradise Hotel, and there's actually an Albanian wedding going on. It's like being at the movies!
03:06
62.9km
20.3km/h
690m
680m
Minchi went gravel riding.
July 26, 2025
Small rollercoaster roads for the first ~25kms, very nice roads! As we join a bigger road, few TT riders start passing us one by one, we are in the middle of a local triathlon! Everyone thinks we are in the race and cheer for us, good fun :) Before crossing the border we refill at a market in Gusinje at km42. Border crossing to Albania right after Gusinje, and we are welcomed with a nice climb followed by a super long descent. As we descend in the valley it gets warmer and warmer. Quick lunch in Tamarë (first time we try the Albanian pancakes!), and we continue to the next climb. That one was brutal, serpentines that reminded of Passo Stelvio and very very steep sections. The view at the top is amazing, but also we realise that there are big forest fires in the direction of the gravel climb we are heading to. After checking the map, we decide to play it safe and continue in the road instead. So, long descent ahead and we hit a busier (but very safe with shoulder space) road that takes us to Koplik, where we find a little hotel owned by a very nice family. This decision will affect our route planning for the next day, but after two massive days it could be nice with an easier one :)
06:45
130km
19.2km/h
2,010m
2,840m
Minchi went gravel riding.
July 25, 2025
This was a massive day!! But possibly the most beautiful of the trip ⛰️ The day starts with a climb from Podgorica, not too steep, very little traffic. Long long climb for 16km. At the top there is a restaurant and we refill water. A little descent and then a new climb begins. At km31 we find a nice little village in the mountains with a restaurant: great food and water refill. From there it got rough. A gravel climb begins, it was very scenic but also so steep and impossible to ride at times. Long climbs and descent with loosen rocks and hard gravel. But so beautiful it was all worth it. We had a water refill at a farm, where they invited us a cold coca-cola!! Half way through one of the descent (~km62) we found tarmac, which was a very positive surprise after many bumpy kms. From there, all road, very little traffic, and an easy climb, no drama :)
07:46
110km
14.1km/h
2,930m
2,150m
Minchi went gravel riding.
July 24, 2025
Small nice roads from Grahovo, a bit up and down, rollercoaster fun. Around km19 there is a gravel section starting, which is narrow and with loosen rocks. We had to hike the bike a bit. The first part of the gravel descent was a bit challenging as well. Too many bushes and rough terrain. At some point we hit a small roads again and from there it all goes smooth until Podgorica. Flat nice roads, without traffic, even all the way in to the city. Km38 we found a local bar where a man sells us cold drinks while laying in a sofa, he must have been a but tired 😂
04:25
79.3km
18.0km/h
1,310m
1,940m
Minchi went gravel riding.
July 23, 2025
Rolling directly from the airport. Kotor village was very busy and touristy The road by the lake way too busy, no shoulder, lots of traffic - not recommended. From Risan (last re-supply point) starts a very nice long climb, around 20km in total. Quiet small roads. Then descend all the way to Grahovo. A bit busy road the last few kms. Grahovo had a little market and a bar 🍺
03:47
56.2km
14.9km/h
1,490m
730m