Riding solo on trails and off-road.

[SteveW]

I'm out at my house in Bulgaria with the wife at present, just for a week. It's been nearly a year since we've been so I'm a bit bogged down with bits of jobs that need doing.
I managed to sneak out for a couple of hours on the trails, dirt roads and some off roading on Wednesday and again this morning.
The Bulgarian countryside is one of those places that you can pretty much point to point ride. Out in the open you can scan 360 deg. spot somthing interesting, and route directly to it, no fences, if there's a crop in the field just ride round the edge, if the crop's been harvested, just ride across the field.
There's miles of rough grazing land, with the odd goat or cattle herder but they are few and far between and always wave at you.
You can ride on miles and miles of rutted dirt forest logging roads, occasionally you'll hear the distant buzz of a chain saw.
It's endless, it would take me months to ride all the trails within 30 square miles of here. Two hours Wednesday and two hours today, not one inch of Tarmac.
Anyhow, it's all been solo. I don't mind at all, but I do ride differently on my own.
These trails out here are in a wilderness, no phone signal and no people, you could spend days sat next to your bike deep in a forest with a broken leg. So it's gently does it for me. More like two wheeled rambling. I always make sure I've got my hydration pack, plenty of fuel, tube and tools.

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[Scott_rider]

That sounds good, steady fun B) . Do you have any more pics?

[Uncle Buck]

Sounds like an ABC extended weekend in the making.

[SteveW]

Sorry, no more photos just now!
The problem with arranging somthing for a a few like minded chaps is that is a 4000 mile round trip from UK.
Plus you'd really want Enduros rather than full fat Adventure bikes....especially if it's muddy.
I'm back out again in early October with my wife and another couple.
If anyone wants to pm me about sorting somthing next year.....I'll be coming in a van so for shared costs I can transport may be three bikes and kit.
Accommodation can be paid for in beer. Easyjet fly you in to Sofia, rent a car and drive here...it's five hours out East.
Captinktm on this forum lives about 80 miles from here and I know he's got some good routes.
I've ridden a KTM 690r out from the UK to here, it can be done, but it's a bit of a gruler.

[kito]

I hope your intention was envy as it looks and sounds great .

[Jersey87]

Hi Steve

I'm heading out Bulgaria/Romania/Balkans way in a few weeks on a loaded 800GS.

If you have any suggestions on tracks/sights to aim for it'd be very much appreciated. (thumbs)

Cheers
Jersey

P.S Will also be riding solo so gently does it for me too

[SteveW]

Hi Steve

I'm heading out Bulgaria/Romania/Balkans way in a few weeks on a loaded 800GS.

If you have any suggestions on tracks/sights to aim for it'd be very much appreciated. (thumbs)

Cheers
Jersey

P.S Will also be riding solo so gently does it for me too

We are all different Jersey. Myself these days I like to keep kit to a minimum and the bike as light as possible.
So I don't drag camping gear around....I know the idea of wild camping adds another dimension and a certain amount of freedom....but once you're out East accommodation in hotels is cheap.
It depends on your route and your interests, but on the way out I always enjoy staying at the youth hostel at Colditz Castle and I always stop in Kraków because it's is beautiful, Romania (I find especially the North) is always a pleasure, the Transfagarian pass then crossing into Bulgaria over the freedom bridge into Ruse is Memberable. Routing back out of Bulgaria through the Balkans is great.

[boboneleg]

It looks fantastic Steve, hopefully one day I can make it out there.

[minkyhead]

booked for bulgaria albania and monternegro in september ..bring it on (thumbs)

solo i do a fair bit but deffinatly no big heavy bikes
....most deffo nothing with a kick start unless its a add on ..after me last mishap id have been in deep shit with a kicker

..and unfortunatly i was riding carfully but still managed to chuck meself over the bars and damage me leg ....good fun int it :laugh:

[Simon_100]

Same idea for me Steve, that's why I bought the Alp. My latest mod is to carry 5 litres if fuel in one side of the Altrider Hemisphere's 'holster', leaving the other side for food, water, tools, etc.

I am tempted to pack a very minimal kit and camp out somewhere but for me wild camping is more trouble than it's worth, plenty of tiny camp sites here, especially over on the French side of the Pyrenees, so apart form havin somewhere clean to do your business it's the same ... (thumbs)





The Hemisphere works well with a Kriega tank pack too.

The mobile phine cover issue is bad here too, so much so that as of this year there's a new satellite based rescue service called Alpify that you download to an iPhone or Android and in theory the rescue services can follow your track to where you are - needless yo say I've got a Windows phone ... :whistle:

Keep having fun and see you some time Steve! (thumbs)

Simon