Beauty - Markus Stitz

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Browse: Home / 2012 / April / Beauty

Beauty

markusstitz / April 24, 2012 / Comments Off on Beauty / General

Doesn’t need any more words to describe it.

Tags: elaine, marlborough, new, sounds, sunrise, zealand

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I finally had time to work through a whole stash o

I finally had time to work through a whole stash of images - and as I just announced my first talk in Norway, which features my childhood behind the Iron Curtain - these images seem fitting.

Thanks to @veloberlin for the invite to a great show, in the fascinating surroundings of Berlin Tempelhof - once an important airport, now equally as important as events space - and ideal tontest ride bikes.

I borrowed the @ternbicycles cargo bike from friends, and loved cruising around for a while - and them walking around the city to visit the former wall & exploring the history along the River Spree.

I look forward to be back soon - it’s the 35th anniversary of the fall of the wall - and equally a celebration of my own freedom to roam by bike. And thanks to Sascha & the team from @gravel_club_magazine for stocking my books - easier to buy the books there now if you are in the European Union.

#berlin #cycling #veloberlin

Scenes from extending the daily commute in 🇳🇴 with nice gravel tracks - a few hours in the saddle each day are great.

#visitnorway #gravel

Scenes from a sunny afternoon gravel ride around V

Scenes from a sunny afternoon gravel ride around Vestby in 🇳🇴 Stopping at the wonderful @holen_kafe_1550 - a great place for beer & pizza. If you’re interested in the route - check my @komoot - this would be a perfect area for an international @dirtdash_cc (: Bur for now I need a few more entries for Alyth, Whitby & Dunoon first.

#gravel #norway

Today’s ride was special. Nice to have a short s

Today’s ride was special. Nice to have a short stint of ❄️ back here in 🇳🇴

A cycle trip to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne - a

A cycle trip to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne - a place worth visiting, especially on a Easter Sunday on a bike.

Safe to say I was in the minority when it comes to transport choices, I counted 4 more people cycling. Which is a bit sad considering the weather was very good (mild breeze, sunny, fresh) and the ride there from Berwick along the coast is great. I wasn’t organised either, I managed to book my bike & me on the train from Edinburgh with an hours notice, and it was easy to book a return journey. The one hour there & back journey was £25 - in a car it would have been the same or possibly more.

It’s a complex topic to explain why there aren’t more people on bikes, not one for my expertise. But what I can influence is the language I use. This was enjoyable, not epic, legendary or mind-blowing.

It was a good way to spend the Easter holiday in the absence of the family and my partner, who live outside the UK. You could call it an average cycling trip, and I would be totally fine with that.

I’ll remember my visit to Lindisfarne because I learnt something new, and the bike was a good form of transport as I had no parking worries, I could have a snooze on the train home & I could eat as many waffles as I wanted.

For my part I’ll try to only use words like amazing etc if the situation really warrants it. Most of my rides will simply be enjoyable, and maybe that inspires more people to rethink the choice of transport in the future. And yes, safer infrastructure would help. There is no cycle lane on the causeway to Lindisfarne, which would help. But a good chunk of my ride was on off-road paths, which could be a starter. My route is on Komoot.

I am interested in your opinion, does it help to move the narrative, or does it not matter? Leave a comment if you like!

#gravel

On Saturday I had the chance to sample a new bikep

I got recently asked how to support @bikepackingsc

I got recently asked how to support @bikepackingscot and the route development work I do. Over the years I have found ways to be able to develop routes which are free to use/download. All routes on the Bikepacking Scotland website are accessible for free, as well as the most recent routes at @routeyc.

To make this more sustainable in the long run, and to be less reliant from projects, I have also opened Forillon in Alyth. The @cateraneco has been the the place I enjoy the most, so when the opportunity came along to create bike-friendly accommodation, I took the chance. To give back to the community, I have recently joined the board of directors in the Ecomuseum. So if you have plans to stay in Scotland for a few days, have a look - there’s space for 6 people, the house has a big bike book library & photographs from bikepacking adventures to inspire you! And with every rental you can pick my brain about routes.

It’s nice to see a wee mention of Forillon in the new print run of Bikepacking Scotland - this means the first print run is sold. With two talks at the end of this week in Yorkshire & Suffolk I look forward to chat about the book & adventures. While buying on Amazon is tempting, buying directly from an author always supports publisher & creatives, and not a global giant.

And lastly - if you want to take up bikepacking or simply want a social experience - check out the @dirtdash_cc events.

If you need more infos - please click on the links in my bio.

Good news, my bike has been found. I’ll post a p

Good news, my bike has been found. I’ll post a pic with me & the bike once back in 🇳🇴 in April. Thanks to the nice human being who spotted it. To say thanks to the community - you’ll get 30% off all my books until Friday. No need to put in a code - link to order is in my bio. Thanks to you awesome people!

Stolen - I last saw my bike Tuesday, it was locked

Stolen - I last saw my bike Tuesday, it was locked up outside @banenor station in Vestby in Norway. I’d be really happy to offer a reward, as the Kinesis Tripster AT has been such a good companion for researching my books, documenting journeys with @mrmarkbeaumont & @jennygrahamis_ - the list is long.

A few things that may help

- the tyres fitted are rare, they are prototypes of studded tyres
- the @vecchiojo bar tape is pink/black/white
- Brooks Cambium saddle & @absoluteblack.cc oval chainring

Any suggestions are very welcome, please share the word - I would like to have it back ….

First proper winter ride for 2024 in Norway - the

First proper winter ride for 2024 in Norway - the @travmedia_uk IMM in London might be a shock to the system. I finally managed to properly fit tubeless spike tyres from @schwalbetires - very much needed here. Absolutely loved every moment! #gravel #norway

Scenes from skiing from the front door in the new

Scenes from skiing from the front door in the new base in 🇳🇴 - very enjoyable. Glad we bought backcountry skis, finding our way through a dense forest was amazing.

After all the cycling stuff, I was really looking

After all the cycling stuff, I was really looking forward to skiing in Norway. I grew up in ‘proper’ winters in Germany, and cross country skiing is something I love. After an unsuccessful attempt yesterday we found great skiing tracks today, and the 2.5 hrs on skis felt like a proper workout. My day started helping a friend tagging a fox (for research) in pretty cold conditions, so I was initially dressed way to warm for the skiing, but had the right layers to adopt. I am getting used to the colder temperatures, testing out camera kit, gloves, socks & hats for the job.

Today’s highlight was eating Fastelavnsbolle - super tasty! More snowy pictures to come - looks like we’ll get at least 10cm of fresh snow - exciting!

Pictures from the last shoot with @jennygrahamis_

Pictures from the last shoot with @jennygrahamis_ & @mrmarkbeaumont on @routeyc for ‘Edge of Heaven’ - Thanks heaps to everyone watching, nice to see the film crossing the 10,000 mark already.

Looking forward to new projects with Mark & Jenny - check out the film on YouTube - link in my bio.

Another short reel from @routeyc - frames from ‘

Another short reel from @routeyc - frames from ‘Edge of Heaven’ my latest film project with @jennygrahamis_ & @mrmarkbeaumont - check out the full film on YouTube.

A week has passed since a press trip on @routeyc -

A week has passed since a press trip on @routeyc - I am happy that the routes are live.

Since then I reflected a lot in how we (journalists, bloggers, influencers) portray cycling. I am thankful we worked with @komoot on this, and managed to get a group together for the press trip thats was an interesting bunch of people. Most of us didn’t know each other, but the bike was what connected us. Probably being in our own we would have ridden the route at different speeds, in a bunch we rode ‘our’ speed. Some of us seemed more experienced, but were we really?

No one was suffering to appreciate the amazing landscapes. There were no pain caves, epic things etc - we simply had a nice day out on the bike.

I had designed a route that had, mostly seasonal, challenges, but nothing that was not manageable. Everyone made it to the accommodation, and seemed happy with their own progress. It was nice to see people riding e-bikes, using navigation aids etc, all things designed to make cycling easier, not harder.

While ‘suffering’ might appeal to a tiny minority, I would say most of us are looking for enjoyment, not suffering. And even more so than before I’ll make sure to produce words, pictures & films that portray exactly that.

Back from a weekend at Forillon in Alyth - welcomi

Back from a weekend at Forillon in Alyth - welcoming a good buddy to the @bikepackingscot House. The weather was less gloomy than expected - great riding in the transition between frosty conditions & warmer weather.

We particularly enjoyed a wee cycle around @bamffeco and visiting the @aberfeldywatermill - two great places to visit - accessible by bike. Drop me a message anytime if you want to know more about hiring the house - I am happy to make suggestions for cycling routes that fit your needs.

#cycling #perthshire

A day re-exploring Tay Country on two wheels - loo

A day re-exploring Tay Country on two wheels - looking forward to show the @gravel_club_magazine more if this next weekend. It’s been a while since I cycled to Aberfeldy, but stopping at the Watermill is a great incentive to repeat this. Not far from Alyth - if you are interested in routes & accommodation here, get in touch.

I had not really anticipated the media interest in

I had not really anticipated the media interest in the latest film, but it’s great to see that ‘CargoBikePacking’ is so well received. Tomorrow morning I’ll speak to @bbcradioscot about the trip from Edinburgh to Erfurt, and I look also forward to @jessiemaymorgan’s feature for @velovelovelo_ - we had a good chat about #bikepacking, access rights & the versatility of the Gravit Dust today. Here are a few more images from the trip - you’ll find the link to the film in my bio.

Exploring Tay country on gravel bikes - despite sp

Exploring Tay country on gravel bikes - despite spending a lot of time scouting routes here, there’s no shortage in finding inspiration for new routes. If you like the pics - the @bikepackingscot House in Alyth, Forillon, is close by, an ideal base for a week of great adventures.

Looking back to 2023 to look forward to 2024. Than

Looking back to 2023 to look forward to 2024. Thanks to the @singletrackmagazine readers for voting for my image from the Isle of Jura as ‘Best Image’ - this trip with @joshibbett & @philippabattye has not only been a great adventure, but also resourceful for pictures.

The picture on front cover of ‘Bikepacking Scotland’ was taken in the same trip, and the video I have shot will be the last route featured in ‘Great British Gravel Rides - The Film’ - which will be one my first full length film launching in 2024.

If you want to find out more about the connection of the Isla of Jura with one of my favourite music bands/acts - the KLF - you can find my feature on the Singletrack website.

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