{"id":3386,"date":"2026-02-16T23:25:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T23:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/followfichte.com\/?p=3386"},"modified":"2026-02-16T23:31:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T23:31:02","slug":"ultra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/ultra\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultra-cycling: Let&#8217;s get it on!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Coming July we&#8217;ll be facing our biggest bike adventure yet: participating in our first self-supported ultra-cycling event. This year&#8217;s version of the annual <strong>Three Peaks Bike Race<\/strong> will have us race from Vienna\/Austria to Barcelona\/Spain. The clock starts on July 4th at 1pm and won&#8217;t stop until we&#8217;ll cross the finish line hopefully within the 12 days limit. Depending on the route we&#8217;ll choose, this means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2,600km total distance<\/strong> (around 220km per day)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>35,000m of elevation gain<\/strong> (around 2,900m per day)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Passing three mandatory mountain passes in the <strong>Alps and Pyrenees<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No outside support<\/strong> during the race<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"357\" src=\"https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bike-and-mountains.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bike-and-mountains.png 800w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bike-and-mountains-300x134.png 300w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bike-and-mountains-768x343.png 768w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bike-and-mountains-18x8.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tackling our first Alp crossing in spring 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:#fcb900\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Do you want to support?<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">As two cyclists from Ottawa, we are reaching out to local businesses that would be willing to support this endeavour in any capacity \u2013 apparel, gear, nutrition, packing solutions, electronics, etc.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\" style=\"grid-template-columns:51% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"504\" src=\"https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/wet-arrival.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3336 size-full\" style=\"object-position:5% 59%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/wet-arrival.png 800w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/wet-arrival-300x189.png 300w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/wet-arrival-768x484.png 768w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/wet-arrival-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:#fcb900\" class=\"has-inline-color\">If you&#8217;re a business owner and down to collaborate, please let us know: followfichte[at]gmail.com<\/mark><\/strong><br>or on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ludwigfichte\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ludwigfichte\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may be able to help us make this adventure a reality, and in return we may help you to staging your brand or products into the world of ultra-cycling \u2013 via social media, conventional media, blogging, and film distribution.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What kind of support are we looking for?<\/summary>\n<p>While we&#8217;re generally well outfitted for bike packing based on our previous adventures, there&#8217;s always areas where additional support would be appreciated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mechanical support<\/strong> pre-departure is an important one: getting our bikes ready, equipping them with the right gear (wheels, tyres, tubes, spare parts, tools, etc.), helping to pack them for transport, bike fitting for ultra-distances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Apparel<\/strong> being number two (from shoe covers to bib shorts to jerseys and jackets), followed by <strong>electronic devices<\/strong> (battery banks, chargers, memory cards, lamps, etc.) as well as <strong>bags and packing solutions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If there&#8217;s a bike brand that would be willing to let us use their frames or components, we&#8217;d be open to that as well.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Who are we looking for?<\/summary>\n<p>We&#8217;d love to collaborate with one or more local businesses from around the greater Ottawa area, as well as Canadian brands.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>How may your business benefit from supporting us?<\/summary>\n<p>We&#8217;ll be actively posting about our preparations for the race and our experience during the race on social media, focusing on photos and video clips. We&#8217;d be tagging our collaboration partners and bring their brands visually in focus (i.e., brand stickers bike and bags surfaces).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ll be reaching out to local conventional media, asking for race coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On this blog, we&#8217;ll be covering our experiences in much detail, from preparations to travel to the race itself. Throughout the months after the race, a detailed report will be published here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The race will in some form or shape be covered on dotwatchers.cc, which is an additional channel to expose products and brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ll be documenting the adventure on video and will be producing a documentary-style film once we&#8217;re back. The feature will be around 30-40 minutes of length and we&#8217;ll apply for outdoor film festivals. At minimum the film will be posted publicly on Youtube. <\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is self-supported ultra distance racing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In comparison to conventional stage races (let&#8217;s say, the Tour de France), a self-supported race requires much more planning. Not only are we responsible to design our own route between the starting and finish line, while incorporating a number of mandatory segments (called &#8216;parcours&#8217;), and deciding on how to break down the overall distance into daily segments. It is also prohibited to take any outside help during the race itself: no support vehicles and no use of resources that aren&#8217;t equally available to every competitor. Riders have to plan for their own nutrition, accommodation, daily distances, bike repairs and maintenance. Each single kilometer has to be covered on a bicycle. No drafting (exception only for riders in teams of 2 to 4), no sharing of intelligence by outside observers. Each participant will be carrying a GPS tracking device and race organizers as well as spectators can follow everyone&#8217;s journey on <a href=\"https:\/\/dotwatcher.cc\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/dotwatcher.cc\">dotwatcher.cc<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fixing-a-flat.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fixing-a-flat.png 800w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fixing-a-flat-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fixing-a-flat-768x404.png 768w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fixing-a-flat-18x9.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Better be prepared to fix and maintain your bike yourself, there won&#8217;t be always a bike shop nearby.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Training and preparations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Preparations and training have been in full swing ever since we registered for the race in December 2025.  Both of us are well-experienced cyclists, each having spent more than 17,000 kilometers in the saddle last year alone; multi-week bikepacking trips, long-distance weekend rides, and participating in local races has kept us busy over the past view years. Stepping up to self-supported bikepacking racing is new territory, though. We&#8217;ll specifically have to prepare for<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Very long cycling days with almost two weeks of <strong>daily double-century rides<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An incredible amount of <strong>elevation<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dealing with <strong>unpredictable alpine weather<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Daily calorie intake<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Packing light<\/strong> for a long distance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sleep depreviation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Creating a film<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To add yet another challenge, we&#8217;ll be documenting the race on video, to bring home memories and share our first time ultra-racing experiences with others in form of a documentary style movie. All the filming will be up to ourselves, which will add to daily logistics, weight, and battery management. We&#8217;re planning to bring a small drone, a mirrorless camera with two lenses, and an action cam to capture the adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"378\" src=\"https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gopro-on-bike.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gopro-on-bike.png 800w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gopro-on-bike-300x142.png 300w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gopro-on-bike-768x363.png 768w, https:\/\/followfichte.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gopro-on-bike-18x9.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An action cam on and off the bike will be just one of three dedicated cameras we&#8217;ll be bringing along.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the coming weeks and months I&#8217;ll be posting more details about the race itself, how we prepare, and what challenges we&#8217;re facing on the way.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coming July we&#8217;ll be facing our biggest bike adventure yet: participating in our first self-supported ultra-cycling event. This year&#8217;s version of the annual Three Peaks Bike Race will have us [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3433,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[45,10,11],"table_tags":[],"class_list":["post-3386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bikepacking","tag-bikepacking","tag-competition","tag-swimcyclerun"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3386"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3430,"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3386\/revisions\/3430"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3386"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/followfichte.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=3386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}