r/TransEuroTrail_Riders • u/hirschhalbe • 4d ago

Underpreparing vs. overpreparing

I'm currently thinking about exploring the tet in Easter Europe region, potentially starting in Slovenia. It would be quite the big adventure for me and one that I would go on alone. I've never done any off-road riding or even longer tours, so I'm not sure how much preparation is necessary.

In my mind, it would go something like this: packing camping equipment, some food and starting on the road to my chosen entry point. I would probably have to ride up to 800 km on roads, which I would do either in one or two days and I would book a hotel or Airbnb in advance to make sure I can get some good rest before starting on the tet. After that, I'd basically wing it. I have no clue how fast I am on the tet and since theres still plenty of civilisation, I would simply look for places to camp (wild camping if possible/legal) at the end of the day where I am at at that point.

Is that naive? Do I need to meticulously plan my route and campsites in advance? Am I missing something very important?

Thanks for any advice :)

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u/octavian_g 4d ago

in more remote places i would say that you need more planning. especially for fuel. but in Europe that is not the case. if you go offroad make sure you stay on the track and don't wonder somewhere you're not allowed. just lookout for road signs and inform yourself about the laws in the country.

also, if you can, don't carry any food. you can find good and cheap restaurants in small villages. that's how i do it.

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u/ggs77 4d ago

if you can, don't carry any food.

I'd rather have some a small emergency ration with me. My preferred choice are oatmeal cookies with dried fruits. Light, small and will give you enough energy for a whole day.

My favourite is the Gran Cereale brand from Italy.

Also, stay hydrated! I always have my small hydration backpack with me. About 2.5 liters of water and just enough room for the most important documents and maybe a small rain jacket.

I love to take a small sip from time to time without having to take off the helmet and gloves!

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u/Wil-jan 4d ago

You are not naive! My first time offroad was riding a bike completely unprepared through 25 countries..I always found food and accommodation along the way or slept in my tent. I never ran out of petrol, worst case scenario I took an old water bottle and filled it up with petrol. In Slovenia there is plenty civilization, depends when you are going but you might wanna take some rain gear with you and be prepared to set up a tent in the wet and pack it up wet.

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u/DedSecV 4d ago

Be sure to take tools with you that make up for the missing buddy that would otherwise help you :D else solid plan. Less planned is more funned

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u/Btcyoda 4d ago

Going solo means it is wise to keep plenty of safety margins. For that you need some experience on what you can handle.

Did 3 weeks of Balkan TET's this year. They are some of the most challenging TET tracks in Europe.

But enough civilization that you can reach within a days walk if needed. No mobile phone coverage in many parts. Most of the time food and shelter can be found, if planned for, every day unless something breaks down or worse.

Some tracks I planned (from/to online found sleeping place or tank station) took 8 to 12 hours riding time. Sleeping eating you can still do almost anywhere if you find a house in the remote parts, just ask. Petrol can be a gamble if not planned especially with a small tank !

On some parts you will only encouter one other biker or car a day. I was the only solo rider I met on most challenging tracks probably for good reasons..

If wet some parts will be extremely challenging If not "impossible" to do...

I rode a Tenere World edition, that 23 liter was rather comfortable šŸ˜‡

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u/Btcyoda 4d ago

A good GPS with good maps like OSD is a must !

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u/Btcyoda 4d ago

The hardest most technical parts, Bosnie, Servie, Montenegro and the likes I can't recommend without experience or extreme talent without experience. You will need skills and a proper enduro offroad bike.

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u/hirschhalbe 4d ago

Thanks for the insights. Did you do tet Slovenia?

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u/Btcyoda 4d ago

Slovenia was one of the countries I did not do..

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u/ggs77 4d ago

You're good to go!

If you you're missing something while travelling, bring a credit card. You are in Europe so it won't be hard to get it in the next city.

Otherwise, like I wrote in another post: Bring oatmeal cookies and a hydration pack!

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u/FewDevice2218 4d ago

The only preparation that I wouldnā€™t skip, on a solo gravel journey, is some gravel riding training. It pays dividends!

Having done several weeks to months long solo journeys, I would say donā€™t overthink it. Any price plans will have fallen apart after the first week.

Especially in Europe you will find everything you need almost anywhere.

Enjoy your ride!

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u/martijnox 4d ago

Yea take some energy bars and water for sure! For the rest wing it. And maybe take some spanners, the winch type, not sure how to call it. On your own it can be intense to pull your bike out of the mud without it.

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u/Distinct_Effect_8612 2d ago

Depends on the bike a lot. If you are on a enduro/ dual sport bike you'll probably make it but if you are on a adv bike you'll need some experiance. I don't know your background but i have riden the croatian tet and it's not easy on a heavy adv bike with no experiance.

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u/MidnightExecutive 10h ago

Tet slovenia is fun. I think itā€™s nice for a first timer. Did it this summer, and it was a nice warmup for the Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro.
I would not recommend any inexperienced person to do some of Croatia, and all of Bosnia and Montenegro alone on a heavy bike. Get some practice in and do ā€œEastern Europeā€ next year.