300 km on a gravel bike? It can be done!

I enjoy pushing my limits, and since it’s mid-August and the days are getting shorter, it’s high time to have some serious fun. The plan is to conquer the 300 km mark on a gravel bike in one day. On gravel, which has 45mm tires as a base, I put on road wheels and Schwalbe One 28mm tires.

As I always take a little risk when planning the route to avoid the main roads, it didn’t go too well in the first 30 kilometers. Holes, stones, roots, gravel… But I drive slowly and the tires hold. I’ll somehow get over this section and continue on to Jindřichův Hradec, where it’s already quite a breeze.

I continue through Telč to Nová Říš, where I have lunch and then head to Moravské Budějovice, which was the destination of the trip. Half, therefore, would be driven away. Now it’s time to get home :-).

My return journey is mainly through Austrian territory. From Drosendorf basically all the way to Litschau one has a great time. Quality asphalt and almost zero traffic. Here the kilometers jump almost by themselves :-). In Chlum u Třeboň, I stop for a drink and snack, turn on the lights (for which I had to return) and in the dark I drive to České Budějovice. Total mileage approx. 295. Oh no. I take a night tour around ČB and stretch it to the target of 300 kilometers.

I made it! But if you ask me if I want to ride it again, I don’t want to :-D. It’s feasible, but in my case it was over 14 hours of active riding, which is a massacre. For this year, there were a lot of PRs. I’m curious how I’ll see it next year :-).