My Canyon Grail all loaded up and ready to head out on Day 1!
Day 1 was mostly gravel, and lots of climbing
There were incredible views to enjoy though
The day just began getting hot when I reached the forest. Perfect timing!
Lots of shade provided by these guys! They don't call it "Black" Forest for nothing. The shade is no joke - even in the middle of summer.
Still haven't learned to resist taking bike pics at every stop.
Perfect conditions!
Just one more...
At one point, the gravel got very chunky. Really not ideal for my 40mm Schwalbe G-One RS setup, but luckily it didn't last too long
Almost there!
I spent the night in Freudenstadt! I'm not cool enough (yet) to camp, and it's kind of forbidden here, so I just spent the night at a local guest house
And, of course, I refuelled with some local Schwabisch cuisine
Day 2 - I started my trip back on the Tour de Murg, which is primarily a paved route, but absolutely gorgeous throughout
Doesn't count as a bike photo because the bike isn't in the middle
Amazing views throughout this route! Can't recommend it enough - easily accessible by gravel riders and roadies alike.
Hi folks - I just came back from an incredible 160km in the Northern Black Forest! This was my first "bikepacking" experience! I put it in quotes, because I'm still not cool enough to be spending the night in a tent/hammock unfortunately. Plus, in this part of the world, it's kind of forbidden, so it can be a little tricky if that's what you want to do. Instead, I spent the night at a guest house in a lovely town (Freudenstadt), and then started my way back the next day.
My midpoint was the town of Freudenstadt, and I got there in about 80km, but with almost 1600m of climbing. After spending a lovely evening in the town, I headed back, but this time on the Tour de Murg route, which is mostly paved, and, honestly, mostly downhill. Nevertheless, it offers a completely different perspective of the Schwarzwald. Day 1 was all about looking at everything from above, and Day 2 was admiring it from below. Both routes were really awesome, and I'd highly recommend them to anyone. This region is a lowkey gravel paradise, and (luckily) not many people know about it.
Looks awesome and I am also riding black forest trails as I am based in Freiburg. One question about your bike, it looks like the new Grizl gr Di2 (the one with internal cable on the) stem, do the bike have 2 holes in the downtube near the bottom bracket for an additional bottle or tools? Couldn't find out on the canyon website. Thanks and keep riding this fantastic part of Germany!!
So this is the Grail SLX (with shimano Di2), and I just went to check, and yes there are two more holes in the down tube beer the bottom bracket. The hokes are under the tube, so facing the ground essentially.
Oh yes, you're right, I meant grail. Thanks for letting me know!