Every big adventure has to start somewhere. For me, that somewhere was a dream of celebrating my 40th birthday in July 2021 by cycling solo from Berlin all the way to Oslo. I bought a bike, snagged a set of bikepacking bags, and started spinning training laps around the asphalt at Tempelhofer Feld.
Then life stepped in.
First came the COVID-19 pandemic, shutting down borders and putting the trip on ice. Once restrictions eased, grief took over when my cat, Baphomet, passed away in May 2022. Just as I tried to regain momentum in 2023, I was struck by a car while commuting home from work on my bike.
By early 2024, I realized that if I were ever going to pull off a long-distance tour, I had to take action. I had the time to practice, the bike, and a closet full of gear. What I lacked was real-world experience. I had never attempted a long-distance, multi-hour solo ride. I had no idea how my body would hold up after 100 kilometers, or whether my setup would fall apart under stress.
If you are researching how to start bikepacking, here is the most important rule I learned: never let your first multi-day trip be the first time you test your setup. You will be better off with a dedicated trial run.
Choosing the Route: Königs Wusterhausen to Cottbus
In early May 2024, I planned my trial run: a 100-kilometer route from Königs Wusterhausen to Cottbus.
Why Königs Wusterhausen? Simple logistics. Starting outside central Berlin meant skipping stressful city traffic and heading straight into quieter rural roads.
Why Cottbus? A mix of curiosity and local memory. Having recently visited the Spreewald region, the city name had stuck in my head from road signs. It was far enough to push me past the metric century mark (100 km), yet accessible enough by train for a quick escape back home if everything went wrong.
The ride took just under eight hours of continuous pedaling. It wasn’t always thrilling, but it proved to be the most critical training ride I have ever done. I learned about the flaws in my gear, my physical limits, and important lessons that every beginner should know.
What This Test Ride Taught Me About Gear, Tech, and Pacing
Reliable Navigation is Critical When You Start Bikepacking
If you are keen to learn how to start bikepacking without getting lost in the middle of nowhere, the first thing you need to rethink is your navigation setup.
Relying solely on standard mobile apps like Google Maps outside major metropolitan areas is a recipe for frustration. On my way to Cottbus, Google Maps tried to direct me straight through an active German military base, repeatedly lost its GPS signal in rural dead zones, and added unnecessary extra kilometers to an already exhausting day.
I gave up using my phone to navigate for serious rides entirely after that experience. Investing in a dedicated bike computer like Wahoo ELEMNT gives you reliable offline maps, accurate turn-by-turn routing, and peace of mind when you head off the beaten path.
Electronics and Battery Management Require a Thoughtful Strategy
It gets boring riding by yourself for eight hours straight, and you need a clear plan for how to keep your energy up. I brought along a Bluetooth speaker for company, but I drastically underestimated how quickly running constant audio alongside screen-heavy phone navigation would drain my battery.
My setup was an absolute mess, and I ended up scrambling to keep both my phone and speaker powered using a single power bank that simply couldn’t keep up. Now, I prepare my cockpit much more deliberately by downloading offline playlists before rolling out, keeping my phone tucked away in low-power mode, and carrying a high-capacity power bank specifically reserved for emergency top-ups.
Listening to Your Body Beats Sticking to an Unrealistic Plan
As I finally rolled into Cottbus, the physical toll of the ride became impossible to ignore. My legs were completely spent, my knees were throbbing, and I had to face the uncomfortable reality that there was no way my body could repeat that same 100-kilometer effort the following morning.
An injury would have been inevitable if an attempt had been made to force a single, uninterrupted ride from Berlin to Oslo. Instead of abandoning the dream entirely, I listened to what my body was telling me and redesigned the master plan.
Splitting the journey into two separate multi-day legs—Berlin to Copenhagen in 2024, followed by Copenhagen to Oslo in 2025—turned a potential disaster into two of the absolute best touring experiences of my life.
Final Thoughts: What a Solo Century Ride Taught Me About Gear, Routing, and Pacing
Though it wasn’t always enjoyable, the journey from Königs Wusterhausen to Cottbus was precisely what it was supposed to be. It revealed my lack of preparation, forced me to rethink my navigation and battery strategy, and saved my future tours from total collapse.
If you are eager to learn how to start bikepacking, start small. Load up your gear, pick a distant destination 80 to 100 kilometers away, and execute a local test run.
Discovering your limits near home is the best way to ensure success on the open road.
The pictures that you can see here came from my Lomography LC-A+ with a roll of Kodak Vision 3 500T. I wanted to use the camera to capture some scenery differently, and it opened my eyes to another way of documenting my bike rides. I’m still doing it today.
