Venice-by-Bike on Søren's Blog

The Venice-by-bike log

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I am on the train to the office and finally found the inspiration bring something on this blog: the “travel log” of our bikepacking trip to Venice last year.

Follow by reading:

Day 0: how my excitement built and what I packed.
Day 1: how I got to the starting point of the tour.
Day 2: how the first 100km went and the famous booking chaos.
Day 3: how we enjoy the first sunny day.
Day 4: how we completed the three I’s.
Day 5: how we pass the Brenner and reach Italy.
Day 6: how we climb the Dolomites.
Day 7: how we descent to sea level.
Day 8: how we arrive at Venice.

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Into Venice, at Last

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The final 60 km.

When we look in the mirror in the morning, we look as exhausted as we feel. Body done. Mind done. We can’t even remember simple things like our room number.

We often think back to the E5 hike and are convinced it felt less exhausting than this.

The last stage is physically draining – tired legs, burning saddle pain, every pedal stroke hurts. But what really makes it miserable is the route: busy main roads, trucks passing with centimeters to spare, terrible bike paths, traffic lights. Progress is slow.

As if that weren’t enough, D gets a flat tire. Later, when a fallen tree blocks the bike path and we push the bikes around it, I scrape my calf bloody on the pedal.

First relief: the town sign for Mestre.

What I didn’t see coming was that it’s another 45 minutes from there to Venice.

We finally arrive, completely spent. Take a photo. Then all we want is the train station, food, and home.

At McDonald’s we spend 45€ and order what feels like everything on the menu. Slowly, things improve. A quick wash, fresh clothes – and we realize just how exhausted we really are.

Italian train stations reveal the platform only 30 minutes before departure. We wait in the hall. Platform 6 appears. We haul the bikes there because the elevators are blocked by seniors with suitcases.

Then a cyclist next to us starts carrying his tandem back down. I think: he must be on our train. We check again – platform change. So we carry everything down and back up again. We didn’t need that.

We’ve been longing for the return journey: comfortable seats, air conditioning, barrier-free access – all promised by ÖBB.

What we get is an ancient train. No AC. It’s a thousand degrees inside. Three narrow steps to get in. The “bike compartment” is just a container inside the train.

LOL. Seven long hours ahead.

We arrive at D’s place around midnight. It’s been one of the hardest things we did - but a great story. During breakfast the next morning, we already discuss what we can do next.

Statistics

Distance: 65km
Elevation: 100Hm (!!)

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Longest Day, Longest Descent

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Descent day. And the longest stage: 130 km.

We ride from the Dolomites – the highest point of the tour – to Conegliano, which sits at 60 meters above sea level.

The first two kilometers are rough: the bike path goes uphill on coarse gravel. We switch to the road and then roll easily downhill for the next 20 km.

There’s occasional drizzle. After about 50 km and a beautiful descent on the SS51, we stop to wait out the first heavier rain.

After that, it gets harder again. Even though it’s mostly downhill, the day still adds up to around 1,000 meters of climbing. The legs are tired.

We get soaked at least once, but our clothes dry surprisingly quickly.

The last 40 km are the toughest. Purely a mental game. Counting down kilometers.

At 3:30 p.m. we reach the hotel – just in time before the sky completely opens up. On our evening walk to the supermarket, we get drenched again. Thunderstorms rage through the night.

Statistics

Distance: 130km
Elevation: 1.000Hm

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Endless Climbing in the Dolomites

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The toughest day for me. Probably because the legs are already tired and the body feels drained.

Around 80 km of constant climbing. Hardly any time to roll or rest – just steady pedaling. The elevation profile feels like exponential growth.

At least the weather holds, except for the last 10 minutes when we get completely soaked. We eat a surprisingly good döner on the way and catch a glimpse of the “Tre Cime” through the mist.

The hotel is the most expensive of the trip and also the simplest: camp beds, tiny room, half-broken toilet flush. Dinner is buffet-only for 25€ per person. Risotto and soup are good, tiramisu is tasty (and probably store-bought). The rest is … meh.

German TV channels are becoming rare. We watch a terrible medical drama.

The shock moment of the day is a call from home: the little one has swallowed a coin. We try to stay awake until the result comes in, then fall asleep almost instantly.

Statistics

Distance: 85km
Elevation: 1.300Hm

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Over the Brenner

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0000

No breakfast at the hotel, so we start by riding 4 km uphill to an M-Preis.

Today is Brenner day: 30 km up, 30 km down.

Yes, it’s tiring – but compared to yesterday, it feels manageable. The Brenner as a goal pulls us forward.

We pedal steadily up the old Roman road and reach the pass around midday. Espresso on the Italian side, baguette in hand.

The descent along the old railway line is fantastic: well built, not too steep, pure rolling joy.

Komoot tries to send us onto a trail at one point. We ignore it. At a road crossing it wants us to turn left while the bike path goes straight. We ask other cyclists and decide on left. Bad idea. Suddenly there’s a sign: “Bicycles prohibited – footpath only.” We carefully continue anyway, along a narrow gravel trail barely wide enough for a single pedestrian.

We make a mental note to report this to OpenStreetMap.

From there it’s smooth riding to Sterzing and on toward Brixen. We stay just before Brixen at the Sachsenklemme – a beautiful historic building with excellent pizza.

At 8 p.m., we collapse into bed.

Completing this day, we’re at more than 300km and almost 4.000Hm. The next days will bring another 280km and ~2.400Hm.

Statistics

Distance: 65km
Elevation: 950Hm
SoC: 50%

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Isar Spring and into Innsbruck

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0000

We sleep well and enjoy a good breakfast while planning the day. Komoot shows that the Isar spring is only 13 km and 200 meters of elevation from our hotel. Since we only have 40 km planned (remember the booking chaos?), we decide to go for it – especially because we can leave the luggage and pick it up on the way back.

Without panniers, the bikes finally feel agile again. And the detour is incredible. Truly beautiful, almost untouched nature. It feels like riding through the wilderness of Red Dead Redemption – even though the cows remind us it’s still a cultural landscape.

Back at the hotel, we load the bikes and start the main route. It’s tougher than expected, and splitting the stage turns out to be a very good idea.

After some steady climbing through the forest, we hope for a smooth asphalt descent into the Inn valley. Instead, we get the hardest section of the entire trip so far: 600 meters down on loose, coarse gravel. Brakes glowing, wheels skidding – mentally and physically exhausting. I’m not convinced this should be a bike path.

Down by the Inn things improve dramatically. We stock up at an M-Preis in Zirl – a place we also stopped at last year with the camper – and then ride a perfectly built bike path alongside the highway into Innsbruck.

Iller, Isar, Inn – the three “I” rivers are complete.

Then the final sting: the last 5 km climb from Innsbruck to Igls, 300 meters up. Brutally steep. We stop from parking bay to parking bay to get our heart rates down. I have no idea how D does this without a motor.

We arrive completely spent. Shower, food from the Spar, a quick attempt at the hotel pool (way too cold), then a short sauna session.

In the room, we really hope the next days will be easier.

Statistics

Distance: 70km
Elevation: 900Hm
SoC: 30% (didn’t charge on the previous evening)

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Plansee, Gravel, and the Isar

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0000

A relaxed start thanks to yesterday’s booking chaos. Today, we ride 60 km instead of 100. Check-in isn’t until 4 p.m., so we sleep in, have breakfast, and pack slowly.

Despite that, we’re on the bikes shortly after 9, under a bright blue sky. First goal: Lake Plansee. That means a serious climb – but the view is absolutely stunning.

At the end of the lake we take our first break, then descend on gravel. Tricky. After that, more or less decent bike paths take us toward Garmisch.

During the second break we try to figure out which mountain is the Zugspitze. We’re never entirely sure.

Next climb: Mittenwald. Long and draining rather than super steep. At the top, cola and a few minutes off the saddle.

The last 15 km run alongside a road. Many drivers overtake properly with plenty of space. Some, though, pass with just centimeters to spare – hard to understand why.

The final stretch on the Isar bike path is beautiful along the Karwendel, but rough to ride: coarse gravel and potholes.

We arrive at the hotel at 2 p.m. Only the cleaning staff are there, so we sit in the garden with ice cream and wait.

In the evening we stroll through the village, eat burgers, and watch the surprisingly entertaining movie Meg 2. (We laughed at lot, probably not at the intended scences)

Statistics

Distance: 60km
Elevation: 600Hm
SoC: 70%

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Cold Starts and Booking Chaos

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0000

I wake up at 5:30 a.m. Body clock. Breakfast around 7:30, chatting and packing. We roll out around 9.

It’s much colder than expected. Cloudy all day, never really warming up. Freezing in August – not something I had anticipated.

My Wahoo refuses to find GPS all day and is basically useless. Later I’ll learn it’s a bug due to be fixed soon. We rely on D’s phone and Komoot instead.

The first 20 km along the Iller river are easy but feel hard because we can’t get warm. The next 25 km are great. Then come 10 brutally tough kilometers where I seriously wonder how we’re supposed to manage another 50.

Before the next climb we stop. D eats pizza, I go for pasta. Carbs work miracles – after that, things improve noticeably.

The cloudy weather hides most of the mountain panorama, which is a shame.

On the last 20 km, disaster: I lose a screw from my right cleat while unclipping. We search for 20 minutes and call several nearby bike shops – no luck. In the end, we tighten the remaining screw as much as possible and set the pedal very loose. Hopefully it holds. (It did)

After 105 km we reach the Tannenhof in Reutte – or so we think. Turns out we left a day too early. Our reservation is for Sunday night. Today is Saturday.

Attempt one: the receptionist looks for an alternative. Booking.com shows “only one room left,” so I book it immediately. We ride there, try to check in … and another downer. The lady apologizes: she hadn’t checked her emails and just gave the room to the couple right in front of us.

Third attempt, D calls – success. Finally.

We store the bikes in a shipping container with power outlets, shower, and rethink our plans. All bookings are now a day off. We decide to split the next day. Two very short days, but after that we’ll be back on schedule.

Dinner at a nearby restaurant, then we fall asleep in front of the TV.

Statistics

Distance: 110km
Elevation: 1.500Hm
SoC: 60%

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Train Delays, and a Soft Landing

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0000

“I’m nervous,” D texts me just after 6 a.m. Same here. Today, I work half a day, then take the train to D. The actual tour starts tomorrow.

In the afternoon, I finally get going – and immediately things get complicated. I consider taking an earlier train to have more buffer time for changing, completely forgetting about the contruction. The earlier train doesn’t exist. Twenty minutes waiting on the platform on the train I wanted to take anyway.

Then the ICE from Stuttgart is so delayed, I’d miss my connection anyway. Plan change: I switch in Cannstatt and take the regional train. According to the app, it’s still faster that way.

Everything works out. Luckily, I had the ICE ticket – in Bavaria, bikes apparently do need a ticket after all.

D picks me up at the station and we ride to their place together.

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Anticipation & Overpacking

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The excitement is building. Tomorrow we leave for Venice. As if that weren’t enough, yesterday the car dealer emailed to say that our new car is on its way and will be ready for pickup right after I return from the trip. Two big projects about to start at the same time.

I’m really looking forward to the bike tour – but I’m also pretty nervous. I’ve never ridden this far, this long, on consecutive days. D has logged roughly twice as many training kilometers this year as I have. And despite multiple rounds of sorting things out, my packed gear still feels like too much.

I weighed everything roughly:

1.8kg clothing (1x bike wear, something comfy for the evening, bathing cloths, towel)
1.2kg hygiene (toothbrush & co, shampoo, sun screen)
1.2kg food (power bars & gels)
1.2kg chargers (phone & bike)
1.0kg rain convering (jacket, shoe cover, warm layer)
0.5kg tools
0.3kg first aid

I end up at around 10 kg. More than I expected. Over a kilo just for chargers alone feels absurd – although most of that is the e-bike charger. Still.

Food is another question mark. I packed everything we still had at home; it’ll get lighter day by day, and maybe I’ll leave some things behind tomorrow morning. Tools we’ll consolidate so we only carry one set. Hopefully that trims things down a bit.

Packing List Learnings

After the tour, I checked what I really used during the trip and noted:

for the afternoon and evening, I had a short trouser packed. I mean, it’s August and Italy, it’s supposed to be warm. This is need do change next time, definitely bring long causal pants
a second bib short was not necessary. This may be different if there would have been more rain, but we could wash it out in the evening and it was dry the next morning.
Bring a real towel. I DONT LIKE THOSE FANCY FAST-DRYING SPORT TOWELS
If you stay at hotels, very very little shower gel is needed. Hotels usually provide this
A rain poncho would have been nice
otherwise, we used almost everything - the list was solid

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Cycling to the Venice

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 05:00:00 +0000

I have quite a „sporty“ summer coming up.

First, I will run another 10k in July. The plan is to be a bit faster than in January - where I finished after 59min, achieving my goal to be faster than one hour.

Training progress so far: almost 0.

It will be fun.

Good thing is, that I am not very invested in this. If I will be slower I will be less satisfied but nevertheless be proud to have finished at all.

My running training falls short, because at the same time I am preparing for a big cycling tour. Together with my brother in law, I plan to cycle from my home to Venice, Italy.

Venice itself is not the goal - with the bikes we probably won‘t go to the city at all - we want to have a trip together across the alps.

Naive as ever, we spoke about it, booked some hotels and forgot about it. When we met over the Easter holidays, we fine tuned the route, resulting in this:

Day 0: roughly 130km, for me, cycling to where my brother in law lives.
Day 1: 95km and 1.000Hm
Day 2: 95km and 1.700Hm
Day 3: 65km and 1.300Hm
Day 4: 82km and 1.300Hm
Day 5: 130km and 1.000Hm
Day 6: 65km and 100Hm

In total: roughly 530km (days 1 to 6) and 6.500Hm

I am not particularly afraid of the 100km per day but the distance in total and the uphill part, especially on day 2.

I think about how to best prepare for both events. My Garmin Watch doesn’t provide a training plan for this out of the box. I talked to a friend and he recommended using ChatGPT. Which I did.

I am „ok“ satisfied with the result. The proposal basically was:

1 „long-run“ per week
2 shorter „runs“
2 „relaxing runs“
1 or 2 resting days

And shifting the focus from running to cycling the closer we come to July.

As always, I find it hard to free-up regular slots in the calendar for 4 or 5 training events per week. What was working best in the past, was directly putting on sport cloths in the morning and directly after dropping the little one at childcare start the training session. This worked fine for sessions up to an hour, but a „long run“ for cycling should be 50-75km as per the recommended training plan - which is rather 4 to 5 hours. I hope that I will find time and motivation in the afternoons or on the weekend.

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