Traveling to State of the Map Europe 2024 🚲

Intro 🪐

I found myself at the State of the Map Europe event! An annual gathering of OpenStreetMap enthusiasts. I am relatively new to the OSM world and saw it as a fantastic chance to get involved and learn more about the community and the projects happening in the space. Oh my, what a big space it turns out to be! OSM is everywhere.

Some special talks, for no specific reasons:

• AI-assisted mapping by the Humanitarian OSM Team (HOT🔥)
• Flowing Connections: Mapping rivers & streams with WaterwayMap.org
• Supporting Mobility Transitions: OpenStreetMap’s Contribution to Public Administration Data Needs
• Minutely vector tiles for the community

It was a great event! Kudos to the organizing team! I met a ton of cool people, soaked up some serious knowledge, and all while enjoying the vibrant city of Łódź.

A lot of folks I met were curious about my journey and had many questions about how I managed to transport myself to the event.

This blog post spills the beans on how I prepared to ride my bike from Berlin to SOTM, held in Łódź, Poland. 500km¹ in 2 days 🚴‍♀️🌕🚴‍♂️.

The Bike Setup ⚙️

I’m a firm believer that you can enjoy a bike tour on pretty much any bike with the right mindset.

For this journey, I aimed to go fast and efficiently, stay comfy, and not be totally done by the time I arrived in Łódź. The way would be mostly flat, so weight wasn’t a concern. I would mostly ride on the road to save time.

I chose to break the ride into two days, with an overnight in a cheap hotel in Poznan. This meant I could leave the tent, sleeping setup, and cooking gear behind. It would just be me, my bike, and the essentials.

Here are the key areas I focused on to optimize my setup for the journey:

• Comfort
• Aerodynamics
• Rolling resistance

Comfort 😌

Meet Trustini, my trusty long-distance steed.

I have done many long rides on this bike and know it fits me well. A gravel bike with a relaxed geometry, built around a buttery smooth titanium frame, and a lot of history. We have a good relationship built on years of trust and going places together.

For long distances comfort, the contact points are where the magic happens: saddle, handlebars, and pedals. Discomfort tends to accumulate here, potentially causing trouble if not addressed. Everyone’s body is different, and it is best to experiment with different setups and find out what works for you personally.

I use a narrow Brooks C13 Cambium saddle with a bit of flex and team it up with my most comfortable bib shorts from Santini that include a butt-saving “C3 seat pad with anti-shock gel inserts”. This combination has proven itself on many long rides.

For the handlebars, I use the thickest bar tape I can find. More cushion absorbs the vibrations that come through the bars better. I also wear padded gloves.

My friend Michael gave me some aero bars to try out. This gives me more hand positions to switch between, helping avoid any nerve damage² from the long days in the saddle.

I use clip-in pedals with stiff shoes that fit me well. This means I can pedal more efficiently and have the force evenly distributed around my whole foot.

The combination of these things hopefully means I can ride for hours without any discomfort 🤞

Aerodynamics 💨

When cycling above 15km/h, the biggest thing slowing you down is air resistance or drag.

Considering I am much bigger than the bike, the biggest source of drag is me. Changing your position on the bike can make a big difference.

While I will try to stay as aero as possible, a comfortable position is key. So I opted for a tight-fitting jersey. Not because it looks cool, but because it’s practicool.The reason the pros wear them is that it’s faster to have skin-fitting clothes than things flapping around.

Wearing a helmet actually reduces drag and makes you faster, as proven by Greg LeMond in the 1989 Tour de France³. People actually compare helmets to see which one is fastest⁴.

I wear an Oakley Ar05 Race helmet which does a good job. I also use sun glasses with a big lens to protect my eyes from the sun, wind, and bugs. The frame of the glasses matches up with the helmet and reduces drag even further. Marginal gains, but hey, I will take every saving I can!

The rest of my stuff was stashed in my bike bags. Top tube bag + frame bag + so-called “Arse Rocket” saddle bag. The bags are positioned to avoid increasing the frontal area and avoid any extra turbulence. According to some sources, the bags might even help me stay aero⁵.

It was my first time using aero bars, and wow, it was a game changer! My intention was to give myself different positions to rest my hands. But oh boy, when I was in the aero bar position, I felt like I was piercing through the air. It was also super comfortable to be able to switch between different positions. I will definitely be using them again on long rides.

Plus, I could mount my phone on the aero bars in a chiller position, optimal for navigation and changing up tunes on the go.

Rolling Resistance 🛞

Another crucial contact point is the tires. Tires are the only part of the bike touching the ground and are the biggest source of rolling resistance.

Traditionally, the fastest (aka the least rolling resistance) tire is slick and narrow, inflated to high pressure.

This idea is evolving with new perspectives, lower pressures, and the industry producing tubeless tires and wider rims. According to new data, a wider tire at a lower pressure can be faster than a narrow tire at a high pressure, especially on rougher surfaces.

I like Continental GP5000 tires, and according to the rolling resistance data⁶, the 32mm version, which I am using, is not much worse than the skinny 25mm version, and is one of the faster tires available.

Using 32mm, fatter and softer tires also means more comfort, especially on the rough stuff, which is important for long rides.

With all this setup, I should be rolling with ease. The only thing left to do was to pack my bags and hit the road 🚴

Packing List 🧳

The Route 🗺️

I used Komoot to plan the route. I put in my start and end locations and set Poznan as a waypoint 📍 to break up the journey. I tweaked the route by adding a waypoint in a national park to avoid the main road, and that was it.

Komoot provides the surface type and elevation expected along the route to give you a good idea of what to expect and helping you pace yourself.

Komoot Premium includes a feature that shows the expected weather along the route at the time you are expected to be there. It also displays the sunrise and sunset times, which are super useful for deciding what to take with you on a tour.

I saved the route offline on my phone, strapped it to my handlebars, and was ready 🛫

The Wind 🌬️

Nature plays a huge factor in cycling, but it’s beyond your control. Sometimes you get unlucky and have a rainy headwind all day; sometimes you get blown off your bike by a gust of wind, but that is all part of the fun.

I used windy.com to check the wind forecast, and it looked like the wind gods would be blowing in my favor for once!

Get in! I would have a tailwind all the way to Łódź.

It was forecasted to be dry and hot, which means a lower air density and even less drag. I got lucky.

The Journey 🚴‍♂️

I left Berlin around 10:00 AM. I had a laptop with me, which I dropped off at Dominik’s place on the outskirts of Berlin (big thanks for taking care of it!). From then on, I was heading east!

The first 100km were super smooth. I was flying! The sun was shining, and I was moving through the forests of Brandenburg with a tailwind all the way to the border. I was cruising on the aero bars at around 30km/h without much effort.

I went over the Oder/Odra River, which marked the international border between Germany and Poland. I do love a good Schengen border crossing. You just glide through without being stopped or checked. I probably wouldn’t have even noticed if I didn’t know I was crossing a border. Especially as someone who used to be an EU citizen, I truly appreciate the freedom of movement.

The road quality changed as soon as I crossed the border. The roads became rougher and bumpier. Such is life. It would be interesting to analyze the road quality data from OSM to see if there is a difference between countries. I imagine that the surface_type completeness in Polish street data in OSM is lower than in Germany, but that is a topic for another time.

I went along a Park narodowy (aka a national park) and saw some beautiful birds flying around, many storks. I also saw a few deer and a big frog.

One remarkable thing I noticed was how clean Poland was. There was no trash anywhere. I didn’t see a single piece of litter on the road, and the fields and forests were well-kept.

A lake provided the perfect spot to cool off and eat some food. Poland is beautiful in the summer.

The afternoon heat was intense, and I was cooking, my skin slick with a slimy mix of salty sweat and sunscreen lotion. But whatever, I was moving fast.

I spent the night in Poznan, a beautiful city with a lot of young people and a lot of history. I arrived, had a shower, and headed out to explore the city and have something to eat. The city was alive with people and music. I almost got swindled in a strip club, but that is a story for another time.

After a big breakfast, I hit the road again. The second day was again super smooth. I had a tailwind all the way to Łódź. I was flying!

A sudden pothole caused a snakebite⁷. No biggie, I had a spare tube and fixed it in no time and was back on the road cruising again.

With about 50km left, I encountered a group of Polish gravel riders. They were, let’s just say, a lively bunch. They invited me to join their ride. We raced into Łódź together, they showed me a few sights, and we finished the journey sharing stories and beers. A perfect ending to an epic ride.

The Food 🍲

A few people asked me how I would eat on the road.

A key to long-distance cycling is fueling your body with enough calories to sustain the effort you’re putting out. If you don’t, you might find yourself in an unfortunate situation called “bonking”⁸.

I like to take things like Bananas, muesli bars, croissants with me and keep many stashed in my top tube bag. I eat these regularly while riding to maintain my energy levels. You can’t eat too much on a long ride, so keep snacking!

In Poland, you find “Sklep Polski” everywhere, which are small local shops selling everything you need and can resupply. The owners were always nice and refilled my water bottles. I also wanted to taste some traditional Polish food, so I stopped at a couple of restaurants along the way and enjoyed some delicious pierogi.

Since it was so hot, I needed to drink a lot of water on the ride, like 6 litres a day. However it was never a problem to find clean water en route. I took some isotonic tablets with me to stay hydrated.

Takeaways for Long-Distance Cycling 📝

• Bike Fit: Ensure your bike fits you well. Small adjustments can make a huge difference in comfort and performance.
• Fueling: Eat, eat, eat! Keep your energy levels up by eating regularly. Stock up regularly on the road and always have some snacks on hand. Stay hydrated!
• Gear: Invest in gear that works for you and prioritizes comfort and efficiency. Tight fitting clothing and good tires can significantly enhance your ride.
• Route Planning: Use tools like Komoot to plan your route. Knowing the terrain and expected weather conditions helps you prepare better.

Conclusion 🏁

State of the Map 2024 was fantastic! I had a great time and learned a lot, which could fill another blog post.

The journey itself was a highlight and went incredibly well.

Traveling across Poland by bike gave me an opportunity to see the country evolve. I saw the small villages, the fields, the forests, the rivers, and the big cities. I had a lot of time to see it and take it all in.

Cycling has many uncountable benefits, but for me, it’s the best way to travel and straight-up fun. I recommend for anyone interested to get out there and give it a go!