My wrists are still aching, the insides of my thighs still bruised and my mind still up there...
(fotos all from smartphone...)
Day starts (late) with depositing my bivvy gear and hopping on a post bus.
I meet a Trek designer and show him some single tracks.
Immediately I feel the brutal speed of the bike. Well, I don't feel it, but realise how fast I'm going when I hop over obstacles and land way later than anticipated.
I make a few little mistakes that call me back into reality. Near crashes in really rough, rocky terrain... This bike can be scary...
After some gravity fed biking, I ride a traverse with many ups and downs, once easy, then a bit more challenging. No matter what I ride, the bike really is a big help in my riding. Never in my way, always supportive.
A few pedal kicks, some pumping and stuff like this is cleared
Left...
or right?
I went left. Will have to come again for right...
I hammer around an old alp hut over big rocks and past some wood planks, ride a corner hard an hissssssss.... loose air. 5 min later, half a maxalami less I'm riding again. Still holding...
A long descent takes me to the valley floor. I pick up my bivvy gear and take a public transport up to about 1900 m.a.s.l. from where I ride a little into the dark to find a place to bivvy. One with a view.
Also one in the wind. 3 °C, a mere 300 g selfmade synthetic Quilt... no.. I wasn't warm. Yes, my girlfriend said I should take my selfmade down quilt - only 100 g heavier, but much warmer...
Next day I picked a fantastic single track to take me around a few mountains
With rideable, but tricky sections...
And non rideable old, hardpacked snow
An alp
Even steep uphills are fun with this bike
Finally the flat summit. Soaking up the stunning views of many 4000 m summits and deep valleys. Not just a bikers paradise.
What follows is one of the more techy descents near Visp. This is a rather easy bit. I was focused on riding the really difficult stuff to stop and forgot to take photos.
Remember the former direct descent to Shenavall in the Fisherfield along the small ravine? That's about the level of difficulty. That's why I wear knee pads.
After this utterly steep breakfast ride I go for a Kebab and deposit my bivvy gear.
The rest of the day is spent riding on two different sides of the Rhone valley, getting to know again some single tracks I've not ridden in about 8 years.
Later on I fetch my gear once again and head to the old town of Visp for a deli pizza and to meet up with friends who are staying in Visp. After that I ride off into the settling day in search of a warmer, less windy bivvy spot.
A new day. The Rhone valley isn't pretty, but it sure shone on that morning.
Then the probably oddest ride I've ever ridden followed as I rode passt huge motorway and traintrack constructions which nearly ended in climbing a fence...
Then there was this single track...
Next thing was to go high, to give the bike its first descent of more than 2000 vert m loss in one go.
This in one of my favourite regions.
What comes down needs to go up first... Pushing up the track I'll soon ride down. Getting an idea of the conditions.
Ridge ride
2720 m. Facing SSW. How can name all 4000 m summits?
Face North-ish. How can name the three big lumps?
Talking about lumps. quite some work to ride them.
The eagle will fix this. Lock-out the rear shock, smallest gear then hammer it up.
Such a wonderful section. Goes on for quite a while
Following an old track through the flowers
pioneer forest.
The superbike
This bike is a game changer. I've not ridden a bike so capable in so many different aspects of mountainbiking.
No matter what I rode, it simply never felt out of place.
It's sheers speed is incredible, but even more amazing is how playful and gentle is stays when things get rowdy. The stiffnes of the wheels and frame give it a 26" feel of precision, but may not be for everyone. Solution? Lighter carbon rims, or equally light ali rims to make the wheels more compliant. But the amount of feedback of the terrain and what the tyres are doing helps me squeeze more performance out of the bike and most of all the direct feel is so much more fun.
I'll get my fork in about two weeks time and from what I get the handling will be even better, as the Yari fork, despite 3 tokens and faffing with damping, wasn't capable of giving the support I need.
The only thing I'll adapt depending on the trip is pedals and tyres.
Bold has designed a bike that's as close as I can imagine to a do it all bike for alpine tracks with gravity oriented riders.
Their 130/140 mm platform even more capable, if gravity isn't that much of a focus.
My BMC Fourstroke (2 x Highlandtrail, nearly Wales C2C, Jersey-Shetland etc. etc.) with about 110 mm suspension bobs more under pedalling than this 154 mm beast. The Bold climbs better, is much stiffer, more responsive (not alway better) and is in the similar weight class. Point it downhill and the Bold is one of the fastest bikes on alpine single tracks I've ever ridden. Will take it to a DH-Racetrack to see how hard it or I can go...
It's odd to compare a marathon bike to a bike with which I can happily race down DH-Racetracks, but that what this bike is about.
I've plans for some proper bikepacking trips (with out deposit) with it, some more assisted, other not at all. Will keep posting here.
loads of HAB. 
