Rad Race X Bombtrack Tour de Iceland 2015

TOUR D�ICEL AND 2015

A C O L L A B O R AT I O N B E T W E E N :

2 — 3 › › PA G E TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

INTRO The Rad Race Crew have been dreaming of cycling around Iceland for many years, and in 2015 that dream has become a reality. The guys of the Rad Pack were on their way round a loop of Iceland, and with them are no less than 8 of our gravel and CX bikes.

Their “Tour d’Iceland” is a kind of farewell ride that the crew is doing for their beloved friend and member Sebastian (Aurora) who died in an accident some weeks ago. Sebastian and the other RAD PACK members started planning this journey shortly after their “Tour de Scandinavia” as it was pretty clear for them that this kind of cycling adventure was going to be addictive, and it was time for another fix.

As Iceland brings with it a lot of challenges, these are best illustrated with photos, as there are simply not enough words to transmit this cold and hostile environment. In the images you can almost feel the freezing temperatures, see the steep mountains to be climbed, and the rough gravel to be negotiated, but above all its the breathtaking landscapes that will be most remembered and inspire us to one day take a journey there ourselves.

Thanks to our partners Gore Bike Wear, Oakley, Evoc, Clifbar, Vitaminwater, Vredestein, Heimplanet and MyMüsli for helping to realize that exceptional trip.

The Rad Pack: Max Höflich, Urban von Detten, Paul Nottarp, Henne Hüttepohl, Ingo Engelhardt, Lutz Dinslage, Patric Gördes, Ali Exner, Benny Zurek, Etienne Heinrich.

4 — 5 › › PA G E TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

» THE EXCITEMENT TO RIDE ICEL AND WAS JUS T OVERWHELMIN G. IT TOOK US UNTIL 6 PM UNTIL WE FIN ALLY HAD THE BIKES BUILT UP AND READY TO S TART S TAGE 1 BUT S TILL WE RODE UNTIL 1.30 AM. BEF ORE WE WENT TO SLEEP WE TOOK A BATH IN ONE OF THE HOT SPRIN GS — DESPITE THE L ATE HOUR, BEIN G SO FAR N ORTH MENT THE NIGHT SKY WAS PRACTIC ALLY BRIGHT DAYLIGHT. «

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

6 — 7

8 — 9 › › PA G E TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

» THE MOMENT THE TARMAC ENDED AND THE GRAVEL BEGAN .

THIS IS WHAT WE WERE EXCITED ABOUT. EVERYONE SWITC HED FROM ROAD MODE, TO A BEAS T Y FIGHTIN G FUN GRAVEL MODE. «

10 — 11 › › PA G E TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

» DAY O N E WAS PROBABLY T HE TOUGHES T RIDE A N Y OF US HAD EVER EX PERIEN CED .

T H E ROA D S FELT EN D LES S , S O MAN Y K ILOMETERS A N D S O MUC H CLIMBIN G AN D ALL ON ROADS T H AT WE R E BET T ER S UIT ED TO MOUN TAIN BIKES A F T E R R E D UCIN G OUR T IRE PRES S URES D OWN TO + / – 4 BAR T HIN GS GOT A BIT MORE CO M F O RTABLE, AN D W E WERE S IMPLY HAP P Y T H AT EVERYON E MAD E IT TO T HE EN D. «

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

14 — 15

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › P A G E 1 6 — 17

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

18 — 19

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

22 — 23

24 — 25 › › PA G E TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

» AN OTHER ONE TIC KED OFF THE BUC KET LIS T …

RIDE A VOLC AN O DONE «

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

26 — 27

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

28 — 29

30 — 31 › › PA G E TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

» IF YOU HAVEN� T RIDDEN ICEL AND YET YOU C ANN OT IMAGINE HOW MAGIC THIS ISL AND IS. BEHIND EVERY CORNER, ON TOP OF EVERY MOUNTAIN SOMETHIN G CRAZY AND UNEXPECTED IS WAITIN G F OR YOU. «

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

32 — 33

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

34 — 35

36 — 37 › › PA G E

D ON � T GO C HAS IN G WATERFALL S …

GOĐ AF OS S IS ON E OF T HE M OS T FAM O US WAT ERFALL S IN ICEL AN D AND TO SEE IT WAS F OR S URE ON E OF T H E H IGH LIGH TS OF T HE EN T IRE TRIP. MAX COULD N OT HELP RI DIN G TO TH E CLIFF ED GE F OR A PHOTO — AND TH AT T RAC K S TAN D WAS C APT URED N OT ONLY BY US, BUT AL S O BY ALL T HE VIS ITIN G TOURIS TS VIS IT IN G T HE FALL S AT TH AT TIM E. «

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

»

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

38 — 39

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

40 — 41

42 — 43 › › PA G E TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

» WE M ET MAN Y CYCLIS TS ON T HE ROAD, B U T T HIS WAS BY FAR T HE TOUGHES T. A 71 -Y EARS OLD GUY, ON A BIK E T H AT PROBABLY W EIGHT ED MORE T H AN 5 OF OURS . IT HAD BEEN A WHILE S IN C E A N YO N E MAD E HIM T HAT HAPPY HE SAID: A F T ER WE GAVE HIM S OME CLIF BARS TO HELP HIS EN ERGY LEVEL S . «

» T HE L AN D S C APE WAS S O IN CREDIBLE, I T F E LT LIK E T HE BEIN G AT T HE DAW N OF C REATIO N . «

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

46 — 47

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

48 — 49

» ALEX PREPARED F OOD F OR US ALMOS T EVERY DAY. IT WAS A C HALLEN GE FEEDIN G 11 HUN GRY, AND THE WHOLE DAY CYCLIN G S TOMAC HS ...

IT LOOKS LIKE PRISON F OOD, BUT IT FELT LIKE THE BES T THIN G WE� D EVER EATEN — EVERY NIGHT. PAS TA WAS THE FUEL F OR RECOVERY AND ENERGY F OR THE NEXT DAY. «

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

50 — 51

52 — 53 › › PA G E TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

» WE AT H E R -W IS E WE W ERE VERY LU C KY T HE W HOLE T RIP, T H E R E WA S HARD LY AN Y RAIN .

H OWE V E R , S T RO N G WIN D S W ERE A DAILY BAT T L E ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, LU C KI LY WE WERE PERFECT LY EQUIPPED WI T H OUR GEAR. «

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

54 — 55

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

56 — 57

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

58 — 59

60 — 61 › › PA G E TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

» L I F E � S JU S T B ET T ER IN BIB S HORTS : R I D I N G WI TH YOUR FRIEN D S A N D H AV I N G T HE T IME OF YOUR LIFE. «

TOUR D’ICELAND 2015

› › PA G E

62 — 63

LARS SCHNEIDER

He has been traveling, exploring, and working around the globe for over 20 years now. Based just outside of Hamburg, Germany, Lars has built a career around his love of nature and outdoor sports and his photos and stories have been printed in magazines, outdoor catalogues, books and calendars around the globe. While shooting activities like trailrunning, kayaking or freeriding take up most of his time, he really enjoys shooting landscapes as well.

The more remote, the wilder, the better. Shooting video has also become a greater part of his assignments in the past years.

Lars is unique in that he provides the entire content for his stories, both text and images, even though photography has become a much greater part of his work over the years. Before starting to work as a full time freelancer, he was an editor for Germany’s “outdoor” magazine.

Photo by Etienne Heinrich

The “Tour d’Iceland” was Lars’ 4th journey to Iceland so far – since he went there first already in 1991 to round the whole island by bike. This time Lars concentrated onto shooting bikes – not riding. Aside from bike riding, Lars also loves to run, kajak, surf, ski and to go on long backpacking trips, so no wonder he thinks, he’s got the best job in the world. www.outdoor-visions.com | lars@outdoor-visions.com

B O M B T R AC K B I C YC L E C O M PA N Y | R I C H A R D - BY R D - S T R . 12 | 5 0 8 2 9 KÖ L N / C O LO G N E , G E R M A N Y | W W W. B O M B T R AC K . C O M | M A I L @ B O M B T R AC K . C O M