VIVID, a short film by Montanus, explores the memories created by the most meaningful experiences found on two wheels. For Montanus the most vivid memory was their first bikepacking trip together back in 2013. Riding bikes with 26” wheels and carrying big, heavy backpacks, Francesco D’Alessio and Giorgio Frattale set out to bikepack before bikepacking was a thing. It was in the spirit of adventure that they took themselves 1900 meters above sea level to sleep in a Rifugio called La Vecchia, because…why not? Eight years later they found themselves on familiar ground on the loop around Mount Sirente in the regional park of Sirente Velino. This time they were aptly equipped with the right gear and the right bikes-the Kona Hei Hei CRs. Easy on the climbs and fun on the way down, we’re sure they’re going to continue to create the most vivid memories from their experiences in the wild.
“Riding a bike is something special. It’s a way to have fun. Escape. It can provide time for inner reflection if you ride alone or it can be an experience shared with friends. Multi-day bikepacking trips give us the possibility to amplify all these aspects by spending more time outdoors. Every single trip is a series of unique moments that you preserve in your mind until you recall them. Maybe it’s over a beer with friends many years after.”
“This is what happens when we think back to our overseas bikepacking trips, but to tell the truth, the most vivid memories are from our first overnighter. It was November 2013 when we decided to have a 2 day trip to the mountains and sleep in a tiny mountain hut at 1900 meters above sea level. At that time we had no idea what the word ‘bikepacking’ meant.”
“We rode 26” enduro bikes carrying camping paraphernalia in huge backpacks. It was an incredible adventure, especially when we found the snow out the door of the hut the following morning. That experience marked the birth of Montanus project, so we decided to ride again that route again in November 2021.”
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