As far as the battery lasts: travelling the world by E-Bike
16.01.2020 | Travel & Adventure
Tanja and Denis Katzer have been travelling around the world since 1991. In the last 29 years, the couple have completed some 430,000 kilometres – on the back of camels and elephants, on foot, by bike or motorcycle and, for the last four years, on an E-Bike. Their travels have taken them from Europe, via the Middle East, Southwest Asia, China and Russia as far as Australia and the Caribbean. Their aim: to complete the longest documented expedition in the history of mankind and provide close-up insights into the impressive precious beauty of the Earth in photos, film and writing. Tanja and Denis hope to travel for a total of 40 years to achieve this goal. Their most important companions: their dog Ajaci and two Riese & Müller Delites.
Tanja and Denis Katzer in Vietnam
The longest E-Bike expedition in the world
In June 2015, the couple switched from using bikes to E-Bikes as a means of transportation. Thus started the first stage of a tour that was to become the “world’s longest E-Bike expedition”. Tanja and Denis travelled 17,000 kilometres on two Riese & Müller Delites through the pristine natural landscape of Siberia, Mongolia, China, Vietnam and Cambodia as far as Laos, and onwards across to the beaches of Thailand. The energy needed for this was obtained, among other things, from solar panels, which were fitted to the bike trailers and charged a second battery while the E-Bike was moving.
“This time, we opted for E-Bikes as means of transportation, as we wanted to show the world what all you can do with alternative energy sources. We want to prove that a gigantic undertaking, such as this, is possible with solar energy and muscle power to minimise the pollution of our environment even when travelling”, explains Denis Katzer.
“The idea of daring to undertake such a massive journey on an E-Bike has proved itself to be a real stroke of luck. This method of travel has given us profound experiences off the tourist routes and, in spite of our electronic assistance, it still ensures that we get healthy physical exercise”, continues Tanja Katzer. “The Riese & Müller Delite is perfectly suited to our project. Control Technology provides us with optimum grip and comfort on the long sections off the beaten track and its high-quality workmanship makes the bike extremely reliable. That is a particularly important factor for us.”
In Cambodia
Conserving the beauty of nature
“The Great Journey”, as Tanja and Denis call their decades-long expedition, is a life project for the two of them and is an affair of the heart that is about more than just the travelling itself: “More than anything else, our expedition is intended to document this time on our planet. We want to showcase the unique beauty of the Earth and, thus, at the same time demonstrate how valuable our planet is and why we should do our utmost to preserve this beauty”, continues Denis Katzer. Next year, the couple will therefore be embarking on the second stage of the world’s longest E-Bike expedition: a 20,000-kilometre-long E-Bike tour through Southeast Asia awaits them.