Ridley present at The Traka with three different gravel bikes!

Our R&D manager Pieter Potters and ambassador Nol van Loon (frontman of https://www.instagram.com/fatp...) decided to start The Traka360 with the Kanzo Adventure. This is our gravel bike for real adventurers, perfectly suited for an ultra race over rough terrain. The progressive geometry combined with agility ensures that you sit quickly and aggressively on the bike while maintaining control during technical sections.

For Pieter, finishing was the main goal. He also had wide tires on his Kanzo Adventure for extra comfort on varied terrain. After 19 hours and 16 minutes, he reached the finish relatively fresh.

This is how Pieter's bike looked after the Traka.

For Nol, months of mental and physical preparation preceded this ultimate challenge. "I decided to ride at my own pace and conserve energy for this long ordeal. Thanks to my setup and the choice of wide tires (the Kanzo Adventure goes up to 53 millimeters), I was able to tackle both rocky climbs and descents excellently, picking up rider after rider. After more than 13 hours and 10,000 burned calories, I reached the finish before sunset!"

Ambassador Isabelle Beckers chose the Kanzo Fast for her participation in The Traka360, the pure aero performance gravel bike. "For me, it wasn't a race, and I'm glad I didn't have any issues along the way. When it got dark, I had a tough moment, but luckily I paced myself well. Since I'm used to the Kanzo Fast, I chose to ride with this bike. It's less comfortable than the Adventure, but it's possible to finish with it. The secret may have been my mullet drivetrain, which helped me conquer the steepest sections. I secretly dream of Unbound, although I would also like to come back here for a real result."

"I also noticed that I received extra comments about my bike," Isabelle adds. "I chose a striking design with green and purple shades (see photo below). Apparently, it's popular everywhere. The Traka is not only an extreme challenge but also a sort of fashion show, and it's nice to stand out with bright colors."

Piotr Havik from the Classified Ridley Team made no compromises at The Traka200 and opted for aerodynamics and speed. "I wasn't lucky," he regrets afterwards. "I had to chase all day long, and that gradually wore me down mentally and physically. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic race, and I'm grateful to have been able to participate."

Customer Service Mechanic Karel Lenaers made the same choice as Piotr. "With the widest possible tires, I had the ideal weapon for this distance. Moreover, I chose an Apidura bike bag in the frame, so I didn't lose any speed and had enough supplies. It pleased me to hear so many positive things about our bikes; you can call The Traka the 'Place m'as-tu vu' of the cycling world."

Agon Ahmeti, in turn, chose to attack The Traka 360 on the Grifn, equipped with Classified Powershift. Ridley's all-road gravel bike provided him with the necessary speed on the well-running sections and enough stability during the technical passages. "I didn't specifically prepare for this challenge, but I knew I had to start slowly to avoid hitting the wall. That worked out well in the end," he grins.

Within the large Ridley family, everyone was delighted with this event. "The Traka is really the European version of Unbound," says Pieter. "It was nice to see so many people enjoying the bike and nature!"