Intro- cycling Kosovo

Tamara Gorge, Albania (2017)

I began cycling, seriously cycling, 31 years ago when I rode my first English century in Wisconsin. My passion for riding bikes came and went over the years, but in the time since moving to Kosovo it seems to have become a parallel life, and is about all anyone sees on my Facebook or Instagram posts. In a way that makes sense- I rededicated myself to road biking in 2012 while working with the US Air Force. I was surrounded by men and women who ran half-marathons on their lunch breaks, and myself needed something to control the stress of being on call 24/7, trying to solve complex security risks. I still do that, though no longer with the US government, and cycling is the best escape and way of seeing this small but complex region of Europe.

Everyone says I'm crazy for cycling in Kosovo (especially my university students), but it provides a sort of thrill one could never find on the tranquil backroads of Wisconsin or orderly bike paths of Ontario. It's almost impossible to ride here without guides and scouts, and I was lucky to fall into a local cycling "family" who showed me the ropes from almost the minute I landed in Pristina in 2015. I've since taken on the scouting and guide role, myself, most recently with Butterfly Outdoor Adventures, plus those brave souls who've come here (e.g. Jen, Simon) to tackle the big climbs of the region.

Jen Whytock in Rugova Valley

The climbs... that's all we have, climbs and descents. I grew up on the Great Plains of the US where 15 meters would be considered a climb. Here, one can't ride more than 30km without hitting a mountain, and some routes have multiple Hors catégorie (HC) climbs. That took some getting used to, however hard I trained before moving here, and my wife even says my body shape shifted (I now wear size small jerseys). The climbs are a hardship and a thrill, a dopamine rush and a quick way to finish off monthly Strava climbing challenges.

I started this blog because friends back in the US, where I still go back to ride Audax ultra-long routes, kept asking me to send emails and stories about the strange mix of in-traffic racing, wild cows, and amazing scenes of the region. This week I'll be riding on the Kosovo Children's Ride, 500km around Kosovo and Albania to raise money for children's health. This blog will start with those four days, and hopefully describe the unique place this is for riding and exploring.

And I'll post photos of cows. Kosovo cows are something remarkable.

JW climbing through "No-man's-land" between Kosovo and Montenegro, Kulle Pass (HC climb)