SolarTrails

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Solar Mobility (@solar_mobility)

Hi, and thanks for the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Zsolt Biró, and I’m from Western Hungary. I ride a “normal” bike I converted into an e-bike. I’ve always sought faraway, human-free places, usually on 2–3 day trips. But there’s a limit to what you can haul when you rely solely on muscle power. So I converted my bike, added a trailer, and now I can bring everything I need: a proper tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, stove, enough food and water, the whole lot. I don’t worry much about weight anymore; if I meet a steep hill or a strong headwind, the motor deals with it. I carry everything important for survival and comfort, the same way a snail carries its shell. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of harvesting solar power, so later I added panels to my setup to charge the e-bike anywhere the sun reaches. It works well, with the obvious compromises. I spend hours charging every day and clouds are the enemy. But that’s fine. My trips aren’t about distance or speed. They’re about BEING in nature, enjoying the journey, relying on myself, and to hell with performance metrics. I can easily spend half a day reading, watching the clouds, or watching the ants marching on grass blades. I’m happiest on remote roads in the forest, after five hours of seeing nothing but deer, birds, mountains, rocks, and creeks, and no humans. A second, maybe disappointing, detail: I barely know what brands I’m using. The bike is a Rockrider from Decathlon, the motor is a Bafang, and beyond that I don’t really care. I look for solutions, not labels. Once something works, I forget the specifics. My bike isn’t pretty. It’s actually quite shabby. But it’s reliable, sturdy, and thoroughly tested. I began filming my trips for my father. He’s nearly 90 now and used to be an avid nature-goer. I told him about my ventures, but photos can only do so much. Video works better. I put the footage on YouTube simply because it was the easiest way to share it with him, family, and friends. It turned out that, apart from my father, most of my family doesn’t actually watch them (I don’t blame them). But people from all over the world who enjoy this kind of travel found the channel. Over time I collected a “massive” 500 subscriber base, and the steady positive feedback genuinely makes me happy. It’s hard to put the feeling into words, but this kind of biking is beautiful to me. Not because of brands, distances, or speed, but because of independence, self-reliance, reaching beautiful places, and being at peace with the world. (My channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SolarTrails)