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COVID-19: Wrenches, Waiting, and Back on the Road

Contributor: Vaegabond (Meli & Dani)

**COVID-19: Wrenches and Waiting**

The coronavirus took the world by surprise. We never imagined it could spread so fast or cause so much damage. We first heard about it in January 2020, while we were still cycling through Morocco. Then, barely three months later, the situation has changed dramatically. We’d planned to be back in Germany only briefly — but with borders closed and lockdowns in place, we are back home, waiting for things to improve. We’re healthy, which is what matters. But we won’t pretend: the urge to get back in the saddle is overwhelming.

Lockdown does have one silver lining. We’ve had time to finally sort through the enormous backlog of videos and photos from the past months — editing, organising, and publishing the footage we’d never had a quiet moment to process on the road. It’s hard to believe how much time goes into turning a few weeks of travel into 15 minutes of watchable content. But we love the work — and we hope it brings a little adventure into your day, too.

We’ve also been giving our bikes some long-overdue attention. The Rohloff hub, for example, is due for an oil change after 5,000 km — and while we haven’t been on the road for a full year yet, we’ve already blown past that mark. With the Rohloff flush kit and fresh all-season oil, it’s a straightforward job. We’ve also replaced our chains and are taking care of Dani’s cracked frame from the Morocco accident. We edited a video on all things about bike maintenance. Feel free to check out our YouTube channels: English YouTube and German YouTube.

**Back in the Saddle — Rolling Again**

The situation has improved enough that borders are beginning to reopen, and we didn’t waste a single day. We left Bamberg for the second time, and the feeling of being back on the bikes was simply indescribable.

That said, we’d be lying if we said it felt completely normal. The awareness of the pandemic is still very much there. Cycling through Germany, we noticed huge differences from town to town — some places people were still wearing masks and keeping their distance, even drivers alone in their cars. In others, crowds gathered in squares like nothing had happened. We did our best to avoid large groups and stay cautious throughout.

From Germany, we crossed into Austria — so smoothly we almost missed it. At Bad Reichenhall, a small cycle path led us directly into the neighbouring country, announced by nothing more than a sign half-buried in greenery. Austria felt similarly cautious, though indoor dining for small groups had already reopened.

**Europe After Lockdown — Five Countries, Five Realities**

Within a single month, we cycled from Germany through Austria, Italy, Slovenia, and into Croatia. Each country told a completely different story about how the world was coping.

In Bavaria, the mood was careful. Masks and gloves were everywhere; distances were mostly kept — though as we moved through the Rosenheim region, we noticed that precautions were being observed less and less. We found ourselves instinctively holding our breath whenever someone passed too close.

The Austrian border crossing was unremarkable in the best possible way — no checkpoint, barely a sign. Life there was cautious but slowly reopening.

Italy was unexpected. We hadn’t planned to go there at all, but so many people had suggested beautiful routes that we simply couldn’t resist. We crossed the border, saw a few police officers sitting in their car — and nothing happened. We just rode through. On the other side, a group of older locals nursing their wine actually applauded us. The atmosphere felt lighter somehow — remarkable, given how hard Italy had been hit.

Slovenia was just a brief pass-through before we reached the Croatian border, where we were asked for our passports for the first time. Croatia felt like a different world entirely — almost no masks, normal daily life, and a coast that was eerily quiet. Porec, a town built for 30,000 summer visitors, had maybe 2,000 when we arrived. The absence of the usual crowds was striking.

We’re curious to see what comes next, where the road takes us, and how long it will be before all of this feels like a distant memory. Until then, we’re staying careful, staying rolling, and taking it one day at a time.

Catch up with Vaegabond

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