Into the Dark: Crossing the Black Forest (Film)

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Into the Dark is a new film from Focus Bikes that follows a group of five riders as they attempt a challenging three-day crossing of Germany’s beautiful Black Forest with no fixed route and only paper maps for navigation. Find the full 20-minute film and some photos from behind the scenes here…

Photos by Mike Vlietstra (@mikevlietstra)

To help test the capabilities of their new Atlas gravel bike, Focus Bikes sent a team of five riders on a challenging three-day ride across the Black Forest, starting in Basel, Switzerland, and ending back at Focus Bikes HQ in Stuttgart, Germany. In keeping with the “made to lose” tagline of the Focus Atlas, the team set off without a fixed route and with only paper maps for navigation, all but ensuring they’d find themselves lost more than once as they twisted and turned through the Black Forest’s countless hills and sleepy gravel roads.

Into the Dark is a 20-minute film that documents their experiences, from getting accustomed to riding without a plan as they set off, to working together to develop a strategy, to dealing with bone-chilling temperatures and heavy rain, and eventually realizing they’d need to make some sacrifices in order to make it home on time and in one piece. You can watch the full film below.

“It’s really difficult to just ride if you’re used to always having a goal or a distance that you want to cover…”
  • Focus Bikes, Black Forest, Into the Dark Film, Mike Vlietstra
  • Focus Bikes, Black Forest, Into the Dark Film, Mike Vlietstra
  • Focus Bikes, Black Forest, Into the Dark Film, Mike Vlietstra
  • Focus Bikes, Black Forest, Into the Dark Film, Mike Vlietstra
  • Focus Bikes, Black Forest, Into the Dark Film, Mike Vlietstra

“When did you leave home the last time without planning a track? We are used to always navigate with google maps, smartphones or GPS computers. Even daily routes are planned and tracked like that. What happens if you stop? Go and just ride. Will you end up in the dark? Or will you find a new adventure by losing your routine?”

  • Focus Bikes, Black Forest, Into the Dark Film, Mike Vlietstra
  • Focus Bikes, Black Forest, Into the Dark Film, Mike Vlietstra
  • Focus Bikes, Black Forest, Into the Dark Film, Mike Vlietstra
  • Focus Bikes, Black Forest, Into the Dark Film, Mike Vlietstra
  • Focus Bikes, Black Forest, Into the Dark Film, Mike Vlietstra

Learn more about the new Focus Atlas over at Focus-Bikes.com.

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