THE
ROUTE MAKER

Your favourite place to ride?

In the mountains. No doubt about that.
Growing up in Macedonia I was surrounded by mountain magic. It’s my natural habitat. I feel comfortable in their presence.

In the mountains I see things as experiences. I can share many. But if I’m to pick one, it would be climbing Superbagnères at dawn to catch the sunrise. Oh baby, that was something.

Lars and I set off in the early hours from Bagnères-de-Luchon. The town sound asleep. The road, ours. It follows the valley towards Spain before gradually pitching up and hugging the mountain. It was our first time going up to the ski station.

There is certain kind of magic climbing mountains in the dark. The grandeur of the landscape is taken away by the cover of night. All you are left with is that stretch of tarmac illuminated by your light; the sound of the bike and your breath. You really feel alone. It’s quite liberating.

We arrived at the top just in time to put some warm gear on and find the best spot to enjoy the show. What can I say - priceless.

What’s one of your first memories of riding a bike?

One that I clearly remember is getting my first racer. It was a blue Rog - Slovenian made. Way too big for me. So big, standing was the only way to ride it. But that didn’t matter. It was The One and I made sure my dad understood. Finally he gave in. That’s when my love affair with cycling kicked off.

What is your role at ALLROADS?

We are a small yet nimble team. Everyone does a bit of everything.

My core role is two-fold. I’m the creative soul, taking care of brand and communication - photography, graphics, tone-of-voice, strategy…

The second part is developing our routes - especially for our Brevet journeys. Something I take seriously and enjoy doing. A great route is one of the main ingredients of a memorable ride experience. I can get quite philosophical about this :)

I’ve been on the bike for almost 30 years now, all over the world. Developing routes is my way of giving back. A way of sharing my experiences over the years with others.

So, what makes for a great route?

Ultimately a great route is a memorable experience.

When developing routes you effectively craft a journey of mind, body and soul by connecting points through the landscape that showcase its essence - its unique character. For me, the most exciting routes are build around distinctive landmarks followed by opportunities to process. Its tension and release.

For example, an iconic mountain pass followed by a ridgeline road that lets you soak up that spectacular scenery you climbed hard for. Or the right cafe stop, serving the best alpine apple pie. Moments that excite our senses.

It's these moments that create contrast, amplifying the experience and making the highs that much higher. This in turn creates that feeling of discovery we are after. It’s unmistakable when it’s there. And when it’s not, you feel that too.

Another ingredient is progression. The best way to explain this is music - your bass line, mid tones, and high notes need to be masterfully arranged into a melody, a sense of journey. Too much of the same thing for too long begins to feel like riding in circles.

In other words, having a sense of place, that knowledge of what the landscape can offer really helps in crafting memorable, visually compelling adventures.

It’s never just a ride.