Argentina

The thill of travelling in a new continent, in a self supported and totally sustainable way. The uncertainty for going first time in south america, and doing it by bicycle. The excitement for the lack of awareness of what is going to happen. Several years i wanted to travel South America, and when this occasion finally came, it couldn’t be more unique! I had the opportunity to personally test the first travel bicycle realized together with Erman. After months of work preparing and setting up our lab in Modena. After so much work, learning and fun in the process of realizing the “model zero” of the Dimöndi. After finind a “flight offer you can’t refuse”. This is our story, the story of erman.bike and of our first bike’s test on the field!

People. In south America, people give you so much. They often offer you everything they have, even if they have almost nothing. The cultural shock we experienced was huge, but in a positive way. Ospitality and politeness, will to make a stranger feel home, kindness and spontaneity. This is what happened to us in the smaller villages or pueblitos, and this is exactly what we are searching for, during a bicycle adventure: a greeting, a curious look, a sort of contact of any kind with the local people. They would come to you, and admiring your equipment and outfit ask about where you come from and where you’re heading. And most of the times, they ask you right away to have lunch or dinner or stay at their place for a barbecue.

Me gusta la gente simple
aunque yo soy complicado
la gente de casa pobre
y corazón millonario

I like simple people
even tho I am complicated
people with a poor house
but with a millionare heart

Facundo Cabral

During our trip the most interesting encounters happened in the rural areas, while bigger cities, caothic and full of traffic, had a different appeal for us: it is more difficult to have a contact with people, and this makes you think about how modern society changed the way we interact with each other, everything is faster and more superficial. And are we really happy this way? Travelling makes you think.
So we went on towards the north west and the most isolated locations of the ruta 40, the street crossing the whole Argentina from the Bolivian Border north till the Patagonia region, south.

Adventure travelling is incredible precisely for those unforeseen events which make every moment or situation special: not knowing where you’re going , who you’re going to meet and where you’re going to stop for the night. The adrenaline of being completely indipendent from everything, except for your bicycle. With her you develop a very peculiar relationship, both love and hate. Sometimes you’re tired, also mentally after riding for so long and not being able to reach the daily goal, and maybe you also have even a small mechaning problem and start screaming at her. Other times, when you have reached the right pace for example, and everything seems right even if not everything is right (if you know what i mean), it can give you sensetions beyond words. But the one that matters most is freedom. Bicycle is freedom.
The Dimöndi is super reliable, and you can really feel the comfort of the steel in the long distances, especially with the often bad conditions of the ruta 40. Had a great satisfaction feeling the bike rolling fluidly, and being comfy on the saddle definitely allows you to relax and enjoy the landscape surrounding you…
I have watched the bike coming to life from a bunch of steel tubes and growing till becoming what it is now: a dream on two wheels. Just beyond words.
So enjoy the video and follow us in the next adventures!