What is the road-gravel ratio on Trans Dinarica? Does it run only on paved roads? How much gravel can I expect? This information also indirectly answers the question of what bike should you use to embark on (in our opinion) one of the most beautiful cycling routes in Europe. Let’s look at the data from our fieldwork.

Riders can enjoy diverse cycling terrains on the Trans Dinarica cycle route, with a varying road-gravel ratio across different stages.

When planning and researching the Trans Dinarica bike trail, we were guided by two main ideas: to ride away from established, busy routes and crowded tourist spots, and at the same time to make this unique Balkan route accessible to as many cyclists as possible. This perfect ratio is difficult to catch on every stage: sometimes you will not meet anyone for the whole day except for a surprised shepherd, and sometimes you will have to inhale some smelly exhaust from buses and trucks, which in the Balkans do not necessarily meet high ecological standards (it’s getting better… slowly). However, after two years of fieldwork we can offer you a fairly accurate answer regarding the surface under your wheels.

Expect about 80% road and 20% gravel

Roughly speaking, we can say that about 80% of the entire Trans Dinarica cycling route is asphalted, but of course, the ratio varies from stage to stage. So far, we have also recorded a stage with as much as 99% gravel (that’s in Croatian part of Trans Dinarica), while there’s quite a lot of stages that run on paved roads only. Let’s add a subjective opinion that you have the feeling that there is more gravel when cycling – which is logical since you ride slower on macadam (comment: with macadam, we mean gravel road).

When we talk about unpaved surfaces, this mostly means well-maintained, hard macadam roads, which can also be passable by a normal car. There are also a few stages that contain sections with poorer macadam with larger stones. These are marked and described in the Trans Dinarica navigation packages. Be especially careful if you are heading to a certain stage in the opposite direction from your original direction. Climbing up on loose gravel can be challenging.

The Trans Dinarica bike trail was designed to avoid busy routes and crowded spots for a more authentic Balkan travel experience.

Detailed info on the final map and in GPS navigation packages

In the Trans Dinarica map and GPS navigation packages, you can get all the data with detailed ratios for each stage of the route. Expect the longest gravel sections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (almost half), and the least in Montenegro and Kosovo (only two percent). After the two years of our terrain exploration, many areas of gravel road have been transformed into smooth asphalt (it happened in Albania and Serbia, for example). With the help of feedback from the terrain (thank you!), we are incorporating these changes into upgraded navigation packages. Now you can already plan to buy or prepare a bike for your next unforgettable cycling adventure.

Gallery with some photos of different roads

“Can I explore the Trans Dinarica cycling route through the Western Balkans with a loaded touring bike? Or do I need something more off-road oriented?” is another common question that you were curious about. Here’s the short answer:

The diverse paths of the Trans Dinarica cycling route wind through terrain that invites all types of riders.

Trekking or touring bikes, some call them hybrid or fitness bikes, will be very useful, and an enduro or cross-country bike can also be an excellent choice. We would only advise against folding bikes, downhill bikes, and road racing bikes. Although, you know, where there’s a will, there’s a way 🙂

We used gravel bikes for exploring the route because they are fast on the road and relatively good on macadams. Above all, they are an excellent compromise because we don’t need a lot of luggage for our research work – a support van helps us with that.

Packing for the Trans Dinarica

When cycling a long-distance bike route, as far as luggage (and weight) is concerned, we advise you to take only the most essential things with you, as you will pass by the market or store almost every day (every other day for sure). What is necessary and how many extra kilograms should be carried on bicycles, opinions differ so much that it is difficult to draw a line between what is an acceptable weight and what is decidedly too much. Just be aware that sometimes roads like this await you:

Cycling through the Balkans, riders will encounter a mix of gravel roads and natural landscapes, making it a unique exploration of the Balkan Peninsula’s diverse terrain.

How much asphalt and gravel is there on the way?

Roughly 80% of the Trans Dinarica cycling route is asphalted, but the ratio of asphalt to gravel varies by stage. In some sections, like the Croatian part of the route, we’ve recorded stages with up to 99% macadam. Though most of the unpaved roads are well-maintained and easily passable, the experience of cycling on gravel often feels more significant since the slower pace on macadam makes it more noticeable.

When it comes to unpaved surfaces, cyclists can expect mostly well-maintained, hard macadam roads, which are accessible even by standard cars. However, some stages feature rougher terrain with larger stones, which are marked in the Trans Dinarica navigation packages for better route planning and preparation. Read more here: How many paved roads and how many gravel roads can I expect on the Trans Dinarica cycling route?

Discover what kind of terrain you can expect as you travel through each Western Balkan country on this adventurous cycling route.