I rolled into the finish line at The Traka 560 Adventure after 54 hours and 14 minutes – about 30 hours after the winners. 110th out of 185 starting racers, but the only one riding an OMNIUM Cargo bike.

From the start, this wasn’t about smashing records or chasing podiums. This was Traka’s first year holding their “adventure” 560 km race, and an adventure was what I was there for. The time cutoff was generous enough that I knew I could make it, though I knew it would be tough.

The route was beautiful. Long stretches of gravel, 10,000+ metres of climbing, and over half the route unpaved. My rig was agile and capable. It was our third ultra together, after completing the 2023 Silk Road Mountain Race and half of last year’s VIA race, so I had a good idea of what I was getting into. It’s also true to say that on a shorter distance ultra the fast riders had incredibly light set-ups, especially compared to my modest Titanium Tank, and at times I felt it.

I didn’t really have a plan. I didn’t study the elevation too closely. I just figured I’d see how it went. And how it went – on a cargo bike – was hard but rewarding, unique and memorable, and totally worth it. 

There were moments of struggle – pushing my bike over 5000 m of climbing on the first day my body was pretty toasted.  Knowing that it must go on that way, for maybe another 36 hours, is a challenging mental game to play. But there were beautiful moments too. Riding alone into dawn, chatting with curious locals, crossing paths with so many friendly racers surprised to see a cargo bike, and getting lost in Adele’s greatest hits while bombing down kilometers of sweet singletrack – those moments really made it.

The bike’s a beast. But it also draws people in. Conversations spark, curiosity flows, and you’re constantly reminded that ultra-racing doesn’t have to be about shaving grams and suffering. It can be about doing it your own way – even if that means grinding up steep climbs with a cargo bike and a smile.

At the end of the day, in any ultra race, you will have a thousand variables thrown at you that you can’t control. Set the parameters that work for you, and then be ready to adjust, adapt, and keep moving. 

But the big secret is: Nobody else really cares about your time, if you get across the line, you did good – and that’s kind of freeing. You do it for yourself, and if you can have a good adventure along the way, even better.

All text & photos by Allan Shaw