Pietro Franzese e la sua scatto fisso in viaggio per l’Europa.

Pietro Franzese and bike traveling through Europe.

We interviewed Pietro Franzese who told us about his passion for cycling and travelling. Pietro left his office job which allowed him to travel little and only at certain times of the year.

A brave choice, don't you think? Let's see how it went...

How was your passion for cycling born?

It's a passion born literally riding a bike to school.

Specifically in high school, I hated taking the bus because I had to stand for an hour and I was often late, but with the bike I was able to manage my times better and to lose a few pounds because I was overweight.

 

Immagine di Pietro Franzese in Bici

 

Why do you travel with a fixed gear bike?

I volunteered in Dublin for a few months and got to know the fixed gear by fishing one off a canal with some friends.

I didn't know this type of bike, I had no idea what it was, and it was from there that I began to discover this world.

Unfortunately, the bike I found didn't stay with me, so back in Milan I had the idea of assembling one, thus building my first bike, with which I shared many trips.

What do you always take with you on every trip?

It depends on the trip. There is the long journey, there is the short journey and therefore the luggage is always different.

Before leaving I always pay attention to what to bring, perhaps by looking carefully at the weather or looking at how high I will be, in short, I decide based on these parameters also associated with the season in which I travel.

Basically the longer the journey the more I look for comfort, vice versa when I face a short trip I am willing to carry a little more kg.

 

Pietro Franzese con la sua bici a Parigi

 

What has been the place that has amazed you the most until now?

Perhaps the place that amazed me the most was Lapland, reached directly from home this summer.

There I was amazed a lot, because in the city, in my case Milan, we are used to thinking that nature is limited or rather we have decided to limit it only in certain places, while in Lapland it is the opposite.

It is the man who is limited in some areas, because he is so big and there is so much greenery that

nature and the space it occupies are almost boundless. In here places occupied by man there is only a very small road that crosses the whole of Lapland which served me to then arrive at the North Cape.

Do you think the world is ready to make totally green trips, riding your bike?

I believe that the world is ready, obviously we need to understand what is meant.

Year after year the services are improving more and more, the structures are becoming more open to hosting travelers by bicycle.

There is a lot of work to do, especially in Italy, this is not the case abroad, but little by little we are improving.

 

Pietro Franzese in viaggio

What advice would you give to those who would like to embark on a bike trip for the first time?

The only thing I would say is: Go!

Because if your first trip is to a place "within everyone's reach", which can also be Europe, I can say that they are safe trips.

Another tip: Choose carefully what to bring!

On the first trip you always take the house with you, and it's one of the most common mistakes we've all made.

Over time you get to travel with only the essentials, but until then talking to a more knowledgeable person, or seeing youtube videos of a more knowledgeable person giving you advice on what to pack before traveling can definitely help.

We've been collaborating for a year now, what are the products you just can't do without?

Absolutely the COOLDOWN CREAM always fixed when I get home.

When I go hiking in the mountains and out on my bike, it's really a panacea.

Indeed, using it after a long day on the bike is really a gesture of love towards oneself.