Hélène Fromenty 🍉

So it was Berlin-Usedom-Berlin, wild track version! 800km from Bernau bei Berlin towards the Baltic Sea, through Brandenburg and Poland, and then back. I never rode gravel on such a distance, and man…why did I wait for so long? I loved it so much! The route was challenging (sand, mud, bumpy grass, 30% walls, technical trails, river crossing, we had it all) with no time to rest, as tarmac sections were never longer than 500m, but plenty of opportunities to unlock new skills. Also the nature of the steppe was as simple as it was beautiful, with endless forests, lakes, rapeseed fields, and a ride on the beach as a halfway-reward. I encountered a thousand of wild animals - rabbits, baby boars, does, deers, foxes, beavers, storks, just to name a few, and also those mysterious and sparkling eyes in the forest at night (???). I didn’t plan to sleep much, but the very low temperatures at night (0-1 degrees) pushed me to sleep even less than I wanted - better riding through, rather than freezing when lying down for too long. And after 3 days and 5h of riding, I was back in Bernau as first Flinta of the wild track - and 4th overall, with the best welcoming committee. So big big thanks to @steppenwolf030 for putting up such a great and inclusive event (50% flinta!!!), with an amazing crew at every check point (it was hard to leave each time!) and to the finish line. Also, it’s so nice to take part to a challenge like this just near home: no, you don’t always have to travel very far away to live a genuine adventure and experiment a tough route/event which has nothing to envy to the “big ones”. Last but not least, BUB is not a race but still: congrats to Annika @tadeoshem and Carlotta @lottipower for their very strong rides and for completeing the “wild track flinta wall of fame”. And also big shout out to all the flinta who took the start, you rock :) Photo 1 @stefanhaehnel 🫶🏼

It's good to do hard things, but that shouldn't be the only purpose of an event. In Episode 015 of Dot Comms, Hélène Fromenty speaks about how and why she chooses an event to participate in. She admits to have being drawn to events that market themselves as 'hard' in the past but is keen to highlight those that may not get the media attention they merit. You can hear more from Hélène and our other Roundtable guests discussing the topic of 'How Hard is Too Hard' in the full episode, available on all major podcast platforms. Photo credit: @stefanhaehnel

Flèche Allemagne, 365km in 24h from Berlin to Eisenach. A team of 10 friends, on 5 tandems. I had never experienced tandem before and I was quite sceptical, but it turned out it went pretty smooth and that I liked it way more than expected. Riding a tandem is fun, convivial, contemplative, full of good sensations and shared moments, and above all it makes people happy. Just how a good bike ride should be. Don’t know where this first step in the world of “tandonneuring” is going to take us. But seems like somebody is already looking for a new second hand bike… #flècheallemagne #tandem #randonneuring #tandonneuring #cycling

Going East for Easter 🐣 1. Surrounded by Tatras 2. Might see again during TCR 3. Partner in crime 4. Local delicacies 5. Not yet spring 6. I walked 7. Yet spring 8. Something with pistachio + cinnamon 9. Big rocks 10. Local souvenirs 11. Big mountains 12. Long awaited Pierogi 13. Definitely not yet spring 14. Always stay stylish #bikepacking #cycling #easterholidays

Winter bikepacking is a real challenge, but the reward comes in the form of magical frozen landscapes. We asked @hfrome about her winter bikepacking adventure in France. “In total, we cycled during four days and covered around 650km, our longest day being 225km. Even though we were heading South, riding at this time of the year was quite challenging. We indeed found some sun, but a few stretches were freezing cold - down to minus 7 - and sometimes slippery, especially in high altitude or in shaded areas, like at the feet of large mountain ranges. Dressed like onions, we had no other choice than layering on and off all the time. Also the days were pretty short, which meant we always started and finished in dark and chilly conditions. However, with many new locations unlocked, daily doses of Provençal delicacies and quite some fun, we fulfilled our change-of-year-mission. Amongst the highlights: the lagoon-blue color of the Verdon river seen from the heights at sunset, the many roman-influenced old towns located on hills and the bottle of bubbles drunken on the beach to welcome 2026. One sure thing: we will be back! 🙌” . . 📸 @stefanhaehnel

It has already become a tradition, still it’s different from year to year. To finish 2025 and begin 2026, we again toured a few days in Southern France. Starting in Valence, we had to skip a big part of our route in Vercors, as we got stuck in a harsh blizzard. It was a blessing in disguise: heading south towards Nice, we slowwwly found the dose of sun and warmth we have been looking for. Through le Diois, les Baronnies, les Préalpes, le Verdon and le Luberon, our four days on the bike included: icy but beautiful roads, tons of gorges, a few pristine lakes, many pittoresque villages, fireworks by the sea, and of course a good portion of socca and pissaladière. Winter bikepacking, what a better way to get into the new year?

Some memories from our now almost traditional end-of-year cycling retreat in the south of France #bikepacking #biketrip #cycling #winteroutside #holidays

“Racing as a pair, you need to consider not only your feelings and needs but also your partner's.” The @silkroadmountainrace is incredibly challenging—naturally, our friends @stefanhaehnel and @hfrome made it even harder on themselves by signing up as a pair. To top it off, Hélène had previously only raced on pavement before tackling the harsh trails of Kyrgyzstan. Talk about an ultra mindset! Head over to the Gramm Journal to read about their winning formula that eventually carried them to second place, what they would and wouldn’t change in terms of gear, and whether they’d pair up again next year. Incredibly impressive, you two! Chapeau! Photos by @stefanhaehnel 🔥🙏🏻

@hfrome has had a year filled with adventure, from bikepacking in the Swiss Alps to racing across Kyrgyzstan at the Silk Road Mountain Race, and most recently finishing as the fastest woman at this year’s gruelling edition of the Trans Pyrenees Race. Photographer @stefanhaehnel joined Hélène for a ride to Schönower Heide, a nature reserve north of her home in Berlin. A network of quiet gravel and hiking trails, it’s a peaceful retreat just beyond the city’s edge. “For me, there’s not really an off-season. I ride my bike throughout the whole year, because I enjoy (and need) to be out, whatever the weather and the temperatures. Of course, winter makes it a bit more difficult to train, but it teaches you how to deal with harsh conditions and how to be mentally strong. Cycling during winter is also a great opportunity to observe nature pausing: how the cold clothes plants, how lakes turn into ice, how animals rest, and how silence reigns supreme. And I think I enjoy feeling like I am alone in the world, whereas usually the same path can be crowded. Let’s say that in winter, the outside is mine.”

At the end of October, we went for a week in the Italian Alps and we: were alone everywhere, listened to the silence, drowned in the leaves, slept in refuges, admired the nature, carried our supplies, cut wood, looked for water, walked in the snow, crossed (small) rivers, warmed up by the fire, climbed rocks, were afraid of heights (me), lighted ourselves with candles, encountered chamois, played cards, got blisters on our toes, slipped on moss, navigated with a paper map, moved forward in the night, sniffed the trees, contemplated the autumn colors, had wet feet, observed the birds, looked for mushrooms, got rinsed by the rain, overlooked the clouds, had fun, etc. #hiking #mountains #nature #outdoors #adventure #holidays #italianalps #alps #italy

When I contacted Brivaël from @quokkacycles at the end of last year to tell him about my new bike project (yes, another one…), I didn’t expect our desires to match that much. Nine months later, I took my brand new Falcon V2, with its great @tangente_atelier bags, on its first ultra ie @transpyrenees . And without much surprise, it was the perfect riding companion for this adventure. Super comfortable, on asphalt as well as in gravel. Super dynamic, when climbing as in all circumstances. Super beautiful, and when you have a beautiful bike, I assure you that everything is easier. I have to admit, I had a little doubt before the start: “Are you sure it is a good idea to go with a steel bike on a race with 45,000 meters of elevation gain?” I think you have the answer just by looking at my face on this photo (“hell yeah, that’s awesome”). Voilà, it was a first time traveling and racing together, and it was great. Looking forward to taking you even further, little rocket! Photo @alexduffill #bike #custombike #steelbike #framebuilder #handcraftedbike #bikepacking #cycling #ultracycling #ultracyclisme #ultrarace #pyrenees #transpyrenees #TPRNo5

Recently, our friends @stefanhaehnel and @hfrome took on one of the most challenging races in the ultra-cycling world: the @silkroadmountainrace in Kyrgyzstan. Together, the duo biked and hiked their way across the country’s remote mountain roads, completing the course as the second pair to finish—with a time of 11 days, 23 hours, and 29 minutes. We caught up with Stefan and Helene after the event to hear about their experience. Head to the link in our bio to read the full interview—and to enjoy a stunning set of photos captured along the way.