Transporting an electric mountain bike to a remote island nation outside the EU is a story of perseverance all by itself. “You can’t fly with the battery, and you can’t send it by ferry either,” Gaspi explains. “The only option was to arrange special logistics.” Eventually, it was the company Rangel Logistics who agreed to take on the challenge—and Gaspi’s bike finally made it to the island of Fogo.
The final piece of the puzzle was a man named Mustafa Kerim Eren, a professional climber originally from the Karakoram region of Pakistan, who settled on the island 18 years ago. Gaspi connected with him over social media, and Musti quickly became his lifeline. “Musti was kind enough to pick up the bike in the harbor,” says Gaspi. “Because the bike was shipped in his name, it had to go through customs. Even though everyone knows everyone here, the process took four sessions of four hours, and he still had to pay the duty.”
And the duty is no joke: 85% on imported goods, which makes bringing in an e-bike almost financially insane. “It turns out ours was probably the first e-bike on the island, and maybe—just maybe—our pioneer effort will help change the rules. Just like electric cars and e-motorcycles, which now have 0% customs duty for ecological reasons, e-bikes could soon be on the same list,” hopes Gaspi.
It wasn’t just the logistics of the bike—even the crew faced their own set of horrors: cancelled ferries without any compensation, overbooked flights, and endless waiting became part of the adventure. What was supposed to be a straightforward journey turned into a test of patience and adaptability long before the climb even began.
A climb like no other
Each Cape Verde island has its own personality, but greenery isn’t their strong suit. Fogo is different—it’s wild, steep, and crowned by a perfect volcanic cone. Gaspi’s goal was simple: ride from sea level to the very top. But simple goals sometimes come with extreme execution.
His journey began by the ocean, where the morning cold and wind from the Atlantic made the first part of the climb deceptively tough. “You start freezing. Then the sun comes out. Then you start worrying if your battery will last. You ride through dry grass hiding sharp lava stones and five-centimeter thorns. Locals stare at you in disbelief—nobody’s seen an e-bike here before. Kids run after you for a while, then disappear.”
From base camp Casa Marisa at 1,620 meters—rebuilt after the devastating 2014 eruption—Gaspi pushed another 400 meters on the bike. Then came the “walk assist” phase, and eventually, carrying the bike on his back. “From 1,800 meters, nothing grows but local wine grapes called Chã. The lava becomes more brittle, the slope steeper. At one point, the back wheel just sank into the lava crust,” Gaspi recalls.
He was surviving on three liters of water. “It’s 26 degrees year-round, but the equatorial sun is brutal. My lips were burned raw, and the heat nearly fried the battery. I couldn’t even touch the bike—it was too hot.” Sweat washed away his sunscreen. Dust coated his throat. And still, he kept climbing.
Into the crater
Reaching the summit wasn’t enough. Gaspi had his eye on the crater itself. After pushing the bike over the edge, he dropped in.
Then came the highlight of the whole journey—a surreal freeride down the volcanic cone, reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h, the wheels surfing on a mix of volcanic ash and gravel. “I’ve never experienced a freeride line that was so continuous and smooth. It was absolutely massive,” Gaspi says. “My brake rotors and pads were completely destroyed. Both front and rear were burned out and unusable after that ride.”
More than a ride
This wasn’t just about conquering a peak. It was a test of body and mind, of logistics and diplomacy. It was also a statement: that e-bikes deserve the same treatment as other clean technologies. “A lot of people thought I was crazy. But because of this trip, local laws are already being re-evaluated. E-bikes might soon join solar panels, electric cars, and batteries as duty-free imports,” says Gaspi. “And that would be a beautiful side effect of this mission.”
