{"id":198402,"date":"2025-04-17T07:34:44","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T07:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=198402"},"modified":"2025-04-17T07:50:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T07:50:16","slug":"an-e-bike-mission-to-the-volcanic-top-of-cape-verde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/04\/17\/an-e-bike-mission-to-the-volcanic-top-of-cape-verde\/","title":{"rendered":"Challenging Fire Mountain: An E-Bike Mission to the Volcanic Top of Cape Verde"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prague-based biker Richard “Gaspi” Gasperotti has ridden his bike up active volcanoes before\u2014six of them, to be exact. But climbing Pico do Fogo (2,829 m), the highest point of Cape Verde, was something else entirely. Not only because it\u2019s an active stratovolcano in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but because this time, he brought an e-bike.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Transporting an electric mountain bike to a remote island nation outside the EU is a story of perseverance all by itself. “You can\u2019t fly with the battery, and you can\u2019t send it by ferry either,” Gaspi explains. “The only option was to arrange special logistics.” Eventually, it was the company Rangel Logistics<\/a> who agreed to take on the challenge\u2014and Gaspi\u2019s bike finally made it to the island of Fogo.<\/p>\n

\"Cape<\/a>
\u00a9 Milo\u0161 \u0160tafek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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. \u201cMusti was kind enough to pick up the bike in the harbor,\u201d says Gaspi. \u201cBecause 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the duty is no joke: 85% on imported goods, which makes bringing in an e-bike almost financially insane. \u201cIt turns out ours was probably the first e-bike on the island, and maybe\u2014just maybe\u2014our 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,\u201d hopes Gaspi.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t just the logistics of the bike\u2014even 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.<\/p>\n

\"Cape<\/a>
\u00a9 Milo\u0161 \u0160tafek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

A climb like no other<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Each Cape Verde island has its own personality, but greenery isn\u2019t their strong suit. Fogo is different\u2014it\u2019s wild, steep, and crowned by a perfect volcanic cone. Gaspi\u2019s goal was simple: ride from sea level to the very top. But simple goals sometimes come with extreme execution.<\/p>\n

His journey began by the ocean, where the morning cold and wind from the Atlantic made the first part of the climb deceptively tough. \u201cYou 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\u2014nobody\u2019s seen an e-bike here before. Kids run after you for a while, then disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n

From base camp Casa Marisa at 1,620 meters\u2014rebuilt after the devastating 2014 eruption\u2014Gaspi pushed another 400 meters on the bike. Then came the \u201cwalk assist\u201d phase, and eventually, carrying the bike on his back. \u201cFrom 1,800 meters, nothing grows but local wine grapes called Ch\u00e3. The lava becomes more brittle, the slope steeper. At one point, the back wheel just sank into the lava crust,\u201d Gaspi recalls.<\/p>\n

He was surviving on three liters of water. \u201cIt\u2019s 26 degrees year-round, but the equatorial sun is brutal. My lips were burned raw, and the heat nearly fried the battery. I couldn\u2019t even touch the bike\u2014it was too hot.\u201d Sweat washed away his sunscreen. Dust coated his throat. And still, he kept climbing.<\/p>\n

\"Cape<\/a>
\u00a9 Milo\u0161 \u0160tafek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Into the crater<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Reaching the summit wasn\u2019t enough. Gaspi had his eye on the crater itself. After pushing the bike over the edge, he dropped in.<\/p>\n

Then came the highlight of the whole journey\u2014a 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. \u201cI\u2019ve never experienced a freeride line that was so continuous and smooth. It was absolutely massive,\u201d Gaspi says. \u201cMy brake rotors and pads were completely destroyed. Both front and rear were burned out and unusable after that ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

More than a ride<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This wasn\u2019t 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. \u201cA lot of people thought I was crazy. But because of this trip, local laws are already being re-evaluated. E-bikes<\/a> might soon join solar panels, electric cars, and batteries as duty-free imports,\u201d says Gaspi. \u201cAnd that would be a beautiful side effect of this mission.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prague-based biker Richard “Gaspi” Gasperotti has ridden his bike up active volcanoes before\u2014six of them, to be exact. But climbing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":198403,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8162],"tags":[8466,8467,6948,464],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-198402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-explore-and-travel","tag-cape-verde","tag-cape-verde-volcano","tag-e-biking","tag-gaspi","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nAn E-Bike Mission to the Volcanic Top of Cape Verde<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Prague-based biker Richard "Gaspi" Gasperotti has ridden his bike up active volcanoes before\u2014six of them, to be exact. 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