Few years. Many kilometers. An immeasurable desire to travel.
At only 21, Dario Franchi turned his dream into an adventure. Starting from Florence, he covered over 22,000 km, crossing 20 countries in that continuous challenge that is life on the road.
Getting on a saddle, stepping out of your comfort zone, pedaling; to explore the world and, as in every story worth telling, ultimately to discover oneself.
Two wheels and the magic of travel
A bikepacker’s experience is built on kilometers, and Dario savored every single one, from the vastness of European roads to the magic of African landscapes. Every stage, a unique experience: the silence of the Namib Desert, the wild allure of the jungle, the vibrant energy of the markets, and encounters with diverse cultures. Every difficulty became an opportunity to learn how to endure and reinvent oneself.
Much more than a mere geographical crossing.
Pedaling teaches the value of perseverance, the power of dreams, and the beauty of embracing the unknown. Dario’s journey doesn’t just recount a path on two wheels, it invites everyone to believe that every challenge can become an opportunity to grow, to rediscover the profound meaning of one’s existence, and to be carried away by the magic of travel.
Sometimes you fall
It all began in October 2022. Dario and Oliver, two friends, 9,000 km. They had traversed Europe, down to Africa: the seemingly impenetrable Atlas range, the hostility of the Sahara, all the way to Senegal.
Then came the problems. The money started running out: the attempt to ferry toward South America, the visa difficulties for Guinea, closed borders, the birdsong giving way to gunfire, and tanks replacing gazelles.
The adventure halted after 175 days. Incredible, but unfinished.
Falling is part of cycling. Sometimes having to stop is inevitable, and Dario knows it.
Letting go. Alone with the bike
When we get a flat tire, we fix it. If the chain falls off, we adjust it. If we fall, we get back up. And Dario sets off again: August 2024.
His story is an invitation to follow one’s instinct, to let go, and to chase that dream which sometimes seems unreachable. It’s a testament that there’s always a reason to rise and start again, to face new challenges, and to discover the beauty hidden around every corner of the world.
Every adventure is an ode to life, a call to never settle, to always seek the new, to transform the impossible into the possible.
And then, pedal.
Pedal even if the jungle floods. Pedal among criminal groups in Nigeria, among bandits, hostile borders, through one of the largest forests on the planet.
In this incredible journey, the bicycle wasn’t just a means of transport—it was both an obstacle and a solution. It was the companion with whom to confide and on whom to rely, the company during long nights in a tent.
A synergy between man and bike that symbolizes a passion going beyond the material.
We at Selle San Marco only gave Dario a saddle. From up there, he saw the world.
And the adventure continues
At the end of a journey, it’s wonderful to look back: to feel the weight of what has just been lived. To remember who we were before setting off.
Let’s return to May 2024, when Dario, with the humility that characterizes him, wrote to us:
"I am Dario Franchi, a 21-year-old guy fascinated by discovery and adventure.
It would be a dream and an honor for me to collaborate with Selle San Marco."
Well, Dario Franchi…
Today, we can say that we have lived that dream together. The honor is ours.
And the adventure continues…
