You DO live in an amazing place. I'd be out there exploring those trails every day. And there's nothing wrong with an e-bike, even with a little basket (or you could attach a little umbrella too), if it takes you on the rutty trails through the bush. And if not, a pair of more mountain-y tires should do the trick.

As for Jamie's bike, it looks like it is truly for bikepacking. Unlike touring cycling, which is what I intended to do on the Baja (haha), it's designed to take the roughest trails, so carrying the most minimal gear is essential. The frame bag is super useful for that, just like the stuff mounted around his fork and handlebars. The rear rack still suggests touring, but actually that makes it so much more realistic, indicating he's no purist. I'd say most setups straddle both worlds in a way. I mean look at me: By the time I came to the end of my Baja tour, my road tires had been completely eaten up by the dirt trails, to be replaced by mountain tires literally out of the trash. So yes, looking at Jamie's bike makes me feel like: that's the setup I'll go for next. And his tires: those are the exact ones I want! They are made for the dirt, but are not the super knobby kinds, so should be okay on the pavement too. Hahaha, and they are called Mezcal! That alone would be a reason to get them! Nice saddle too, looks like Brook.

So I hope you enjoyed yourself, and I am looking forward to more bike posts. And if you want to do a tour along the Danube (not sure if it would necessitate actual bikepacking - maybe down in the Romanian / Bulgarian sections), I'd be totally into it. Just need to coordinate, I guess...