In July 1990, Andi Heckmair, along with two friends, set off from Oberstdorf, Germany, towards Riva, Italy, on the first ever bike with front suspension forks to hit the market. Their aim was to cross the Alps by bike. Mountain bikes were a new development in the early 1990s, and so it hadn’t yet occurred to anyone to use them to cross the high peaks of the Alps. 

“Everyone laughed when I talked about my idea of crossing the Alps and the gear I’d need. Except for Centurion. And deuter.”  Andi Heckmair, Transalp pioneer  

Heckmair’s plan was to use ancient trade routes and trails to trace the most direct route possible to Riva, on the shores of Lake Garda. The term ‘Transalp’ was coined, and with it a new chapter in cycle sports began. After seven days’ riding, they arrived at their destination, and the first ever Transalp bike traverse was declared. The route they rode is still referred to as the ‘Heckmair route’. News of the first ever Transalp exploded onto the bike scene. Since then, crossing the Alps by bike is a bucket list dream that most mountain bikers aspire to, and many are fortunate enough to fulfil. The original Transalp – the Heckmair route – is ridden every year by around 10,000 mountain bikers. 

Heckmair realized that the extreme nature of the terrain, with its narrow, steep and winding trails, would require careful consideration about how to carry the gear they needed to take. A travel bag was too big and would not spread the load. A hiking backpack was too heavy and bulky. Having a backpack overloaded with gear would make riding uphill a real struggle, and even the more straightforward downhill sections would be tricky, if not outright dangerous. And so it was, during the very first Transalp crossing that the concept of a bike-specific backpack transpired. Heckmair began the design process for a backpack that was suited to spending long periods in the saddle, would distribute the load effectively, and would offer excellent carrying comfort. It also had to be sized to accommodate all the gear that was needed, and ultra lightweight too. deuter’s Bernd Kullmann was sold on the idea and so the deuter Bike 1, the world’s first ever bike backpack was created. The build was simple, it had 24 liters’ capacity, and it was light. And it even benefited from a ventilation system on the back. 

Two years later, in 1993, Andi was now an established adviser, and our initial business relationship had developed into a friendship. Consequently, he regularly visited Oberstdorf where he worked tirelessly on products. Where possible, we’d try and combine these meetings with a nice ski tour. One cold day in January, around midday, we’d skied down through knee-deep champagne powder to the little village of Rubi, not far from Oberstdorf. We were still euphoric from the amazing run down, and so decided to stop for a Weißbier in the local inn before getting back to work. The waiter lent us an ordering pad and we feverishly sketched out our plans. The ideas were flowing, and by the time we left, about an hour later, we’d come up with the ‘Superbike’, the most successful bike backpack we’ve ever made. Later on, the integrated windshield gilet (Andi’s idea) was even granted an international patent. 

Back in Augsburg, our ideas were immediately transposed to the prototype workshop. The rounded fabric cuts were still fairly unusual at the time and proved difficult. It took several attempts before the pattern was ready for the production phase. So many of the standard features we now associate with bike packs have their roots in those initial creative forays: reflectors on the shoulder straps (these days with the logo), thin aluminum rods within the Airstripes back system that adapt perfectly to the person’s back, and of course the streamlined shape of the pack itself, to reduce wind drag and provide full range of movement even when wearing a helmet. 

In subsequent years, Andi became one of Germany's mountain biking greats. And so, the logical follow-up was to make a pack that was specifically designed for the route, the Trans Alpine – yet another masterpiece from the creative powerhouse that is Andi Heckmair. 

The deuter Trans Alpine backpack was developed specifically for Transalp riders and for demanding, long-distance mountain bike touring.