There is a specific kind of clarity that comes only at 100km/h on two wheels. As a founder and executive, my days are often measured in KPIs, quarterly targets, and integration roadmaps. It’s a world of abstract challenges and digital noise. But on the bike, operating as @newmanexplorer, the metrics shift entirely. They become immediate, physical, and undeniable: fuel range, tire grip, corner entry speed, and the next curve.
The Route Less Traveled
This summer, I pointed my Yamaha Tracer towards the Accursed Mountains (Bjeshkët e Nemuna). The name itself carries a weight, a history. The route from Peja, crossing into Montenegro via the Çakor Pass, is one of the most dramatic rides in the Balkans. For years, this pass was a complicated political border, often closed, leaving it raw and untouched by mass tourism.
Climbing up to 1,849 meters, the air thins and cools. The scenery shifts from dense pine forests to dramatic limestone crags that tear into the sky. It’s a landscape that demands respect. The road is a ribbon of asphalt draped over unforgiving terrain—narrow, winding, and often dusted with gravel that keeps your adrenaline spiking.
The Machine: Yamaha Tracer
The Tracer is the perfect instrument for this orchestra. It sits right in that sweet spot between a sportbike and an adventure tourer. It’s agile enough to flick through the tight hairpins of the Rugova Canyon but comfortable enough to crush kilometers when the road straightens out (which, in the Balkans, is rare).
There’s a mechanical symphony when you downshift entering a tunnel and accelerate out into the blinding sunlight of a mountain valley. It’s a feedback loop—man, machine, and environment, that feels infinitely more "real" than any Slack thread or Zoom call.
Flow State as a Reset
The switchbacks demand total focus. You cannot think about the next board meeting, the post-merger integration strategy, or an unread email when you are leaning into a blind corner at altitude. If your mind wanders, you crash. This forced mindfulness is why I ride. It is not just an escape; it is a profound reset, similar to the pivot point in a career.
In the tech world, we talk constantly about "flow state", that zone of peak performance where time dissolves. Coding can get you there. Riding keeps you there. It clears the cache of the brain, wiping away the temporary files of stress and anxiety, leaving you rebooted and ready to tackle the abstract problems again on Monday.
Engineering vs. Mechanics
Leading engineering teams involves abstract problem solving. We build systems that are invisible, dealing with logic flows and data structures. Fixing a mechanical issue on the side of a mountain road, tightening a loose chain, checking pressure, adjusting suspension is refreshingly concrete. There is no "agile methodology" for a flat tire. There is just the tire, the tools in your pannier, and your own hands. These moments ground me in the physical world.
This journey through the Balkans wasn't just a holiday. It was a reminder that you don't need to fly to the Himalayas or the Andes to find adventure. It’s right here, in our backyard, hidden in the mountain passes waiting to be explored.
Follow the visual journey on Instagram @newmanexplorer.
