We've cycled the Pamir Highway

We've spent the last 5 weeks cycling around Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Central Asia. They're amazing countries - sort of a cross between Mongolia/Nepal and Afghanistan. Yurts everywhere in Kyrgyzstan and not much at all in Tajikistan.




We'd read about some roads that are worth cycling and the Pamir stood out - there's also the Karakoram highway and the Friendship Highway in Tibet but this looked really exciting - 750km long, camp where you want, nobody lives there and mostly above 4000m!

Mongolia visa - letter of invitation with Legend Tours

Legend Tours offer an invitation letter service for Mongolia - I am in the process of getting one with them and will update to say how well it goes: http://www.legendtour.ru/eng/mongolia/invitation.shtml




mongoliavisa

Russia Visa info at 'Way to Russia' site

Go to the original site here: http://www.waytorussia.net/Travel/VisaSupport.html




russiavisa

Monkey Business Mongolia visa and travel service website

This website will sort out visas and letters for you but only if you book a train ticket with them. Go to original website: http://www.monkeyshrine.com/visas/




mongoliavisa

Cycling in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - Pamir Highway Road Guide for cyclists

This guide is from Betzgi's fantastic website and is formatted for easy printing en route.

Mongolia Country Info and visa

mongoliavisa
mongoliaroadguide

Useful Files

Our route through China, Pakistan, India and to our first destination, Nepal

Interactive map of the area we have to travel through, from Wulumuqi in China down the Karakorum highway into Pakistan - look no road! It's fine though unless it's been washed away. Once in Pakistan we have to go to get visas, then cross into India where we get new visas for Nepal. The first leg of our journey will be over.


View Larger Map

Cycle Touring - The best touring bicycles?

Our Koga Miyata bikes arrived from Holland via the UK in 2005 with super special handlebars to allow us to move our hands around, plus front and rear panniers. They're just the most gorgeous bikes ever, completely designed for long distance touring. We intend to cycle from HK back to the UK some time in the future and we need to get a bit of experience first (only a bit)

We have cycled around Lamma quite a bit and know a bit about basic maintenance, we have spare spokes and other tools but it's proving very difficult to get anything useful in HK as no-one cycles anywhere. Simon's is last year's model and appreciably cheaper.

Since this original post we've cycled the Pamir Highway and feel we know what we're doing. The bikes have been fantastic...in fact after 1500km on appalling dirt roads the only thing that wore out was the side wall of one of my rear tires. This happened as we entered Osh in Kyrgyzstan - the only place for about 500km with a bike shop.

Map of China, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan

Route Map in Kazakhstan

Route Map in Russia

Route Map of Mongolia

Cycle Touring - Best tent for touring cyclists

The tent we're using is made by a Swedish company called Hilleberg. It is absolutely fantastic and we've used it for lots of cycling and trekking. It has a huge space (GT models) where you can cook if it's wet, or cold.

We think it's an astonishing tent considering the weight. Everything is pared down to the minimum without compromising strength.

Simon's Bike

Model	WorldTraveller - SIMON
Segment	Trekking
Season	2005
Frame dimensions	50-54-57-60cm
Frame	Completely hand-built TIG-welded 26" frame. Tubes manufactured in triple-hardened and triple-butted 7005 aluminium. Top- and down tube oval and super oversized for extra stability. Equipped with integrated headset and a replaceable rear derailleur hanger.
Front fork	K-01 650C Wide Bone chromium-molybdenum/aluminium
Colour combination	Dark Titanium brush 77806
Handlebars	Pro Rise bar rise 15mm width 600mm ø25,4
Handlebar stem	ITM Trekking CNC new adjustable (Quill) ø22,2 Black
Handlebar grips	Pro Cross Country Black-transparent
Bar ends	Pro Short Oversized
Brakes	Shimano Deore XT BR-M760
Shift/Brake lever (r)	Shimano Deore XT ST-M760
Shift/Brake lever (l)	Shimano Deore XT ST-M760
Brake-/Shifter cable	Black
B.P.C.	Yes
Head set	Cane Creek A-head thread ZS-22 industrial-bearing 1" Black
Chain	Shimano CN-HG73 108 links
Front Hub	Shimano Deore XT HB-M760 Silver 36H 100mm
Rear Hub	Shimano Deore XT FH-M760 Silver 36H 135mm
Tyres	Continental TravelContact 47-559 with reflection
Tube	Continental 32/47-559
Rims	Mavic EX 721 CD 559-21 36H 323 314 36
Rim tape	H.P. 650C 16mm
Spokes	Sapim Leader Black
Saddle	Brooks Conquest Black incl. Brooks
Seat pillar	Pro XLT ø31,4x300mm Black
Seatclamp	Koga aluminium Black
Crank set	Shimano Deore XT FC-M760 44x32x22T W/CG
Pedals	Shimano PD-M324
Cassette	Shimano Deore LX CS-M580 9-speed 11-12-14-16-18-21-24-28-32T
Rear Derailleur	Shimano Deore XT RD-M760-SGS
Front Derailleur	Shimano Deore XT FD-M760 T-Swing Dual-Pull ø34,9 66-69
Derailleur guard	Koga stainless steel
Pump	Topeak Roadmorph Small
Bottle	Elite Lysso Alloy Titan 2x
Bottle holder	Elite Taki Gel 2x
Bell	Koga Widek Compact-II Titan
Mudguards	SKS P-50 26" Titan
Headlight	Smart Triple Beam BL116WW
Rear light	AXA Omega II 50mm, backside Black
Rear carrier	Tubus LOGO
Lowrider	Tubus incl. kickstand
Carrier strap	Triobinder Black/Titan
Kickstand	Pletscher Optima 1/260mm Titan
Frame lock	AXA SL-7 Titan, with folding key
Saddle bag	Koga with KLICKfix
Weight of bike	15,7 kg

Isabelle's Bike

Model	WorldTraveller (WT) - ISABELLE
Segment	Trekking
Season	2006
Weight	15,7kg
Frame sizes	50-54-57-60cm
Frame	Completely hand-built TIG-welded 26" frame. Tubes manufactured in triple-hardened and triple-butted 7005 Aluminum. Top- and down tube oval and super oversized for extra stability. Equipped with integrated headset, built-in attachment point for all accessories, integrated kickstand connection in rearend, and a replaceable rear derailleur hanger.
Front fork	Wide Bone, Chromo-Alloy 1-1/8", with thread!
Color	Brush polish
Handlebar	Ritchey Comp Mountain Straight ø31,8 Black width 580mm
Stem	ITM Trekking 4-Bolts adjustable (Quill) ø25,4 Black
Grips	Selle San Marco Leather
Brakes	Shimano Deore XT
Shiftlever (r)	Shimano Deore XT
Shiftlever (l)	Shimano Deore XT
Brakelever (r)	Shimano Deore XT
Brakelever (l)	Shimano Deore XT
Brake cable	Black
Shifter cable	Black
B.P.C.	Yes
Head set	Tange Seiki A-head thread ZS-22 industrial bearing 1-1/8" Black
Chain	Shimano CN-HG73
Front Hub	Shimano Deore XT
Rear Hub	Shimano Deore XT
Tyres	Continental TravelContact 47-559 with reflection
Tube	Continental
Rims	Mavic EX 721 Black 559-21 36g
Rim tape	H.P. 650C 16mm
Spokes	Sapim Leader 2x36
Saddle	Brooks Flyer Black incl. Brooks maintenance set
Seat pillar	Ritchey Comp Mountain V2 Black ø31,4x400mm
Seatclamp	Koga aluminum
Crank set	Shimano Deore XT 44-32-22T
Pedals	Shimano PD-M324
Cassette	Shimano Deore XT 11-32T 9 speed
Rear Derailleur	Shimano Deore XT
Front Derailleur	Shimano Deore XT
Derailleur guard	Koga RVS CNC pat
Pump	Topeak Roadmorph Small
Bottle	Elite Lysso Alloy Titan 2x
Bottle holder	Elite Taki Gel 2x
Bell	Koga Widek Soft Touch Silver
Mudguards	SKS P-50 26" Duo Tone, Black outside/Silver inside
Headlight	Smart Triple Beam
Rear light	B&M DToplight XS senso
Rear carrier	Tubus LOGO
Lowrider	Tubus
Carrier strap	Triobinder Black/Silver
Kickstand	Pletscher Comp Black / JD Tranz X CD-103 Black (Lowrider)
Ring lock	AXA Defender RL Silver/Black, with folding key
Saddle bag	Koga Medium with KLICKfix

Portrait Gallery

Landscape Gallery

Overall Route

We did want to cycle more directly through Yunnan and Tibet to Nepal, but thanks to the new restrictions we can't do that at all. Our alternative is to go all the way across Mongolia, and then down through Kazakhstan, Pakistan and India to get to Nepal. Embassies and consulates are in HK for most of these countries.

We will wait in India for the weather to warm up and then continue our journey in Spring 2009.

Who are we?

We're a married couple from the UK and Canada who have been living in HK and working as teachers at an international school for the last four years. Until we came to HK we spent a lot of time travelling but we've based ourselves in HK and seen most of Asia in our shorter holidays. Isa has always wanted to cycle a long route somewhere in the world so that's what we're doing. She's the ideas person, I just do what she says. We would probably have stayed in HK but for the pollution which gives me 3 months of migraines every October-December which miraculously stop when we leave HK and start again as we land at the aiport.

We met while trekking in Nepal in 2001 and spent 3 months there. Before we came to HK we also did a Trans Africa trip via West Africa over an 8 month period, walked the GR11 in Spain from the Med to the Atlantic, the GR54 (the hardest trek ever - 25000m ascent in 3 weeks)in France.



Since we came to HK, we've trekked in Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Zanskar and Ladakh, Cambodia and even had a month walking the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.

Isa teaches and tutors French and I teach Physics, General Science and Theory of Knowledge. When we've finished this journey we're going to have babies and live happily ever after (maybe)

Simon Taylor and Isabelle Bedard