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31/05/2008

We've cycled the Pamir Highway

IMG_3874

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

29/05/2008

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

26/05/2008

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)

Simon's Bike

Isa's Bike

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.

25/05/2008

Map of China, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan-Russia-Mongolia

Route Map in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan with Route

Route Map in Russia

Mongolia Border Region Overview with route

Route Map of Mongolia

Mongolia with Route

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.

Tajikistan - the best camp site on earth
WC - Tien Shan Trek-83IMG_3402

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

24/05/2008

Portrait Gallery






Landscape Gallery






Overall Route

Cycling Route web

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.

Simon and Isa in Lakang Sumdo

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