Generic Touring Thread

Awesome! What route are you planning on taking?

Check the Instagram - but it'll hopefully be a Danube/Caucasus/Iran/Stans/China route.

Nice, planning on cycling a similar route myself leaving in July. Checked out the instagram. Exciting!

Awesome! What's your route?

Amsterdam > Rhine > Danube > Serbia > Bulgaria > Turkey > Iran > Stans > China

You can read some more details here

This is great!

Fo you by any chance know the guys following you on Instagram, named "forapieceofcake"? They did a very similar route, except they dodged Turkey and hopped from Iran to India by plane, they are in Thailand now, en route for Singapore. They have a very good blog/instagram/Facebook collection of info about the places they've visited, plus if you get in touch they will share much more info (whenever they get a chance)..

Quick question, are you planning to cycle through the Chinese desert?

Nice! What are you planning for the central Asian winter? What time are you aiming to get there?

Yep - following forapieceofcake - there tonnes of similar tourers all across the world at various stages of their trips - it's a really inspiring community to be involved in.
The aim with china is to cross the border, then use transport from Urumqi to Chengdu - avoiding the HUGE expanse of the Chinese desert.

Ya I'll probably be spending the winter in the Stans. To be honest I'm having a hard time imagining what it's gonna be like. Got myself a 930g down sleeping bag rated up to -32 C° and a good liner which will hopefully keep me warm :-)

You're mental! Are you doing the Pamir Highway?

I'll try to do at least a part of it but I don't fancy going to Tajikistan. You're doing the whole Pamir right? Maybeeee I could catch up to you but I'll reckon you'll be a bit faster than me cycling as a pair and leaving earlier. I wish I could leave earlier but I have to finish my bachelor's first

When in July are you thinking for taking off? I'm bored of my job.

We'll be hoping to be in Dushanbe by early September. That's with taking some transport across turkey.

I'll think I'll just be in Iran by then

@chak somewhere around the 1st of July!

Where do you reckon you'll be by 1st of August?

Somewhere near Belgrado, Serbia

Fuck you move fast! Hmm...interesting. Will have a ponder.

It's an educated guess but it wouldn't surprise me if I end up being slower

Anybody done the (googlemaps) route from Le Havre to Paris? I'm planning to ride from Swindon to Portsmouth and catch the ferry.

Gatwick baggage handlers:

https://twitter.com/scouser_andy/status/838735559287836672

Anyone know a clever way to get money off Brittany Ferries tickets?

Kidnap the CEO's children and ransom them back.

It won't end well.

I've gone from doing 30+ miles a day commuting over winter to about two hours in the last month. Do I need to worry going into an 80 miles a day week-long tour?

No, just make sure you eat a lot and you'll be fine.