Cycle the world!!!

Hi my name is James Taylor a 33yr old male from the UK. I am planning an epic adventure in the summer of 2016 and will attempt to circumnavigate the world on my poor unknowing little bike, hope it doesn't fall apart on the way?! :D

So I thought I would post on this forum to see if anyone could give me some advise on how I should be going about this and what gear I may need?

Also I was a little concerned with route, some of the middle eastern countries and those moving into central asia may pose a problem. I am not hugely fond of the idea of passing through deserts although I guess that is inevitable at some point?! My issue is the route after Turkey that will lead me into China or perhaps a more southern route via Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and through to Vietnam is preferable?

Anyway I am sure that I will have many more questions from now until my departure so I really would appreciate any and all input from you experienced travellers out there!!

Well thanks for reading my post and my regards to you all!

There is no better time to get an Iranian visa with the new nuclear deal, then on through the stans.

Why wait until 2016? Set off now.. get a flight tomorrow to Bulgaria or Turkey and cut the expensive European leg.

A useful website might be www.caravanistan.com

So I thought I would post on this forum to see if anyone could give me some advise on how I should be going about this and what gear I may need?

It is time you start reading bike journals at Crazyguy https://www.crazyguyonabike.com
There are currently some 11000 journals and articles about everything on bike touring,

Will 2nd Sabre and Albin.

The Stan's are classic. May be tough, time consuming and expensive to get the visa's but well worth the trip. It's all part of the deal.
We did the trip a few years ago (Crete-Vietnam) and loved it. Like many others ours is on CGOAB too. So much current info and routes.
Timing your season will be an issue, like everyone else. By leaving early in the season you'd miss the sweltering Uzbekistan heat.Leave too late and you'll cop snow.

We too weren't fond of deserts and took a train from Kashgar to Lanzhou. Also a bus from Yazd to Mashad

Hi James

we have spent the last 3 years (and a bit) cycling from Norway to Japan......and are just pausing for breath here in Laos. We really enjoyed the European part of our journey and because we were camping for free most nights or using Warm Showers or Couch Surfing it wasn't expensive. This of course means investing in a good stove and good tent. Away from Europe highlights include Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan, Altai Republic of Siberia, Mongolia, Japan.......Our blog is here: www.slothsonwheels.blogspot.com with visa info and some gear info too. As the above replies say timing is important.....but it's not easy to always be in the right place at the right time. My main advice is don't rush....try not to have too much of a schedule, take the back-roads when you can ......

I am not hugely fond of the idea of passing through deserts

I used to think that, but I discovered that they can be very scenic. More of a concern for you would be some extensive very areas of very flat and tedious scenery, whether it is grass or sand, such as if you were to choose a long trajectory across Kazakhstan You learn habits of carrying a lot of food and water on your bike when necessary. And need to ensure that your bike and luggage is capable of doing so.

hope it doesn't fall apart on the way

Reduce hope to the minimum and find out how to choose a suitable bike and be able to fix it. There's plenty of material around.

Bangladesh, Myanmar

Bangladesh-Myanmar border is closed. India-Myanmar border recently opened at precisely one location, and there is probably only one practical Myanmar-Thailand border (Mae Sot-Myawaddy) if you want to cycle all the way, though there are some other open crossings. Since the ability to cycle across Myanmar is very new, there is a lot of information available, look for it.

Also I was a little concerned with route, some of the middle eastern countries

Clearly with what is going on in Syria and Iraq you aren't going into the middle east at all, you are staying well north of those countries. But that is still OK whether you head N or S of the Himalayas, there are plausible routes staying well away from all that into Iran (for South) and former Soviet Central Asia (for North). In previous times you didn't even have to commit either way, because there was always the Khunjerab pass (open in summer) from China to Pakistan to enable you to swap, but an extensive part of the Karakorum Highway in Pakistan is currently closed to cyclists due to insecurity, though you can always get the bus.

Main problem for the south-of-the-Himalayas route, aside from getting that Iranian visa, is eastern Iran and the Baluchistan region of Pakistan, which are dangerous, and the police will probably make you take transport.

Former Soviet Central Asia is passable. Turkmenistan is a bit of a nuisance because it's hyper-authoritarian, isn't very interested in attracting tourists, and gives very short visas. But at least, unlike North Korea, you can actually cycle there. There are banditry risks in various areas of Former Soviet Union, as well as insecurity near the Afghan border, all documented if you look for it. And you need to think about the weather, especially if you want to travel any high mountains. If you are going north of the Himalayas then you need to be aware that Tibet is closed to independent travel, and there are some assorted other closed bits of CHina you can find yourself in by accident. But Sinjiang is mostly open so that is the way through, whether you come a mountain route from say Kyrgyzia or a lowland route from Kazakhstan.

Although she might be nothing like you as a person and her style may be different from whta you end up doing, I recommend reading Anne Mustoe's A Bike Ride, which is an around the world tour. This is a reassuring book for novice tourers. I read it before my first tour which was to India.

Don't overload yourself with gear. Research well before you buy. Don't buy the cheapest tent. If you intend camping, buy a decent tent and a decent sleeping bag and good quality wool thermals and warm stuff if you are going through spring or winter in colder countries.

Don't carry too many spares. I agree with Ivie about your bike. You don't need an expensive bike but you do want a reliable one and for a long trip like that, it would be good if you knew some bike mechanics. These are two are in an inverse relationship. the better the bike the less mechanics you probably need to know, unless you have little spare cash.

I too and planning the RTW - the fact that it might be possible to cycle through Burma is great news to me! That immediately changes my route plans! I want to meander and 'smell the roses' on my way (bring a 'grey nomad') so I'm planning on getting visas for the middle East en route - this seems to be what many cyclists do (from reading many blogs and perusing CGOAB at length). Doesn't look like KKH will be open to me (I'm in the UK) but IRAN is looking hopeful again? I would so love to be able to cycle to India...
I am not a EFI person though -I plan to take a ride across deserts if I need to.

I have got all my gear ready and tested (Thorn Raven, Terra Nova tent, trangia stove etc etc)

What's an EFI person?
I didn't know that Iran had become off limits. I knew it was difficult for some to get visas for a while. But people usually found a way.
I hope the blogs you were reading were fairly recent because things can change quite quickly in that part of the world.
Also I was just reminded of the guy who went through iran and then on to Dubai and flew to Mumbai. (You won't be able to go through Pakistan I believe. ) He came unstuck on his first day in India in a bad way. But then again, he was young and evidently Naive. So a word of advice for people arriving in india that way, be circumspect about people who approach you wanting to make life easy for you. In india if you need help, you be the one to approach people. Of course many people who approach you will be fine but in places where there are many foreign tourists, there are also lots of scammers and not a few baddies wanting to steal your wealth. Security of your stuff is paramount in India and your health is directly connected to this because many people are desperate.

That said, like the world over, 99% of people in India mean you no harm. (I'm not too sure about the actual percentage, but you get my drift).

I've been learning new acronyms via these blogs -and EFI stands for someone who cycles "Every F___ing inch". Iran has been off limits to independent travellers from UK, Canada and US since Feb 2014 - You either have to be on a 'tour' or have an 'official guide' who is neither work colleague or friend.

As for recent blogs - I have been reading RubyRideOn and A Really Long Way round (Chris Pountney's blog) - both of whom are still 'on the road' - Ruby is in Mexico and Chris in Australia and both blogs have been incredibly valuable and informative (as well as entertaining). They both made it through Iran, but both were there before Feb 2014. Ann Wilson ("Europe and beyond" on CGOAB) completed her tour in 2012 (IIRC) and is my guru (She turned 60yrs whilst cycling) - although she didn't wild camp as much as i'm hoping to.

AT the moment - I"m thinking of setting off in Spring (when my old dog 'shuffles off this mortal coil') and heading for Georgia, Armenia and across the Caspian Sea - to avoid Iran - and thence the the STans. However - if the visa regs relax for UK citizens I'll be first in the queue to visit - it sounds like an amazing country to cycle through.

If you are planning to go to Japan, read my blog. Its not finished yet but i will finish it. Its called Japan in Spring and its on cgoab. I was there for two months this year. Spring and Autumn are the best times to be there.

Are you 'newislander' on CGOAB? I'd love to make it as far as Japan - `i have a good reason to visit too, as a cousin of mine lives in Kyoto with his Japanese wife and their two young boys. Off to look you up right now :-)

Well - there's a coincidence. Found your blog on CGOAB and have already visited earlier this week (and loved your photography). I searched for 'solo woman' IIRC as I'm intrigued by how other women manage - and it seems we manage pretty well!

Oh yes, you found me. Thank you for the compliment!

Funny, i had you for a man. This happens on TT. EVeryone is assumed to be a man unless there's a hint to the contrary. There's also a site which features women cyclists. I can't remember the name of it but you might find it. Yes women do manage very well and as you are a woman, and an older one, you'd love Anne Mustoes book, I think. She was 54 when she left home.

Seems you've got excellent reasons to go to Japan. Kyoto is a good place to visit. Even better if you have people there. Its quite a small size city geographically but there's tons to do. And its an easy city to be in.

http://www.skalatitude.com/p/wow-women-on-wheels.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josie_Dew has cycled much of the world.
In my travels (many countries, often the more precarious ones) I've met a lot of women, as in very many, cycling solo. Often as not they are older as that's the age they are free and develop a sense of adventure. They all seemed pretty happy. Figure you don't hear so much of them because they just do it. Often in places some would consider dangerous.
The guys you hear most of as they seem to want to make a lot of noise about it.
None of the women have told of undue unmanageable bad experiences, often of being well looked after because they are women on their own.
You may be aware of recent bad publicity of Couch Surfing. Seems there has been a high incidence of rape, often of the drugged variety there. A predators paradise. Theft apparently happens. Just something to be aware of. (Personally I've always avoided them. On the theory that you get what you pay for.
As a solo male I've learned solo is often safer. The person you know you can trust. Safety is unisex. And solo you are more aware of where you are, whats happening. Too many times I've had invites to join in a - - Get to hell out of there fast. Your instincts usually tell true. We all need switch them on when traveling - anywhere.

Hi Tutleymutley & Newislander

I wrote earllier that we've spent just over 3 years cycling from northern Norway to Japan via the Stans (currently resting in Laos). We haven't met many solo females out there but they certainly exist. There's a Facebook Group that you might be interested in called Bicyle Travelling Women - it's for any women on bikes , solo or otherwise. We spent 5 months of this year in Japan and loved it (mid Feb to mid July). We found Japan to be very easy and definitely the safest country we've ever cycled in , we free camped for most of the time as accomodation isn't so cheap. We did not meet many other foreign cycle tourists (shame we didn't meet you Newislander....will check out your blog after this) in Japan but through Central Asia we met loads!! Cycling the Pamir Highway was a highlight for us....we have also cycled the Karakorum H'way (when visas where a bit easier for Pakistan) and they're both epic rides. If you go that way you're likely to meet many others. We've been to Iran a couple of times and at the moment it looks like the visa situation will change for Brits, back to what it was in 2014. We paid a lot for the visa, Brits always have done but it is a fascinating place to visit. Many cyclists leave their bikes in Tehran to explore further south by bus because of time constraints and not wanting to miss the cities of Esfahan, Shiraz & Yazd (my favourite). To get to Japan we went through a small corner of Siberia, then across Mongolia, into China, ferry to Taiwan, flight to Okinawa. When we first reached Japan it seemed very dull after all the places we'd been but we quickly realised that it's wrong to compare countries....yes, Mongolia is a very adventurous place to cycle compared to JApan but Japan has it's own highlights. It' just depends what you want...in the end we spent 5 months in Japan, it was just what we needed.....I recommend joining Warm Showers and Couch Surfing. We've used them a lot in every country and only had positive experiences. For us they were a great opportunity to make new friends, sometimes we stayed for many days with hosts. It's worth taking time to search for hosts that you think you'll have something in common with - especially on Couch Surfing. If you want to visit the Stans and India without having to fly it is possible by going through China, Laos, Thailand, Burma, India (because Pakistan visas can only be had in your own country unfortunately).
One final thing.....I want to put in a good word for the new edition of the Adventure Cycle Touring Handbook (recently published by Trailblazer in Bristol)- a book that covers just about everything you may want to know about cycle-touring. We contributed to the book writing the chapters on Mongolia, Central Asia and Russia so I'm a bit biased!!
We're stopping for a while here in Asia to earn some more cash to continue our ride....I could easily ride back the way we came as it was so fantastic. Just remember to so slow, take the small roads, got the long way round......spend winter somewhere warm!!
Best Wishes
the Sloths on wheels
www.slothsonwheels.blogspot.com

Hi Newislander....just found your blog, looks great, what a shame our paths didn't cross there.....but I checked your map and we rarely in the same place - so many choices!!
Best wishes!!

Hi Gayle. lol at Japan being dull. Yes it didn't feel adventurous like say India did but I didn't find it dull (except Kyushu i suppose). Probably because I wasn't on a long voyage and maybe also because my route took me to what I thought would be the best bits. Perhaps I need to go somewhere more challenging next time I go overseas. What about Kenya? But I'll keep Mongolia in mind too. The thing is, these days, I want the food to be quite good because when its bad, it can really wear me down.

As to warm showers, I guess you have to have a functioning mobile and a free itinerary. I suppose warm showers is much more important when you are on a really long trip.

Thanks for the tip about the facebook page.

PS Can you tell me the exact name of the facebook page please.

Hello again newislander......ok, I didn't really mean to say that Japan is dull although that was certainly our first impressin when we arrived. I guess it was the most like home that we'd been to for more than 18 months, everything was pretty normal, it was developed, wealthy, people were riding bikes......for sure it was coming from China, Mongolia, Central Asia that made us feel like that. After 5 months in Japan we were sad to leave....our favourite islands were Shikoku & Hokkaido....and no, it doesn't always need to be challenging...!! I completely agree but somehow when I think back over the last 3 years especially the most challenging bits I'm thinking wow I did that! Have you thought of China? The food is great......Korea too (and with new bike paths), food in Mongolia is not really worth mentioning..... Yes, Warmshowers is great for long trips but even on a shorter journey it's a chance to stay with locals for example when we first reached Okinawa we were hosted by a Japanese family for a few nights and that was a perfect introduction to Japan. We've not go a mobile phone and have survived the last few years without one and we also host cyclists when we're at home which is nice.
The facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BicycleTravelingWomen/
I haven't cycled in Africa....the book I mentioned above has some information about cycling through Africa and route ideas.

Sorry Itchy, we seem to have taken over your thread.

Gayle, how did you find your warm showers hosts in Japan if you didn't have a phone? Were you using a computer. I don't travel with one anymore. Weighs too much and too much to worry about with batteries and such. But of course on a long trip, i'd want one.

I suppose I could go to China. I never been really keen because most impressions i've picked up have not really excited me, though i have heard before that the food is good and I don't expect its all bad by any stretch.

My impressions have been - ugly industrial strength roads. And as a result of my trip to Japan, in comparison the people are a contrast of kindness, honesty and decency. Though this is probably not fair as people the world over are much the same. And i did meet one lovely Chinese girl in Japan. I also met an stereotypical chinese official, though he was an engineer. Scary type of guy in some ways, though probably not a scary person, just his viewpoint. I loved it when my chinese friend said that her teacher had told her that Australians are selfish. I said, Yes its true. It is certainly true when compared to the Japanese but i'm not sure it would be true compared to the chinese. What do you think, if you compare your average westerner brought up on a philosophy of individual to a chinese brought up on traditional and socialist values.

Anyway maybe i should go there. But i saw rural Kenya on tv the other night and it looked appealing and i've always wanted to go to Africa to see the animals. I'd been thinking South Africa for a long time but maybe Kenya would be cheaper to get to and in some ways easier.

Yes, newislander we were using a netbook, not heavy and with 14 hours battery life, would've struggled to get on-line in Japan without it as we were camping most of the time and there are so few intrnet cafes around. I think I might've had a similar impression of China before we went there.....and some of your impression is accurate. We first visited China with backpacks for 3 months and liked it so much that we returned with bikes for another 3 months, then on this recent journey we spent 2 more months cycling there. Maybe it helped that we'd been there already without bikes.......Yunnan & Sichuan are great places to cycle.You must do some research first to find the quieter places and of course that means away from big cities. Having said that we cycled into Beijing last October and that was fine. Away from the big cities you can easily find quiet roads. Car ownership levels are still low compared to western countries (Japan is no. 17 in the world for cars per person, China only no. 103) and that was our experience. Arriving on Honshu after Shikoku was terrible, we cycled on the pavement (like many Japanese people) for the first time in our journey and for our own safety. We didn't use trains or buses but luckily had a good map so we cold find quiet roads. Traffic levels in Japan, especially Honshu, reminded us of the UK. As for the people, we had good experiences in both JApan & China and in fact every country we've visited so I just can't generalise. In China we were much more of a novelty of course but in both countries we were often given gifts of food, drinks, asked if we needed help......at one hotel in China the manager reused payment because we had come by bike! In Shikoku we were invited to stay in the temple accomodations for the pilgrims and offered cold drinks. Chinese people were often curious and aren't shy and I like that about them, particularly young people. I'm not sure that Australians are any more or less selfish than anyone else. Perhaps the best bit of cycle-touring is that it can often blow away any pre-concieved ideas you have of places and people, that certainly happened to me in China and also in Iran & Pakistan. I think I'm a little wary to go to Africa but maybe that's a very good reason to go!!

(YES - sorry Itchy - but all useful info, no?).

Gayle - I'm now ploughing through yours and John's blog from the beginning and very entertaining it is too. You're very experienced travellers though. I've only ever managed to get away for three weeks at a time (to China, Morocco, Thailand) when I was working full time for the NHS, which just whet my appetite for more. But I'm retired now, and waiting for the geriatric dog to shuffle off before I set off for the BIG adventure (leaving the husband at home - he doesn't like travelling at all). This isn't as callous as it sounds - the dog is over 15yrs and the vet has already mentioned 'last legs' so I'm planning on a Spring departure, being as winter is the time when many spirits depart.

I first 'met' you both on Chris Pountney's blog (Really Long Way Round) - did you shake the Hungarian guy yet? I shall savour your posts and take notes.
Oh, and BTW - I have the original version of Adventure Cycling Handbook so (sadly) no reason to buy the new one methinks. But I'm sure the info will be buried in your blog en route...

I also bought the first version of the book. Yes it is useful for first time tourers planning a big tour. Even though that isn't my story, I still enjoyed reading it and probably got some value out of it too but can't remember now too.

In Japan, i planned my route to avoid the traffic and was often surprised by how quiet the roads were. I did cycle on the pavements in the Kyoto and Fukuoka and a few others spots because of lack of shoulder but generally I was not bothered by this too much.

Re staying in temples, one night i begged to be allowed to stay in one. Conditions were such that I had little choice. As someone who has experimented with Buddhism, but generally skeptical of religious professionals, I was immensely relieved at the treatment afforded me by the monk who had absolutely no reason to accommodate me apart from compassion. Apart from that I received incredible kindness from the Japanese and like you I have found this everywhere, even in Australia, much to my great delight. I think Japan is well worth visiting from the point of view of experiencing the way their tradition makes them so different to everyone else i've ever met. Its not that the Japanese are perfect by any stretch but the differences, I think are rather unique and insightful. For instance, how quiet they are; even the cities were quiet. They are so well-mannered that its a bit of a wake-up call to be honest. Their willingness to help, the gift giving traditions, their general delicacy and restraint. I found it fascinating. And this is somewhat superficial because when you meet foreigners who live in Japan, all they can do is whinge about how they are not accepted on the same level. While this is factually well known and even acknowledged by Japanese ex-pats, I think most ex-pats whinge about their adopted countries. Its certainly true of many migrant populations in Australia, even though they are safer than ever and have a better standard of living than they could have had in their original countries. I also loved the beauty of their cultural traditions - architecture, gardens, food, and so on. And my god, the cherry blossoms! Hardly any westerners travel in Japan due to the notion of it being expensive. It's not anymore. Especially if you camp.

Just remember that Central Asia can have 50 degree summre temeratures and -30 degree winter temperatures. You should do it in September and if going through China, you SHOULD be into Yunnan State by November before the first snow. That is a lot of riding but it's my suggestion.

Hey James sounds like a great trip ! check out thepushbikegirl she went from Germany to Japan in the last two years its a great blog and I'm sure you will find lots of tips.Happy trails !

This is really useful information and added to the store accumulated - thanks!

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