Cycle touring / Expedition notes

Goals

• What, why, how, when

 Why

• Endurance
• Enlightenment
• Promote alternative existence
• Cycling
• Extreme
• Wilderness
• Charity
• Creatity
• People
• Philosophy, perception of space, time

Fundraising

Be truthful about aims. Plan and budget lots of small targets. Rejection is great. Learn from mistakes. Say thank you.

 Promotion

Audience

• Demographic

 Team

• Clear aims, end outcomes
• People - skills, personalities
• Project management, network, plan, practice techniques.
• Minimise environmental impact.
• Show respect to locals, schools, customs, authorities.
• Permission - British council, Embassy, High Commission. Sell expedition to others.

Health

 Risk assessment

 Climate

• Extremes heat acclimatisation, water, shade, long sleeved shirt
• cold
• Altitude diamox

 Disease

• Vaccinations
• STD
• Bilharzial
• Malaria
• Tick Borne Encephalitus
• Bugs permethrin, don't sleep on the ground
• Deet
• Diahoerra sip fluids, control vomiting Stemetil, imodium, phosphate, diaralyte, tinidazole
• Altitude sickness

Communication

• Magic letter
• Globe with route
• Gifts
  • Stamps
  • Thankyou letters
  • Emails
  • Contact book

Locations

Asia

 South East Asia

• Singapore -> Flores
• Bangkok -> Hanoi -> Laos -> China
• Bangkok -> Cambodia -> Saigon
• Laos -> Phnom Penh -> Mekong

 Routes

• Lombok -> Mataram -> Sengiggi
• South Banyunangi -> Bali
• Singapore -> Jakarta -> Java -> Surabaya -> Mount Bromo (volcanoes, mountains, rainforests)
• Pulag Maduraa
• Chennai to Bangkok

 Places

• West Kalimantan

• East Malaysia

  • Sabah
  • Kuching
  • Sarawak
  • Brunei
  • Lake Toba

• Sulawesi + Sumatra

Thailand

Laos

• Chiang Khong / Huau
• Xai border crossing

 North

• Mountains

Chiang Mai

• Ruins
• Great food
• Cheap accoms
• Mountains Tak Mae Sot

South

• Flat

 Routes

• Tak Bai
• Surat -> Thani
• Hua Hin
• Beaches Gulf of Thailand
• Penang -> Alok Setar -> Sadao -> Krabi -> Ranong
• Bangkok -> Cambodia

Lhasa

 Monasteries

• Shigaste
• Tashilhnpo
• Kumbum
• Everest
• Rongbuk

Tibet

• Taklamakan desert to mountains
• Aksai Chin plateau
• Mt Khailash, Lake Manasarovar, Mt Goria Mandhata
• Trans-Himalaya -> Gangdise Mountain range
• Tanggula Pass
• Transation from high plateau to lowlands sub tropical Nepal
• Ranu Valley
• Namche Barwa regions
• Riwoque pass area

Mongolia

Non existent roads. Nomad people that live in Gers. Carry spare water (sterilize water).

Gobi desert.

 China

Heihe to Tengchong Zhongguo

 Climate

Winter

• Nov march

Spring

• March - May

West season march -> May Summer May -> Aug Autumn Aug -> Nove Late summer / autumn - dangerous floods , land slides

• North Lao
• North Yunnan
• Sichan Highway

Shenzhen

• Right next to Hong Kong

Dongchong

• Isolate beach, furthest tip of Shenzhen

Yanshuo

• Most common way to get around is by bike

Guilin

• Famous rice terraces

Dongcheng, Donguan, Guangdong (province)

• Filled with expats who have started their own businesses
• Best place in Dongguan to stay / live
• Has different parks and small mountains nearby to do day trips

Ghangzhou, Guandong

• Largest province in Southern China
• A lot of expats.
• Has great transportation but more inland so not the cheapest to travel from.

Chengdu, Sichuan

• West of China (Southwest)
• A lot of mountains nearby to explore

Equipment

 Repair

• Duct tape
• Cable ties
• Piece of leather
• Aluminium tube

Sleeping

• Bag
• Mat
• Liner
• Tent
• Trailer
• Bike

• Clothing

• Universal sink plug

• Lock
• Light
• "Nelise" tourist map
• Rohloff (maintenance free, change gears when stationary)
• Buy good quality expensive clothing
• Notebook computer (Skype, internet, website update, sort photos)

• Bicycle cape (also serves as picnic cloth)

• Headtorch (rechargeable, light weight)

• Waxed matches

• Tinder from pencil sharpener

 Tips

Astrid Domingo Molyneux

• Eat where the locals eat (cheaper, more fun) (Astrid Domingo Molyneux - www.cyclingfullcircle.com)

David Rothschild

(Adventure Ecology) - Captivate, articulate, educate, reactivate - Get out there, exploring as a tool, call to action

Bob Allison

• Think small rather than big
• Build on previous research
• Stay enthusiastic / keen and be flexible

Anthony Brooks

• Avoid bears with cubs
• Keep up wind
• Light a fire
• Never leave food out
• Black bear fights vigorously
• If brown bear attacks play dead

John Adams

• Don't open your mouth without the facts

Ben Mcnutt

• Keep feet dry 8 out of 24 hours
• Look up and down when setting up shelter for deadfall and patternation of leaves (flooding), animal runs (roost), too close to water, valley bottom (cold sink),
• Leave itinerary with trustworthy person

 Hallam Murray

• Kevlar tyres
• Ridgeback 604 mountain bike
• Fit bicycle accessories of the highest quality (cassette, chain, rings, pannier racks)
• Dawes super galaxy
• Good bike is tough, rugged, low gear ratios, wide tyres with plenty of tread, low centre of gravity
• Remember to take a chain tool, crank remover, cassette remover, spare tyre, inner tube, puncture repair kit, patches, glue, brake blocks, gear cables, spokes, light oil for chain, waterproof grease
• Richard's bicycle book by Richard Ballantine
• Karrimor Icelandic panniers
• Top bag / rucksack good for on / off the bike
• Cannondale front bag for map, camera, altimeter, compass, notebook, tape recorder, vango Zephyr tent, optimus stove (plus back up bottle)
• Hat
• Medical kit
• Money belt
• Avoid headwinds
• Drink regularly
• Carry sugar, salt, dried milk, tea, coffee, porridge oats, raisins, dried soups.
• Use a toothbrush to clean chain
• In an emergency: wire, string, dental floss, nuts, tin, gaffa tape hmurray@dircon.co.uk

Accross Continents (www.acrosscontinents.org)

• Fix a date to leave
• Brutal budget
• Train yourself in skills you are missing
• Buy the best gear
• Leave time to sort out visas
• Research the weatehr
• Keep passport with you at all times
• Magic letter your intentions translated into local language
• Do a trial run first if time allows
• Serrendipity: don't fret over the unknown, you will learn to cope- by relaxed about it an keep a sense of humour.

Andrew Welch

• Go off road
• Take a leap into the unknown
• You will make many connections along the way
• Relationships of team members
• You will send back excess stuff
• I spent 5 Euros per day in Euro, 2/3 in India, more expensive in tourist areas. £3500 over 7 months in Europe. £3000 over 9 months in Asia. £1500 on Mongolia trip.
• Snack on dried fruit, nutes, biscuits. Accept hospitality.
• Take a strong bike set up if you are going on rough terrain. 

Reading

• Medical handbook for mountaineers - Peter Steele
• Bicycle Expeditions by Paul Vickers