Cycling around the World

[BonnieShels]

I'm criminally bored and "done" with my job and after seeing a friend cycle from Vancouver to Nashville over the course of a few months and another cycle around Germany I was thinking that I wanna do something like that.

Now, whilst I'm no where near ready and won't be for a year or so, is there anyone here who has cycled any serious lengths touring?

[pineapple stu]

Just back from getting a train around the world myself. It's obviously not entirely the same thing, but if I can help, drop me a line. Very much recommended though! Going overland brings you to places you wouldn't otherwise have thought of visiting, which can often prove to be as good as or better than the usual touristy-places. And I'd say the basics of planning an overland trip are similar across modes of transport.

Dervla Murphy has done a lot of cycling around the world; the likes of Full Tilt - Ireland to India with a bicycle maybe worth a dip to inspire/terrify you. Alistair Humphreys has been around a bit too.

No first-hand experience unfortunately, but hopefully some small bits of help there.

[Spudulika]

Dervla's cycle across Russia is interesting, if a little repetitive (then again the landscape will do that to you).

I'd go for Russia BonnieShels, you can go overland to the Far East (Vladivostok) and cycle over the new bridge, opened last week, or follow the Paris-Moscow route of Napoleon (with a historical eye on posterity, or your posterior).

One great cycle, that I'm trying to see is the journal still online, is to cycle around ex-Yugoslavia. My old company sponsored a do for an group of British and Dutch (or Belgian) cyclists who did a tour of the capitals. This was in 2006 and they missed Kosovo.

But what PS did is as good, rail or road. Do something that would light your fire, like visiting stadiums or attending matches. Just bring your anorak, a flask of tae and a packet of hang sangiches.

[pineapple stu]

Do something that would light your fire, like visiting stadiums or attending matches.

Yeah, should have mentioned that. I tried to catch a football match wherever I went (or a local big sports event - Aussie rules, sumo, baseball). But something that keeps a thread of the journey going is good alright.

[BonnieShels]

I've a giant map of the world on my wall and in an ideal world id I've to drive but the expense would be to much.
I think a combo bike and train trip would be a goer.

Stu, what was your route?

[pineapple stu]

How long do you have?

Dublin
London
Luxembourg
Köln
Moscow
St Petersburg
Yekaterinburg
Novosibirsk
Irkustk
Listvyanka
Ulan-Ude
Ulaan Baator
Beijing
Lhasa
Xi'an
Hong Kong
Macau
Ha Noi
Hue
Da Nang
Sai Gon
Phnom Penh
Siem Reap
Luang Prabang
Pakbeng/Houaysai
Chiang Mai
Bangkok
Railay
Penang
Kuala Lumpur
Singapore

Singapore's an obvious target for overland trips; it's as far as you can get from Ireland (well, maybe Cape Town is further, but it'd be much harder to get to)

After that -

Perth
Sydney
Mana Island (Fiji)
Auckland
Wellington
Christchuch
Greymouth
Te Anau
Back to Christchurch
Tokyo
Nagoya
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Glenwood Springs
Chicago
New York

seat61.com has all the info you want on train journeys. Trans-Sib is a bit overrated. The trip to Lhasa is super, as is Hue to Da Nang (you may as well bike the rest of Vietnam). NZ and US trains are all about tourism and scenery.

[Spudulika]

PS, you should have let me know, my other half is from Siberia and could have lightened up that journey. I don't know how anyone can handle the TS as 16-18 hours overnighting on a train hammers me.

I would have suggested following/cycling the Crusader route but you'd probably meet the same end as Reynald De Chatillon.

[peadar1987]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-DblXaqQMk

[BonnieShels]

Dublin to Cape Town as the crow flies is 6180 miles or 9943.62 Kilometers or on Google Maps says 18283km overland.
Dublin to Singapore as the crow flies is 6958 miles or 11195.42 Kilometers or on Google Maps says 15113km overland.

Was out on the bike for the first time in a good long while with no particular route in mind and it turns out it was 11.95 miles. SCORE!

[pineapple stu]

So it'll take you around 1000 days. No biggie!

[BonnieShels]

I was planning 2 years... Works for me.

[emissions]

Wow what a journey. Must have been very interesting. I went the trans Siberia back in 2012 Beijing to Moscow (same route as you), then Kiev, Warsaw, Cologne, Brussels, Lille, Calais, tunnel, London, Birmingham, Holyhead, Dublin. Took about 12 days in total but stopped off in some of the European cities. Your trip sounds amazing though. Assume you took ferries etc ?

[pineapple stu]

What a random thread bump!

I took a couple of ferries, but not that many really. Dublin to Holyhead obviously. Wellington to Picton. Boat out to Mana and Railay and back. That was it really.

But more importantly - has Bonnie gotten any further to cycling the world?!

[BonnieShels]

What a random thread bump!

I took a couple of ferries, but not that many really. Dublin to Holyhead obviously. Wellington to Picton. Boat out to Mana and Railay and back. That was it really.

But more importantly - has Bonnie gotten any further to cycling the world?!

No. Criminally I got to Canada instead.

I have however begun packing for my trip back to Dublin on Friday. I am not looking forward to the bike dismantling.