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From the Archive: Cycle Touring and Expedition Notes

Before going cycle touring I did some preparation right from the reasons behind why I was going, through to the equipment I would need.

Why do I want to do a big adventure?

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

Mindset

  • Be truthful about aims.
  • Show respect to locals, schools, customs, authorities.
  • Clear aims, end outcomes
  • Minimise environmental impact.

Fundraising

How am I going to raise funds?

  • Rejection is great. Learn from mistakes. Say thank you.
  • Plan and budget lots of small targets.

Team

Who is going to be in the expedition team?

Risk assessment

Health

  • Extremes heat acclimatisation
  • 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

How are we going to communicate with others with a language barrier?

  • Magic letter
  • Globe with route
  • Gifts
    • Stamps
    • Thankyou letters
    • Emails
    • Contact book
  • Permission - British council, Embassy, High Commission.

Locations

Where are we going to go?

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

  • 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 / Seasons

Winter

  • Nov march

Spring

  • March - May

Summer

May -> Aug

Autumn

Aug -> Nove

Late summer / autumn

  • dangerous floods , land slides

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

What will we need?

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

Who can give us help and advice?

Astrid Domingo Molyneux

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.

Reading

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