Round the world cycle

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Asposium
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by Asposium »

lune ranger wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 11:51 am Agreed. That set up is way complicated. On a long tour you will want to dismount your gear and stash it in your tent/room.
Two racks, 4 panniers and an old school bar bag and that job takes seconds. Looks like it'd take that bloke an absolute age.
Yup
Probably wouldn’t bother with a bar bag.
Keeps (drop) bar clear, and space for GPS
Would likely use the half frame bag; handy for long items, tent poles and pump

We’ll get shot for using the “R” and “P” words. :-bd :grin:
lune ranger
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by lune ranger »

It might get the moderators onto us but what the hell :smile:
I like a bar bag for valuables and daily essentials. They're great for poncing around with off the bike, makes me feel like an air hostess carrying round my vanity case :wink:
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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Asposium
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by Asposium »

probably a good thing i can't go to Iran
Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015

Under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, travelers in the following categories must obtain a visa prior to traveling to the United States as they are no longer eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP):

Nationals of VWP {*} countries who have traveled to or been present in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011 (with limited exceptions for travel for diplomatic or military purposes in the service of a VWP country).

Nationals of VWP countries who are also nationals of Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria.

These individuals can apply for visas using regular appointment processes at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. For those who require a visa for urgent travel to the United States, U.S. Embassies and Consulates stand ready to handle applications on an expedited basis.


{*} UK is in the VWP list
Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel ... ogram.html
mikehowarth
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by mikehowarth »

Here's a few pics of my set up from my trip through South America back in 2013-2015.

As others have said the considerations for long term trips are a good bit different to a couple of nights out in Wales or the Peak, as there needs to be an added layer of comfort and practicality given the often shifting nature of your requirements based on each country.

Tetris like packaging becomes tiring pretty quick :roll:

On my trip I opted to use Carradice luggage due to its bombproof nature, and ability to repair easily not to mention its volume capacity.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAerfrqOP0o/

My Ogre (pictured left) was pretty laden in the early part of my trip, in hindsight my framebag was too small before I learnt the value of custom made framebags with plenty of front flair.

https://www.instagram.com/p/zci-SuOPxX/

Here's my Pugs in Ecuador toward the later part of the trip, I'd swapped bikes by this point and paired back on quite a bit of kit to dial in the set up for Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia where I predominantly rode as much dirt with plenty of hike a bike thrown in.

Where practical I'd always recommend running tubeless, and would normally favour using meths stoves over multifuel given the simplicity of the stoves, with a bit of searching you can normally find alchohol of some variety to use - in South America they often drink the stuff you use to cook :o

Myself and my girlfriend are beginning to plan another trip away, and this time round I'll most likely to favour a lightweight rear rack, micro-panniers and a seat pack to offer a fairly flexible configuration if we decided to stay somewhere and do some short overnights combined with a framebag and front harness.

Enjoy your trip wherever you get, there is something magical about travelling by bike for extended periods.
Last edited by mikehowarth on Wed Apr 10, 2019 1:26 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Asposium
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by Asposium »

Thanks
Scud
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by Scud »

Years ago i used to have a travel company taking people to North Africa, and ended up with a contract ferrying petro-chemical engineers into Libya, great place, but it meant having to go through the faff of applying to have a second Passport and mine then had both Libyan and Isreali stamps in one and military stamps in the other and one meant i could never travel in the US, the other meant i could never have gone to half the places in the North Africa with the military stamps, a pain, but it was worth it.
lune ranger
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by lune ranger »

For me the stove needs to be a multi fuel for long tours.
Alcohol may well be easy to get but petrol is absolutely ubiquitous the world over.
I get the simplicity argument for an alcohol stove and that's strong. An MSR stove is however fully field serviceable and very reliable. My Dragonfly did 9months and 14months in a row on two trips without a single fail.
Fuel efficiency is a different league to alcohol stoves. The large MSR bottle is something like 900ml and would last me for weeks at a time.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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mikehowarth
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by mikehowarth »

If you'd have asked me a few years ago, I'd have agreed that multi fuel is the best stove type but I'm not sure I'd agree anymore.

Sure petrol is ubiquitous, but so is alcohol it just takes a bit of finding - its normally in pharmacies, supermarkets or general stores once you know the name in the local country - there are some great resources around to the Trangia site and ones like this:
http://www.mark-ju.net/juliette/meths.htm

In terms of alcohol stoves, they are small, light, compact and don't have any parts which require servicing - as far as I'm concerned thats as good as perfect for a long term.

Oh and MSR's aren't infaliable I've had a MSR fuel pump crack on me before :-bd
lune ranger
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by lune ranger »

No, nothing is infallible. My experience of MSR stoves is good.
I never found myself 'looking' for petrol . It's just available. The OP is planning to visit Muslim countries in part, as I did going to India. Not sure asking around for alcohol there is advisable :sad:
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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ton
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by ton »

one thing I can not seem to find out, is the day to day living cost of doing a big trip.
if we were to set off tomorrow, and our house was let, we would have a £500 monthly budget for 2 people.
most countries have supermarkets and markets where food can be bought very cheaply.
god knows how much it would cost
lune ranger
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by lune ranger »

Don't know at the moment, it's been a while since i did a biggy.
In general spending varies wildly from county to country, continent to continent, but you don't need me to tell you that.
£500 a month for 2 sounds ok - £8 per person per day ave. If you wild camp as much as possible and cook frugally in expensive countries you'll be ok. Don't underestimate the cost of things like visas and exit taxes and stuff like that. In Asia and Africa they can add up. However the cost of living in those countries is usually low. In large parts of NE Africa there was literally nothing to spend money on - at all! Even food was scarce in places
But in Kenya and SA I could have spent a fortune if I'd have wanted.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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mikehowarth
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by mikehowarth »

Its highly dependent on the countries that you are going to be travelling in and the sort of level of comfort you happy travelling in.

Another factor to consider is how much time you spend in cities as you can easily burn through a lot of cash there, or at least I can... :wink:

Replacement bike parts can also put a decent dent in your running costs if you have incidentals to deal with.

If you're happy to cook a large majority of your food, wild camp a good chunk of the time with the occasional night in a cheap guest house say once a week then £500 is definitely doable for the pair of you (providing your partner is prepared for that style of travel).

In Peru I was living comfortably on less £300 a month, that was based on a lot of wild camping, mixed with the odd night in a cheap guest house and eating at local restaurants in bigger towns I was passing through.

The same couldn't be said in Chile and Argentina where costs are more comparable to Europe, there my costs might have been closer to £600 a month but that was combined with doing quite a few tourist things in Patagonia and higher cost of living.

Personally I'd rather spend a bit more time saving at home, than cut a trip short due to running out of cash.
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benp1
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by benp1 »

I reckon the planning is half the fun...!

The kit, the bike, the route. I can completely see the logic of panniers though, much easier to pack than a seat pack or bar harness. If the TLS mentality is used it should work just fine

The logistical element of visas etc doesn't sound like much fun though.
Asposium
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by Asposium »

benp1 wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 5:45 pm The logistical element of visas etc doesn't sound like much fun though.
So far, seems there are very few visa required
May change with Brexit
Rasta
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by Rasta »

I have been thinking about doing an rtw for years. Having read most of the rtw books; one thing that puts me off and is common to all the books, is it is almost impossible to complete without riding on some very dangerous highways.
You can read chapter after chapter of great countryside riding but the inevitable 2000km on a highway with lorries passing 1 inch from the handlebars is usually only mentioned in a short paragraph.

My last 2 trips by bike in Morocco were both initially intended to be Morocco to Senegal. Both times I 'chickened' out because of the reports/videos etc of the dangerous roads with no alternatives, through Mauritania etc.

Some people can just put the headphones on and get used to it. Relying on fate. I can't and won't.

My views, that's all they are, are not meant as negative but just reality. If I can find a route that keeps me off the highways then I am up for it. But not if a detour doubles the distance and time.


Rtw - round the world.
Tls - what's that?
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Wotsits
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by Wotsits »

Asposium wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 1:08 pm probably a good thing i can't go to Iran
Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015

Under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, travelers in the following categories must obtain a visa prior to traveling to the United States as they are no longer eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP):

Nationals of VWP {*} countries who have traveled to or been present in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011 (with limited exceptions for travel for diplomatic or military purposes in the service of a VWP country).

Nationals of VWP countries who are also nationals of Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria.

These individuals can apply for visas using regular appointment processes at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. For those who require a visa for urgent travel to the United States, U.S. Embassies and Consulates stand ready to handle applications on an expedited basis.


{*} UK is in the VWP list
Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel ... ogram.html
You can have two passports with different visa's in each..

What you've mentioned above isn't a new thing, its gone on for years in different parts of the world, especially the middle east. There's plenty of counties there that'll knock you back if they find an Israeli stamp in your passport.. The States may also want to know the reason for visiting certain countries if they're found in there..

Love this thread btw! :-bd

(Edit- beaten to it by Scud :geek: )
Ever Feel Like You're Being Orbited?!
Asposium
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by Asposium »

it is interesting to read home many boners are interested in ultra-long distance (dare i use the word) touring.
---
Rasta wrote: Thu Apr 11, 2019 10:50 am Tls - what's that?
TLS
Polite version
Take Less Stuff

Boner version
Take Less Shit
---
Rasta wrote: Thu Apr 11, 2019 10:50 am a detour doubles the distance and time.
won't be in any rush
lune ranger
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by lune ranger »

Riding to SA I got my Israeli stamp on a loose leaf of paper added into my passport. This tactic relies on the good will of the border guard on duty when you roll up.
That was just a side trip from Jordan and not an integral part of the journey. My intention was to turn back if the guards didn't want to play ball.
I'd be a little worried about 2 passports with different stamps on you at the same time. If state officials get into your bags and find them they may well be very keen to 'talk' to you at length. It is however a well used way of dealing with the problems described above.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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mikehowarth
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by mikehowarth »

In my own experience its very rare that other alternatives don't exist to bad stretches of highway, I say that because the large majority of my own trips have been spent pouring over satellite imagery and gathering local information to try and circumvent riding busy roads where possible.

That's not to say that these alternatives are as direct or as fast, but that's generally the point, they are generally more rewarding from a riding and hopefully cultural perspective as well.

If you don't want to ride a busy stretch of highway there is nothing wrong with hitching a ride or throwing your bike on a bus.

It's easy to get wrapped up in the egotistical nature of being able to say that you've cycled around the world or done x, but ultimately these types of trips are your own personal journey, when they are all over there isn't a big fanfare or finishing party, however the experiences will be savoured for a lifetime.

Without wanting to knock the idea of cycling around the world, my own advice would be to go somewhere that genuinely grabs you, and craft your own narrative rather than beating a well worn path.
jameso
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by jameso »

There's plenty of counties there that'll knock you back if they find an Israeli stamp in your passport..
I rode in Israel in 2014 and got a loose-paper stamp, same as Lune Ranger. Seems to be std practice or at least common enough that you could ask/check that it happens that way.

A few of the countries that are most bothered by an Israeli stamp are also on the list of most appealing places to go to, for me. They're also the places that have been described by people outside of the mainstream media as the most friendly and welcoming - Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan in particular. That said, I'd do some research before trying to freely ride across that part of the world, especially as a solo male traveller with a camera and habit of sleeping in unusual places. Getting out of Israel after flying in to ride across the country w/o any hotels booked or stayed at was an experience. Some would have called it basic interrogation techniques :grin:
lune ranger
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Re: Round the world cycle

Post by lune ranger »

...also the places that have been described by people outside of the mainstream media as the most friendly and welcoming - Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan in particular. That said, I'd do some research before trying to freely ride across that part of the world,
[/quote]

I'd add Albania to that list also.
I don't think I'd have the nerve to ride the route today that I did in a pre-9.11 world. Iran is off the cards, Afghanistan and Pakistan would be risky and over the KKH into China is closed to foreigners (I think). However, people still go to theses places and it can be very rewarding. If YOU want it
Someone has already mentioned about looking at your motives for a long cycle ride. Is it intrinsic or is it for social media kudos? I think one needs
If to go places for ones own reasons. Same for linking up a round the world trip without other transport. On my India trip I ended up going deep into China with the hope of cycling up into Tibet. I met a few guys who had evaded the Chinese authorities and had done just that. In the end I did the border crossing in an official state bus. For me the risk outweighed the benifits of going rogue. I don't regret it one bit. I don't care about the bragging rights. My trip was still all I wanted it to be and more.
I guess what I'm trying to say is (cheesy) follow your heart and head and don't do things because they bring 'likes' and 'kudos' and followers. If that means LEJOG then great, if that means round the world in only your pants that's also great.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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