Bonjour à tous!
Maintenant que nous avons bouclé notre matériel (heureusement, on prend la poudre demain pour un an et demi de Lyon jusqu'à l'ile de la reunion), je me dis que nos recherches peuvent aider de futur voyageurs.
Je propose donc ici nos choix.
Sont ils pertinents? Nous verrons au retour ;)
Les Vélos, éléments principaux de notre équipée.
Pour tout savoir sur nos critères et nos choix.
A venir : les photos des engins !
http://voyage.jeremiebt.com/materiel/velos/
Matériel et équipement
Tout le matériel qui va nous accompagner.
Ça va de la cuisine aux pièces de rechange en passant par les vêtements et la pharmacie.
Et plein d’autres choses encore …
http://voyage.jeremiebt.com/materiel/materiel-equipement/
Santé administratifs etc... sur ce topic ;)
http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=3595107;page=unread#unread
Bonne pioche !
"Il faut pédaler comme on range sa chambre"
ou
"Heureux le pauvre à qui rien ne manque"
9500 Km: Nettoyage et révision intégrale (visserie, huile des gaines...)
9500 Km: Changement freins arrière de Claire + nouvelles pédales.
9523 Km: Jérémie crève.
9608 Km: Dévoilage de 3 roues, et resserrage des cônes.
9608 Km: Jérémie change une chambre a air car la valve a cassée au gonflage.
10 139 Km: La béquille de Jérémie casse encore.
10 175 Km: Les pédales de Jérémie demandent à être graissées.
10 250 Km: Le porte carte de Jérémie commence à rendre l'âme. On répare avec du scotch toilé.
10 290 Km: Crevaison double de Jérémie (encore lui).
10 330 Km: Crevaison de Claire (enfin :)
10 450 Km: Chambre à air arrière de Jérémie déchirée à cause du pneu qui commence à rendre l’âme.
11 500 Km: Inversion des chaines C-D
11 700 Km: Crevaison de Jérémie, toujours à cause du pneu arrière qui se déchire et qui perce la chambre.
12 200 Km: Encore une crevaison arrière de Jérémie.
12 250 Km: La béquille casse encore. Après trois réparations/soudures en 10 000 km, ce sera fatal, la fin du voyage se fera sans béquille.
13 100 Km: A ce moment on entame 600 km de piste difficile au sud de la Tanzanie. ceci explique les crevaisons à répétition à cause des secousses.
13 200 Km: Crevaison arrière de Jérémie.
13 350 Km: La valve de Jérémie lâche. On change la chambre.
13 640 km: Toujours une crevaison arrière de Jérémie.
13 750 Km: Crevaison... de qui ?
14 010 Km: Casse du câble de dérailleur arrière de Claire. Heureusement, on en a un de rechange.
14 125 Km: Le pneu arrière de Jérémie qui commençait à se déchirer vers les 11 500 Km a finit par éclater, avec la chambre à air en prime. Il aura tenu 9 000 Km. Merci Frérot.
14 170 Km: La gaine trop encrassée du frein arrière de Jérémie doit être changée. On en trouve pas ici, Jérémie roule avec un seul frein durant quelques centaines de kilomètres. Pas top.
14 370 Km: Après 600 km de piste en Tanzanie, les pneu ramassent pas mal. Jérémie crève deux fois en même temps, et Claire une fois, deux kilomètres plus loin.
- Prendre des clef qui sont "plates" d'un cote, et "à pipe" de l'autre (surtout pour dévisser les pédales de leur axe, vérifier bien que la pipe est suffisamment “courbée” pour accéder à cette vis)
- Prendre le négatif de photo d'identité, c'est plus simple et plus rapide pour les faire refaire sans photomaton. On en était a 25 photo faite en 10 mois.
- Si vous prenez de l'encre pour dessiner, mettez les dans des contenant en plastique. Des volumes de 15 ml sont largement suffisent pour un an de voyage.
- Concernant les médicaments, il faut se dire qu'on trouvera beaucoup sur place. Il ne faut prendre que l'urgent. Tout ce qui peut être remplace sur place (aspirine/paracétamol) est a prendre au minimum pour gagner du volume, etc.
- Notre bâche est bien trop grande et lourde. 2x3 m est largement suffisant pour mettre sous la tente.
- Notre axe de roue avant de 9 mm est courant en Europe, mais pas en Afrique. Prévoir des boulons de rechange en cas de perte.
- La roue avant avec dynamo ne nous pose que des soucis. Partir avec un axe simple, et avoir un éclairage à pile semble plus approprie. La Dynamo se casse vite, ne permet pas de serrer soi-même les cônes à l'avant, ça pèse lourd, ça ralentit...
- Pour la béquille, il faut absolument prendre une béquille double genre mobylette. On a vu un cycliste heureux après 25 000 km avec cette même béquille: ESGE Pletscher double kick stand - 30 euros.
- Penser à prendre une fermeture éclair de tente en rechange. Ça casse vite, et quand tu dois te protéger des moustiques, tu n'as pas le temps de la faire réparer dans la prochaine capitale. La notre a cassée au bout de 10 mois et 10 000 km.
- Bien s'assurer que nous avons des vis de selles de rechange. La vibration sur les piste dérègle souvent la selle, et le resserrage fusille le pas de vis.
- Un truc idéal qu'on a acheté sur place: une bâche de moto pour protéger un peu nos vélos la nuit, au marché, etc. Ultra-léger ça évite les mains courantes.
- Notre tente est orange, et notre bâche de moto est grise argentée. C'est bête. Prendre idéalement des teintes foncées/camouflage.
- Si vous avez un rétro, fixez le avec une vis papillon, pour visser et dévisser facilement, car le rétro se dérègle constamment dès qu'on appuie le vélo contre un mur. Une astuce consiste à renforcer ce serrage avec une chambre a air. Le rétro devient donc plus facilement amovible pour le plier au besoin.
- Si vous avez des piquets pour votre tente, prenez des sections rondes qui n'abiment pas les œillets.
- Prendre des tiges en alu et pas en fibre (cassantes et lourdes)
- Pour économiser du poids, la serviette microfibre fait un excellent chèche :)
- Les bidons de 5 litres sont encombrants quand on ne les utilisent pas. Idéalement, prévoir des emplacements pour 4 à 5 bouteilles de 2l par vélo permet d'être plus adaptable aux situations, et de ne pas avoir 10 000 trucs accrochés avec des tendeurs (comme des bidons...). D'autant plus que les bouteilles sont changeables plus régulièrement que le bidon, c'est mieux pour l'hygiène.
- Si vous tenez absolument au bidon, un bouchon robinet peut être utile pour éviter de décrocher le bidon lors de son utilisation.
- Il vaut mieux prendre des roues grosses valves, avec un adaptateur petite valve, que l'inverse. On a eu énormément de mal en Namibie a trouver une chambre à air petite valve.
- Nous avons un sac étanche pour mettre la tente. Nous aurions dû en prendre un plus gros pour mettre aussi les duvets, le drap "sac a viande", et la moustiquaire. Tout en un, plus clean, plus pratique.
- La tente MSR autoportante 3 place pèse 3,8 kg et semble convenir parfaitement à plusieurs cyclistes que nous avons croisés.
- On se demande si avec un peu de bricolage, on ne peut pas mettre deux bouteilles d'eau au lieu d'une sur la barre diagonale du vélo.
- Après 12 600 Km et environ 100 utilisations, on répare le réchaud avec le kit de rechange Primus fournit avec.
- On se demande si au lieu de porter des bouquins, prendre un lecteur PDF ne serait pas judicieux. Le e-book ne nous plaît pas, trop lumineux, mais on a vu un voyageur avec un "Kindle Book Amazon" et ça semble pas mal. On peut aussi mettre des cartes routières dedans... à méditer. Un voyageur avait un Blackberry et en était satisfait. De plus, c'est idéal pour trier ses photos, et pour finir ses aquarelles dans la tente :)
- Si vous êtes musicien, pensez au métronome, ça aide :)
- Il existe des mini-cadenas qui se glissent dans les serrures pour éviter qu'une personne avec un double ou un passe partout puisse ouvrir votre serrure. Très utile dans les hôtels "populaires".
- Pour notre voyage en Afrique, on pense que notre duvet a peut être quelques degrés de trop. On dort 99% du temps dessus, on s'en sert comme matelas.
- Après 14 mois, on jette chaussures et sandales, et on les remplace par du matériel de seconde main qui fera les derniers mois.
- Sur l'ensemble du voyage, la roue arrière de Jérémie crève énormément. Même si le pneu est anti-crevaison, il serait mieux de rajouter un bande anti-crevaison en plus.
- Les béquilles idéales de certains cycliste sont des tiges de métal d'un mètre de diamètre qui servent de cale entre la selle et le sol. A voir...
- Un truc qui nous a manqué est une sorte de carte de visite à distribuer, notamment pour que les locaux gardent un souvenir de nous. Une carte de visite avec tes coordonnées, et une photo de toi avec ton vélo, fait très plaisir. Prévoir de s'envoyer sur sa boite e-mail le fichier jpg. pour en imprimer sur place.
- Nous avions pris avec nous quelques photos de nous et de nos familles pour montrer à nos hôtes les gens qui nous entourent. C'est une idée géniale! Nous aurions du la peaufiner en leur montrant des paysages, des fruits et légumes, des animaux français... des chevaux, des musiciens, des photos de notre activité professionnelle (plus simple à expliquer ainsi...)
- Une paire de tongs, juste pour prendre des douches, est mieux qu'une paire de sandales.
- Ne pas oublier de prendre quelques têtes serre-câble en cas de réparation sur place.
- Après 3 casses durant le voyage, on se dit que partir avec un câble de compteur de rechange c'est léger et utile.
- Nous avons une boite pour les épices, et une boite pour les couverts/torchon/éplucheur etc. On se dit que tout regrouper en un serait plus simple.
- Les cadenas Abus T15 sont trop lourds trop chers et trop solides pour notre utilisation. un T10 ou 12 aurait suffit.
"Il faut pédaler comme on range sa chambre"
ou
"Heureux le pauvre à qui rien ne manque"
pour les bouteilles sur le cadre, tu peux en mettre jusqu'a 4:
2 de 1.5l, l'une au dessus de la barre oblique du cadre, l'autre en dessous. le porte bouteille ordinaire est fixe par des liens en acier qui se vissent, avec de la chambre a air entre le lien et le cadre pour l'adherence. les bouteilles sont mises tete en bas. il s'agit de bouteilles d'eau minerale.
jai vu un autre systeme, un double porte bouteille, les 2 paralleles, fabrique maison. le defaut cest que quand ca casse cest foutu, alors que le porte bouteille ordinaire on le trouve partout.
sur la barre verticale on peut mettre une bouteille d'un litre, bon je mets l'essence pour le rechaud.
sur la barre horizontale, il est possible d'ajouter un porte bouteille, fixe aussi par des colliers. attention aux cables toutefois, verifier qu'ils coulissent toujours.
ca te servira peut etre une prochaine fois, et merci pour ton site.
a + pierre
tout le monde prétend que la Terre est ronde, mais ne le croyez pas, en fait elle est plate bien sûr!
http://mandolpierre.overblog.com
Merci pour ce post, et merci aussi pour votre site, c'est super, j'y ai découvert pleins de choses interessantes. Il faut que je peaufine mon matériel de rechange !!!
Bonjour,
Je prévois de faire la partie hollandaise de l'Eurovélo 19, de Maastricht à Rotterdam.
Comme c'est trop compliqué d'amener mon vélo en train, je cherche à louer un vélo sur place.
Je suis preneuse de conseils ou d'adresses de loueurs de vélos, j'ai du mal à en trouver même à Rotterdam.
L'idée serait de le louer à Rotterdam, de partir avec en train jusqu'à Maastricht, pour faire Maastricht/Rotterdam à vélo
Merci d'avance pour vos conseils ou suggestions.
Nath
I’ve gotten used to crossing Europe by bus to return by bike.
It was really convenient to take the bike without having to disassemble it.
But FlixBus no longer accepts bikes...
What alternatives do you know about?
Thanks.
I’m planning to cycle from Morlaix to Brest (via Roscoff and the V45 coastal route). We’ll start riding on August 16th for 13 days (with stops for island visits, surfing, etc.). Is there a lot of traffic at this time of year? I’ve got two kids, 11 and 13, and we don’t like riding in the middle of cars (we’ve already done the Vélomaritime—Caen to Cherbourg—the Loire route from Orléans to Saumur, the Vélodyssée from Nantes to Royans, and the canals like the Nivernais and Bourgogne, where there were plenty of bike-only lanes, which isn’t the case on this route).
Thanks for your help if you’ve already done this route in late August!
Virginie
I’ve got my flight ticket sorted—departing in mid-November and returning in mid-March. I’ll arrive in Santiago and leave from Buenos Aires.
I’ve already been to southern Argentina, specifically Torres del Paine National Park, and I’d love to go back to do the full W trek (I only did the shorter version last time).
I also want to do some hiking and maybe even tackle a summit. I climb and occasionally do some mountaineering, so I’ll definitely be going with a guide.
I plan to start around Temuco in Chile, with the idea of heading toward the lakes, then taking the Carretera Austral.
I’m not sure if I’ll go all the way to Ushuaia—it’s supposed to not be *that* worth it, except for the bragging rights of saying you’ve been to the end of the world.
I saw there are lakes in Argentina too.
I don’t have a precise itinerary, but what I’d love is, once I reach the southernmost point of my trip, to take a mini-cruise to see some wildlife. Any tips for that?
What kind of sleeping bag did you take? Is a 0°C (32°F) one enough?
And one last question: white gas stove or can I get by with my gas stove?
This summer, we’re planning to cycle along the EV 19 that follows the Meuse River from Langres all the way to Rotterdam.
My question is about getting back to Nantes.
Do any of you know what the best return option might be? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
I saw that FlixBus doesn’t take bikes.
By train, I think it’s possible but would involve multiple local trains.
We were also wondering if there’s a boat from Rotterdam to Saint-Nazaire that could take passengers with bikes.
Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful—thanks in advance!
Have a great evening
Hi there,
I’ve been road cycling for several years, and I’m about to switch to gravel in the next few days—I’m waiting for my bike, which should arrive this week.
I’m planning a bikepacking trip in a few weeks along the Véloroute V81, also known as the Vélosud, from Biarritz to Le Barcarès.
Has anyone here already done this route? Any info is welcome, whether it’s about the route itself, gear, or accommodation. I’ll prioritize staying with locals as much as possible. On that note, I just signed up for the brand-new site *Guidon et Couette* ((www.guidon-et-couette.fr)), which offers free accommodation between cyclists across the country, but there’s almost no one listed along my route!
Thanks in advance.
Laurent.
I’m planning to build a new touring bike.
I want to prioritize lightness.
That said, I’m tempted by a suspension fork that could offer some comfort on rougher roads.
The recent appearance of gravel suspension forks on the market might meet my needs—at least on paper.
I’m particularly considering the RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork.
Unlike MTB forks, its travel is short: either 30 mm or 40 mm.
It weighs 1400 g, which is 400/500 g more than a steel fork.
Any thoughts or real-world feedback on this?
I’m also wondering about the durability of magnesium (lower leg) for long-distance bike touring.
And what’s the impact of skipping the manufacturer-recommended maintenance every 50 and 200 hours? That’s bound to happen on a long trip unless you carry extra gear.
More generally, how reliable are these kinds of forks?
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share with you the incredible feat my friend José, who’s 72 years old, is currently undertaking. He left Auterive near Toulouse on Monday, May 18, 2026, on his non-electric bike, heading for the North Cape in Norway!
You can follow his route on the link below—he’s currently in Sweden:
https://thierry-thomas.travelmap.net/jose-de-toulouse-a-nord-cap-2026
You can zoom in on the map and click on each stopover town to see the photos
I’m making an exception and creating a separate post this time, since it’s all about France. In May, we spent a week in Provence, specifically in the Luberon, exploring the cycling routes *Autour du Luberon à Vélo*, the *Véloroute du Calavon* (part of EuroVelo 8), and the shorter *Les Ocres à Vélo* route. Together, they gave us an amazing journey through rolling hills, vineyards, lavender fields still green in spring, and some of the most stunning landscapes in southern France.
It was, of course, the perched villages that impressed us the most. We visited Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lacoste, Lourmarin, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux, Cucuron, and Lauris. Many of them are among the most beautiful villages in Provence, and it’s hard not to agree with that reputation.
One interesting point is the route of EuroVelo 8 in this part of the region. The official path mainly follows the old railway line of the *Véloroute du Calavon*, which is very comfortable and safe. But in our opinion, cyclists traveling EuroVelo 8 around the Mediterranean would discover even more treasures if the route passed through villages like Bonnieux, Lacoste, or Oppède-le-Vieux.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how safe cycling felt. Most of the route takes small local roads, but traffic is light, drivers are respectful, and road design really takes cyclists into account. It’s one of those places where you can ride peacefully even without separated bike lanes.
Our full story:
Around Luberon by bicycle - the most beautiful villages of Provence
You can also find all our cycling travel stories on the forum:
Cycling Thread - Europe’s most beautiful bike routes
Hi there, we’re a group of 4 cyclists looking to get from Treviso in Italy to Munich with our 4 non-folding bikes. It seems complicated! Are there any solutions? Thanks so much.
hello fellow cycling enthusiasts
here’s a travel journal of the cycling tour through the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne region by Claudio
zouli
it was the plan
http://cbandiera.free.fr/parcours/auvergne-Ralpes/
the trip was completed
story being posted online soon
1100 km in 11 days
beautiful and varied regions
Hi there, we’re planning a Munich to Venice bike trip at the end of June 2026. Getting back from Venice to Toulouse by train with 4 bikes isn’t straightforward. What return options have others who’ve done this trip chosen? Any tips or great deals would be much appreciated. Thanks a bunch! !
Hi everyone,
Happy owner of a Pegasus Estremo bike with a Rohloff hub, which is giving me trouble with the SF11-NCX-FT-E-LITE 700C TS 300/0 fork (serial number TD01329060). It’s starting to show its age, and I’d like to repair it to extend the life of my beloved bike.
The suspension is gone, and there’s an oil leak from the seals.
Does anyone know how to repair it? Where can I find parts that are about fifteen years old? Or where to find an identical replacement fork? Just to clarify, the Magura HS11 brakes are mounted using Firm Tech, meaning they’re on pivots behind the fork, facing the frame.
Hi, I'd like to know if anyone has done this route recently or has reliable info.
Does the track exist, and most importantly, is there sand (for biking)?
Any info is welcome.
Cheers,
diego ambilobe: mangaoka, manondro, ramena
vohemar sambava: masondrono, tanambao
Hi there,
New to bike touring,
I’d love to start with a section of the Via Rhona to explore and share (route to be decided).
Looking forward to exchanging tips!
I’m landing in Madagascar with a buddy before the end of April 2026. We’re planning to bike around for about twenty days or so. We don’t have a specific goal other than exploring the country and meeting the locals.
Ideally, we’d prefer a loop route starting from Antananarivo with a good chunk of it along the coast. On the bike side, we’re used to riding 6 to 8 hours a day, depending on the needs, encounters, and mood 😉 Any feedback or tips from trips around this length?
A big thank you to Lazarou for all the info you share in this forum!
I'm passionate about Morocco, which I cycled through back in 2009.
Last year, my wife and I explored the High Atlas by tandem. Completely smitten, we're heading back in April (Anti Atlas) and May (High and Middle Atlas), still on our tandem.
Do you have any info on the track between Amezri and Ali Ait Nito? Are the river crossings in the Tessaout still there? It's not easy to navigate with a loaded tandem... especially if the river level is high due to this year's heavy snowmelt!
Thanks in advance for any tips you might have, and best wishes for health in this new year!
Claudio specializes in the route of the Savoie lakes
Here are his travels
Between Bornes, Chartreuse, the Savoie foothills, and Dauphiné
Five lakes: Léman, Annecy, Paladru, Aiguebelette, Bourget, not to mention a few ponds along the way
Plenty of accommodation options: camping, hotels, and more...
A lovely route not far from his place
Rural and quite peaceful
A road cycling route created by Serge B...
First of all... happy New Year! Wishing you great roads in 2017!
I’ve been traveling for a few years now with a high-quality mountain bike, but it’s equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. I live (pedal) with the constant worry of a breakdown (leak, air bubble, heat causing the fluid to...). My bike mechanic tells me it’s impossible to switch them out for V-brakes.
What do you all think? Am I taking a big risk continuing (alone) with these brakes? Thanks in advance for your great tips!
First post here to share a quick recap of our west-to-east bike trip along Algeria’s coast in January 2025.
It was just the two of us—my partner and I—with French passports and not a word of Arabic. No friends or welcoming hosts in the country.
Under those conditions, we’d strongly advise against going.
Our original plan was to follow the coast from Algiers to Tunis. We ended up cycling from Algiers to Béjaia, then took the train from Béjaia to Annaba (with a stop in Constantine), and finally biked to the border.
We were tailed by police the whole way—whether on our bikes, on the train, or even on foot while exploring towns. On top of that, we couldn’t wild camp and were limited to the few state-approved hotels that accept foreigners. Under those circumstances, connecting with locals was especially tough.
With such an omnipresent and intrusive police presence, we’d definitely recommend against this destination for bike touring. A really sad situation that completely cuts you off from the local population...
We’d been warned, we went to check it out, and we weren’t disappointed!
Hi there,
I’m planning the route to cycle from Lille to Nordkapp with my partner.
Duration: 3 months, from May 1st to July 31st, 2026.
In the attached details below, I need to add some "non-riding" days (rest days, basically).
So I’m looking to "shorten" the trip by taking ferries or trains for some stretches. Which areas could I skip?
Thanks in advance for your great tips.
Have a good evening.
https://www.komoot.com/fr-fr/collection/4023980/-lille-cap-nord-1er-mai-au-31-juillet-2026?ref=collection
I’m planning to bike back from Poland this summer. Does anyone know a way to ship it there without having to take it apart? Otherwise, it’s a real hassle to fine-tune all the settings before departure!
Thanks in advance.
Hi, has anyone recently bought Primus or Butagaz gas, possibly puncture-style, in Dubrovnik or the surrounding area? Same question for Albania... thanks. aichatou
Just a few words about the loop I did by bike in Yunnan.
Entry and exit
I entered China through the Sino-Vietnamese border crossing at Lào Cai / Hekou under the 30-day visa exemption currently available to French nationals and others.
The process was simple and quick. A Chinese police officer even helped me complete my electronic pre-registration at a computer kiosk. I wasn’t aware this formality was required—it’s similar to Thailand’s TM6.
No issues with the bike.
I left the country via the Sino-Laotian border crossing at Mohan / Boten.
The atmosphere was a bit chaotic there, but again, no problems with the bike.
The timing
I visited Yunnan in February 2026.
Weather-wise, at higher altitudes (between 1,500 and 2,000 meters), it was around ten degrees at night and in the mornings, and around twenty degrees at the hottest part of the day.
I had two days of rain, so I took the bus to keep moving. Otherwise, clear blue skies.
Culturally, Chinese New Year fell on February 17th (and the 15 days following), right in the middle of my trip. Because of this, my take on the traffic might be off.
Accommodation and food
I always found a hotel to stay in for prices ranging from 8 to 15 €. Except in Kunming (the capital), where many hotels were fully booked (Chinese New Year). I ended up at a 100 € hotel with great value for money.
A bowl of noodles costs about 1.5 € on average.
Onboard electronics
Since my smartphone doesn’t support eSIMs, I subscribed to a China plan with my carrier. Otherwise, for much cheaper, Alipay offers eSIMs for foreigners that allow access to services usually blocked for Chinese users (WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.).
An internet connection is essential for paying with Alipay or WeChat, as this payment method is widespread.
I only managed to use Alipay.
Either way, always carry cash because sometimes there’s no signal, or the merchant only accepts WeChat.
Also, it’s best to bring a power adapter when you arrive rather than struggling to find one.
Traffic and roads
The Chinese aren’t reckless drivers. They follow traffic rules and watch out for cyclists. This is slightly less true in Xishuangbanna (the region bordering Myanmar and Laos).
In urban areas, there are almost always wide bike lanes, separated from other roads, where bikes, electric mini-scooters, and scooters share the space pretty harmoniously.
The roads are in great condition, and traffic is generally manageable—even light—except for one stretch (Eshan -> Yangwu).
Most traffic is absorbed by expressways, China’s equivalent of highways: toll roads that are off-limits to slow vehicles.
You’re never far from these expressways; sometimes you even ride alongside them, which can be noisy at times.
The climbs are usually reasonable, around 5% to 6%. From what I remember, the steepest section was between Menglun and Mengla, with gradients of 8% to 10%, sometimes more.
Riding at these altitudes—though modest—took a bit of getting used to.
The route
I didn’t plan anything in advance. My only goal was to reach Kunming. I don’t know why, but just hearing the name of that city, like Yunnan, always felt dreamy to me.
Hi! I’m planning to visit the Stockholm Archipelago by bike in early April.
Do you know if the boats will be running between the different islands at that time of year? For those who’ve already been, all your tips and recommendations are welcome—accommodation, etc. Also, do you know where I can rent a bike in Stockholm? Thanks so much in advance for your help!
Hello there, pedal-powered Young Boys!
Claudio (still from Faverges)
dreaming about a cycling getaway in Italy from Faverges (train all the way to Turin)
from Turin down to Venice along the Po River and back via the Padana (Alta Italia da attraversare – Northern Italy to cross)
The tricky part is getting from Chioggia to Venice.
I read it’s possible by hopping on a boat from island to island,
but it sounds a bit stressful.
Has anyone already tackled this route?
I’m currently looking for a bike to do my first bike trip across France, with the ultimate goal of cycling through Latin America. I’ve got a lot of questions and I’d love to hear if you have any answers or advice to share.
First off, I’ve been through this before with hiking. I want to get top-quality gear right away. When I started hiking, I ended up buying everything three times—first beginner gear, then intermediate, then expert, etc.
For biking, I’d prefer to skip that process and invest right now in a bike that could ideally handle Latin America.
I’ve set a total max budget of around 5000 € (roughly 4000–4500 € for the bike and the rest for accessories: panniers, helmet, cycling shorts, etc.).
So, I’ve got quite a few questions:
* I’ve read in several places that some people recommend buying the bike directly in Latin America. Since I need a first bike to train in Europe, would it be better to buy an entry-level bike in France (and sell it before the big departure)? Or is it preferable to start right away with my final bike to get used to it? Is buying it there just to save a bit of money?
* For a long-term trip (around six months) in Latin America, is it better to go for a gravel bike or a mountain bike?
* Should I buy a new bike or a refurbished one? Even more so given that I’m planning a long trip—could a refurbished bike end up causing more breakdowns?
If you have any advice on models, technical features to prioritize, or recommended sellers or resellers, I’d love to hear it. I’m a total beginner—I’ve only just started watching videos and reading up on the subject, and all the technical specs are new to me!
