bloque a Bishkek pour le moment, sans pouvoir passer en Ouzbekistan en raison de problemes de frontieres, je dois envisager de passer par le Kazakhstan, d'Almaty jusqu'a la mer Caspienne. Je me pose cependant plusieurs questions bien pratiques : la traversee du pays est-elle vraiment realisable, au niveau des ravitaillements en EAU (pas de filtre avec moi, on boit d'habitude l'eau caire sans la traiter) et en nourriture ?
Le climat est-il supportable, surtout dans les deserts de l'ouest ? La route qui rejoint Almaty et Aktau est-elle roulable ou fort frequentee ? Les paysages sont-ils sympa ?
Grosses questions qui peuvent paraitre un peu bateau, mais je vais devoir me decider d'ici un ou deux jours pour faire mon visa kazakh et je ne sais pas ou trouver des renseignements plus fiables qu'ici 😉
Et puis encore une question a laquelle je n'espere qu'a moitie une reponse : est-il possible d'obtenir le visa azeri dans le PORT de Bakou ? Aucune discussion terminee sur ce sujet sur VF...
Pour me repondre a moi-meme, au cas ou quelqu'un se trouverait face au meme probleme un jour, il y a un consulat azeri a Aktau qui delivre des visas (dixit le consulat belge a Astana)
Confirmation dans deux semaines a peu pres, pour terminer cette conversation en solo...
On s apprete a faıre le meme voyage que toı maıs en sens inverse. Nous sommes en ce momemt en Turquie avant de passer en Georgıe puis en Azerbaıdjan d ou on prendra un bateau pour le Kazak. On a coisi l option train entre Aktau et Almaty avec quelques pauses a velo...Peut etre se croısera t on...
Bonjour,
nous faisons egalement route en sens inverse. Pour nous le point noir a ete Tbilissi : bloques pendant un mois avant de reussir a obtenir nos visas pour l'Azerbaijan. Renseignes toi bien sur les possibilites d'obtenir un visa a Aktau ou a Bakou. Nous avons rencontre un francais a Tbilissi qui a essaye de demander son visa a Aktau en voulant prendre le bateau. Il a finallement pris l'avion directement pour Tbilissi. Je ne sais plus si c'est parce que la delivrance du visa etait impossible ou si c'est parce qu'il ne voulait pas attendre trop longtemps dans une ville qu'il n'appreciait pas.
En tout cas depuis le 4 avril, il te faut une lettre d'invitation attestee par le ministere des affaires etrangeres a Bakou. Nous sommes passes par une agence georgienne en contact avec une agence azerbaijanaise (dervish travel) pour obtenir cette lettre. Pour nous ca ete tres long, le ministere a ferme plusieurs fois et a fini par perdre notre lettre. Le ministere a annonce de nouveaux changements pour les demandes de visas quand nous etions a Tbilissi mais nous ne savons pas lesquelles. En tout cas le pays semble fermer ses portes...
Des anglais nous ont dit avoir obtenu leur lettre en 3/4 jours pour 75$ en passant par une agence azerbaidjanaise : www.azerbaijan24.com , office@azerbaijan24.com .
Je viens de mettre toutes les informations que nous avons eu a propos de nos demandes de visas sur notre blog : terredepaysages.over-blog.com . Ca peut peut etre t'aider sans etre fiable a 100%.
Pour faire Aktau > Almaty, nous avons decide de prendre le train jusqu'a Turquestan puis de rouler jusqu'a Almaty, sans doute en passant par le Kirgiztan, mais il va nous falloir jongler avec les visas... Pour le moment nous avons juste fait une journee dans le desert juste avant Bakou et il faisait deja tres chaud. Cette journnee la nous a confirme dans notre desir de prendre le train....
Pour l'instant on attend le bateau pour Aktau. Un tous les 5 a 10 jours, mais parfois il ne met que 3 jours pour revenir. Impossible d'avoir des informations fiables. Certains on choisit l'option de passer leurs journees sur place. De notre cote pour l'instant on prefere la fraicheur du centre culturel francais avec des allers-retours reguliers au port.
Je suis allé me ballader sur votre blog "terre de paysages", très sympathique et intéressant dans le mesure où nous préparons un voyage assez comparable avec ma copine. Nous partons début août direction Katmandou en tandem depuis Strasbourg.
Dans notre préparation d'itinéraire, nous avions l'intention également de passer en Géorgie et Azerbaidjan pius traverser la mer Caspienne.
Je constate à votre lecture que le visa azeri est compliqué à obtenir. J'ai qqs questions en vrac à vous poser :
1) y a t il un moyen d'anticiper cette galère d'obtention de visa avant notre départ ?
2) pour le choix des routes, avez vous acheté des cartes routières sur place ?
3) comment gérez vous le retrait d'argent depuis votre départ. Possibilité de retrait d'espèces dans des distributeurs, même en Géorgie, Azerbaidjan... ?
4) la possibilité de vous localiser sur google map, c'est très sympa. Question bête : vous avez un GPS pour rentrer les données ou c'est vous qui rentrez le nom des principales villes traversées.
Bref, voici quelques questions que je voulais vous poser si vous avez l'occasion d'y répondre.
Bravo pour votre périple.
PS : je suis le blog de Béatrice de Grenoble qui roule vers Katmandou depuis son départ. C'est sympa de voir que vous avez fait un bout de chemin ensemble.
Salut🙂!
Je pars fin aout aussi vers Katmandu depuis la Suisse. Parait que le visa azéri se fait facilement à Tbilissi en 3 jours sans lettre d invitation, aux dernières news c'est tjrs le cas.
Est-ce que vs faites des visas pour l'Asie centrale avant de partir? Est-il possible de les faire longtemps à l'avance bien que ce soit des dates d'entrée fixes!?!?
On se croisera sûrement sur la route!
Le visa azerit est complique a avoir aujourd'hui, meme a Tbilissi. Plus de 10 jours et lettre d'invitation valide par les services consulaires de Bakou, tu as les details dans le message d'Aurelie qui a repondu au meme topic. Il y a tous les details des demarches et pour l'instant, ca semble etre la meilleure solution.
Pour ce qui est des visas asie centrale, mon experience :
- Ouzbekistan : visa touristique de 1 mois a Istanbul, delai 10 jours, 85 USD, pas de lettre d'invitation, juste un formulaire a remplir.
- Turkmenistan : visa de transit de 5 jours a Ankara, 8 a 10 jours, 55 USD + 10 USD a la frontiere, pas de lettre d'invitation mais 1 poste frontiere d'entree et de sortie fixe
- Kyrghizistan : visa touristique de 1 mois a Bakou a l'ambassade du Kazakstan, 2 jours, 20 euros, pas de lettre d'invitation
- Azerbaijan : Tbilissi, 10 ou 15 jours pour lettre d'invitation certifie par le ministere, 65 euros, obtention du visa dans la journee
- Iran : refus de visa a Istanbul... je deconseille ce consulat car ca semble un peu comme une partie de poker. A Ankara, ca parait moins aleatoire.
Bonne route a toi
Bonjour,
1. pour les visas je crois que Maxime a repondu et je n'ai rien d'autre a ajouter (merci Maxime!). L'anticipation en demandant les visas, c'est selon les possibilites administratives et la volonte de garder une marge, une liberte pour rester un peu plus longtemps dans un endroit ou ne pas tout perdre en y restant par obligation. Quand a anticiper en se renseignant au maximum, c'est bien mais il faut garder en tete que tout change vite dans ce petit monde diplomatique et on se retrouve vite bloque dans une capitale a tourner en rond...
2. Pour les cartes, en Europe, on les achetait sur place, par la suite c'est plus difficile. Tu peux toujours en trouver dans les capitales, sauf que les capitales sont rarement juste a cote du poste frontiere. Il faut donc anticiper et s'en faire envoyer au besoin.
3. Pour l'argent on retire. On a une petite reserve pour changer au cas ou, mais sinon pour le moment pas de probleme pour trouver des DAB. Pas tous les km bien sur, mais ca va.
4. Pas de GPS, pas d'ordi, pas de telephone portable. On lit nos carte et on etudit celle de google pour mettre nos points. C'est long et fastidieux, parfois amusant quand on trouve le rocher aupres duquel on a dormi, mais notre famille se plait a nous suivre pas a pas don on essaye de s'y tenir, meme si en ce moment c'est difficile.
Bonjour
Nous sommes en voyage a velo autour du monde, passer en Georgie et Azerbaijan. On a obtenu notre lettre d'invitation avec l'agence Vanilla Sky a Tbilisi pour 30 dollars par personne et assez rapidement (5jours) sur les conseils du consul de France a Tbilisi.
vincent
Ma réponse est sans doute tardive, mais elle peut servir pour d'autres.
En fait, nous sommes arrivés à Aktau depuis Bishkek hier soir. Pour répondre à votre question: Meme en 4x4, la route est épouvantable sur plus de 1500 km! Sur ces tronçons, la "route" est en fait une succession de sections boueuses et de trous de plusieurs mètres de diamètre et presque un mètre de profondeur! C'est quasi impraticable en voiture et sans doute dangereux en vélo ou moto. Les voitures et les camions empruntent des pistes qui longent la route principale (qui sont en sable quand il fait sec et boueuse s'il fait humide). Nous avons croisé des cyclistes à Aral qui venaient en sens inverse depuis Aqtöbe. Ils étaient sorti de cet enfer avec beaucoup de casse et le moral au plus bas...
Cette traversée en vélo doit être une véritable épreuve. Elle l'a été pour nous en 4x4 avec une suspension cassée.
Le paysage ne présente d'intérêt que de Bishkek à Chymkent, à Aral pour l'ambiance "désastre écologique" et entre Shetpe et Aktau, soit à peu près 2000 km de paysage plat de steppe.
En fait, une meilleure route (et bien plus courte) consisterait à rejoindre Aktau par l'Ouzbekistan et la Karakalpakie.
Salut, juste une info si tu recherches un hotel pas cher a Aktau, en attente du bateau (qui ne devrait pas tarder vu que je l'ai pris il y a tout juste un peu plus d'une semaine). Message public car ca pourrait servir a d'autres.
Le Keremet hotel est sans doute la solution pas chere : on payait 20euros la nuit a 3.
Apres la statue du bateau au bout de l'alle principale, prendre a gauche au feu rouge. Continuer sur la route pendant 500 metres et au premier ou second feu rouge, tourner a gauche. L'hotel est a 100 metres sur ta gauche (numero 20 si je me souviens bien)...
pour ma part j'ai finalement suivi le chemin que tu conseilles, quand meme assez desertique aussi finalement...
je viens de tomber sur ton post et voir ton récit de la traversée du Kazakhstan. Me voilà édifiée!!!
Tu as fait exactement la "route" que nous pensions prendre en camping-car, à la fin de cet été!
Comme nous revenons par l'Ouzbekistan et que nous souhaitons faire une boucle pour ne pas faire 2 fois le même trajet, nous allons étudier un itinéraire passant par Samara, Oufa et qui rentre au Kazakhstan par le nord, pour aller sur Tashkent.
Si quelqu'un peut nous proposer quelque chose de correcte pour passer avec nos véhicules, nous serions grandement satisfait
A+
Petite mise a jour pour ceux qui cherchent des infos sur ces conversations datees:
Nous venons d'obtenir tres facilement le visa pour l Azerbaidjan a Aktau, en envoyant par internet une photocopie du passeport et la demande a l adresse suivante: azconsul.aktau@gmail.com
une semaine apres nous nous sommes presentes avec 2 photos d'identites, passeport et une photocopie de passeport, puis nous avons eu le visa dans l'heure, le temps de payer les 60euros de frais a la banque. Pas de lettre d'invitation contrairement au consulat d Astana.
et inversement a Tbilissi c'est plus complique depuis deux semaines. Une lettre d'invitation payable 10 euros dans une agence comme X tours n'est plus suffisante, elle doit etre visee par le ministere. Ce qui semble-t-il est different est surtout la difficulte et donc le prix pour l'obtenir. Bref 130 dollars... pour la lettre + 70 dollars pour le visa proprement dit soit 200 dollars au total en passant par X-Tour. L'autre agence juste a cote de l'ambassade d'azerbaidjan demande 230 dollars ou 380 Gel. Pour ceux qui ont le temps et qui connaissent du monde a Baku ca vaut surement mieux d'envoyer quelqu'un faire les demarches.
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?
Hi there,
who has already done the EURO VELO 1 in Norway from the south to the North Cape, and what are the main difficulties:
elevation gain, etc.......
Otherwise, who has already done the EURO VELO 7 from south to north, crossing Sweden up to the North Cape? If so, what are the difficulties, elevation gain, and does it pass through villages for supplies, etc.......
Hi everyone,
I’m heading to Madagascar in early October to cycle from Tana to Diego along the east coast.
I really want to visit the Masoala Peninsula and its primary forest. If anyone’s interested, I’m open to company.
Maybe see you soon!
I’d been watching this ultra-light travel movement or trend for a while.
So I gave it a try—goodbye to the 5 panniers and rear racks.
A 15L saddle bag for clothes and a stove cookset.
Two cages on the fork blades: 2x5L—mattress on one side, tent on the other.
A 5L frame bag for miscellaneous items: battery, camera, small bits and pieces.
And one on the handlebar for the sleeping bag.
I tested it this summer on a crossing from Valence to Perpignan via the Massif Central.
My conclusions:
The obvious advantage is the reduced weight. In total, I had 12 kg on the bike, which makes climbing in the mountains much easier.
Another benefit I hadn’t considered is the significantly lower wind resistance compared to a traditional setup—you really feel it when the wind’s against you.
Of course, it’s not all perfect...
For example, it’s impossible to carry a food stock. You buy just enough before each meal or go to a restaurant!
You also have to accept a more spartan comfort level at stops.
In conclusion, I think for summer trips in regions where resupplying is easy, it’s an interesting option—especially if there’s significant elevation gain.
On the other hand, it doesn’t allow for enough autonomy, so some trips are off the table.
On the bike side, I swapped my Shimano 11/34 cassette for an 11/40. Even though Shimano doesn’t recommend it with a 105 derailleur and a 46/30 double chainring, it works really well.
The only limit is avoiding the 46/40 gear ratio.
Hi,
what are the easiest ways to get back from Nordkapp without pedaling—
train, boat, or plane?
Has anyone already done this?
Thanks for sharing your tips!
Hi, does anyone have recent info on the Shikoku pilgrimage? We’re traveling as a pair by bike, and I plan to camp whenever possible because from what I’ve seen, accommodations are pretty expensive, especially for long trips. I’d love any info or tips—thanks in advance! Aichatou
I’m planning to leave Nice for Toulouse around 10/15 and I’m looking for tips / great deals regarding:
- The route: I was thinking of taking Nice - Grasse - Draguignan - Salernes - Cadarache - Cavaillon - Arles, then the Camargue, Sète, and the Canal du Midi to Toulouse. The idea is to avoid high-traffic roads and too many steep climbs. Are there any spots to avoid or must-see stops? Since it’s been a while since I’ve been on the road, I was thinking that sleeping indoors might be preferable. If you have any budget-friendly accommodation suggestions along part of the route, don’t hesitate!
Thanks in advance, and if you’re in the area around that time, we could ride together... Ciao.
Hi,
I need to arrive in Thessaloniki by bike at the end of September and I plan to head to Istanbul along the coast.
Could anyone help me pick the best route? Safety, difficulty.
Thanks in advance.
Marc
Hi everyone! Thanks for welcoming me to the forum :)
I’m preparing for a long trip heading to Nepal, with stops along the way depending on my mood, work needs, and the season. I cycle a lot, but this will be my first big touring adventure. I’d like to camp regularly to keep costs down, so I’ll be riding on all kinds of surfaces: smooth and rough roads, main highways and rocky paths to find my camping spots, flat terrain and the occasional steep slopes.
For my bike model, I’m prioritizing durability, versatility, and repairability. From that perspective, I prefer a steel frame and fork with rim brakes since I’m used to them. I’ve narrowed my choices down to four models:
- The VSF Fahrradmanufaktur T-700 LTD (1400 €): steel frame, aluminum fork, hydraulic rim brakes, 28" wheels, 40mm tires, 36 spokes (2 mm), lightweight rear rack (max 20 kg), no front rack included, smallest gear ratio of 0.72, weight of 13.9 kg.
- The VSF Fahrradmanufaktur TX-400 (2200 €): steel frame and fork, hydraulic rim brakes, 26" wheels, 50mm tires, 36 spokes (2.34 mm), front and rear racks included (40+18 kg), smallest gear ratio of 0.71, weight of 15.9 kg.
- The Genesis Tour de Fer 30 (2150 €): steel frame and fork, mechanical disc brakes, 28" wheels, 36 spokes, 40mm tires, front and rear racks included (27+10 kg), smallest gear ratio of 0.77, weight of 15.9 kg.
- The Rockrider ADTV 900 from Decathlon (1700 €): aluminum frame and fork, mechanical disc brakes, USB port, 28" wheels, 47mm tires, 28 spokes, front and rear racks included (40+20 kg), smallest gear ratio of 0.71, weight of 17.1 kg. This is the successor to the Riverside Touring 900, which was a hit.
I’ve got a few questions:
1/ Should I go for 26" or 28" wheels for my trip? 26" wheels seem better for rough terrain, but 28" wheels feel more comfortable on roads. I’ve also read that 26" tires/tubes are easier to find.
2/ Do you recommend a steel frame and fork over aluminum? I’m guessing a high-quality aluminum frame and fork would be better than a low-quality steel one, right?
3/ Regarding the smallest gear ratio, is 0.71 a good number for a loaded bike in the mountains?
4/ Finally, what do you think of these four models for my project? My heart leans toward the TX-400—it seems to combine the versatility and robustness I’m looking for. But the price difference with the T-700 LTD is making me think twice!
Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts!
17 days, 1,400 km, and 17,500 m of elevation gain cycling in northern Vietnam! 🇻🇳 🚴🇻🇳
From the misty Fansipan to the breathtaking landscapes of the Ha Giang Loop, from remote villages to vibrant markets...
I cycled through the north of the country, getting up close with its people—through mud, heat, endless mountain passes, and unforgettable encounters.
Most importantly, I discovered a Vietnam far different from the usual tourist circuits.
Join me on this adventure through a video that captures these 17 days of travel. :)
If Vietnam calls to you, come ride a stretch with me!
Hi,
can anyone give us some tips on how to get to North Cape from Lyon Gerland?
What’s the best route to join the EuroVelo 7?
How many kilometers is it from Lyon to North Cape via EuroVelo 7?
The best month to leave—we’re thinking early May.
Thanks for any advice!
Looking for a female travel companion for a cycling trip (arriving by plane in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and cycling toward Montevideo, Uruguay, returning by plane to France from Buenos Aires, Argentina) – 1,500 km
Hello everyone!
I’m planning a cycling trip across Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, with a departure set for late October, November, or December. I’m looking for a travel companion to share this long-distance adventure with.
Experience:
I already have solid experience in bicycle touring in Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Currently, I maintain excellent physical condition by cycling an average of 250 km over 3 days per week (4 hours a day at 20 km/h).
The trip & the pace:
Daily pace: Between 50 and 80 km per day, to make steady progress while taking time to explore.
Accommodation: Flexible and authentic. We’ll alternate between wild camping, campsites, Warmshowers, small guesthouses, and budget hotels depending on opportunities and the weather.
Looking forward to reading your message and planning this amazing journey together!
Another long-time dream of Claudio’s: the Petit Mont Cenis pass and the dam at the eponymous lake.
A place where many Italians, including my father, worked in the 1950s–60s.
Faverges → St-Michel-de-Maurienne → Lanslebourg → Petit Mont Cenis → return. 315 km, 3 days. Bivouac at St-Michel-de-M.
Brouter link
Leg One: Faverges → St-Michel-de-Maurienne
Leg Two: St-Michel → Lanslebourg → Mont Cenis Lake → St-Michel
Leg Three: St-Michel → Faverges
And it finally happened in August 2026: in the Maurienne Valley about the famous cycle route known as the V67
🇷🇼 Cycling in Rwanda: 4 episodes, an off-the-beaten-path adventure
After 3 weeks and nearly 1,200 km by bike across Rwanda, I made 4 videos to share this adventure in a different way: the landscapes, the encounters, the villages… but above all, all those incredible scenes of everyday life.
The 4 episodes are available here:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnfbxjccWAg
The 4th episode focuses on rural Rwandan life: simple, authentic, and sometimes surprising scenes that you only truly discover when you take the time to travel by bike.
If you have a few minutes, let yourself be transported to Rwanda…
Hi,
We bought the MSR bike tent model (2-person + large awning that can fit 2 bikes) back in 2005. It’s served us really well, especially during a year-long trip in Africa. Now, one of the poles is broken, and we’d love to replace it since that’s the only issue with the tent—we still love it! The poles are 9.35 mm in diameter, with 8 sections of 49 cm and 2 sections of 28 cm. Total length when assembled: 416 cm. Actually, two large sections are broken: one straight and one curved. It’s a pain to find replacements since this model is no longer sold anywhere.
Would anyone have this model lying around unused and be willing to sell me a pole?
Hi everyone,
In early April, I’m redoing the Vélo Francette (La Rochelle to Ouistreham), and then I’d like to cycle along the Cotentin Peninsula (which I don’t know at all), follow the coast up to Cherbourg, and then head back down to at least Saint-Malo. I’d love to know if it’s pleasant for cycling—are the roads nice? Not too windy? What are the must-see spots? Any great campsites? All your tips and advice are more than welcome, and I thank you in advance.
After testing it for three years across various modes of transport, I’m sharing this video of a bike packing case. It’s made from recycled cardboard and shrink-wrapped, with adjustable thickness and added bubble wrap depending on the level of protection you want.
Installing spacers at the fork and chainstays makes the packaging compact. With the fifteen-odd euros for shrink-wrapping at the airport, this case travels really well.
https://youtu.be/_GDJi-GqmkM
- Low bulk (1.10m x 0.70m x 0.25m for a large frame), it fits vertically in train luggage compartments and the total dimensions (x+y+z) don’t exceed 2.40m.
- Two carrying solutions for public transport and easy handling by airport staff (no more tears in the cardboard from openings).
- Discreet packaging when dealing with bus drivers and train conductors, as it looks like an ordinary parcel.
- No need to return to the starting point to retrieve the case from your outbound trip, which you’d otherwise have to store somewhere, or deal with a bulky cover to pack in your panniers.
- You can still check tire pressure through the plastic film without damaging the packaging too much.
Drawbacks: Around 3 hours for this lengthy and meticulous process—removing the wheels, pedals, handlebars, and derailleur without misaligning them, then securing all components to the frame.
If you get a chance to test it, send me your feedback for future improvements.
I just took a trip in Tunisia from Tozeur to Douz, skirting Chott el Jerid to the south. I’m back with the urge to keep going further south via the 4x4 tracks to connect Douz to Ksar Ghilane. Has anyone driven this route recently or explored southern Tunisia?
Thanks for your tips!
fix
😎Fellow traveling cyclists or not, all of you who love travel, the pleasure of physical effort, nature, beautiful machines, people with true passions they seek to fulfill, and who also enjoy reading great literature about all this—the *200* magazine is for you just as it is for me. I should mention I have no financial or other interest in this (in an era where we accuse our politicians of all sorts of vile interests, I prefer to take precautions). I’ve been subscribed since the beginning, and every three months, I get my 130 pages of dreams (the magazine just went from 110 to 130 pages).
It covers everything from the trans-America route to the TCR (Trans Continental Race) from Belgium to a small town in Turkey, with mind-blowing averages—4,000 km and 80,000 m of elevation gain in 8 days and 15 hours for the winner. Let that sink in, and all of it without assistance—accepting a patch could penalize you. There’s also a story about crossing Iran, encountering one of the world’s most welcoming populations, following in the footsteps of Nicolas Bouvier, as well as retirees leisurely traversing France. The common thread in all these stories? Beautiful writing. Take, for example, a stunning article: *"Passengers of the Cold: From Edinburgh to Thurso, at the very north of Scotland, 550 km of moors, coasts, and icy wind. In Thurso, the road ends at a quay, facing the Orkney Islands. We wanted a November trip, off-season. We wanted to surprise winter. Just before the snow."* A sublime piece on the experience of facing adversity and the chance encounters along the road and in the elements.
Before I embarked on my own bike trips, I dreamed a lot about them—from the Atacama to the Gobi, along the Mekong, and not forgetting France. And now, these 130 pages every quarter keep those dreamy vibes alive through stories written in the most beautiful prose.
I’ll stop here because it might sound like I’m advertising, but if you don’t know *200*, I invite you to discover it. It’ll give you wings for the most incredible challenges or simply reinforce your desire for slow rides with your eyes open to others and nature.
A little news to wrap up: Axel Carion and a friend just broke the record for crossing South America from Colombia to Ushuaia in 59 days. On its own, that doesn’t mean much, but I can’t help it—it makes me dream. You should see how he talks about it, the flashes of that wild nature he’s stored away: a snowstorm at Paso Jama and the surreal sight of the suddenly snow-covered Licancabur!
Luc
PS: The magazine is called *200* because a day’s ride starts at 200 km—well, I’ve never done a ride like that since my longest was 167 km (with 18 kg of luggage, mind you), but why not one day? The magazine will explain how to tackle your first 200, and then the question in conclusion: when will you do your first 300?😏
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?
I'm developing a free and open-source web app for planning walking and cycling trips (and even car trips). You can create a route by clicking directly on the map to add waypoints, and it can consist of multiple stages. The app provides tools to edit the stages and the overall route, and to display useful information (distances, altitudes, and elevation changes). A relief profile can be shown as a graph for a specific stage or the entire route.
Once the route is ready, it can be exported as a GPX file, which can then be used with a GPS or a mobile navigation app.
The app is built in JavaScript and runs entirely in the web browser. It uses the Leaflet library and several OpenStreetMap-based services. Initially developed for my personal needs (I enjoy hiking and cycle touring), I’d be happy to share it with anyone who might find it useful. It’s free to use, doesn’t require an account, and the source code is available.
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
Hello,
We’d like to go on a 3- to 4-month bike trip starting in December, crossing from Assam (northeast India) to New Delhi via Nepal.
Are there routes with light traffic along the Brahmaputra and through Nepal?
We’re also looking for any info on accommodations, wild camping, local interactions, etc.
Thanks,
Michel
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
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.
