Preparing for France to Nepal by Bike

I have 5 months left to prepare for the most ambitious project of my life...

In 5 months, I’ll hit the road, heading to Nepal. Not by plane. Not by train. But by bike.

13,000 km, 18 countries crossed. Powered only by my legs, my will, and a dream.

This journey isn’t just a physical challenge. It’s:

🌍 A human and cultural adventure, meeting locals, landscapes, and traditions. 🌱 A meaningful project: discussing climate change and, above all, listening to those who experience it daily. 🔥 An inner quest, to push my limits and inspire others to step out of their comfort zones. A message of hope for self-discovery.

I have 20 weeks left to: ✅ Finalize my route ✅ Gather the budget and equipment ✅ Sort out the logistics ✅ And most importantly… find committed sponsors to bring this adventure to life.

Any help is welcome!

Hi,

You can ask for route advice, places to see, and stops on this forum, but we’d like to remind you that it’s not possible to request funds. No links to crowdfunding pages will be allowed.

Thanks for your understanding.

Which countries will be crossed? What will be the return on investment for potential sponsors?

🇫🇷 France → 🇩🇪 Germany → 🇦🇹 Austria → 🇸🇮 Slovenia → 🇭🇷 Croatia → 🇧🇦 Bosnia-Herzegovina → 🇲🇪 Montenegro → 🇦🇱 Albania → 🇬🇷 Greece → 🇹🇷 Turkey → 🇬🇪 Georgia → 🇷🇺 Russia (train) → 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan → 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan → 🇹🇯 Tajikistan → 🇨🇳 China → 🇵🇰 Pakistan → 🇮🇳 India → 🇳🇵 Nepal

The return on investment for sponsors will be multiple, authentic, and lasting. Right now, I’m already sharing my preparation and the project’s progress on Instagram and LinkedIn. However, I’ve chosen to truly highlight the adventure once the trip is over, so I can fully live in the present moment during the journey. Several promotional actions are already in the works:

Photo exhibitions in cultural spaces in my city.

Talks sharing my experience: stories, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

Participation in fairs and events focused on soft mobility and bike travel.

A monthly column in a local newspaper.

Instagram and LinkedIn posts for each country I cross. Writing a book recounting the adventure, its highlights, and its human impact.

So for sponsors, visibility will be integrated across all these formats:

Direct visibility: logo presence on select trip photos, exhibitions, and media/communication materials. Opportunity to position me as a brand ambassador, strengthening their image and adding marketing weight through an inspiring story and an emotionally powerful adventure. In-depth feedback on products tested in real and demanding conditions, with credible and concrete insights. Exclusive and reusable content: authentic storytelling, behind-the-scenes access to the journey, and the ability to co-create tailored content (photos, videos, stories). Internal and external engagement tool: inspiring talks for teams, showcasing self-improvement and soft mobility to rally their community. Media potential: brand exposure across multiple channels (travel press, podcasts, slow media, local outlets).

What a beautiful project—I hope we’ll be able to follow along here with a slight delay!

Regarding the route to avoid Russia, it might be possible to go through Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to reach Uzbekistan. Hopefully, the border between Pakistan and India will be open by the time you’re in the area.

Good luck with the prep, and safe travels!

PS: What bike will you be riding?

Hello, thank you so much!

I tried, but the borders have been closed for a year!

I have a Ritchey frame with a bit of a custom setup :p.

I might post here or on MyAtlas, or maybe both—we’ll see, haha. Otherwise, I share my progress and prep on IG (@Tanguy_michalak) and LKD (Tanguy Michalak).

Do you do bike packing?

I must have some gaps in my knowledge because I don’t know the term "Bike Packing" (bike wrapping???) and I’m not sure what IG and LKD refer to. Several decades separate us!!! :-)

yeah, that’s it, sorry—those are English terms :') But it’s bike touring. Ig = Instagram and LKD = LinkedIn haha

🇫🇷 France → 🇩🇪 Germany → 🇦🇹 Austria → 🇸🇮 Slovenia → 🇭🇷 Croatia → 🇧🇦 Bosnia-Herzegovina → 🇲🇪 Montenegro → 🇦🇱 Albania → 🇬🇷 Greece → 🇹🇷 Turkey → 🇬🇪 Georgia → 🇷🇺 Russia (train) → 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan → 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan → 🇹🇯 Tajikistan → 🇨🇳 China → 🇵🇰 Pakistan → 🇮🇳 India → 🇳🇵 Nepal

The return on investment for sponsors will be multiple, authentic, and lasting. Currently, I’m already sharing my preparation and the project’s progress on Instagram and LinkedIn. However, I’ve chosen to truly highlight the adventure once the trip is over, so I can fully live in the present moment during the journey. Several promotional actions are already in the works:

Photo exhibitions in cultural spaces in my city. Post-trip talks: sharing experiences, challenges faced, and lessons learned... Participation in trade shows and events related to sustainable mobility and bike travel. A monthly column in a local newspaper. Instagram and LinkedIn posts for each country crossed. Writing a book recounting the adventure, its highlights, and its human impact.

So for sponsors, visibility will be integrated across all these formats:

Direct visibility: logo presence on select trip photos, exhibitions, and media/communication materials. Opportunity to position me as a brand ambassador to strengthen their image and add marketing weight through an inspiring story and an emotionally impactful adventure. In-depth feedback on products tested in real and demanding conditions, with credible and concrete insights. Exclusive and reusable content: authentic storytelling, behind-the-scenes access to the journey, and the ability to co-create tailored content (photos, videos, stories...) to meet their needs. Internal and external engagement tool: inspiring talks for teams, highlighting self-improvement and sustainable mobility to rally their community. Media potential: brand exposure across multiple channels (travel press, podcasts, slow media, local media...).

Hi Tanguy, Great project, but I don’t fully understand a few things: - "Brand ambassador"? What do you mean by that? Which brand are we talking about?

Overall, have you traveled by bike before? (I’m talking about long trips and/or original, committed journeys.) If not, I think it’ll be tough to find sponsors—brands get bombarded with requests, especially if you don’t have anything to show from past experiences or a "traveler’s CV." I’m speaking from experience...

Anyway, keep us posted on how the project’s coming along!