Tips for Beijing to Ulaanbaatar by bike

Hello, I’m 72 years old and I’m flying to Beijing from Rome on March 26th. My return is planned for May 11th from Ulaanbaatar to Frankfurt. I’m thinking of buying a cheap bike in Beijing and riding to Hohhot, stopping to see the Great Wall of China along the way. From Hohhot, I’ll take the train to cross the border and get off at Sainshand in Mongolia, then continue to Ulaanbaatar. Can anyone give me some tips? Thanks! Gérald

Hi Gerald

It’s a bit of a vague question, but since I’ve already traveled by bike in China, I can tell you that the roads are really good and the people are very welcoming. Just watch out for traffic—bikes are still quite rare, so drivers aren’t used to them. You can find decent lodging and eat well for cheap. Obviously, if you don’t speak a word of Chinese, it’ll be a bit harder, but you can communicate through an app.

I can’t give you any extra info for the cycling route... but for the road from the border to UB, you can ask our long-time Mongolian friends for practical tips: mejet69@yahoo.com. Given their job, they’re often on the roads, so they’ll know what to watch out for...

It’s really brave of you to take on this bike trip...

https://www.instagram.com/armando_costantino97/ is currently doing a world tour and just left UB by bike to continue his journey. He could tell you more about Mongolian roads—and maybe even the one you’re planning to take. When he arrived in UB from Bulgan, he was welcomed by our friends for a few days.

Safe travels!

Awesome. Thanks a lot! I'm right in the middle of preparing my trip now that I'm back from my winter sports week. Should I write in French or English to your friends? I already sent a message to the person on Instagram. Hopefully, the weather will be better in the coming days because I'm learning to ride a horse without a saddle. Gérald

It's definitely better to learn to ride a horse without a saddle... than for the first mode of transportation... 😏

in English! Good preparation