Shebeen Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 Bicycle is often the BEST way to travel.You don't superspeed past interesting things in a car/train/plane etc.You don't crawl at walking speed.You're forced to meet and engage with localsYou earn your everything. I did some biketouring when i had a year in canada/west coast about 15 years ago.my whole rig came from the consignment store (sporting based cash crusaders), and i think it was all in for CAD$200. i got about 2/3 of my money back when i sold it all. The RAVEN SPirit - DB topanga, this is on the yukon highway I was based in vancouver and did quite a few 2/3 day trips using public transport to get out of the city districts and onto the open road (ferries were of course also awesome). Now bikepacking has come a long way since then, i feel that biking wanderlust is so much easier to appease!A lot of the time the travel itch can not be scratched, but it is fun wondering and planning anyway. This a thread for putting your bucketlist/wishes/desires out there. If you actually put rubber on the road, start a dedicated thread an make us jealous.
Shebeen Posted March 4, 2019 Author Posted March 4, 2019 I'll start with this one..do the silk road "before it gets ruined." I checked, return trip from CPT to Bishkek is one stop via Dubai and only about R15k!
dirtypot Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 A lot of the time the travel itch can not be scratched, but it is fun wondering and planning anyway. This is my life.
MTBeer Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 I'll start with this one..do the silk road "before it gets ruined." I checked, return trip from CPT to Bishkek is one stop via Dubai and only about R15k!snap. Was just watching the video on the Silk Road MTB race. Hard core stuff that. Harder than Freedom Challenge?
Dusty Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 snap. Was just watching the video on the Silk Road MTB race. Hard core stuff that. Harder than Freedom Challenge? Will let you know at the end of August . At least 7 SAs entered that I know of.
MTBeer Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 Will let you know at the end of August . At least 7 SAs entered that I know of.sweeeet. please report back.
MTBeer Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 I'll start with this one..do the silk road "before it gets ruined." I checked, return trip from CPT to Bishkek is one stop via Dubai and only about R15k!15k + 6.5k for entry fee. cheaper than Epic...
dirtypot Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 Bike packing is one thing - I'd like to do that everywhere.Racing / organised events is another. For those there are three which stand out in my mind:TransBCAndesPacificoTransMadeiraAll of these are cheap to enter (Andes specifically is super cheap and includes a LOT) and have amazing riding. If you don't know these rides, google them at your own risk. It's a long rabbit hole of pictures, info, calendars, maps, airfare quotes, etc.
Simon123 Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 15k + 6.5k for entry fee. cheaper than Epic... Literally had this chat with friends this morning. They've taken their Epic Budget last year and did 4 insane trips and two races abroad. Reckons Rand and smiles per km, it was a ratio of at least 100:1. Basically two decent Epic finishers of years, finally spending their money cleverly.
Duane_Bosch Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 I've never understood the South African need to do a "race". Each to their own I guess. No offence to anyone. My Recent with bike travels. 2017 - Italy. Road. Flew in to Venice. Caught the train to Bassano del Grappa. rode Monte Grappa and the roads around Bassano. Eating is a problem when you are in Italy and your bird doesn't like carbs. Bassano is a great place to base yourself for a road cycling holiday in Italy. It's off the tourist map so it's cheap. It's relatively easy to get to. There's 11 (yes 11) paved roads to the top of Monte Grappa. Not to mention the great roads up the Brenta river. Take your climbing legs. It's 1600m to the top of Grappa. 2018 - France. MTB. Again. Morzine. Enough said. Took the trail bike. Was a bit too fat and not strong enough. But it was a great trip with a good mate. 2018 December - Mallorca. Road. Went with my lady. Totally bonkers. Was a LOT more expensive than anticipated and once again the cost of getting around was the thing that hurt. Sa Calobra is by far the best road I've ever ridden. I'm pretty sure my fiance and I were the first people up it in 2019. HIGHLY recommended for roadies. Perfect roads. amazing scenery. Upcoming July - Morzine. Again. Taking the big bike this year 2020 - Planning a trip to the Pyrenees to tackle Hautacam, Luz Ardiden, Abisque and Tormalet. Then to Girona. If the budget allows. It looks like we'll be based in Lourdes. Fly in to Toulouse. Train to Lourdes. Airbnb accommodation. Lourdes seems to be off the tourist map so accommodation seems cheap(ish) We might be forced to rent a car for a day or 2 depending on the commute distances to the climbs. I still have to figure all of that out.
MTBeer Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 I've never understood the South African need to do a "race". Each to their own I guess. My Recent with bike travels. 2017 - Italy. Road. Flew in to Venice. Caught the train to Bassano del Grappa. rode Monte Grappa and the roads around Bassano 2018 - France. MTB. Again. Morzine. Enough said 2018 December - Mallorca. Road. Totally bonkers. Was a LOT more expensive than anticipated and once again the cost of getting around was the thing that hurt. Upcoming July - Morzine. Again. Taking the big bike this year 2020 - Planning a trip to the Pyrenees to tackle Hautacam, Luz Ardiden, Abisque and Tormalet. Then to Girona. If the budget allows. It looks like we'll be based in Lourdes. Fly in to Toulouse. Train to Lourdes. Airbnb accommodation. Lourdes seems to be off the tourist map so accommodation seems cheap(ish) We might be forced to rent a car for a day or 2 depending on the commute distances to the climbs.I'm thinking riding 1700km through Krygyzstan might be a bit harder to organise than a little jaunt around Europe. Hence the need to take part in a organised event. Similar to Freedom Challenge - impossible to do the whole route without race office approval.
Duane_Bosch Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 I'm thinking riding 1700km through Krygyzstan might be a bit harder to organise than a little jaunt around Europe. Hence the need to take part in a organised event. Similar to Freedom Challenge - impossible to do the whole route without race office approval.Indeed.
Prince Albert Cycles Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 I own a small bike shop in Prince Albert and have bike travelers passing by all the time . People from Europe mainly . They ride entry level bikes and frequently sleep next to the road . Some are on tight budgets and make do with what they have . I have been fortunate enough to have been to some of the destinations mentioned in this thread and will be riding the amateur Ronde and Paris Roubaix next month but South Africa has a lot to offer in terms of touring .
Sepia Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 butI own a small bike shop in Prince Albert and have bike travelers passing by all the time . People from Europe mainly . They ride entry level bikes and frequently sleep next to the road . Some are on tight budgets and make do with what they have . I have been fortunate enough to have been to some of the destinations mentioned in this thread and will be riding the amateur Ronde and Paris Roubaix next month South Africa has a lot to offer in terms of touring .Especially around your neck of the woods. PA to anywhere is a win.
Shebeen Posted March 4, 2019 Author Posted March 4, 2019 I own a small bike shop in Prince Albert and have bike travelers passing by all the time . People from Europe mainly . They ride entry level bikes and frequently sleep next to the road . Some are on tight budgets and make do with what they have . I have been fortunate enough to have been to some of the destinations mentioned in this thread and will be riding the amateur Ronde and Paris Roubaix next month but South Africa has a lot to offer in terms of touring .I'm so glad you posted because that is almost another reason why I started the thread.I'm not sure if I would have been so wild about touring locally if i hadn't done it in canada first, but am really amped to see so much more happening on our shores. You can't compare apples with apples, but if you want to tour on the cheap, then you do it in Mzantsi. To say that it is cheap in ..Bassano is great but you still got the airfare, docs and travel time to pay off first. Obviously it's a totally different experience (and you can't put a price on experiencing different cultures) - not a dig at DuaneBosch at all - I just get my neck up everytime someone says (eg.)"go to Thailand it is so cheap", when they could be at a 4 star resort in the wildcoast or whatever for less. Go to Thailand because it is different, and affordable. I'm thinking riding 1700km through Krygyzstan might be a bit harder to organise than a little jaunt around Europe. Hence the need to take part in a organised event. Similar to Freedom Challenge - impossible to do the whole route without race office approval.exactly this. I had always wanted to ride from bloem to durbs through lesotho, boght the maps and everything. Instead when it came along I settled on just doing the organised freedom challenge!
Duane_Bosch Posted March 4, 2019 Posted March 4, 2019 not a dig at DuaneBosch at all - I just get my neck up everytime someone says (eg.)"go to Thailand it is so cheap", when they could be at a 4 star resort in the wildcoast or whatever for less. Go to Thailand because it is different, and affordable. No offense taken. We all have our things we love to do and it's your right to spend your hard earned Ronts any way you see fit. I love hearing about peoples bike travels. Here and elsewhere. For sure a lot to see and do here. We do loads of long weekends away. Got a Mcgregor weekend coming up next month. Sadly the bikes stay at home for these. When I used to surf my one mate from KZN reckoned there are waves on the KZN coast that are every bit as good as Indo.
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