Round the World Bicycle Tour since 2006
#1: It’s gonna be tough… But not so tough most moderately fit bicycle travelers can’t hack it. What counts most is commitment and a willingness to put up with some pain. The Pamir Highway traverses harsh and unforgiving landscape. It’s
The best part of bicycle touring. The thrill of physical challenges and stunning landscapes are fleeting. It’s the connections that matter most. That’s the real reason we love bicycle touring so much. Connecting. Sometimes it’s just an exchange of smiles
When you dream of something for more than a decade, expectations are correspondingly high. Over the years, we’d crossed paths with scores of cyclists who’d gushed about the sublime beauty of the Pamirs. Not surprisngly, Kyrgyzstan has been ranked the
The Good Ole’ DaysI hate having choices. A decade ago, when we first began touring through Africa, route planning was far more clear-cut. Studying our Michelin Africa map usually turned up just one possible route, perhaps two options in more
Changing ContinentsThere’s something disconcerting about jetting half way around the world by plane when you’re more accustomed to rolling slowly across continents.Not that the flight between New York and Kazakhstan was all that quick. From take-off time at JFK to
I was down to my last half liter of water. Bumping along a rough track in the Arizona desert, this lack of H2o was some cause for distress. We ought to be passing a ranch about now.But where was it?
Most cyclists dream of biking through massive mountain ranges. The Carreterra Austral in the Andes, the Leh-Manali road through the Indian Himalayas and Central Asia’s Pamir Highway consistently top the lists of favorite cycling spots.Desert cycling rarely makes the cut.
Stranded We were stuck on the border between Mexico and the United States. Officials on the American side didn’t see reason to let my French husband back in the country. No, Eric hadn’t done anything wrong. He’s got a B-2
The Final Hurdles After conquering Great Divide Route’s highest point, Indiana Pass at 11,910 feet, you’d think riders could let out a sigh of relief. The tough stuff as over. They’d glide across New Mexico and sail across the Mexcian
After the vast empty spaces and rolling hills of Wyoming’s Great Basin, we were ready to test our mettle on some big mountains. Colorado called. The Cowboy State is home to the Great Divide’s most momentous climb: Indiana Pass (11,913