Olli B. The Shimanami Kaido connects Onomichi on Honshu with Imabari on Shikoku, threading across six islands in the Seto Inland Sea via a chain of bridges. It’s about 70 km point to point, but the appeal isn’t distance — it’s that the entire route has a dedicated, well-marked cycling path running alongside the car lanes, including … Read more
Cycling Pamir Highway has received a lot of attention in recent years and is no longer a secret among cycle tourers. That said, the sheer length of the route spreads riders out considerably. You will meet other cyclists almost every day, but it never feels crowded in the way some European cycling routes do. More … Read more
Money Hacks Around the World Standard ATMs and card payments are not always the most efficient way to access money. In some countries, there are better options — sometimes significantly better. Thailand ATMs in Thailand charge a foreign transaction fee without exception — but there is a workaround. Walk into a Bangkok Bank branch and … Read more
I cannot speak for the entire length of Ruta 40 — it runs for thousands of kilometers through Argentina and I have only ridden a portion of it. But the stretch from the Bolivian border down to the Paso Agua Negra turnoff is reason enough to make the trip. The Route My ride started at … Read more
The Karakoram Highway runs from Kashgar in western China through northern Pakistan to the plains beyond the Babusar Pass — and for long stretches it passes through some of the most impressive mountain scenery I have encountered anywhere in the world. I rode this route as part of a longer journey from the Pamir Highway, … Read more
There are three realistic fuel options for long-distance bicycle travel: gas, petrol and alcohol. After years of riding across dozens of countries, I settled on alcohol — and more specifically, on a stove I built myself from a single beer can. This is not the fastest or most comfortable option. But for long-term travel, it … Read more
Brake pads can wear out extremely fast depending on the conditions. What matters more than long descents or frequent braking is often contamination of the braking system: sand, dirty water after rain, mud, or fine dust all act like grinding paste and can destroy pads surprisingly quickly. On average, I’d say brake pads last somewhere … Read more
Handlebars & Sweat: Why You Should Replace Your Bar Tape Regularly The handlebar is one of the parts of the bike that stays in constant contact with sweat — especially on long rides in hot and humid conditions. When sweat cannot dry properly (for example, trapped under the bar tape), it creates a very aggressive … Read more