I Want To Cycle From Korea To The UK

[RomanSmackfest]

Hello everybody,
It's been one of my dreams for the past 3-4 years that I would cycle from one end of the world to the other with either the start or finish being the UK, because I'm from there. Well I thought that it would be best to start getting the ball rolling by discussing and planning a little further.

I moved to Korea to work and I am saving money (for various things, not just this) and then I plan to cycle back home to the UK. I've never done any long-distance cycling, but I've loved the idea of just generally cycling in a direction without any plans to return home for the night. I've been watching some cycling blogs and reading books over the last few years and I love nothing more than to see the world change as I travel, from ground level. Perhaps i'm being ambitious, but I noticed that many people who complete these long-distance trips are actually 50+ so I'm hoping it would be within my capacity to attempt it myself.

I'm 26 years old and I will be looking to attempt this in maybe 16 months or so at a rough guess. I have no equipment at the moment and only a rough plan. I train 2-5 times a week with heavy weights (including squats) and some running and I will definitely need to adjust to cycling. Sometimes I rent a very poor bike in Seoul and cycle along the Han river for a few hours, but now that it's getting cold I'll stop that for a while. I won't buy a bike until a lot nearer the trip because I don't really have the money or space for it right now, but i'm hoping that when I do buy one and start the trip that I will adjust along the way.

As somebody that's a noob to cycling i'd say that I have a lot to consider, including buying the right bike/equipment, route, visas and learning how to tackle everyday problems such as finding shelter (though i'll have a tent), fixing the bike and generally trying not to die, but I have some time to learn.

I'd be grateful for any advice I may receive. Sorry that this post is not too informative, but I'm just getting things started by posting my intentions here.

Nice to meet you all

 

[limerickman]

Welcome to the Forum :

You say that you have read blogs/stories about other long distance journeys, then my advise is to try to assimilate as much information as you can from those blogs in order to prepare for your trip.

The physical aspect of such a trip is one aspect that you need to consider.
Am I physically able to cycle from the southern region of Asia to the tip of north west Europe? Even writing that sentence accentuates the enormity of the distance to be covered.
Has my physical system the capacity to do the work required?
Have I the character to keep going, should I start the journey?
What tips do I need to have to hand to improve my low morale?

Other factors to consider should include logistics?
How do I finance this? How do I access local currency? What currency applies where?
What happens if I get in to trouble? Who can I call? How do I make contact to seek help?
Laundry issues. How do I manage my cycling and personal laundry throughout the trip?

I am sure that you have considered these and many other issues - but it is good to examine as many aspects of such a trip as possible before undertaking to do the trip.

It is a vast undertaking which you have committed to and I admire your spirit and determination.
The sights/sounds/smells and experiences afforded by such a trip are magnificent I imagine.

I am interested to read other posters insights here :

if I can recommend some reading material, I found Tim Moore's book about long distance cycling through France to be a great read and a great thought provoking read.
The book called French Revolutions might help inspire you with ideas and thoughts.

if you do undertake this trip it would be appreciated if you could keep us up to date with your progress, that's assuming that you can do so while being "on the road"

 

[jpr95]

I think putting off getting a bike would be a huge mistake. If you're going to do a long distance trip like that, you need to know your gear inside and out. A month or two, or even six months on a bike for a noob probably isn't long enough to really figure out what you'll need and how it will all work together. Never mind the physical aspect of it. Weight training has pretty much nothing to do with cycling fitness. Running will help with your lung capacity and some of the necessary leg muscles, but not all of them, and it doesn't get your rear end used to sitting on a bike saddle for hours at a time, day in, day out.

 

[limerickman]

Originally Posted by jpr95
I think putting off getting a bike would be a huge mistake. If you're going to do a long distance trip like that, you need to know your gear inside and out. A month or two, or even six months on a bike for a noob probably isn't long enough to really figure out what you'll need and how it will all work together. Never mind the physical aspect of it. Weight training has pretty much nothing to do with cycling fitness. Running will help with your lung capacity and some of the necessary leg muscles, but not all of them, and it doesn't get your rear end used to sitting on a bike saddle for hours at a time, day in, day out.

Excellent point, jpr.

The equipment issue is something that is crucial given the length of journey being undertaken.

 

[RomanSmackfest]

Originally Posted by jpr95
I think putting off getting a bike would be a huge mistake. If you're going to do a long distance trip like that, you need to know your gear inside and out. A month or two, or even six months on a bike for a noob probably isn't long enough to really figure out what you'll need and how it will all work together. Never mind the physical aspect of it. Weight training has pretty much nothing to do with cycling fitness. Running will help with your lung capacity and some of the necessary leg muscles, but not all of them, and it doesn't get your rear end used to sitting on a bike saddle for hours at a time, day in, day out.

It's just that I need to be sure I can do the trip before buying a bike. I live in a small apartment and I will need to spend a lot of money on that bike. I have to wait for now. I guess when I said I lift weights I wanted to hint that my body is used to resistance and that I take care of myself. I expect to be extremely tired, but If I need to take more rests then so be it, because I have no real time-frame. I will get used to it all on the trip. I'm sure that i've read about others doing this before. I'm expecting this to kill me for the first month or so, but my body will adapt. I need to worry about injury though. I will post more in my next reply.

 

[RomanSmackfest]

Originally Posted by limerickman
Welcome to the Forum :

You say that you have read blogs/stories about other long distance journeys, then my advise is to try to assimilate as much information as you can from those blogs in order to prepare for your trip.

The physical aspect of such a trip is one aspect that you need to consider.
Am I physically able to cycle from the southern region of Asia to the tip of north west Europe? Even writing that sentence accentuates the enormity of the distance to be covered.
Has my physical system the capacity to do the work required?
Have I the character to keep going, should I start the journey?
What tips do I need to have to hand to improve my low morale?

Other factors to consider should include logistics?
How do I finance this? How do I access local currency? What currency applies where?
What happens if I get in to trouble? Who can I call? How do I make contact to seek help?
Laundry issues. How do I manage my cycling and personal laundry throughout the trip?

I am sure that you have considered these and many other issues - but it is good to examine as many aspects of such a trip as possible before undertaking to do the trip.

It is a vast undertaking which you have committed to and I admire your spirit and determination.
The sights/sounds/smells and experiences afforded by such a trip are magnificent I imagine.

I am interested to read other posters insights here :

if I can recommend some reading material, I found Tim Moore's book about long distance cycling through France to be a great read and a great thought provoking read.
The book called French Revolutions might help inspire you with ideas and thoughts.

if you do undertake this trip it would be appreciated if you could keep us up to date with your progress, that's assuming that you can do so while being "on the road"

Thank you for your very long reply (that's not to say I don't appreciate any others)
1. I believe i'm physically capable of doing do. I've never done anything on this scale, but my body is no stranger to intense training (growing up to competitive Judo helped here, amongst others). I'm not used to endurance so much though, but so long as I take it day by day I don't see why I couldn't do it. Illness is a concern, but so long as I have a plan for this I should be ok. Another concern is actually something that may stop the whole trip, but i'm not sure of its severity. When I cycle I feel my knee tighten, then I have to flick my leg out to let it 'click'. Around the time I stopped judo I had some knee problems and a few years ago I went to a physio over a gym-related incident and mentioned this problem and he said my body may be out of 'track'? Maybe some of you know about this. More research needs to be done. I have the mental character to keep going, yes. I have no evidence to support this, but so far my life experience makes me feel that i'm the type of the character that can complete this journey. I generally have low morale when i'm stuck at home, but when i'm doing something I generally get the motivation to complete it well. On a trip i'm already out there doing it, so I don't see myself staying in my tent procrastinating. Music helps keep me pumped and the also the reminder that i'm doing something special. I genuinely love to travel.

2. I definitely need a rough route (maybe even exact in some places) and I certainly need to know which countries and borders I will pass through. I've fully anticipated that I will need to get visas and I will be sure to research the protocols and prices for each visa, so that I know if I can get one upon arrival, or if I need to go to their embassy in a neighbouring country. I may base my choice of countries on the price of visas. I will also assess the danger for each country and will have to keep up-to-date via whatever electrical device I deem appropriate for my travels later. I need to know if any war breaks out, or if there are any natural disasters or even seasonal problems for going through these countries. All issues such as languages and currencies will be researched by then (each country will have a profile) and I will even have native speakers write down some very important things for me. I will literally carry a book of messages to show any locals. If my phone works I have a fantastic translator app too. I definitely need to be concerned about accessing money. Just off the top of my head it may be wise to split my funds over different accounts (Like right now I have British and Korean) but I may need more than that. I will keep hard and electronic copies of important numbers and addresses for places like British embassies, including on a cloud or e-mail so it can be accessed remotely. A big concern for me will be to know the locations or bike stores and wifi. Laundry is something I'm not so worried about, but I know I need to look it up.

3. Thank you for the tips on resources; I'll check them out some time

4. I will certainly keep a blog of some sort. I think I will need a small netbook or something for my travels.

5. I know I keep saying I'll research later, but I really will. I'm quite an excessive planner and I'm good at coming up with potential problems and addressing them.I'm sure I'll **** up in some way and I'll have some serious problems, but I believe I have the resourcefulness to overcome them. I've already experienced weird situations whilst travelling already, like renting a motorbike to ride across Vietnam (It was stupid because I only just taught myself how to ride a bike a week before in Thailand - I literally didn't know the controls but figured it out) and then I broke down at 11pm in torrential rain and managed to get it fixed and find my way to were I needed to go in the dark with no map or GPS. I will do a sort of risk assessment and make sure that my plan is sensitive to these. I'll also come up with case scenarios and have some sort of plan on how to access information I need.

6. I actually decided that it may be important to try and get a masters whilst out in Korea and if this happens it'll take money and time. This trip may be delayed a few years, but it will happen, even if it kills me, because what's the point in life if you can never attempt your dreams?

Thanks again people.

 

[RomanSmackfest]

Also I would just like to add that I understand that I need to learn more about the bike itself, how to repair it the best I can and things like how to adjust it to fit my size and the most efficient way of cycling. I'm sure there are many intricate things that I can try to understand. I also need to look at nutrition along the way and if there are any specific food problems I may face in various countries.

 

[jpr95]

There's no replacement for miles (or kilometers) in the saddle. You have to get your private region toughened up. You might be able to "push through it" for a day, but you won't even want to get on the bike the second day if you're not used to pedaling on the saddle for hours at a time.

Physical testing > internet research.

 

[karlnowosielski]

Crazy idea This is the challenge which rather (for now) is not able to handl, but good luck

 

[RomanSmackfest]

Originally Posted by jpr95
There's no replacement for miles (or kilometers) in the saddle. You have to get your private region toughened up. You might be able to "push through it" for a day, but you won't even want to get on the bike the second day if you're not used to pedaling on the saddle for hours at a time.

Physical testing > internet research.

I completely understand. I felt it from cycling for just a few hours. I intend to buy a custom saddle at some point, so maybe it's possible to create a way of just sitting on it throughout the day. When It's confirmed that I'm doing this i'll do my best to get a bike and use it, but frankly I need be to certain. As of right now it's looking to be something that will be in the future.

 

[alienator]

I completely understand. I felt it from cycling for just a few hours. I intend to buy a custom saddle at some point, so maybe it's possible to create a way of just sitting on it throughout the day. When It's confirmed that I'm doing this i'll do my best to get a bike and use it, but frankly I need be to certain. As of right now it's looking to be something that will be in the future.

A custom saddle isn't necessary and sitting on one at home for hours on end isn't the same as sitting on one while riding a bike. How a saddle interacts with your butt is depends a lot on your position on the bike and the act of pedaling. Moreover, that saddle/butt/groin interaction is not just about weight bearing but also about friction between your skin, clothes, and saddle as you pedal. Get things wrong, and you can end up with a saddle sore that easily ends your trip and requires medical intervention. It can't be emphasized enough that for such a trip, you need lots of saddle time before the trip begins, and by saddle time I mean time on the bike, pedaling roads. And by "lots", I mean lots. Lots. Lots. Did I say "lots" yet?

 

[swampy1970]

Just some ramblings....

Ride hard everyday. Find a saddle and shorts that you like and stick with them. Shoes - anything spd compatible and some spd mountain bike pedals.

If you don't have a bike that's suitable yet, go for something fairly strong with regular wheels and somewhat basic components. Something like a Surly Longhaul trucker comes to mind. Become familiar with removing components and reinstalling them, how they actually work and how they are put together. This holds true for things like chain tools and spoke keys. One benefit for simple wheels with lots of spokes is that they'll be easy to get replacement spokes for and if you do break one, you won't be left stranded. Good tyres are a must - carrying a couple of spares would be vital.

The only special prep I'd do would be to add some loctite 'blue' threadlock on components a month before such a ride. The blue thread locker is great against vibration and stops dissimilar metals from bonding, so you'll be able to remove parts at a later date - even many years down the line.

For some reason, I think I'd head north and go through Russia. Probably shorter and safer than the middle eastern countries. You'd likely be hostage fodder going through Iran/Iraq Missing most of the really hot and humid places will probably negate risks for weird tropical diseases that require 15 rounds of shots at the Doctors office first. I've had salmonella at the end of a two week training trip on a Spanish island - I can imagine that malaria would be a "bit more of a hassle." Riding through North Korea.... fark that for a game of soldiers.

maps.yahoo.com says 7500 miles from Seoul to London, via most of Russia, via Moscow, and down through Poland and Germany... Going via India and the middle east is closer to 10,000 miles.

Carry your passport at all times. Take police bribe money and call the UK embassies in China, Russia, Poland and similar countries prior to travel. They can give you advice on what to look out for or even tell you that "you're effing stupid and on your own..." Personally, even though I've done 380 miles in a day, going from 100ft to 5,000ft and back down, or rides at altitude taking in 21,000ft of climbing and 200 miles in a day, I'd say you were biting off a bit more than you can chew and for now at least, I'd classify you as farking nuts. but you can use that for inspiration if you want too. 75 days and 100 miles a day on roads that'll often be ****. It'll be bad enough on good roads. 50 miles on bad roads when tired can be hard.

Have a read of Nick Sanders around the world adventures. He was always a bit good on a bike (both bicycle and motorcycle) and his cycling books are a good read.

Laundry. A change of bike gear, a towel and a plastic bag. If you wash your clothes and have no drier available, lay a towel flat, place your item of clothing on it and roll the towel up. It's an old school way of getting the shorts with 'real' chamois leather inserts dry fairly quickly. The plastic bag allows you to keep damp clothes separate from other items.

My advice - find a 30 mile route filled with **** roads. Ride that route often, sometimes 2 or 3 times in a day. Get use to finding food and water, rather than stocking up on them. A dynamo system would be good for lighting - some now offer charging for USB devices as well. For GPS devices you'd be looking at either Garmin or TomTom. The former has good China maps, the latter has most of Russia - both cover Europe well. Whatever device you get make sure that maps are loaded on the device and do not require cell/wifi (like Apple maps for example) whatever you use should just need a GPS signal. Become friends with your chain tool. If you use a chain that requires special pins, take pins and carry a multitool with pliers to snap them off. Study the weather and be prepared for the worst. It might not be a bad idea to use the interwebz to your advantage. Find bike clubs in most towns en-route and send them an email and say hi. Some may respond and some might even want to ride with you should you actually do the ride.

 

[RomanSmackfest]

Originally Posted by swampy1970
Just some ramblings....

Ride hard everyday. Find a saddle and shorts that you like and stick with them. Shoes - anything spd compatible and some spd mountain bike pedals.

If you don't have a bike that's suitable yet, go for something fairly strong with regular wheels and somewhat basic components. Something like a Surly Longhaul trucker comes to mind. Become familiar with removing components and reinstalling them, how they actually work and how they are put together. This holds true for things like chain tools and spoke keys. One benefit for simple wheels with lots of spokes is that they'll be easy to get replacement spokes for and if you do break one, you won't be left stranded. Good tyres are a must - carrying a couple of spares would be vital.

The only special prep I'd do would be to add some loctite 'blue' threadlock on components a month before such a ride. The blue thread locker is great against vibration and stops dissimilar metals from bonding, so you'll be able to remove parts at a later date - even many years down the line.

For some reason, I think I'd head north and go through Russia. Probably shorter and safer than the middle eastern countries. You'd likely be hostage fodder going through Iran/Iraq Missing most of the really hot and humid places will probably negate risks for weird tropical diseases that require 15 rounds of shots at the Doctors office first. I've had salmonella at the end of a two week training trip on a Spanish island - I can imagine that malaria would be a "bit more of a hassle." Riding through North Korea.... fark that for a game of soldiers.

maps.yahoo.com says 7500 miles from Seoul to London, via most of Russia, via Moscow, and down through Poland and Germany... Going via India and the middle east is closer to 10,000 miles.

Carry your passport at all times. Take police bribe money and call the UK embassies in China, Russia, Poland and similar countries prior to travel. They can give you advice on what to look out for or even tell you that "you're effing stupid and on your own..." Personally, even though I've done 380 miles in a day, going from 100ft to 5,000ft and back down, or rides at altitude taking in 21,000ft of climbing and 200 miles in a day, I'd say you were biting off a bit more than you can chew and for now at least, I'd classify you as farking nuts. but you can use that for inspiration if you want too. 75 days and 100 miles a day on roads that'll often be ****. It'll be bad enough on good roads. 50 miles on bad roads when tired can be hard.

Have a read of Nick Sanders around the world adventures. He was always a bit good on a bike (both bicycle and motorcycle) and his cycling books are a good read.

Laundry. A change of bike gear, a towel and a plastic bag. If you wash your clothes and have no drier available, lay a towel flat, place your item of clothing on it and roll the towel up. It's an old school way of getting the shorts with 'real' chamois leather inserts dry fairly quickly. The plastic bag allows you to keep damp clothes separate from other items.

My advice - find a 30 mile route filled with **** roads. Ride that route often, sometimes 2 or 3 times in a day. Get use to finding food and water, rather than stocking up on them. A dynamo system would be good for lighting - some now offer charging for USB devices as well. For GPS devices you'd be looking at either Garmin or TomTom. The former has good China maps, the latter has most of Russia - both cover Europe well. Whatever device you get make sure that maps are loaded on the device and do not require cell/wifi (like Apple maps for example) whatever you use should just need a GPS signal. Become friends with your chain tool. If you use a chain that requires special pins, take pins and carry a multitool with pliers to snap them off. Study the weather and be prepared for the worst. It might not be a bad idea to use the interwebz to your advantage. Find bike clubs in most towns en-route and send them an email and say hi. Some may respond and some might even want to ride with you should you actually do the ride.

Thanks a lot for the very detailed and helpful reply. I can't comment on many of these things because I don't yet understand them, but I will refer to this advice later in the future.
About the route, I hear what you're saying, but Russia is probably the one place i'm afraid of and it's the one where I think i'm most likely to be held up at gunpoint or robbed. I don't think that'll happen in Iran. Also i'm not necessarily looking for the shortest route; I was the most beautiful and memorable. I personally love warmer climates, so I'd like to go for a route such as the following:

South Korea > China (by ferry) > Tajikistan > Uzbekistan > Turkmenistan > Iran > Turkey (I'm safe from here) > Greece > Albania > Montenegro > Bosnia & Herzegovina > Croatia > Slovenia > Italy > Switzerland > Germany > Luxembourg > Belgium > France > UK

I would love to ride through India but it's out of the way and it means going through Pakistan and Afghanistan, which is not a good idea and I would love even more to do Thailand and even Burma (if possible these days) but that's REALLY out of the way. This is just a quick guess of the route off the top of my head by looking at Google maps and employing my current knowledge of the countries. I need to research many other factors that could change or disrupt the plan. I understand that I need to be weary of tropical diseases though.

How much bribe money do you think i'll need? Also I do take these things as inspiration, because all along the way I can remind myself that i'm doing something special; something that others think is too crazy, which will help me.

 

[RomanSmackfest]

I posted a lengthy reply a few days ago and it said the message needed to be moderated, then I never saw it again. So, i'll try writing it once more.
I don't really understand the technical content in here, because i'm new to biking, but thank you for the reply; I can check this again later when I'm more familiar with the terms.

Actually i'm sort of scared about going through Russia because of the weather (though I imagine it's milder in the south) and also because I feel i'm more likely of being robbed and dealing with general ******** than some parts of the middle east. I feel that kidnapping is probably more likely in the ME, but still unlikely and I think it can happen in Russia too. I'd rater avoid it if I can. I was thinking about the following route:

Cycling to Incheon or Mokpo in Korea > Ferry to China > Northern Bangladesh > Bhutan > Nepal > India > Pakistan > Tajikistan > Uzbekistan > Turkmenistan > Iran > Turkey (I'm safe from here) > Greece > Albania > Montenegro > Bosnia/Herzegovina > Croatia > Slovenia > Italy > Austria > Liechtenstein > Switzerland > Germany > Luxembourg > Belgium > France > Ferry to England > Cycle to my parent's house in Shropshire.

Many things about this route could change, depending on money, war, weather, visas or anything else. I'm not going for the quickest route possible, because I want to see some places and go through as many countries as I can without being too far out of the way.

I really want to do South-East Asia, but that's way too far out of the way. I think Bangladesh may need to be avoided (especially Kashmir) and people would advise against Iran, but I feel it may not be too bad there and I heard Iran is very safe. It's the 'stans' i'm worried about, mainly because of getting food and water in the vast landscape. You do many a very good point about tropical diseases and I will have to think about it, but honestly I feel that countries like Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Poland can be very dangerous for me too. I feel i'm more likely to be robbed there. I wonder how much bribery money I would need. I think it's best to have some Euros and US dollars on me for that. I will keep my real stash hidden on myself, but have a fake wallet with old credit cards/photos inside for the attackers.

I'm definitely worried about finding food/water and also avoiding food poisoning. I'm expecting there will be many days where I don't leave my tent or hotel because of illness. Just in case I would like to brush up on survival techniques and I'd take a book with me so I can refer to it as I go along.

Thanks again for all of the advice. I will certainly contact all of the bike clubs in different areas as I go through.

 

[Mugortt]

All great adventures start with the idea and desire to try! I think your trip sounds awesome! Get to know how to generally fix bicycles and if need be able to "MacGyver" your way until you can find the parts you need. Your weight training is a great base for you so keep it up. I would plan on shorter days to start your trip and work your way up to longer days as your body allows you to. Its all nice in a perfect world to get a lot of training in before your trip but you are doing a multi-month/year trip, your body will adapt as you go. If possible before you start your trip do some multi-day trips camping along the way. This will give you some experience and allow you to fine tune your system, saddle bags, camping, cooking etc., before you go. Good luck with your future plans.