Just For The Record...Route Plan

[Lizard]

I am assuming some of the roads especially in the southern jungles, the mountains and in the desert will be dirt passes so the dirt bike will likely be your best bet.

I would get the best dirt bike you can.

 

[axletramp]

If they can bespoke it, can they build you a dirt bike with a larger tank? Might solve that one. Like HFS, my first though was a dirt bike. At least with that most obstacles won't be a problem.

Edit: Scrub that, tree'd.

 

[W3H5]

Actually, I think around 70% of the roads will be paved with at least the bare minimum of concrete if not tarmac. I'm inclined towards the CBR just for the ease of ride but a dirt bike would be a very good all rounder.

 

[niky]

The dirtbike. With street tires, Motard style.

 

[W3H5]

The dirtbike. With street tires, Motard style.

I'm inclined to go for this. Good suggestion.

I did consider the dirt bike initially but then was worried about comfort what with them being very tall and upright.

The vibrations in my current commuter bike are horrendous on normal roads because it has knobbly tyres so street tyres are a must for whatever bike I end up taking.

 

[Wolfe]

Especially with a lighter bike, street tires ought to be enough for you to slither through minor rough roads. It'll also improve fuel efficiency vs knobbly tires. You may want the dirt bike just for its more compliant suspension though, not for your butt, but for control and longevity.

 

[wfooshee]

What about a tire change? Are you carrying spares and tools and air compressors, or are you planning on being at x location at a certain time and having tires there waiting.

You're going to need tires, even if you start with brand new ones.

As for tire repair, tubes are easy to fix, but you have to remove the tire to get to the tube. Tubeless can be easier to repair, depending. I carry a kit on my bike of what we call "sticky-string" plugs with the tools they come with, and I have the guts of a small 12-volt air compressor tucked under my seat. A nail or screw through the tread will delay me a half hour or so, but not strand me someplace. I won't even have to dismount the tire.

 

[GTMail]

For tire repair/ maintenance, I'd highly suggest Slime tire care products. Slime Tire Sealant is formulated and tested for use in all pneumatic tires. Once installed, Slime remains liquid and will not harden or dry out. Slime is guaranteed for 2 years. As the Slime treated tire rotates, centrifugal force pushes the sealant to the tread area creating a layer of protection, repairing punctures as they occur and treating existing punctures. Slime is not intended for use in tires losing pressure from sidewall punctures, bead leaks, damaged rims or faulty valves. Slime
is recommended as a repair only in high speed, over-the-road tires. Repairs punctures up to ¼” (6mm) using Fibro-Seal™ Technology. Remains liquid inside the tire, coating the tread area as the tire rotates. Non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-flammable, non-aerosol and water soluble. Contains rust and corrosion inhibitors to maintain the integrity of the rim.
Tires treated with Slime can be cleaned out with water allowing for the installation of a proper plug/patch. Slime for tubeless tires can also be installed into tubeless bike tires. Slime tire sealant installs between the rim and the tire bead. Hold the bead open with two tire levers, install, and re-inflate with a fast burst of air to seat the bead to the rim.
They also have portable tire inflators and a bunch of other products that might help you on your way including inner tubes, patch/plug/repair kits, tire sealant, and inflators/ air pumps.

 

[Guardian]

The longest trip I've done was from Lanark to Austria (by coach ).

Anyway, I can't offer you any advice on this kinda' thing - all I can say is:
Hope your journey goes as planned Shem, and you smash the previous record.

👍

 

[mp10]

Good luck 👍 Will you be recording the trip along the way?

 

[W3H5]

What about a tire change? Are you carrying spares and tools and air compressors, or are you planning on being at x location at a certain time and having tires there waiting.

Due to the generic nature of Chinese bikes and the fact that many of them are built from their Japanese cousin's blueprints parts should be anything but hard to come by.

I've got a basic tool kit to fix any road-side jobs but anything that requires a garage and specialist tools will get just that. My first bike was a 2 stroke so I'm well aware of the perils of not equipping tools! Basically I'm taking a socket set (+ spark socket), wrench & hex set and various other necessary tools. I will not leave on this tour without cable ties, duct tape and WD40.

As for tyres, I think I can do the distance on a good set of all weather tyres from a reputable brand. If not then I'll swap them out when need be, like I say, China has bike garages in abundance. Also, see below. for the few extra pounds added by Slime I can well accept the lower puncture rate.

For tire repair/ maintenance, I'd highly suggest Slime tire care products.

Good luck 👍 Will you be recording the trip along the way?

As of yet my only plan of recording video wise will be short, several minute daily logs made on my phone just to record data. I'll be keeping a full written log which you'll be able to view here in this thread or in a number of international magazines.

I expect I'll manage at least one one update a week as I plan to stay in a room once a week for a rest, charge my laptop and generally take a break.

 

[Small_Fryz]

Good luck mate 👍

 

[Shaun]

I will not leave on this tour without cable ties, duct tape and WD40.

Throw in a really big hammer and you will have covered pretty much all possibilities.

Good luck with this matey.
I'm looking forward to reading about it. 👍

Cheers Shaun.

 

[W3H5]

Throw in a really big hammer and you will have covered pretty much all possibilities.

I'm taking my 'home defence' hatchet which acts as a chopper of wood and also a basher of things if the non-blade edge is used.

Tool wise I'll be travelling as light as possible which means taking multipurpose tools hence the hammeraxe. My basic bicycle multi-tool covers most of the basics and with the addition of a 10mm and 8mm spanner, the only other tools I'll need will be minimal/ specialist. All heavy work that looks to take more than a few hours will get my diagnosis of "Find a grease monkey, I ain't fixin' that*!"

WE're also expecting road pirates/ bandits around the Tibetan areas and possibly up north by Afghanistan so the multipurpose word applies to more than just fixing machinery or setting up a camp.

*Piston/ cylinder/ crank problems, tyre/ wheel problems, suspension or anything else that requires a workshop and a proper set of tools.

 

[Submerged]

WE're also expecting road pirates/ bandits around the Tibetan areas and possibly up north by Afghanistan so the multipurpose word applies to more than just fixing machinery or setting up a camp.

Ah, the Urimqui area?

Also I will chime in with the bike shops. They are EVERYWHERE.

Even if you can't find one, simply asking someone for one will often take you to the nearest, trustworthy grease-monkey for the job.

With regards to punctures, I remember that the quick fix punctures for small air leaks was for the dude to make a bigger hole but jam it with some sort of rubber material. Then pump it up. Was practically good as new.

Till it was done in like a heroin addict. New tyre was needed...

 

[W3H5]

Ah, the Urimqui area?

Yeah. We're expecting some dangerous parts between Kashcar (I think that's how it's spelled) and Chengdu, basically the border of Tibet.

We're not too worried about Urimqui as my buddy slash is from there and speaks the local languages, despite being Han himself.

 

[terminator363]

*Piston/ cylinder/ crank problems, tyre/ wheel problems, suspension or anything else that requires a workshop and a proper set of tools.

Not anymore

 

[W3H5]

Not anymore

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60OZhrTB6o">YouTube Link</a>

Could you elaborate?

Due to the unique way the BBC is funded Shem isn't able to view YT at his present location.

 

[terminator363]

Could you elaborate?

Due to the unique way the BBC is funded Shem isn't able to view YT at his present location.

It's a shovel that can literally do anything and everything. From the great land of China as well!

 

[W3H5]

Route Plan​

I will get a point-to-point map up once I've made one. This route plan alone has taken me half the evening.
The destinations below are cities which we will be aiming for, large enough to be plotted using a GPS system while on the road. Most of them won't mean anything to any of you, I hardly know most of them!

[All calculations are based on 5 days of riding per week allowing 2 days for rest, repair and supply stops.]
Overall distance target: 20’000 – 22’000 kilometres.
Time allowance: 3 months (15 July – 15 October). ~12 weeks / ~90 days.
Monthly / weekly distance target: ~7’000-7’300km / ~1800km.
Average daily distance target riding 5 days a week: ~330km.
Approx. 66 days riding. 24 days rest.

Riding schedule.
Fair weather day: 500km.
Foul weather day: 200-300km.

Weekly breakdown (all distances are approx.)

Week1: Chongqing – Chengdu, Sichuan (425km) – Yushu, Qinghai (1’150km). [Week Total: 1’575km]

Week2: Yushu – Linxia, Gansu (1’100km) – Haixi, Qinghai (750km). [Week Total: 1’850] [Overall total: 3’425]

Week3: Haixi – Rouqiang, Xinjiang (1’000km) – Kashgar, Xinjiang (1’500km). [Week Total: 1’650km] [Overall total: 5’075]

Week4: Kashgar – Bayingol, Xinjiang (1’400km) – Urumqi, Xinjiang (330km). [Week Total: 1’730km] [Overall total: 6’805]

Week5: Urumqi – Kumal, Xinjiang (700km) – Zhangye, Gansu (1’200km) – Yinchung, Ningxia (770km). [Week Total: 2’770km] [Overall total: 9’575]

Week6: Yinchung – Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia (1’500km) – Hinggan, Inner Mongolia (850km). [Week Total: 2’350km] [Overall total: 11’925]

Week7: Hinggan – Hulunber, Inner Mongolia (600km) – Blagoveshchensk, Heilongjiang (920km) – Hegang, Heilongjiang (650km). [Week Total: 2’170km] [Overall total: 14’095]

Week8: Hegang – Yanbian, Jilin (800km) – Chifeng, Inner Mongolia (1’200km). [Week Total: 2’000km] [Overall total: 16’095]

Week9: Chifeng – Yulin, Shaanxi (1’200km) – Hebi, Henan (750km). [Week Total: 1’950] [Overall total: 18045]

Week10: Hebi – Hefei, Anhui (650km) – Quzhou, Zhejiang (550km) – Quanzhou, Fujian (720km). [Week Total: 1’920km] [Overall total: 19’965]

Week12: Fujian – Shaoyang, Hunan (1’200km) – Hechi, Guangxi (720km). [Week Total: 1’920] [Overall total: 21’885]

Time permitting variations:
Hechi – Kunming (1’000km) – Chongqing (1’000km) [Overall Total: 23’885]
Hechi – Chongqing (1’000km) [Overall Total: 22’885]
Hechi – Hainan (1’000km) – Chongqing (2000km) [Overall Total: 24’885]

 

[Cano]

I can't say any of those names properly, I just blabber them :0

 

[W3H5]

I'm looking for a little advice from anyone who has spent time camping. I've done a lot in my time and I'm quite fond of roughing it but now face a dilemma.

Due to travelling light on my tour I will be taking either a tent or a hammock. I will only take one and there lies the problem.

The tent will offer a place to close myself off from the world at night and get changed into clean clothes and whatnot. The hammock offers an off-ground place to sleep, is lightweight, half the packed size of the tent and can be used on any terrain proving there are two posts/ trees to string it from.

Here are some visuals to assist this post:

Vs

A tent I already own but purchasing isn't a problem as my sponsor will cover costs. At least once a week we'll be using fixed accommodation like a hostile or hotel.

I think my choice will come down mainly to ease of use and logistics making the hammock my favoured item currently. Both offer shelter from weather and mosquito but perhaps the tent fairs better at this, but for protection from beast (wolves, boar, snakes...) the hammock wins because of ability to be up in a tree/ lamp post/ bus stop/ whatever - or even hung between the two parked motorcycles with the bottom resting on ground level, so practically a tent in a sense.

I will be taking a separate tarp no matter what so both will be reinforced in heavy weather, but the tent offers slightly more wind and rain protection, not that any part of China is going to be cold during the summer and the biggest problem will most likely staying cool enough to get to sleep in the first place. I also have bedding which is compatible with both.

Right now I'm 80-20 in favour of the hammock but would appreciate any insight because I may have overlooked so crucial factors.

 

[axletramp]

I think my choice will come down mainly to ease of use and logistics making the hammock my favoured item currently. Both offer shelter from weather and mosquito but perhaps the tent fairs better at this, but for protection from beast (wolves, boar, snakes...) the hammock wins because of ability to be up in a tree/ lamp post/ bus stop/ whatever - or even hung between the two parked motorcycles with the bottom resting on ground level, so practically a tent in a sense.

Don't the bears just bite you on the arse instead?

I see things are progressing well. Have you sorted out the playlists on your iPod?

 

[Crash]

I see that you'll be visiting cities but avoiding most of the major ones. Any reason why?

 

[W3H5]

I see that you'll be visiting cities but avoiding most of the major ones. Any reason why?

Big cities mean major traffic as anyone who has experienced them will confirm. Also because I've scheduled just one day per week for a stop in a fixed accommodation it'll be hard to set up a camp in a city, or even a suburb of one.

We're hoping to be in the rural areas for the majority of the tour because that's where the roads are most open a uncongested and where we're more likely to experience the 'real' China, if you know what I mean.

There's also the factor that city folk just aren't as hospitable as people from rural areas. That, coupled with the fact that the police patrols in the cities could well add a lot of delays to our trip by stopping us more than necessary is another reason where avoiding any large city unless it's absolutely necessary that we stop there for supplies or we know someone there who will be meeting us or putting us up for the night.

__________________________________​

I've been going through my kit list for the last 2 weeks and I'm wondering if I really need my armour. I'm taking the body protection because the spine protector is something I don't want to ride without, just for back support more than anything but I'm unsure about knee and elbow guards as they may become uncomfortable.

I wanted to take them because without doubt there will be a few spill and it could mean the difference between a day of riding or a day of recovering with cuts and bruises, I don't want to take them if they end up stored in the luggage for the whole time because they are too uncomfortable to wear in the heat of summer.

 

[terminator363]

Oh by the way, go with the tent...

 

[W3H5]

Any particular reason you say that?

 

[terminator363]

Any particular reason you say that?

The hammock seems like a hassle, the tent gives you a private rest stop, you can pull up anywhere and relax after a long day's work/adventure.

 

[W3H5]

Perhaps I'll take both then.

 

[Dooblewasur]

Holy explicatives Shem! I wish you luck. The longest trip I've taken on a two wheeled craft (bicycle ) was about 14km. I'm not exactly ready for much more than that. Will be checking in with keen eyes!