How not to commit murder, and other lessons. 12 months of cycle touring.

Now we’ve finished cycle touring, one of the questions I get asked the most about the trip is “How was it?”

After nearly 12 months, 10 countries and 5000+ miles, how do you even begin to answer that without boring the pants off someone for hours?!

Cycle Touring by Numbers

In just under a year, from 10 June 2022 to 20 May 2023, two old bikes and 2 not quite so old humans managed to cover the following:

10 countries.

234 rides

512.3 hours of saddle time!

5114 miles 

229,022 feet

10 mph average with 44.8 fpm (feet per mile) of climbing 

Custard’s Last Stand: Busan to Seoul by Bike.

There’s a lump in my throat and my eyes are watering as we whizz along the river path, heading out to the north of Seoul. Partly it’s the incessant dust that coats everything here but also I’m quite emotional.

This is my last ever ride on Custard the touring bike, as today I’m delivering him to his new home and family in the city.

I feel like I’m handing over a child, albeit not a favourite one.

Bin Bags and Bad Tans: Riding the 4 Rivers route from Busan to Seoul

The ribbon of pristine black asphalt snakes away into the distance, bisected by a neat white dotted line. Bordered on one side by the Nakdonggang river and on the other by tall grass. The sounds of busy traffic can be heard faintly, blowing in on the breeze but mostly overpowered by the calls of birds and frogs.

What’s weird, is that this isn’t some quiet backcountry lane but a dedicated cycle path, stretching further than the horizon. It’s totally deserted. A whole bike motorway just for me.

The Troublesome Nature of Road Furniture

There’s an old gentleman lying on the pavement, bleeding from a cut on his face, half tangled in a fallen bicycle. Worse still it’s probably my fault.