RTW Touring

[Crankarm]

Is it now rather problematic, hazardous if not pretty dangerous riding around the world? The Middle East and North Africa seem like no go areas and some of the Stans are pretty unstable. Getting to SE Asia is proving ever more difficult. Are cyclists riding in areas of turmoil and conflict a target? It would be pretty easy for some one with an AK47 to take a pot shot at some one or a large group of kids to stone you and pull you off your bike. How does one plan and negotiate safely a circumnavigation of the world? If it isn't war and conflict it is the risk of being robbed eg big cities in South America. USA seems the safest place although the biggest risk there is being run down by traffic as they hate cyclists even more than in the UK .

Somalia is definitely some where to avoid.

 

[hubbike]

The arab spring is probably short term bad, long term good for cycle touring. the demands for democracy, women's rights, moderate islam, etc should bode well.

Otherwise, what's new? Two South American countries make the Top Ten list of robberies per capita statistics, but so does the UK! I felt very safe in south america and very rarely locked my bike. In fact one of my favourite countries was Cololmbia. I cycled for 2 and a half months there and found it a warm and friendly place...it takes much longer to lose a bad reputation that to get one.

Not sure what makes you think USA is the safest place?! they're a nation armed to the teeth.

we are all at risk from various things. but it is important to keep them in perspective. the risk of robbery and getting run over are relatively low, especially if you take sensible precautions. the risk of armed violence almost anywhere is very low.

As to whether it is any harder or more dangerous to plot a RTW now rather than at some other time, I guess the answer is unknowable. but don't be put off.

 

[Crankarm]

Bump. No RTW cyclists on Cyclechat .

 

[Proud2Push]

I don't know if the RTW Race can be classified as touring but one wonders how the women competitors will get on and whether attitudes to women in some countries will require them to choose a different route from the men.

http://www.greatbikeride.com/globalbicyclerace/​

 

[Ticktockmy]

To be honest, I don’t think much has changed over the years, during my years of touring through Asia, Africa and Europe the same dangers have been and still are there, I have been shot at in Cambodia and Turkey, stoned in Egypt and Sudan, dragged off the bike in Iran. Run off the road in Thailand and Indonesia and attacked by a troop of monkeys in Malaysia. But for all of that, and the many miles I have ridden the great majority of miles have been peaceful and carefree, so a little excitement makes the trip more worthwhile. As to the RTW race, those taken part are I think in the main safer than a cyclist tourist, as generally they will be on the move more and not spending time lingering in towns or villages so much.

Just my thoughts.

 

[ttcycle]

A good friend of mine has just left to cycle RTW. She's taking a route through the middle east but it's not set in stone. A lot of RTW cyclists will tell you of the warmth and openness of a lot of countries deemed dangerous. I've just read Dominic Gill's Take a Seat-all about riding a tandem in South America and North America.

If you want to do it plan it and set a date of departure.

In terms of how it's different for women, according to my friend, it will be, as a single male knocking on a door and entering the house of a single man to get some water is no issue but if you were a woman doing this, and because of the differences with how women are treated and perceived this can be problematic. Plus, sexual assault is something that is a bit concerning.

In terms of long distance RTW cycling, there have been several fast women who gave completed the journey

 

[dellzeqq]

Bump. No RTW cyclists on Cyclechat .

https://www.cyclechat.net/

 

[doog]

http://www.cyclechat...-to-kazakhstan/

Ive been reading that.I read a journal on crazyguy about a middle aged lady who decided to cycle to India or similar on her own for the hell of it. No real experience of cycling and I recall her first "catastrophe" was a p*%ture

. It was great, just pottered through all of these so called hell holes without a care in the world. I think her bike was nicked in some Eastern European country but she got another and carried on.

It was almost as if my mum decided one day to cycle into the sunset. At no point in the journal was there any mention of threats, harm, kidnap, robbery. Touring cyclists by their nature arent natural targets I guess, more just an oddity.

There tends to be something about a bike and panniers that draws attention but not to the wrong people I presume. You are not looked upon as a rich tourist or an ideal target, more like some poor bugger who can only afford to pedal there way around the country.

In every country you get opportunists but most criminals target specific areas or crimes ie pickpockets, there is clearly isnt a niche for robbing the next touring cyclist who potters through although im sure that once people cotton on to the fact that people may be carrying netbooks, GPS, phones this may well change.

 

[Shanecycles]

Problematic, hazardous ? I guess thats all down to what you dare or how stupid your are.....

The standard ideas of how scary it all is in the next town/village/country and how ooh so dodgy it is, is something I've heard a hundred times and when you get to the next town/village/country you hear the same about the next and previous town/village/country.

Given events in Europe the last couple of months maybe people can take a nice "safe" holiday doing:

1. A summer camping trip on a quiet Island in Norway?
2. Weekend shopping trip to London?


I suspect driving up and down a motorway in a Volvo 8 hours a day is more dangerous than cycling RTW 8 hours a day.

IMO worrying is nonsense, when its your time its your time, enjoy life, travel the world and take "reasonable precautions" and dont be stupid.

There are more deaths per year in the Uk by people in traffic accidents, smokers, people drinking too much tea than deaths per year of cyclists cycling RTW........(aah the joy of statistics...)

Shane

(who will soon start a long cycle trip not cycling RTW)

 

[Shanecycles]

There tends to be something about a bike and panniers that draws attention but not to the wrong people I presume. You are not looked upon as a rich tourist or an ideal target, more like some poor bugger who can only afford to pedal there way around the country.

Ugandan man "Why are you cycling"
Shane "its fun, nice to be outdoors, I get to meet people like you, etc,etc"
Ugandan man "But why on a bicycle"
Shane " What do you mean, why wouldn't I do it on a bicycle"
Ugandan man"Your white, why aren't you in a car, a bicycle is for poor people that dont have money for a scooter or car"
Shane"..........."

I was the first white man he'd spoken with since school, all the others just drove by in their 4x4's

 

[Crankarm]

Problematic, hazardous ? I guess thats all down to what you dare or how stupid your are.....

The standard ideas of how scary it all is in the next town/village/country and how ooh so dodgy it is, is something I've heard a hundred times and when you get to the next town/village/country you hear the same about the next and previous town/village/country.

Given events in Europe the last couple of months maybe people can take a nice "safe" holiday doing:

1. A summer camping trip on a quiet Island in Norway?
2. Weekend shopping trip to London?


I suspect driving up and down a motorway in a Volvo 8 hours a day is more dangerous than cycling RTW 8 hours a day.

IMO worrying is nonsense, when its your time its your time, enjoy life, travel the world and take "reasonable precautions" and dont be stupid.

There are more deaths per year in the Uk by people in traffic accidents, smokers, people drinking too much tea than deaths per year of cyclists cycling RTW........(aah the joy of statistics...)

Shane

(who will soon start a long cycle trip not cycling RTW)

Right, so would you cycle through any of these countries given their current political instability, bombings and risk of kidnapping?

1. Libya
2. Syria
3. Iraq
4. Somalia
5. Ethiopia
6. Afghanistan
7. Pakistan, in particular the Swat Valley?
8. Kashmir
9. Mexico City ( I know not a country, but given the size of it, it could well be).

 

[snorri]

There tends to be something about a bike and panniers that draws attention but not to the wrong people I presume. You are not looked upon as a rich tourist or an ideal target, more like some poor bugger who can only afford to pedal there way around the country.

Josie Dew mentioned in one of her books that cycle tourists who can afford to pedal around the country without having to work every day to feed themselves will be considerd very wealthy in some countries.

 

[rich p]

Josie Dew mentioned in one of her books that cycle tourists who can afford to pedal around the country without having to work every day to feed themselves will be considerd very wealthy in some countries.

Alastair Humphreys said the same thing IIRC.

 

[Shanecycles]

If you mean right now or next week? and assuming I might want to go to...
1. Libya -No, but plan to in 2013
2. Syria - Maybe but see no reason to.
3. Iraq - Parts of it yes
4. Somalia - have no reason to anytime.
5. Ethiopia - YES but probable wouldn't because of the stone throwing.
6. Afghanistan - Parts
7. Pakistan, in particular the Swat Valley? - LOL parts but not the Swat Valley
8. Kashmir - Maybe
9. Mexico City ( I know not a country, but given the size of it, it could well be).I Try to avoid big cities no matter what country.....

Yes I would consider going into a country with a negative FCO advice (should be taken with a pinch of salt anyway) NO I wouldn't cycle into a known war zone


10. Sudan - yes
11. DR Congo - yes
12. Sierra Leone/ liberia - yes
13. Maurtania/Mali - yes
14. Angola - Yes if I can get the visa

15. London - NO
16. Soweto - NO
17. North Algeria maybe, South Algeria - NO

Etc etc, I'm sure you get the picture

 

[hubbike]

Right, so would you cycle through any of these countries given their current political instability, bombings and risk of kidnapping?

1. Libya
2. Syria
3. Iraq
4. Somalia
5. Ethiopia
6. Afghanistan
7. Pakistan, in particular the Swat Valley?
8. Kashmir
9. Mexico City ( I know not a country, but given the size of it, it could well be).

There are risks associated with political instability but I would consider it possible to visit any of the above, with an acceptable level of safety, with the exception of 1 and 4. They all have areas of high risk and relatively secure areas too. As I said before reputations take a long time to recover. Nevertheless, if this is a list of the the riskiest then what's the problem? There are always another couple of hundred other countries you could try?!

Crankarm, sorry for another criticism of your post but the risks of things like bombings and kidnapping need to be kept in proportion. They are extremely unlikely almost anywhere in the world. And Kashmir isn't a country either.