Fantastic pictures . . .

Ch 3. Irkutsk to Olkhon Island




After hitting the main paved road at Babushkin we headed around Lake Baikal to Irkutsk. Here's a traditional piece of architecture, rather than the horrid Soviet stuff that also became so popular in parts of the UK when Huddersfield's favourite son, Prime Minister Harold Wilson (I live near Hudds), was Housing Minister after WW2.





3 wheeled scooter with Italian plate outside the most expensive hotel in town. Unfortunately we never met the owner. ANY vehicle can ride/drive the slab (aka Trans-Siberian Highway) from Europe to Vladivostok. Especially if you've got a winch on the front





Takin' a picture of you takin' a picture of me. At the bike workshop round the corner from where we got our new tyres and other supplies. From left to right: Andrew, Adam (who had already been Irkutsk for a week when we arrived), Jon and Pete. Denis at MOTOREZINA.RU - свежая моторезина по разумным ценам. motokolesa, мотоколеса, моторезина, резина для мотоциклов had posted the tyres from Moscow to Irkutsk for us. top bloke.





Pete fitting a new chain and sprockets.





Tyres for all seasons. Note the stickers on the left. Recognise any of them?





Setting off from the hotel in the rain. Spare rubber (in my case Mitas C-02 (An aggressive tyre in 17 inch. Wow!) and Pirelli MT21) to fit later on up the road. Jon and Pete.





Waiting to board the ferry to Olkhon Island. Sorry to be "Ginger-ist": Ginger and Afro! This guy needs a haircut...





Brighty causing trouble. Pushing in to get on the ferry first. Must be my German genes!





The ferry was free! The first time in Russia where I was pleasantly surprised at the (literally) lack of cost of something. Everything in Russia, except petrol, is expensive.





Pete catching the rays between rainclouds.





My bike looking tough, until the going got tough where it retired hurt.




Traditional local transport





Shamen flags at the Shamen rock





Shamen rock at Olkhon Island

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Ch 4 Olkhon Island to Severobaykalsk



We left Olkhon Island and joined the main paved road north. About 150 clicks before Zhigalovo the road became dirt. And our first opportunity to admire the mighty Lena river




One of many punctures on Jon's KTM. He and Andrew were sponsored by a well-known Czech brand of tyre manufacturer. I think the tyre was just plain shagged and he was trying to coax life out of it that just wasn't there




Swapping the back tyre outside the hotel in Zhigalovo




Jon, being the great guy he is, changing the front for me, in the garage next to the hotel, as it had started to rain




Jon preparing a veritable feast In his underpants




This is a normal road, with some interesting traffic




Adam always has a good eye for an interesting photo




The Zhigalovo Road up to where it joined the BAM was pretty boring. Long and straight, but it was good to be off the pavement and on the dirt




Not short, and not winding




After we reached the BAM turn-off to head east, things got more interesting




Adam gets his front wheel off the ground




The BAM road follows the Baikal-Amur Mainline railway... Some info can be found at Baikal–Amur Mainline - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




Jon had plenty of opportunity to test the support that propped his bike up




And it gave us the opportunity to take in the pleasant views





Arriving at the Severobaikalsk hotel the Shed's radiator started expiring. The road hadn't even been that bumpy. It could and would only get worse.

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