Good luck Maria, We are leaving Portsmouth UK 4 days after you and know how busy this part of the plan can be. Packing, parties and panic!
See you on the road I hope,
Nigel and Sharyn

Thanks Nigel.

We are on track to leave as planned on the 22d. However our route has been modified a bit due to Ukraine’s events.:eek3:

First, we will be riding to Normandy see one of my close friend, from school. Her husband (also a close friend) passed away suddenly a week ago. It has been devastating news… so young! So my departure won’t be as joyful as I thought.

Anyway, from Normandy, we will cross France into Italy to catch a ferry to Greece, then ride to Athens and somehow make our way to Turkey. Ride to the edge of the black sea and get into Georgia, then Russia via the military road. We will then probably avoid Chechnya and Dagestan and cross Kalmikya to Astrakhan into Kazakhstan. Then back to my original plan.

Yesterday I finally got round packing most of our stuff. All our camping gear, books, maps, fuel bladder etc… seems to fit into an Ortlieb 50 litres roll bag.

The rest, clothes, shoes, bits and bobs, seem to fit into my Andy strapz panniers. Now we are worried we are not carrying enough stuff! :confused1:

So Alistair will carry the roll bag and I will carry the panniers (about 6kg each pannier). Yesterday we had a bit of a panic when we tried to fit my panniers into my bike! We cannot put the straps under the seat (bolted and not possible to bolt back and fit the side pannels with the panniers in… ) but anyway, with the help of few Rok Straps, they should stay securely in place! I hope!

In addition we have a tiny top box where we can fit the WD40 and the waterproofs. And I will have a tank bag with water and maps.
I will also carry an empty Ortlieb roll bag to put extra cloths as the weather warm up and we start removing layers !

So that’s our set up!
If you see 2 tiny XR on the way to the Eurostunnel terminal next Tuesday, say hello!

:wave:

Hi guys,

Same for me, almost done. Leaving first weekend of May, going via Italy to Greece and then Istanbul to meet up with Fritz, Tom and Xerxes. Last bits and pieces on the bike, new rubber next week and oil and filter change and it should be ready to go. As for luggage, I have two 30L panniers plus a 85L Ortlieb duffel bag, which hopefully will be filled only half way. I opted for the very big bag because if I want to carry extra water, grosseries and stuff, I can put it inside the duffel rather than strapping it all over the bike....Don't know if that will work but we'll find out soon! :innocent:. Visa are still under construction, working on Russia now, then Uzbek (leg work done) and last one will be Mongolia and Iran Carnet is in the pocket. Three more days at work and then two weeks of winding down and last preps before departure. :mchappy:

As mentioned in another thread, we are already in Ukraine. We're currently in Lviv and will head to Kiev tomorrow.

Hoping to exit UA via a border post in the vicinity of Sumy (north of Kharkiv), thereby avoiding the eastern cities that are currently experiencing unrest.

Once we are in Russia, I'll post more info.

Riviera Adventure Travel
 

Hey Fellow Travelers,
I have not posted on the HUBB for a while and will bring you up to date. First, I have found that the amount of room in my panniers and dry bag will fill up with crap no matter what my plans are. I always seem full to overflowing. So I will have to get rid of some cold weather gear.


Second - I was in the snow yesterday in Andorra and am on the beach in Collioure France today. Adventure travel is tough. I did get my panniers fixed from my crash in Ireland. I will make a blog post on this item.


I plan to leave Toulouse on Easter Sunday and be in Istanbul on May 9 via Italy, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria where I will pick up new tires at Motocamp. Then I meet Noel, Xerxes and Tom Cunningham


If anyone want to join me I would be happy for the company. I travel cheap when I can, but I like to stop for coffee and pastry about 10:30 in the morning, because life is short.


Send an email or contact me via this site.


Fritz

So sorry to hear your news Maria. Being a pensioner, my friends don't understand why I am off to Mongolia. You have just reminded me why we just gotta do it.
Only 5 days now to our leaving party and a life on the road for 6 months.
No panics so far just ticking things off the list.
We shall see you on the road I hope on ou at to UB


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good luck, have fun and ride safe!!

I'll be in Italy if you would like to meet up and head east, although I do plan to pass Warsaw (detour)
Ryanjohnhall@gmail.com

We're now making our way through Russia. So far we've visited Kursk, Saratov, Samara and Kazan. Nothing special about the first three but Kazan is a nice city that is worth a visit.

Bring your warm clothing as it has turned cold the past few days with snow and hail. We also had our first experience wit Russian police and it was very positive. See update on my blog - Snow and Police Check-Points | Bermuda Rover

Hi Ryan, I think you got the info now but in any case, expect to arrive in Northern Italy 5 or 6 May but I'm not going east. I will go down to southern Italy and take the ferry to Greece and then on to Istanbul. I have your email now and you have mine. Lets see if our paths cross in Italy.

Cheers,
Noel

Leave Istanbul on May 19
 

I am in Istanbul until May 19. I will be leaving then to cross Turkey and be in Azerbaijan not later than Sunday June 1. I will pick up my Turkmen transit visa on June 2 and cross to Turkmenistan. Then it is anyone's guess what happens because of fuel shortages, lousy ferry service, ect.


Met Tom Bosman a couple days ago and he needs to be in AZ around May 26 if the embassy comes through.


I am looking for company on the trip.


Fritz

Alright all,

Soz, I'm ludicrously late to this thread (err, and this site), but I'm riding from Istanbul to Seoul this summer.

Leaving on Friday (crikey, better pack) and due to deliver the bike to South Korea in early Sep-ish. Roughly going: Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea.

Would love to meet up with some like-minded's heading the same way for some drinks, laffs, etc, and maybe some riding too... am I too late?

Cheers, Jamie

Hi Jamie and all above, also late in on this :-)
Travelling east (slowly!) through a loop of the stans, Mongolia and then magadan.

If we cross paths with anyone it would be good to swap stories over a drink. Judging by the number of people on bikes heading this way not unlikely!

In kyiv now waiting on a visa then off again. No blog but im here or fb (byron carter)

Cheers and good travels

Byron

Jamie


I do not know how fast you will cross Turkey. But I expect to be in the Tbilisi Georgia area until May 30. I need to be in Baku on Monday the 2nd of June.


I am in Ordu, Turkey right now and hope to make Batumi tomorrow, the 22nd.


The way things are shaping up it looks like a group will form in Samarkand about June 12 or so to cross Tajikistan and the Pamirs.


Be aware that you are herding cats. Most of us have required dates on visas and are not able to change plans with any ease. Also - weather has been terrible this spring and it has changed routes and plans. It did it to me again today.


Fritz

One extra cat
 

Hey guys
I'm leaving Belgium on the 1st of June to get to Japan in Septemer.. Plan is to get to Turkey asap and start slowing down then... Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Stans, Russia, Mongolie, Russia again and then ferry to Japan.
Lets hope the weather :rain: clears a bit by the time I'm in the saddle :-)
Not planning on speeding up or slowing down too much just to ride together (as Fritz said: visas..) but who knows we meet! bier

A.