Dancing Saddle

This first bike I purchased was a Cello aero road bike. Although it looked fast it definitely was not the bike for touring but it did its part in some of the races I did.

My first bike tourer was a journey from my then home town of Imsil to the coastal city of Busan. On the first day I left early and went straight south to the coast. It was a trip of about 200 km. Luckily on the first day it didn’t rain but that was soon about to change.

My setup of an aerobike a backpack and old point and shoot camera and every intention to sleep outside in a pagoda.

For the next three days it rained more often than not. Thank goodness it was the height of summer. Even though I got cold it wasn’t too bad. It was harder to see with my sunglasses either fogged up or the rain in my eyes. Breaking was also sketchy over the hilly coastal terrain. There was some relief however from the persistent rain which made for some beautiful rest spots.

After three further days of cycling I made it to Busan, exhausted and soaked. Any thoughts of sleeping outside long evaporated and a lesson learnt of not riding with a backpack.

When the rain finaly cleared I got to see some beautiful sunsets.

My next bike touring goal was to complete the Korean Four Rivers. These are paved trails all throughout South Korea. You are able to obtain a passport and stamp it as you go. The big one is the Incheon to Busan route that is 600 km long. I decided to start in Busan and head to Incheon. This time I had a saddle bag and would be attempting it in the summer of 2015.

The start at busan and the entire Four Rivers bicycle route.

On the first day I cycled over 200 kilometers for the first time in sweltering hot weather. Near the end of the days ride I got turned around by my exhausted brain and confusing road markings. I proceeded to get stuck on the wrong side of the Nakdong River. I had to back track quite a bit and then struggled to find a place to stay for the evening. A long cold shower and lots of carbs helped me recover for the rest of the trip. The rest of the ride was mostly uneventful with only a few detours. I was able to complete the whole route in five days and then sweet talk my way on to the Incheon shuttle bus.

Over the next several years I was able to complete the rest of the routes. The hightlights were Jeju and the east coast route. I finally completed the last little section in 2020.

In the summer of 2017, I travelled to Italy to do a week trip through Tuscany. This was my first experience of traveling abroad to go bike touring. After a day exploring Florence and indulging in way too much gelato I headed south to the quiet town of Castelnuovo Berardenga. It was a scorching day of beautiful scenery. I got to enjoy a genuine espresso and some wine tasting.

Exploring Florence and getting ready to ride.

The next day I rode to Seina. That weekend conincided with the celebration of the winner of the anual Palio di Siena. A horse race around the main square. All the colors of the local districts painted the square in multiple rainbows.

The next day I had a short ride and got to enjoy two nights at an Italian farmstay, known as Agritourismo. A day at the pool to rest the legs with a touch of sun burn was a day well spent before I headed north west to Pisa. It was a fast early ride as I need some good aftersun care. I was still able to enjoy the scenery but that cold shower was magical.

The last day was the scenic route over the mountains back to Florence for an ice cold beer and a well earned Pizza. It was an extraordanairy trip highlighted by meeting another bike traveller that had done a lot of cycling around Europe. His story of travelling was inspiring and probably help set me on this path.

The scenic route back to Florence and an ice cold beer before the ardous task of dismantling my bike.