Final Push To Istanbul (Did NOT Go As Planned) Bikepacking Across Europe Ep.24

[@linhaodonglin]

Congratulations on completing the challenge! thank you for your video😄😄😄

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you!😊

[@michaelylias4578]

Have absolutely loved your adventure through both the good and difficult times. I can empathise with much that you went through, excepting the last day into Istanbul. That was a nightmare. My wife and I did a similar (but different) cycle trip last year finishing in late September. We went the opposite direction, starting in Istanbul and finishing in Stockholm 6,300 kilometres and 5 months later. We had our share of misadventures and mechanical issues, but luckily came through relatively unscathed and smiling. We had a fantastic and rewarding trip. Regarding the last stretch into Istanbul, we flew into Istanbul Airport and were going to cycle into the city, before changing plans and getting a small van to transport us. We had read many horror stories of cycling along this main highway and were going to originally avoid this by cycling from the Airport to Gokturk Merkez, then Bahcekoy Merkez, then east to Sariyer on the Bosphorus, before following the Bosphorus along the water and crossing the Golden Horn into Old Istanbul. This did not eventuate but did seem like a viable alternative to the busy highway that you experienced. We spent about 4 weeks in Turkiye travelling South before turning around and heading North up the West Coast, then through Bulgaria and Romania. The lack of cycling infrastructure in these three countries was very challenging at times, but also incredibly rewarding. The people that we met and the sights we saw, more than made up for any shortcomings. After crossing the border into Bulgaria north of Edirne, we spent nearly 3 days cycling on a busy transport route sharing our single lane with semi-trailers and NO shoulder. One of us finally had a meltdown and after some tears we changed plans and searched successfully for smaller, less busy roads. I have nothing but admiration for your enthusiasm, tenacity, and good humour throughout your journey. Also, for the time and effort in recording the trip for the rest of us to enjoy, particularly when quite often the last thing that you would want to do is to get out the camera and put on a brave face. Thankyou again for sharing your trip. May there be many more to come.

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww thank you so much! It sounds like we had similar experiences in Bulgaria. How was your route in the rest of Turkey that you cycled? Mostly highways or were you able to find some less busy roads?

[@michaelylias4578]

@@PursuingMountains We loved cycling in Turkiye. This was the first time we had cycled overseas (we’re Australian). From Istanbul we caught a ferry across the Sea of Marmara to near Bursa, then headed roughly south-west down as far as Kusadasi on the coast. Here we Greek island-hopped back up to Lesvos before getting back on the mainland and heading north toward Bulgaria. Like yourselves, we experienced a wide variety of roads and surfaces. We tried to keep to minor roads with less traffic, which ranged from gravel farm roads (dusty when being passed by farm machinery), rough dirt tracks (where we got our one and only series of punctures), to sealed roads. We never came across multi-lane highways or very heavy traffic. More major roads were hard to avoid at times, but mostly we were surprised and pleased by the plentiful width of the shoulders (Bulgaria being a totally different story!). It was very rare when vehicles came uncomfortably close to us. And generally, drivers were very courteous and considerate of us. A friendly wave accompanied by a smile was a regular occurrence. We still are open to the possibility of cycling again in Turkiye as we enjoyed the country and the people so much.

[@2wheelsrbest327]

As someone who has been married for 50 + years have two grown up children and three grandsons I think I am allowed to say having watched your adventure I love you guys. Why because you have enthralled me in every episode. You have also been honest and not tried to sugar coat it when you have both felt down. Its unbelievable what happened in this episode and as for not completing your trip I am guessing most of us would of been satisfied with you both just being safe. I after the next episode will be delving into your back log of videos. If you can just keep travelling because I am 73 and my life has just sped by. No one has ever wished they had spent another day at work when they are on the death bed. Stay safe. Ted

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww thank you for such a nice comment and insight. Life really does feel too short. We are so glad we took the time for this adventure ❤️ we are glad you’ve enjoyed the series :)

[@MatHall]

Oh wow that guy helping in the rain. ❤ good things happen to good people. What an adventure

[@byron2571]

Major respect to you both!

[@Scor-ah]

WOW that last day was awful, glad you are both OK. I am sad that this adventure is over. looking forward to the next.

[@PursuingMountains]

Us too! Thank you 🙌🏼

[@karrycarter]

Absolutely epic! Thanks heaps for sharing your journey 😀

[@PursuingMountains]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mpt12345]

Thanks for sharing your journey, glad you've made it safe! Would love to see more bike trips from you guys. Thanks and best of luck!

[@PursuingMountains]

More to come for sure! Just might need to be a bit smaller initially while we work to save up for another big one :)

[@ChristaBusch]

Ihr beiden seit Helden. Wahnsinn🎉. Und an Ende noch solche Strapazen. Eine unglaubliche Leistung. Auf jeden Fall habt ihr außerdem auch viel gelernt dabei für eure nächste Tour👍😅 😜😅😜👍

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks! Life’s a learning journey 🙂🙃

[@ppmquerido3436]

WOW 😊 - finally You made it - inspite of many challenges You finished 2500 miles ride. Congratulations to Both of You 👍

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you so much 😀

[@SimonThornton-r8x]

I’ve really enjoyed watching this adventure. Thanks for sharing!

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks for commenting! So glad you enjoyed watching the adventure ☺️

[@vanomadcyclist3474]

Your tenacity to finish the last 1% is admirable. I would have called it good 😊

[@PursuingMountains]

We probably should have.

[@selmakalkangur2094]

Sizi izlerken nefesimi tuttum çok aksilikler geldi başınıza neyse sağ salim ulaştınız ülkeme hoşgeldiniz❤❤❤

[@yumieke]

It was the universe telling you not to bike in Istanbul! Congratulations, what an incredible adventure. I loved your videos, their authenticity, how respectful and grateful you were with the locals. Good job

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed them 😊

[@grandenb5543]

CONGRATS!! That was a great series, had us coming back every Sunday for the last month and a bit after we got caught up! Thanks for sharing your adventures!

[@PursuingMountains]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@geeadventures]

I cant believe you guys dont have several spare inner tubes. But your struggles are interesting to watch and glad you guys made it safe :=)

[@ADAMEDWARDS17]

Looking forward to something a little less stressful as a final episode. That was such a hard day and no way would I have cycled that final bit on highways and packed roads, so well done to both of you for such an epic ending.

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks! If we had to do it again, we wouldn’t have biked in Istanbul, it was crazy

[@jezzag3866]

You made it! Maybe not the way you originally intended, and your bikes may have tired themselves out, but you didn't. Loved every episode...many congratulations Jeremy (UK)

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks! So glad you enjoyed the series ☺️

[@arcoulant87]

Chapeau both !

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you!

[@mandyfarmer8735]

Such a wonderful ride! We have loved following your travels. Your videos are amazing. We are now watching your great divide trip.thank you.

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you so much! We’re glad you enjoy our videos!

[@LarryL05]

You guys are amazing, enjoyed everything about this tour. Tomorrow I fly from NY to London for a 8 day journey to Amsterdam. Nothing beats bike travel. Love your no quit, no complain attitude.

[@secaattinakyuz6778]

Adventure trips are sometimes fun and you should be ready for unexpected surprises too. I enjoyed your adventure trip in Türkiye.

[@neychev]

Amazing how you did not gave up and how much you achieved although you look quite clueless and unprapared for people who take on such a trip. You sure have high spirits!

[@bernedicte5860]

i would say you made it 99.99999% congrats

[@Straitjacket808]

Fantastic adventure. Please could I ask what type of bikes are you riding?

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks! We both used Salsa Fargo Tiagras

[@leapintothewild]

There are just no words, just one emotion after another. 💔 🤢 ❤ 😀 👏🏻 🙌 🎉 CONGRATULATIONS !!!!

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks it was a roller coaster finale!

[@MrPeDeQ]

Ohhh My God that was an epic adventure. I had rain here in my home town of Christchurch, New Zealand today . I live in a caravan and work outdoors, so I gave sat and watched your adventure from London to Istanbul. It took all day to watch from 9am to 7pm or something like that. In 2017, I biked from London to Berveria province in Germany. Stayed with some friends and rode to Lake Konstanz and along the Rhine route to Frankfurt when it was time to fly home. Omg I know what you mean when you talk about trail magic, I plenty of people unexpectedly help me out of jams too. I fell in love with Europe. The next ride I plan to do in Europe is either from London and along the Atlantic coast of France, Spain and Portugal to the Mediterranean or following the Danube to as close to the Black Sea as I can get. I admire and respect the time you took to you took to go back and finish those last km into Istanbul. Wow, well done. The other thing that noticed is how much value there is in allowing time for rest days and for breakdowns

[@PursuingMountains]

Wow we have not heard of anyone watching the full series in a day! That’s amazing! Thanks for commenting. We hope you have a blast on your adventure this summer ☺️

[@yk-py9ht]

I live in Istanbul and I stopped cycling in traffic, it's too dangerous. I wish you safety on the road.

[@mandyfarmer8735]

They’re wonderful. Love watching what you eat and your impressions of the places and people you meet along the way. Hope you have another trip planned!

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww thank you so much ☺️ we love trying new foods so felt like we had to include some of that in this series 😋 Glad you enjoyed that part!

[@FORKandFIFTIES]

Not fun towards the end when you're exhausted. Brave 🎉

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww thank you! ☺️

[@LanetteBarnard]

Congratulations........well done🎉🎉🎉 only discover you guys in sep 2024

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you for watching!

[@paperjourni8964]

wow. I love Istanbul. But walking is ‚t that much fun. cannot imagine biking there…

[@charliebamford2807]

What you have achieved is awesome. Also, the way that you have supported each other. Certainly, there will have been disagreements but fundamentally you are a team. One thing that I have realized is that I have no desire to visit Eastern Europe. I am happy for other people who want to explore but I feel safer & more relaxed in the west. Good luck with your next adventure.

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww thank you for the kind words. Doing something like this as a couple is such a bonding experience for sure ☺️ There were some good parts in Eastern Europe but the lack of cycling infrastructure (at least on the route we took) posed some challenges for sure!

[@ivanilarionov1893]

The actual problem is that usually bike tourers try to cross a country in a few days, which leads to riding mostly on main roads that have a lot of traffic and don't pass through the most interesting places. For example here in Bulgaria there are a lot of beautiful places in the mountains, also a lot of roads with very light traffic, but you have to make a research and have more time for exploration.

[@everest1sierra2]

I have enjoyed this series so much! Definitely a difficult way to finish, though. Thank you for sharing - I'll look forward to the next videos. If you could share where the most bike friendly places in Europe were in your experience, I would love to see that! We're definitely not as hard core as you both!

[@38andyp]

Respect to you both

I would like to give a special thanks to our dear friend who helped you fix your tires on the road. It would be heartbreaking to be stranded on the road in Turkey without any assistance from one of the people passing by.

[@coreyweitzel]

Such an amazing adventure. Sorry for what you had to go through those last couple days.

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you!

[@orcadr1955]

Добро пожаловать в прекрасный Стамбул

[@PursuingMountains]

Пожалуйста

[@briantyhy4880]

The end of your trip was a nightmare. A little like my trip in Sri Lanka I kept braking spokes all the time. I had a wheel with 32 spokes it should have been 36 because Im a bit heavy. Thanks for posting your videos. Like you I have stories to tell about misadventures and hardships.

[@donnadehardt5728]

Kudos on making it all the way. Just from the videos, Istanbul does not look like somewhere I would want to visit. Maybe somewhere else in Turkey. But not there. I sympathize with your bike problems. Ive had 2 separate bike stores attempt to fix the slow leaks on my bike & nothing helps. IMO it is cheaply made parts all around, rim too rough & too easily bent, insufficient strength of rubber parts, just all around cutting of corners quality wise. Im old enough to remember a cheap Huffy boke yhat I rode for years & years (to work) and never had these problems. I even had a big newspaper boy basket in back & carried home groceries, etc. I finally took a felt thing from the sewing machine thread holder & put it over the stem & extended as far as possible up the hole & around the stem. That did seem to help a new tube to hold pressure longer. It still developed leaks, but took more time. One store recommended new wheels, but Im not really happy with the bike. My center of gravity is too high. Lowering the seat cramps my legs. So Im not investing in new wheels. As much as bikes cost, these problems are inexcusable, imo.

[@RuralUrbaner]

Hi great series I’ve watched it in two days haha. I was wondering what you guys do with the bikes while you go into place to eat?

[@PursuingMountains]

That’s a great question. We tried to eat outside as much as possible or we tried to sit where we could see our bikes

[@RuralUrbaner]

@@PursuingMountains I see! Thank you!

[@louspeed1]

You two know how to persevere, wow! What I want to know is... are you bringing home any 4-legged friends?

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you! Unfortunately we didn’t bring back any animals, as much as we wanted to

[@purelyacademic]

Wow...bloody wow!

[@sebastiengaudette9214]

Thanks for sharing!! 🎉🎉🎉

[@TimOstler]

Congratulations! It's a very thorny topic contemplating what counts as completing a challenge when external circumstances prevent a straightforward ending. I felt for you in confronting this challenge as I for my part failed to complete climbing Col du Galibier for my 70th birthday so I too had to go back the next day to start from where I left off -- and even then it turned out I never made it because the fog at the top made me think I had arrived while I still had 1k to go..! You certainly put enough effort into redoing the end to more than count as having completed your challenge -- although Alex flying to London for 24 hours was definitely not something I could have imagined!

[@PursuingMountains]

I’m sorry about your climbing trip. It’s a such bummer when things happen outside your control on adventures 😔 I know it sounds crazy Alex flying to London, but the plan was always to have Alex fly to London to pick up our laptops that we left with our warm showers host so we could work for a few weeks out of Istanbul.

[@TimOstler]

Chuffed to get your reply! I’m reconciled to my climbing glitch.. Will go back in September and finish it properly! Looking forward to your next project, but not before you’ve had a really good rest - just editing it all must have seemed like another marathon..!

[@TimOstler]

BTW if you ever need warm showers in Loches in central France, just get in touch..!

[@leemartin1417]

Glad to watch your adventure. Had to be a challenge! Youll have to return. An Asia adventure would be awesome. The far east is a place of wonders. Glad i sudscribed😮

[@PursuingMountains]

We definitely are looking to extend further east someday! We talk about it all the time. Not sure when as we need to work and save up now, but someday!

[@kevinw1129]

Hi Liz and Alex, A truely epic journey and an heroic effort by you both. Congratulations. I have really enjoyed watching your weekly videos over the last few months. If you ever decide to go bike packing in the Highlands of Scotland, and you should, give me a shout as I live up here. Kevin

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww Kevin that would be nice to see you up there! I’d love to do a bikepacking adventure in Scotland. Alex might need some convincing as he hates cycling in the rain so much 😆

[@orcadr1955]

Istanbul's highways are definitely not for bicycles❤

[@orcadr1955]

我爱你对动物的爱🎉

[@zsiraibalint3639]

Congratulation!🔥🔥

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you!

[@ithacatins]

Congratulations!

[@danvance9701]

(Since you asked for questions) We've gone on a few bike tours in the US and it seems we spend as much time planning our route and where to stay or how far to go each day. We know there are lots of Velo trails in Europe and so we've been wondering how you planned your route and how worked up was it prior to going. What routing software did you use? We've wanted to plan a similar trip and so any help would be appreciated. We have really enjoyed sharing your adventures on this trip, seeing both the good times and the not so good times. I really admire your sense of adventure and your steadfast refusal to let hindrances get in the way.

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks for the question! We’ve got a video coming out in about 45 minutes where we talk about how we planned our route

[@ustadsami]

I wish you would hang south through Tekirdağ, along Marmara Sea to Istanbul. That would have been the more bike friendly route to Istanbul

[@eminbk]

Wow! Awesome adevture! Very challenging and very rewarding! Great job! 👌👏 By the way, what bikes have you guys used? Thanks

[@PursuingMountains]

We used Salsa Fargos: here’s a video with the specs from after our great divide series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZfZiH2Jgc1pkJY

[@eminbk]

@@PursuingMountains thank you!

[@seanduncan1284]

Did you ever figure out what was causing the repeated flats? With sealant escaping from the spokes and all tubes being instantly punctured it seems it must have been a rim issue? If the rim tape had bunched up or failed exposing the spoke holes that would potentially explain everything. Well done on pushing through

[@PursuingMountains]

I think there were some jagged parts on the rim that were cutting through the inner tube. When we got back to the US, I re-taped the rim and got a brand new tire on there with fresh sealant and it seems to be working now

[@Naufrago_Sur]

Excellent. I've done some smaller bike touring trip but nothing to match yours. Congratulations! I'm interested on how you plan your routes from day to day. Thanks again.

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks! We will incorporate that into our route video! Thanks for the feedback 🙌🏼

[@NancyByerly-m7o]

Congratulations on finishing the ride!!! I would have said close enough!!! Have you considered the British equivalent of the Great Divide?

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you! I had not heard of the great British divide. That’s looks epic! Pinning that on my bikepacking bucket list 🙌🏼

[@sevdadaglar]

Actually, there are quite nice bike repair shops on your way. Vize, my hometown and Arnavutköy where I live. It's just that they are not pinned on google maps. And your bikes, the same brand tires are sold there too.

[@SonnyDarvish]

Yes, I noticed that too when I was in Turkeyie. I wish people were more proactive in adding these businesses manually. Google won't automate everything for every part of the world.

[@davidharris4062]

Awesome trip, if you’re going to do more trips of this nature and your going to change your bikes it might be worth looking at some European manufacturers, such as Koga, Tout Terrain or Thorn, for a USA manufacturer I would look at Tumbleweed, all available with Roholff Hub gears and Gates Carbon Belt Drive

[@ahmetoz512]

Guys, you picked probably the hardest bike route to İstanbul :) Anyway I'm glad you made it in safe and sound. South route (passing north of Marmara Sea, close to the shore) is much easier.

[@PursuingMountains]

Oh that’s good to know! Thanks for sharing.

[@CozyCamping911]

Good video. Cheers from the 🇺🇸

[@jemma6847]

So glad you guys made it there in one piece! What was the worse and best part of your trip?

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks! Best part is too hard as there were so many amazing parts, we’ve debated doing a multi part short series on this though so maybe we should!Worst part for sure was that last day! However, the massive storm in Switzerland that destroyed our tent was high up there too 😅

[@38andyp]

Best thing to do next time it's best to go tubeless no punctures just carry sealant

[@PursuingMountains]

We started off fully tubeless, but then I had to replace my tire and I couldn’t find another tubeless tire in Croatia , so I had to get a tube with my new tire. We much prefer tubeless, we just should have brought more sealant

[@travelandfilming]

You guys are strong and awesome! Great dedication. Sometimes luck tests us to the extreme n your this patch was one. Btw just curious, at 22:58 I see a new tyre, why was it not used or what was the issue with it? Also, if you had glue, you could cut one of the tubes to fix the other tube and use it

[@mucklark6943]

I'm curious about something ... exactly what spare parts for your bikes could you not source here in Europe? I was also wondering why you still had at least one new tyre on your carrier, but didn't use it. Cheers & thanks for the interesting perspective on traveling across the Balkans and eastern Europe.

[@PursuingMountains]

We probably could have got the parts eventually, but we would have to wait for them to be delivered. When I went to the bike shops in Zagreb and Belgrade they didn’t have want we needed. We couldn’t find tubeless ready tires size 29x2.6 or similar, not even 29x2.25. We did find tires that same size but they weren’t tubeless ready. The other parts we needed were rear cassettes for both of us

[@huawei755]

@@PursuingMountains You're real champs!!

[@man.bike.camp.4409]

I loved watching this series. Sad it's over to be honest. If you come back to Europe, you could cycle Lands End to John O'Groats in the UK and The Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland? Maybe include the Highland 500 in Scotland? Maybe the International Appalachian Trail.

[@ustadsami]

26:00 your wheels may need to be trued and balanced. Some spokes probably protrude more than the rest causing punctures from within the wheel.

[@SonnyDarvish]

Wow that's more than a centimeter of protrusion! I think at that point it would wobble so much that's unrideable.

[@SwearyCyclist]

Loved your journey, I would think the tape on the rims failed hence the leaking from the spokes. And your valves full of sealant causing a slow leak.

[@bjornjensen3382]

Hi guys. Impressive to see you keep on going. One thought…. What about going in the opposite direction? Maybe would be easier to get help and spare part 😅 Well, to late now 🤷‍♂️ Looking forward to more films 👍🏻 Warmest spring hugs from Sweden 😊🫶

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww thank you! Hugs right back ☺️🫶🏼

[@michaelvikhman7926]

Can you two adopt me, even though I am probably 15 years older than you 😁😁. You two really are adorable and just great watch, your video are really captivating . Can't wait for you next adventure

[@dragosbalota6969]

Congrats on your epic journey. How it cost the entire trip, including airline tickets?

[@PursuingMountains]

Oh that’s a good question! We can incorporate that into a video.

[@martinicc67]

You should have gone in Veliko Tarnovo or Edirne to have your bikes checked up. Also I don't understand how shops didn't have inner tubes. Pretty much every bike shop sells Shrader and Presta valves.

[@PursuingMountains]

We could find plenty of tubes, just not 29 inch tubes with presta valves

[@martinicc67]

@@PursuingMountains Yeah here usually only road bike tubes come with Presta valves, but ever since Gravel bikes became more common shops usually supply them. In Bulgaria you can definitely buy them and have them delivered within 24 hours either to where you're staying or the nearest courier office. I'm surprised you didn't find anyone able to tell you.

[@ahmetakinci3135]

l just wonder one thing. Why did not use SPD pedal and shooes while you were riding?

[@magik84]

I glad you made it! I just can’t understand the parts “issue”, bikes usually use standardised parts. If you bikes are from US it should not make a big difference if at all. It think the issue is that you tried to find exactly the same parts you had originally on the bikes. But you can easily fit a bit wider or narrow inner tube on a bike with any issues. You can even use 29” inner tube on 27.5” for example, with a bit of “hacking”. Ok valve should match because of different hole size, but you have just two different types presta or automotive. But it is easy to be smart from my living room 😂

[@PursuingMountains]

The real issue was we needed Tubeless ready tires that would fit our bikes. They needed to be at minimum 29x2.25 to work with our rims. I checked both Belgrade and Zagreb and couldn’t find them there. So the alternative was to get tubes, we needed 29 inch tubes with a presta valve. I probably should have picked up an extra 1-2 in Zagreb. By the time we started having major tire problems and needed tubes, we were very remote and couldn’t even find bike shops that were open. Even in Istanbul it was very hard to find the tubes we needed. We called around to a bunch of bike shops. In Istanbul the bike shops are really spread out and they often wouldn’t answer when I called.

[@mbrylewski]

The bike problems. Which brands are easily serviceable by part availability, would you say??

[@PursuingMountains]

I guess I would say that it's more about the type of problem rather than the brand. For example, my shifter cable was easy to get fixed since shifter cables are pretty universal. The tire issues were challenging because of the size of our tires (29 by 2.6). It would be much easier to find replacement tires if we were running 27.5 inch tires.

[@SonnyDarvish]

@@PursuingMountains very interesting fact on 29 vs 27.5 inch. That's a great tip.

[@kutdem6321]

As a Turk, living in Istanbul, you went to most dangerous parts of istanbul, even whole Turkey. Stick to crowded places, istanbul is safe but dont go that creepy places especially at night. Lots and lots of immigrants nowadays, I am glad you guys are safe.

[@PursuingMountains]

Haha, that was actually where our Airbnb was, it was a really nice neighborhood in Beyoğlu. It felt safer than most other places in Istanbul

[@jairoribeiro2029]

Hi guys, what a challeging finaly...it is very visible that you've lost weight. You both look in much better shape. How many pounds/kgs have lost?

[@sadk8514]

Türkiye does not leave you

[@pxatzis]

cudos !!!

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks!

[@TerryRamsey-jg8fm]

Come to South America...

[@PursuingMountains]

We have visited before and have some videos on our channel, but not by bike. Maybe someday!

[@dpierre]

Hello, What a cold shower!! But it’s nice to hear from you 😊 Your valor makes the mountains tilt but your only recurring problem is, sorry for my French, your ‘crap bikes’! It shows me the importance of investing in prestigious classic vintage 26- or 28-inch bikes that never break down and require very little maintenance (like rim brakes). One thing you could have done even on the main road to make the return easier is to abandon your bikes, turn the page and hitchhike home. Sometimes, I wonder if young people realize that 30-40 years ago, we were making bikes for life (admittedly luxury bikes)! And when you travel, the basis is to have reliable equipment such as a tent that can withstand a big storm and not having to tinker in every direction and being able to live the adventure to the fullest! The most important thing is that you are in good shape and have courage for the future!

[@ilkerelma2094]

I think istanbul doesn’t want you to come 😁

[@PursuingMountains]

😂sure did seem like it right?! 😆

[@damianhill6704]

Disaster. It looks like you should carry some spare gear cables (looks like the cable snapped) if the cable snapped with enough of the ball end 2 to 3 onches. You could reverse the cable in the derailer and tighten the cable Screw down into the gear you want..... Obviously.not ideal on the driving rain on the side of the road. Od recommend converting your Brifters to Gevenalle with friction shifting. Perfect for long tours.

[@huawei755]

3:59. Poor abused horses.

[@ivanstrle346]

Tubeless is no no for bikes.

[@HeySeeri]

Tubeless is common on bikes.

[@emrecantankut9161]

please don't cry.

[@jussim.konttinen4981]

23:44 Why are you wearing makeup?

[@PursuingMountains]

😂I wanted to look more put together for the final pics at the finish line…that didn’t end up happening anyways 🙈