Istanbul by Bike
How did the idea come about?
In the past few years I have done some cycling tours. On these tours I was on the road for 3 to 7 days mainly in Germany. I realized my long-cherished dream of an extended bike trip in 2022. I cycled from Braunschweig to Barcelona within 4 weeks. The experiences on this tour and the nature of slow travel by bike, has left lasting impressions on me (www.bs-barcelona.de)
Of course, it didn't take long for the desire to tackle another adventure on the bike to grow in me. Circumstances and the possibility of a second one-month sabbatical from my job, opened the opportunity for a new project:
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Istanbul by bike
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My Motivation
Why I plan such a long trip by bike again?
Because I love bike travel, because I can still do it and because it is such an incredibly beautiful experience!
I want to get closer to my limits on this trip. The route is longer than my tours before, there are more vertical meters to climb and it will take me longer - it will be more physical. And it should be.
This time I will also travel with a tent. I hope that the outdoor experience will be more intense, that the landscapes will be more noticeable and that the temporary distance from my normal life will be even more successful.
On the trip I will travel through 12 countries. Some of them, like Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Greece, I visit for the first time. If I reach the finish line, I can add 5 new country points and the title "I cycled to Asia" to my palmares.
Some of the countries I will be traveling through are not your typical vacation countries. This is another motivation and challenge for me. However, I am also not venturing into the wilderness and taking incalculable risks. All countries can be visited without visas, have an infrastructure suitable for travel, have complete network coverage and ATMs. You stay in civilization - survival is possible ;-)
I am very excited about the people and cultures that I will meet and get to know on this trip.