RTW Correspondence with Linda Lee interested in Cycling in Korea, Bicycle Touring in South Korea, Routes & Ideas

My RTW Correspondence with Linda Lee who is planning on Cycling in Korea....includes the  following bits of information:

• Where to ride in South Korea?
• Route suggestions for South Korea bicycle travel 
• Suggestions on purchasing a bicycle in South Korea
• Free Camping or Stealth camping in South Korea
• Jim-Jil-Bangs/Sauna/Guesthouses where cyclists stay
• Cycling clubs for distance bicycle endurance training 
• National Park Camping in South Korea 
• Warning advisory for Yellow Dust in Korea
• Best seasons to bicycle tour in Korea

[Linda Lee writes:]

Hi Brian,

I saw your website and blog online and I thought I'd give you a shot about some advise about biking in Korea. I'm visiting Korea this winter and spring, doing some traveling and was thinking of doing a ride around Korea in May. Do you have any recommendations for where you've ridden? Any advise? Also, I'm assuming you're traveling with your own bike, but have you seen any decent resale situations in Korea? I ride a Trek road bike with SRAM set up at home, but it will cost more than 400 to bring my bike with me, so I was hoping maybe to even buy something used to use while there.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I will hear back from you, but if you're in the mood to share some tips, please feel free to ride.

With great appreciation,

Linda 

http://www.busanhaps.com/article/biking-korea-then-world

http://arctic2argentina.com/

Brian Perich

Hi Linda,

I post hundreds of updates and get about 1% feedback directly, (:  So, I am glad to assist anyone. I would recommend watching  http://seoul.craigslist.co.kr/bik/   And you can purchase either a road or MTB for your shipping price in Korea. If you have a friend here, have them look around, the local high-end market is really expensive, I have ridden pieces of good bikes put together through sponsors.

Routes: so many!  Check the Korea Randonneurs website, download the routes, they should be up there, or directly from Jan Boonstra's informative Cycling in Korea website.  I will definitely recommend the East Coast, from Dong Seoul Express Bus Terminal to Sokcho, you can rest and relax with your bike stowed under the bus, watch the scenery as you cross the country.

Once you arrive in Sokcho, pedal south to Seoraksan National Park (nearby camping only $2 per night/pp.). Other cities en route: Yang Yang, Gangneung (where I live, welcome to couch surf or we can recommend a local hotel that is comfortable for you), Donghae, Samcheok, ...Uljin, Gyeongju, Pohang, Ulsan, Busan (455km, about 4-5 days, camping okay or you can stay at Jim-Jil-Bangs/Sauna/Guesthouses with private shower/steam/scrub areas for each gender, plus common areas with sweat lodge style experiences, and pillows for sleeping over night, it's warm and inexpensive too (about $7USD per night, stay as long as you like). 

You can also consider stealth or free camping as long as you stay off the beaches which are patrolled at night by ROK soldiers. The South Korean coast is safe, but you should be camping in the trees, not directly on the beaches at night. There are designated campgrounds like Mangsang Beach in Donghae, or along the West Coast which are open year-round for beachside camping. You can camp for free about anywhere there are trees, nature, mountains, rocks and level ground (:

Other routes are possible from Gangneung, you can reroute to the mountains, climb about 1000 meters in 20km on Daegwallyeong, continue 25km to Jinbu, and turn south on Hwy 35, beautiful inner mountain highway through Jeongseon, Taebaek, and you can also loop back to the coast to Donghae or continue inland to other cities. It's very safe to cycle tour in Korea, bring or buy a local standard bicycle lock though, there are thefts in bigger cities, I keep my bike with me, or lock it up with camping overnight, nobody would bother you camping 99.9% of the time here. It'll be a great tour. 

Keep in mind, spring Yellow Dust season can be deadly serious, I would recommend the summer (July-August) to get the most out of riding smog and dust-free, you could ferry to Jeju-do Island from Busan once you get down there, all information can be googled that I am mentioning, about 4-5 days, camping ok, tour around the volcanic island with pristine beaches (sweltering hot in July-August though, better for the spring May tour, the dust problem wouldn't affect you)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Dust 


Best seasons to bicycle tour in Korea are Summer-Winter (June-February), keeping in mind the Yellow Dust in (March-May), it's fantastic the rest of the year. Winter is also the clearest for air quality, low smog/dust and best for touring on the coastal perimeters (West, East or South coasts & Jeju Island).

You could also continue your tour in Japan, another option with the ferry  http://visitkorea.or.kr/ena/GK/GK_EN_2_3_1.jsp 

Jan Boonstra has an excellent set of maps, he knows the interior routes across Korea

http://user.chollian.net/~boonstra/korea/sebu.htm 

Hope this helps! Cheers & perhaps I'll meet you when you come to Korea

Brian Perich - Korean-World Blogger

http://korean-world.blogspot.com

 

 This is when I need to push my bicycle in Korean winters

 Gangwon-do (Province) is on the northeastern corner of the country, great cycling!

 Small trails around farms in Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province, South Korea

 Rice starting to grow in early summer months (June)

 Korean farm tractors

 Simple MTB (mountain bike) for bike-lite camping, tent strapped on crossbar protected with pipe insulation sold at hardware stores in Korea

 Cycling with my friend Jon Adie around Gangneung. There are regional riders all over the country that know their areas on the back of their hands. I am one of them (and have only my perspectives, there is much to learn and enjoy about cycling in many areas of South Korea).  There are off-road MTB clubs like MTBK (Mountain Biking in Korea group on Facebook/Yahoo), Han River Riders (Facebook) in Seoul, Cycling in Korea (Facebook) and there are loads of friendly Korean bicycle clubs and organized events planned each year (easiest if you get involved directly or know someone that can speak Korean to help you) and Internationals here to help.

 Pine forests surround Gangneung City's rural area of South Korea

 English teachers frequently ride in Korea! (Go Jon Go!!!)

I also enjoy Adventure Cycling in Korea, great training to ride the world!!!