Micro Adventures // Brian Perich Expeditions by Mountain Bike

 Himalayan Blackcat MTB Expedition is back together for 2013.

 Custom rear wheel rim is a DH Jalco DD40. 

Using a 9-speed 36-spoke Shimano SLX rear hub laced with steel spokes to brass nipples.

 South Korean stone carving markers for this village.

 Custom $25 front rack, Thanks for your help AN DAE GI @ Gangneung Bike Mart

Massive Ortlieb Rollerback panniers

Winter is finally here in South Korea. Tomorrow it's time to head outdoors for an annual Snow Bike in the mountains around Pyeongchang-gun. Last year around this time, I camped at -20 and 1000 meters above sea level on drifts and a farm field covered in 5 feet of snow pack. I remember the night ride from Gangneung City, Gangwon Province on the northeast coast to the top using Daegwallyeong road (Highway 35 to Hwy 456). It's a nice course for cycle touring. Actually, that night I routed completely on the Hwy 35 past the Coffee Cupper Museum for a warm, toasty java and a free shot of expresso in my Camelback podium bottle on the refill. Adventure cycling is good in rough weather, cold or hot conditions, preferably dry heat or dry cold with snow as precipitation. Sub-24 Hour Overnight (S24O) Adventures are also known as Micro Adventures. If you are tied to work, family, other tasks at hand - the S24O is often the best solution for planning an intense, albeit short expedition of a day. I've experimented with this a few times in Korea, with a family and work - often I have no other option. These short Micro Adventures have been amazing, great positive experiences for sharing in social media, and just to be outdoors - it's a great reason to travel too. So, with little advanced planning involved, apart from reassembling a winter MTB, I'm using the old, aluminum Blackcat frame again, same components from MongoliaX2012 - to do a little more exploring up in the 1000 meter hills.

Looking back on past tours - These photos are highlights from Sichuan, China where I rode into the Himalayas from Chengdu. Exploring western China was the first and biggest expedition of my life. It was also an excellent change from the Korean peninsula. Sampling pictures, you get to taste the adventure of bicycle touring fully loaded, in a land as vast and empty as it is populated in the East.

So, there are many options for bicycle touring. You can either play if safe and adventure for 24 hours S24O - and still have great experiences in the elements - wind, rain, sun, snow accompanying you. Or you can plan bigger, longer and potentially more wild and vivid journeys through browsing the internet, reading blogs and buying Lonely Planet guidebooks like I did. Fortunately, time is on your side.

Adventure cycling is about going outdoors, experiencing nature first hand, carrying the right equipment to play safe and expedition more. The better planned, balanced and budgeted, the better the memories that will likely last the rest of your natural life on Earth. Our planet is beautiful and should be explored and protected. The natural landscapes, the empty spaces, no quarters, and friendly faces when you finally come across them on the road - are all positive and inspirational moments to keep for a lifetime.

HimalayasX2011 - Sino-Tibetan Yak Herders camp, 4028 meters, south of Jolong

                               South bound in Sichuan Kham China

 Maps: the key to communicate.

                                                        Lone cow in the Himalayas.

Narrow trail that solved a huge struggle around
the Himalayas. I would continue south towards
southern Sichuan.

 He slipped on a sheer drop over the river, 

we are walking on the the avalanched 

mountain side where the road was buried 

4 months ago in earth quakes.

  Help came from a rural doctor and friends.

2008 Blackcat Expedition Touring MTB

 

HimalayasX2011 - Sino-Tibetan Yak Herders camp, 4028 meters

 from Brian Perich on Vimeo.

from Brian Perich 10 months ago / 

Creative Commons License:

 

by

South of a landslide, Jolong, Sichuan, China. I met a Sino (grandfather) Tibetan (grandmother) and their daughter and grnadchildren on their yak herd camp. We were situated at 4000 meters above sea level. This was part of my HimalayasX2011 expedition project for western China.

Video is raw, unedited. 20 minutes into the filming, the grandmother is preparing her hand churn, which separates the yak butter milk and the cream, the latter is turned into a sour dough yak yogurt.

I support IDEAS, Intestinal Disease Education & Awareness Sociey, Canada
nogutsknowglory.com

In partnership with, ETE, Education Through Expeditions
etehome.org

Inspiration is living, breathing, walking, running, riding out there. Enjoy your next adventure. Explore!

Immerse yourself in culture in new terrain, topography and endurance and try something brand new. I left Canada in 1996. These photos are a sample of bicycle expedition touring in western China in 2011. More adventures are opportunities not to be missed. So Explore!

 "Inspiration and genius--one and the same."

Victor Hugo

 "Every artist was first an amateur."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 "Life has no smooth road for any of us; and in the bracing atmosphere of a high aim the very roughness stimulates the climber to steadier steps, till the legend, over steep ways to the stars, fulfills itself."

W. C. Doane

"Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great."

Orison Swett Marden

 IDEAS and ETE - Foundations I support through Adventure Cycling

 "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Wayne Gretzky

"First say to yourself what you would be;

and then do what you have to do."

Epictetus

"Men do less than they ought,

unless they do all they can."

Thomas Carlyle

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit"

Aristotle

 "If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes."

St. Clement of Alexandra

I enjoy solo cycling most of the years in South Korea, then when I launch expeditions, I give myself enough time to enjoy cycling with new friends, take on new adventures, acquire new languages, while immersed in culture. Traveling through new terrain, topography using endurance. When I am home now in Korea, I actually enjoy long walks...quiet, simple, no equipment except shoes and warm clothes. I never cycle for 10 weeks before these expeditions, another fact, I walked many kilometers. 
Explore and experience the world in front of you. 

Exploring takes some planning, budgeting, deadlines, then it's your postcard to a whole new adventure. (: 

My blog is a source of my own and many others adventures through links, enjoy! 

Happy 2013...Year of Adventure (or walks, relaxing, hard working, family, friendship, challenge, and of course, what is needed most to accomplish it - Inspiration.)   ---  If you enjoy the blog, please feel free to use the PayPal link [right navigation], make a contribution, send email if you need some free advice.

The India Ride :: 14,000km Journey in 60 Days on Royal Enfield Motorcycles after Circumnavigating China for a Guinness Record

India Ride: Pre-Ride Teaser from G219 Productions on Vimeo.

MKR: Television Trailer from G219 Productions on Vimeo.


MKR: Television Trailer from G219 Productions on Vimeo.

AND

Borderlands: June 2012 Promo (Link)

Cycling from the Hermit Kingdom to Western China, Reloaded Bicycle Expedition Touring

Northern Silk Road - G314, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, western China (south of Tian Shan!)

My first expedition by bicycle, 3240km standing-only train, 1028km of extreme bus journey, 505km of hitch-hiking, 3200km cycling in western China - solo & with other adventurers down the road

 After the painful arrival on the train (36 hours, no toilet, no seats, standing-room only) Mark helps with a mobile phone purchase (100 RMB/Chinese Reminbi/Yuan) and mobile card for the first 30 days (100RMB)

 Mobile phone markets are common in China. Find a deal for less than new. I purchased a 2003 Siemens mobile and a China mobile 100RMB recharge card (including mobile telephone number). Deal.

 iPhones are available in the Chinese market, cheaper than export markets, Made in China.

 Mark and I met on the Beijing-Urumqi Express train ($49 USD, 316 RMB/Yuan)

 Not only are the noodles good in China, there are all sorts of ways to serve it up in Urumqi, Xinjiang 

The bare essentials - Ortlieb Ultimate (Large, Black) waterproof, handlebar bag, bottles, snack, water, toothbrush/paste, rear mirror, diary/pen*,bike repair tools (Topeak Alien II), glasses, Xpedition stickers

 Lowepro SLR camera bag (circa 1994), Canon IXUS 90is, Sony Handycam HDR-XR550V, Samsung Yepp 4GB mp3 player, Siemens phone/mini charger, Bodyglove sunglasses, spare batteries

Food supply for the expedition, oatmeal, raisins, dried apricots, water...Taklamakan Desert 552km was crossed with this and 6 loaves of Nan Bread. Just Do It. 

 Starting out on a new ride, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Western China 

 Cycling the G314 leads to Kashgar, northwest to Kazhakstan, north to Mongolia, west to India, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, South to Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Burma (Myanmar)

 Proposed route across the Spine of TIBET, Himalayas of Xizang Autonomous Region of western China

 Proposed route across the Tian Shan Mountains, Taklamakan Desert, Uyghur Autonomous Region

 Leaving Gangneung, Gangwon-do, South Korea from LPG car (Gangneung-Incheon, 3 hours) to Ferry (Incheon-Tianjin, 36 hours) to Bike/Bus Tianjin/Train (2 hours) to Bike to Train to Bike 

 China is a very big place (especially when coming from South Korea!)

Mark wishes me all the best (but I think he had serious doubts about my safety on the road, he didn't know me well enough...same is true of many cyclists in Korea, they don't know me!!!!) 

 Finally ready for lift-off from Urumqi, China 

 Something important I prepared before leaving the Korean-World, a Logo banner supporting IDEAS foundation and Education Through Expeditions - Love you guys and important missions!

 Custom touring mountain bike (I wouldn't have it any other way...2008 Blackcat stock-aluminum frame OEM Giant, Bontrager Race Disc Wheelsets, Shimano Deore LX Hollow crank, Fox RL 32 front shocks

 Pavement and poplars in Urumqi metropolitan area

 Strapped for an expedition, cycle weighs 23kg, equipment 27kg, full-loaded touring

 My GOPRO helmet camera HD, 32GB Class 10 memory loaded

 My graphic design job, 1 semester of graphic design in California (circa 2001)

 Hitting the pavement for the next 3200km of expedition bicycle touring (10% of the A2A2012-2014)

 Signs are explained in Arabic, Chinese Pinying, and English (+ Numerical) at the start

 Older Uyghur settlements in Urumqi are being paved over, history is right next to the road!

 G30 Southbound, Highway travel by bicycle is NOT enforced as illegal in Xinjiang (luckily!)

 I ride hard, I always wear my mask (dust allergies, asthma, keeps hydration levels higher)

 Crankwerks sessions, 100km a day, 3200km + leap days+/days off-, I returned to Beijing 57 days later.

 Note: non-ergo grips. I rode the entire expedition hard on the hands. Next stage, Ergo grips already installed!

 G312/G30 split, the modern Silk Road in China never looked smoother. Straight ahead!

 Signs change to Arabic, Chinese Pinying and Numerical 

 Irrigation such as this is essential and breathes life into Uyghur Autonomous Region (the way they always did it...something of yesterday and of today). Waters run south from the Tian Shan Mountains.

 Open roads beckon the endurance cyclist in western China. I found the expressways an essential route across some of the barren parts of Xinjiang (New Province in Chinese language). Note: this is Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. A unique culture living alongside the Han Chinese.

 Feeling thirsty? With a MSR micro-filtration system...it's a source of a cyclist's best friend on the road, H2O.

 Long haul truckin' on a custom MTB-touring bike, it's an awesome feeling today! Turpan 157km, others?

 HimalayasX2011 is a unique cycle experience to take on my greatest challenge to date, the unknown western  ranges of China

 Sheep travel in small herds in Xinjiang, Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

 Getting water when I was running low. This is a full-service, 1-stop brothel alone the desert highway.

 Friendly people making a living. I escaped with boiled water (Rhur Shuaa/Kai Shuaa)

 Back on the G30,G312 and glad to see that China is thinking ahead: Wind Turbine Power.

 Stoked (excited) to meet people at truck stops after traveling for hours in the desolate western G312

 Truckers out west in China have big hearts, nice to meet so many of you all!

 How is this for an amazing shot, high school students who work at the Petrochem station, Thanks guys!

 The high school students work at the Petrochem station and live in the dormitory, I take a room for free and share some GOPRO video with them. Language and cultures connect. 

Peace guys, you made my adventure great!