Cycling in Korea :: Updates on MTB touring & related photos

I think it's becoming a more popular choice for some MTB riders using their bikes for distance touring. Tom @Ride-Earth.org.uk has fully converted his Kona for longer world touring expeditions. I enjoy using my MTB on longer rides in Korea. If you ride a high-end bike, the offroad options are plenty here. If you ride a lighter-quality build as I do, offroading is good, but seeing these OEM -SR Suntour forks bottom out on descents isn't fair play. I don't have the extra money to toss into high-end, tough builds that are available in this market. So, I enjoy a little XC riding, and usually take to paved roads to cover the extra ground required to get a good physical workout. My last three 'revival rides' from the respiratory attack I experienced cycling for a few hours in the Asian, "yellow dust" -made life hectic for about 8 weeks of brutality. Since then, I have finally recovered from extensive antibiotic treatments, then natural yogurt treatments and fresh fruit to restore the healthy bacteria again in the bowels. What a rough ride, hard to describe. So, cycling has returned in my routine here in South Korea. Recent photos are posted covering some of the scenes. There's a few photos taken in Gangneung, Gangwon Province where I now live with my family -Mi Sung and Matthew, and baby is coming in less than two weeks!! Back to riding, recent rides southbound and northbound from Gangneung (you can take an Express Bus here from any part of Korea, your bike in the storage compartment below the bus, remove front wheel, load, easy and welcomed by bus drivers too). Recent rides: to Donghae, Mureung Valley (with my friend Brian), and return to Gangneung in a day covered 129.7km. Yesterday, an exceptional day on the bike, 148.4km return trip to Sokcho on Hwy 7 and return to Gangneung. I also enjoy the trail riding around the beach area in Gangneung, there are a few pine forests to weave through while making your way north. The bicycle network continues north to the municipal areas furtherest rural extension where there is minimal development, a great area to ride to relax. I prefer high-mileage rides to cover the greatest distances, the residual feeling is incredible.

Refueling on the Rides:
I have also become an advocate of fueling on fruit through your rides. Remember to drink 1L of water per hour, hard to forget when you really need it. Raisins, apples and bananas are my favorite fuel on the road. I don't eat lunch after leaving home, it's all fruit and water and the power for the riding will continue throughout the day. I strongly recommend giving it a try, avoid the Powerbars and all the other snack foods that were designed to help you, it's nothing but junk! Go natural!

Stats: Refueled on 250g of raisins, 5 apples, 5L of H2O. No snacks, no power bars, no unnatural ingredients. I can swear by this, fruit is best fuel during the distance rides, and water.

Distance: 148.4km
Ride time: 6 hours, 8 minutes.
Avg speed: 24.1km/h
Max speed 56.5km/h

So, there's lots of riding and many aspects to Korea's terrain that make it a great place, just protect your lungs from dust, pollution and other hazards as I learned this spring, it can become almost a lethal dose of dirt. Peace from the rides, keep pedaling and enjoying nature's gifts -health, nature, fruit and the great places we can see from the saddle of our bikes. ^^!

Cycling in Korea :: Updates on MTB touring & related photos

I think it's becoming a more popular choice for some MTB riders using their bikes for distance touring. Tom @Ride-Earth.org.uk has fully converted his Kona for longer world touring expeditions. I enjoy using my MTB on longer rides in Korea. If you ride a high-end bike, the offroad options are plenty here. If you ride a lighter-quality build as I do, offroading is good, but seeing these OEM -SR Suntour forks bottom out on descents isn't fair play. I don't have the extra money to toss into high-end, tough builds that are available in this market. So, I enjoy a little XC riding, and usually take to paved roads to cover the extra ground required to get a good physical workout. My last three 'revival rides' from the respiratory attack I experienced cycling for a few hours in the Asian, "yellow dust" -made life hectic for about 8 weeks of brutality. Since then, I have finally recovered from extensive antibiotic treatments, then natural yogurt treatments and fresh fruit to restore the healthy bacteria again in the bowels. What a rough ride, hard to describe. So, cycling has returned in my routine here in South Korea. Recent photos are posted covering some of the scenes. There's a few photos taken in Gangneung, Gangwon Province where I now live with my family -Mi Sung and Matthew, and baby is coming in less than two weeks!! Back to riding, recent rides southbound and northbound from Gangneung (you can take an Express Bus here from any part of Korea, your bike in the storage compartment below the bus, remove front wheel, load, easy and welcomed by bus drivers too). Recent rides: to Donghae, Mureung Valley (with my friend Brian), and return to Gangneung in a day covered 129.7km. Yesterday, an exceptional day on the bike, 148.4km return trip to Sokcho on Hwy 7 and return to Gangneung. I also enjoy the trail riding around the beach area in Gangneung, there are a few pine forests to weave through while making your way north. The bicycle network continues north to the municipal areas furtherest rural extension where there is minimal development, a great area to ride to relax. I prefer high-mileage rides to cover the greatest distances, the residual feeling is incredible.

Refueling on the Rides:
I have also become an advocate of fueling on fruit through your rides. Remember to drink 1L of water per hour, hard to forget when you really need it. Raisins, apples and bananas are my favorite fuel on the road. I don't eat lunch after leaving home, it's all fruit and water and the power for the riding will continue throughout the day. I strongly recommend giving it a try, avoid the Powerbars and all the other snack foods that were designed to help you, it's nothing but junk! Go natural!

Stats: Refueled on 250g of raisins, 5 apples, 5L of H2O. No snacks, no power bars, no unnatural ingredients. I can swear by this, fruit is best fuel during the distance rides, and water.

Distance: 148.4km
Ride time: 6 hours, 8 minutes.
Avg speed: 24.1km/h
Max speed 56.5km/h

So, there's lots of riding and many aspects to Korea's terrain that make it a great place, just protect your lungs from dust, pollution and other hazards as I learned this spring, it can become almost a lethal dose of dirt. Peace from the rides, keep pedaling and enjoying nature's gifts -health, nature, fruit and the great places we can see from the saddle of our bikes. ^^!

Cycling in Korea :: Updates on MTB touring & related photos

I think it's becoming a more popular choice for some MTB riders using their bikes for distance touring. Tom @Ride-Earth.org.uk has fully converted his Kona for longer world touring expeditions. I enjoy using my MTB on longer rides in Korea. If you ride a high-end bike, the offroad options are plenty here. If you ride a lighter-quality build as I do, offroading is good, but seeing these OEM -SR Suntour forks bottom out on descents isn't fair play. I don't have the extra money to toss into high-end, tough builds that are available in this market. So, I enjoy a little XC riding, and usually take to paved roads to cover the extra ground required to get a good physical workout. My last three 'revival rides' from the respiratory attack I experienced cycling for a few hours in the Asian, "yellow dust" -made life hectic for about 8 weeks of brutality. Since then, I have finally recovered from extensive antibiotic treatments, then natural yogurt treatments and fresh fruit to restore the healthy bacteria again in the bowels. What a rough ride, hard to describe. So, cycling has returned in my routine here in South Korea. Recent photos are posted covering some of the scenes. There's a few photos taken in Gangneung, Gangwon Province where I now live with my family -Mi Sung and Matthew, and baby is coming in less than two weeks!! Back to riding, recent rides southbound and northbound from Gangneung (you can take an Express Bus here from any part of Korea, your bike in the storage compartment below the bus, remove front wheel, load, easy and welcomed by bus drivers too). Recent rides: to Donghae, Mureung Valley (with my friend Brian), and return to Gangneung in a day covered 129.7km. Yesterday, an exceptional day on the bike, 148.4km return trip to Sokcho on Hwy 7 and return to Gangneung. I also enjoy the trail riding around the beach area in Gangneung, there are a few pine forests to weave through while making your way north. The bicycle network continues north to the municipal areas furtherest rural extension where there is minimal development, a great area to ride to relax. I prefer high-mileage rides to cover the greatest distances, the residual feeling is incredible.

Refueling on the Rides:
I have also become an advocate of fueling on fruit through your rides. Remember to drink 1L of water per hour, hard to forget when you really need it. Raisins, apples and bananas are my favorite fuel on the road. I don't eat lunch after leaving home, it's all fruit and water and the power for the riding will continue throughout the day. I strongly recommend giving it a try, avoid the Powerbars and all the other snack foods that were designed to help you, it's nothing but junk! Go natural!

Stats: Refueled on 250g of raisins, 5 apples, 5L of H2O. No snacks, no power bars, no unnatural ingredients. I can swear by this, fruit is best fuel during the distance rides, and water.

Distance: 148.4km
Ride time: 6 hours, 8 minutes.
Avg speed: 24.1km/h
Max speed 56.5km/h

So, there's lots of riding and many aspects to Korea's terrain that make it a great place, just protect your lungs from dust, pollution and other hazards as I learned this spring, it can become almost a lethal dose of dirt. Peace from the rides, keep pedaling and enjoying nature's gifts -health, nature, fruit and the great places we can see from the saddle of our bikes. ^^!

Cycling in Korea :: Updates on MTB touring & related photos

I think it's becoming a more popular choice for some MTB riders using their bikes for distance touring. Tom @Ride-Earth.org.uk has fully converted his Kona for longer world touring expeditions. I enjoy using my MTB on longer rides in Korea. If you ride a high-end bike, the offroad options are plenty here. If you ride a lighter-quality build as I do, offroading is good, but seeing these OEM -SR Suntour forks bottom out on descents isn't fair play. I don't have the extra money to toss into high-end, tough builds that are available in this market. So, I enjoy a little XC riding, and usually take to paved roads to cover the extra ground required to get a good physical workout. My last three 'revival rides' from the respiratory attack I experienced cycling for a few hours in the Asian, "yellow dust" -made life hectic for about 8 weeks of brutality. Since then, I have finally recovered from extensive antibiotic treatments, then natural yogurt treatments and fresh fruit to restore the healthy bacteria again in the bowels. What a rough ride, hard to describe. So, cycling has returned in my routine here in South Korea. Recent photos are posted covering some of the scenes. There's a few photos taken in Gangneung, Gangwon Province where I now live with my family -Mi Sung and Matthew, and baby is coming in less than two weeks!! Back to riding, recent rides southbound and northbound from Gangneung (you can take an Express Bus here from any part of Korea, your bike in the storage compartment below the bus, remove front wheel, load, easy and welcomed by bus drivers too). Recent rides: to Donghae, Mureung Valley (with my friend Brian), and return to Gangneung in a day covered 129.7km. Yesterday, an exceptional day on the bike, 148.4km return trip to Sokcho on Hwy 7 and return to Gangneung. I also enjoy the trail riding around the beach area in Gangneung, there are a few pine forests to weave through while making your way north. The bicycle network continues north to the municipal areas furtherest rural extension where there is minimal development, a great area to ride to relax. I prefer high-mileage rides to cover the greatest distances, the residual feeling is incredible.

Refueling on the Rides:
I have also become an advocate of fueling on fruit through your rides. Remember to drink 1L of water per hour, hard to forget when you really need it. Raisins, apples and bananas are my favorite fuel on the road. I don't eat lunch after leaving home, it's all fruit and water and the power for the riding will continue throughout the day. I strongly recommend giving it a try, avoid the Powerbars and all the other snack foods that were designed to help you, it's nothing but junk! Go natural!

Stats: Refueled on 250g of raisins, 5 apples, 5L of H2O. No snacks, no power bars, no unnatural ingredients. I can swear by this, fruit is best fuel during the distance rides, and water.

Distance: 148.4km
Ride time: 6 hours, 8 minutes.
Avg speed: 24.1km/h
Max speed 56.5km/h

So, there's lots of riding and many aspects to Korea's terrain that make it a great place, just protect your lungs from dust, pollution and other hazards as I learned this spring, it can become almost a lethal dose of dirt. Peace from the rides, keep pedaling and enjoying nature's gifts -health, nature, fruit and the great places we can see from the saddle of our bikes. ^^!

Expeditions, Roz Savage, Global Row, TED Talks

Hi Ry,

Powerful speech, I have thought those thoughts over and over since I was in my 20's. The money is the difficulty in starting and finishing an extreme adventure. One advantage for the adventurer Roz Savage had was the high-powered job in London. Second, they are all British adventurers (historically leading the pace with expeditions)...Olly Hicks in the right lower corner of her photo set, sponsored by Virgin (Global Row). A friend of Alastair Humphreys, cycled 79,000km on his Bicycle WT (miraculously funded on rationed financial aid), and my friend Antony Jinman, just reached the North Pole, after successive arctic training missions in Canada and massive campaign work back in the UK to complete the last expedition, launched his new foundation Education Through Expeditions (ETE) and began planning for his future expeditions for the foundation's school outreach program in the UK. Antony is looking for like-minded, environmentally friendly adventurers launching expeditions to report back information about global climate changes from various parts of the world, he has contacted me about reporting back about my expedition in 2012.

The problem with expeditions and adventure travel is the financial considerations that are often overlooked. It takes a great deal of effort to either save for your expedition, or develop a unique idea/type of expedition to attract the right sponsors. As is mentioned on other sites, sponsorship hunting can be as challenging as the expedition itself. It's recommended to select a few companies (from thousands) and contact them directly and develop a personal relationship with someone on the inside. Meanwhile, you should be training and planning your route/means without sponsorship in mind. A full-time employment opportunity can produce enough income saved to launch a cycling, running, walking, skate boarding, etc means of expedition, and it can be done by anyone that is active and enthusiastic about the outdoors. In this case, the planning can take 6-12 months, by that time you will have assembled the right equipment to do the job. For extended travel (World Touring) or extreme adventures, such as Polar Exploration, you will need more than the right equipment, you'll need experience and training from experts (Google: polar exploration training) and time in the Arctic to acclimatize to the sub-zero conditions before setting foot alone on a trek into the unknown. The bicycle is less sponsored, less noticed as a means to expeditions because many people can travel there, compared to mountain summiting, polar and sea rowing expeditions where we are alone, truly alone - this is where the expeditions are going, this is where the money is for sponsors is hiding too.

Tom @ Ride Earth has the scoop on funding long-term travel (bicycle touring is the preferred example, but read more and find out...Thanks Tom, a great post!) I don't have all the answers because I am touring and cycling in Korea, however, over the past few years I have accumulated friends involved in the adventure lifestyle, I use this blog to share this information with others with similar interests. There are no secrets, however, without asking the right questions or these days, 'google'ing for the right answers, you might find yourself at a loss for the right solutions. It's important to persevere and continue your search until you have found the answers you were looking for in the first place. Many adventurers have become successful because they did their research and prepared to set off. The important part of your mission is creating a plan that works for you, and committing the time, energy, resources to reach your goal -the start! From the start, the plan begins to unfold, and you will gain more insight into something you've always had a passion for, but didn't completely understand from the inside-out. It takes initiative to be at the start. It's best to start right away, and enjoy your adventure. When you succeed, remember to report back from the expedition and help others that have similar interests, it's a way to support a community of people with like minds.

The greater your adversities, the greater the challenge, the greater the sponsorship opportunities are available to you. But sponsors generally don't just come along, you'll need to do a bit more selling, prepare your sponsorship pack. Once you secure sponsors, they will expect that you deliver on a promise, to help market their products while on your adventure. It's a business relationship because their product is being featured and marketed through your expedition. In some aspects, this is the commercialism of the adventure industry, but the equipment is essential in extreme conditions, and getting there requires a great deal of support, sometimes in the area of six figures to reach the most remote locations and receive food drops/refill stations. Bicycle touring is less extreme (depending on location), so it's also recommended to use the best equipment suitable for the conditions you will experience. If your cycling in Korea, you don't need much, a bicycle of any kind, a backpack, a rack (saving the weight), and panniers and camping equipment is an option. In this country, we have Jim-Jil-Bangs (public bathhouse/sauna/sleeping rooms) that are co-ed (after the bathing is complete) and they provide you with cotton t-shirts and shorts for the night. It's warm and generally comfortable accommodations (bring your ear plugs to be sure!). All this costs about 9,000 Won per night, camping of course on the beach or in rural countryside areas is free. Korea is surrounded by ocean, so coastal cycling and camping is preferred. Extreme adventures and long-term bicycle touring require the right combination of equipment, see Tim Travis's site Downtheroad.org for all the details on bicycle touring equipment.

Ryan, you should consider something...being young, you have many advantages (a year off work isn't a big decision, you have many years to recover for one!) and expeditions are a place to arrive at amazing destinations, that is why I am doing it.

Cheers, Brian P ^_^!

Expeditions, Roz Savage, Global Row, TED Talks

Hi Ry,

Powerful speech, I have thought those thoughts over and over since I was in my 20's. The money is the difficulty in starting and finishing an extreme adventure. One advantage for the adventurer Roz Savage had was the high-powered job in London. Second, they are all British adventurers (historically leading the pace with expeditions)...Olly Hicks in the right lower corner of her photo set, sponsored by Virgin (Global Row). A friend of Alastair Humphreys, cycled 79,000km on his Bicycle WT (miraculously funded on rationed financial aid), and my friend Antony Jinman, just reached the North Pole, after successive arctic training missions in Canada and massive campaign work back in the UK to complete the last expedition, launched his new foundation Education Through Expeditions (ETE) and began planning for his future expeditions for the foundation's school outreach program in the UK. Antony is looking for like-minded, environmentally friendly adventurers launching expeditions to report back information about global climate changes from various parts of the world, he has contacted me about reporting back about my expedition in 2012.

The problem with expeditions and adventure travel is the financial considerations that are often overlooked. It takes a great deal of effort to either save for your expedition, or develop a unique idea/type of expedition to attract the right sponsors. As is mentioned on other sites, sponsorship hunting can be as challenging as the expedition itself. It's recommended to select a few companies (from thousands) and contact them directly and develop a personal relationship with someone on the inside. Meanwhile, you should be training and planning your route/means without sponsorship in mind. A full-time employment opportunity can produce enough income saved to launch a cycling, running, walking, skate boarding, etc means of expedition, and it can be done by anyone that is active and enthusiastic about the outdoors. In this case, the planning can take 6-12 months, by that time you will have assembled the right equipment to do the job. For extended travel (World Touring) or extreme adventures, such as Polar Exploration, you will need more than the right equipment, you'll need experience and training from experts (Google: polar exploration training) and time in the Arctic to acclimatize to the sub-zero conditions before setting foot alone on a trek into the unknown. The bicycle is less sponsored, less noticed as a means to expeditions because many people can travel there, compared to mountain summiting, polar and sea rowing expeditions where we are alone, truly alone - this is where the expeditions are going, this is where the money is for sponsors is hiding too.

Tom @ Ride Earth has the scoop on funding long-term travel (bicycle touring is the preferred example, but read more and find out...Thanks Tom, a great post!) I don't have all the answers because I am touring and cycling in Korea, however, over the past few years I have accumulated friends involved in the adventure lifestyle, I use this blog to share this information with others with similar interests. There are no secrets, however, without asking the right questions or these days, 'google'ing for the right answers, you might find yourself at a loss for the right solutions. It's important to persevere and continue your search until you have found the answers you were looking for in the first place. Many adventurers have become successful because they did their research and prepared to set off. The important part of your mission is creating a plan that works for you, and committing the time, energy, resources to reach your goal -the start! From the start, the plan begins to unfold, and you will gain more insight into something you've always had a passion for, but didn't completely understand from the inside-out. It takes initiative to be at the start. It's best to start right away, and enjoy your adventure. When you succeed, remember to report back from the expedition and help others that have similar interests, it's a way to support a community of people with like minds.

The greater your adversities, the greater the challenge, the greater the sponsorship opportunities are available to you. But sponsors generally don't just come along, you'll need to do a bit more selling, prepare your sponsorship pack. Once you secure sponsors, they will expect that you deliver on a promise, to help market their products while on your adventure. It's a business relationship because their product is being featured and marketed through your expedition. In some aspects, this is the commercialism of the adventure industry, but the equipment is essential in extreme conditions, and getting there requires a great deal of support, sometimes in the area of six figures to reach the most remote locations and receive food drops/refill stations. Bicycle touring is less extreme (depending on location), so it's also recommended to use the best equipment suitable for the conditions you will experience. If your cycling in Korea, you don't need much, a bicycle of any kind, a backpack, a rack (saving the weight), and panniers and camping equipment is an option. In this country, we have Jim-Jil-Bangs (public bathhouse/sauna/sleeping rooms) that are co-ed (after the bathing is complete) and they provide you with cotton t-shirts and shorts for the night. It's warm and generally comfortable accommodations (bring your ear plugs to be sure!). All this costs about 9,000 Won per night, camping of course on the beach or in rural countryside areas is free. Korea is surrounded by ocean, so coastal cycling and camping is preferred. Extreme adventures and long-term bicycle touring require the right combination of equipment, see Tim Travis's site Downtheroad.org for all the details on bicycle touring equipment.

Ryan, you should consider something...being young, you have many advantages (a year off work isn't a big decision, you have many years to recover for one!) and expeditions are a place to arrive at amazing destinations, that is why I am doing it.

Cheers, Brian P ^_^!

Expeditions, Roz Savage, Global Row, TED Talks

Hi Ry,

Powerful speech, I have thought those thoughts over and over since I was in my 20's. The money is the difficulty in starting and finishing an extreme adventure. One advantage for the adventurer Roz Savage had was the high-powered job in London. Second, they are all British adventurers (historically leading the pace with expeditions)...Olly Hicks in the right lower corner of her photo set, sponsored by Virgin (Global Row). A friend of Alastair Humphreys, cycled 79,000km on his Bicycle WT (miraculously funded on rationed financial aid), and my friend Antony Jinman, just reached the North Pole, after successive arctic training missions in Canada and massive campaign work back in the UK to complete the last expedition, launched his new foundation Education Through Expeditions (ETE) and began planning for his future expeditions for the foundation's school outreach program in the UK. Antony is looking for like-minded, environmentally friendly adventurers launching expeditions to report back information about global climate changes from various parts of the world, he has contacted me about reporting back about my expedition in 2012.

The problem with expeditions and adventure travel is the financial considerations that are often overlooked. It takes a great deal of effort to either save for your expedition, or develop a unique idea/type of expedition to attract the right sponsors. As is mentioned on other sites, sponsorship hunting can be as challenging as the expedition itself. It's recommended to select a few companies (from thousands) and contact them directly and develop a personal relationship with someone on the inside. Meanwhile, you should be training and planning your route/means without sponsorship in mind. A full-time employment opportunity can produce enough income saved to launch a cycling, running, walking, skate boarding, etc means of expedition, and it can be done by anyone that is active and enthusiastic about the outdoors. In this case, the planning can take 6-12 months, by that time you will have assembled the right equipment to do the job. For extended travel (World Touring) or extreme adventures, such as Polar Exploration, you will need more than the right equipment, you'll need experience and training from experts (Google: polar exploration training) and time in the Arctic to acclimatize to the sub-zero conditions before setting foot alone on a trek into the unknown. The bicycle is less sponsored, less noticed as a means to expeditions because many people can travel there, compared to mountain summiting, polar and sea rowing expeditions where we are alone, truly alone - this is where the expeditions are going, this is where the money is for sponsors is hiding too.

Tom @ Ride Earth has the scoop on funding long-term travel (bicycle touring is the preferred example, but read more and find out...Thanks Tom, a great post!) I don't have all the answers because I am touring and cycling in Korea, however, over the past few years I have accumulated friends involved in the adventure lifestyle, I use this blog to share this information with others with similar interests. There are no secrets, however, without asking the right questions or these days, 'google'ing for the right answers, you might find yourself at a loss for the right solutions. It's important to persevere and continue your search until you have found the answers you were looking for in the first place. Many adventurers have become successful because they did their research and prepared to set off. The important part of your mission is creating a plan that works for you, and committing the time, energy, resources to reach your goal -the start! From the start, the plan begins to unfold, and you will gain more insight into something you've always had a passion for, but didn't completely understand from the inside-out. It takes initiative to be at the start. It's best to start right away, and enjoy your adventure. When you succeed, remember to report back from the expedition and help others that have similar interests, it's a way to support a community of people with like minds.

The greater your adversities, the greater the challenge, the greater the sponsorship opportunities are available to you. But sponsors generally don't just come along, you'll need to do a bit more selling, prepare your sponsorship pack. Once you secure sponsors, they will expect that you deliver on a promise, to help market their products while on your adventure. It's a business relationship because their product is being featured and marketed through your expedition. In some aspects, this is the commercialism of the adventure industry, but the equipment is essential in extreme conditions, and getting there requires a great deal of support, sometimes in the area of six figures to reach the most remote locations and receive food drops/refill stations. Bicycle touring is less extreme (depending on location), so it's also recommended to use the best equipment suitable for the conditions you will experience. If your cycling in Korea, you don't need much, a bicycle of any kind, a backpack, a rack (saving the weight), and panniers and camping equipment is an option. In this country, we have Jim-Jil-Bangs (public bathhouse/sauna/sleeping rooms) that are co-ed (after the bathing is complete) and they provide you with cotton t-shirts and shorts for the night. It's warm and generally comfortable accommodations (bring your ear plugs to be sure!). All this costs about 9,000 Won per night, camping of course on the beach or in rural countryside areas is free. Korea is surrounded by ocean, so coastal cycling and camping is preferred. Extreme adventures and long-term bicycle touring require the right combination of equipment, see Tim Travis's site Downtheroad.org for all the details on bicycle touring equipment.

Ryan, you should consider something...being young, you have many advantages (a year off work isn't a big decision, you have many years to recover for one!) and expeditions are a place to arrive at amazing destinations, that is why I am doing it.

Cheers, Brian P ^_^!