Final stats and superlatives
Posted by Krista
Total distance cycled: 8,811 kilometres
Biggest day: 195 kilometres, 9 hours 40 mins in the saddle
Top speed: 73.2 km/h
Highest pass: Khunjerab Pass, Pakistan, 4733 metres
Longest downhill: 89kms from Khunjerab to Sust, Pakistan
Punctures: 11 (including five blowouts)
Bike repairs: 2 freehubs, 1 front hub, rim of back wheel, broken chain, 3 rear gear cables
Longest border crossing: China, they have a three-hour lunch break and we arrived just as it began…
Major cities: The Hague, Antwerp, Cologne, Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Istanbul, Tbilisi, Baku, Bukhara, Tashkent, Osh, Kashkar, Islamabad
Most surprising language: Turkish – we’ve been able to communicate with various modifications of Turkish for 5,000 kilometres across Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and even into Xinjiang in China!
Most lovable local hat: The Kalpak, found all over Kyrgyzstan and proudly modelled here by Dan, who was given it by Abdulrahim (centre), the first friend we made in Kyrgyzstan.
Total time taken: 10 months cycling + 5 months waiting out winter in Istanbul + 9 months trip planning = 2 years!
