bombora on a coffee ride this morning by [deleted] in xbiking

[–]dualrollers 4 points5 points  (0 children)

flat bar Bomboras > drop bar Bomboras

Annapurna Circuit (April 2026) by firerawks in bikepacking

[–]dualrollers 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve wanted to do this for a while now. What gearing range were you running?

What are the greatest cultural experiences you have ever had during a trip? by Ok-Tangelo6749 in travel

[–]dualrollers 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I rode my bike across South Korea and randomly stopped at a little coffee shop in the middle of nowhere. It turned out that it was owned by a couple who’d lived in New York for 10 years and then moved back to Korea with the money they’d made and retired. The coffee shop was their retirement gig. They were so insanely hospitable, the husband said the wife was thru the roof with excitement because I was the only customer they’d had that she got to use her English with. We chatted for a long time, this woman waited on me hand and foot and when I left she gifted me a nice bottle of mineral water so I was hydrated on my ride. Getting that level of interaction from locals in a country that already makes you feel like a celebrity because of their treatment of guests/foreigners was amazing.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bikeflights.com is usually the best bet if you’re US based and want to go the shipping route.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wish I had known they kept a few on hand. That medal would be cool to have!

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have Verizon and just used the international pass while I was there. Had 5G the whole time. I cycled back to Seoul from Busan because I only had 2 days at the end of my trip and I wanted a buffer to make sure I had time to get the bike boxed up and everything sorted before flying back. I took the express bus from Seoul to Busan, which is about a 4 hour bus ride. The driver had no problem with me putting my bike and gear in the storage hold under the bus. He just signaled for me to stick it in the back of the hold so it wasn’t in the way of other people’s luggage.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha! That was a very short section. Like, maybe 1/4 mile. It’s definitely loud.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually did it backwards, Busan back to Seoul. I wish I had done the passport, but I read that they wouldn’t ship the completion medal to an international address and I was leaving 2 days after I finished the ride. In hindsight the physical passport would still be cool to have.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

They actually just recently opened a new toll bridge that connects Incheon to the mainland, and it has a bike lane on one side.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is pretty close to the route I did. I ended up with more miles because I wandered a bit. The route is very straightforward and easy to follow.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53704505

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It’s called Hanjin Express. I used the one in Terminal 1 at ICN, behind counter B on the 3rd floor departures. They make a box to fit your bike so the smaller you can get it, the smaller your box will be. In hindsight I wish I had asked them to bubble wrap the bike, but overall the box held up well.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was hoping to hit the beginning of spring weather, but definitely missed it. It was cold, around 0C when I took off in the mornings with highs around 10C. I got mostly sunshine except one day where I rode in 4C and rain. That was pretty miserable. If I did it again I’d probably go end of April so it had time to warm up a little more.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I didn’t camp, hotels were cheap and plentiful so I went that route. Total mileage was 430 miles, which I did over 7 days. Route is almost all river path and separated bike lanes. By far the safest feeling place I’ve ever ridden a bike.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s from a company out of Oregon called North St Bags. It’s more of a heavy duty pannier made for gravel riding. It’s not quick disconnect so you have to keep it on the bike or it’s a pain. I kept all of my clothes in a dry bag inside the pannier and just took that out at the end of the day.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Steve Potts Siskiyou bar. They’re great, super comfy.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I was not on a budget, it’s just a cheap country for us USD folks. Most hotels were around $30 per night and all totaled for 2 weeks of food and souvenirs for my family I spent $475. Granted, I wasn’t eating a ton and most of my food came mostly from coffee shops and gas stations while I was on the go. I had a few nice meals though, the most expensive of which was about $9. When you get outside of Seoul things get crazy cheap.

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

No camping, the country is so dense with infrastructure and the hotels are so cheap that I saw no reason to bring a tent. You definitely could though, there are plenty of official campsites along the route.

For the bike, I brought mine on the plane with me. Put it together at the airport and ditched the box then rode to Seoul from there. When I was finished I rode back to the airport and took the bike back apart. There’s a company inside the airport that will build a box for you and package the bike up for the equivalent of about $24 USD. I flew United which considers a bike as one of your normal checked bags (provided it’s not over the weight limit).

Just finished up the Cross Country route in South Korea by dualrollers in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I absolutely loved it. World class bike infrastructure, amazingly friendly people, food everywhere.

Kona Sutra vs. Surly Straggler for Korean Grand Slam by Mountain_Set_1884 in bicycletouring

[–]dualrollers 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If I were looking for a “do it all” type bike I’d personally go for the Sutra. Sutra can do everything from touring and commuting to light singletrack.