Who are
we ?
We are a couple of cyclists living in Lyon.
You will discover below a reciprocal introduction of both of us.
So after reading this, who would you take in your team?
Our introduction
Camille
I met Camille about 3 years ago during a road bike ride. What impressed me right away was her ability to climb at a very steady pace without even breaking a sweat. I even wondered if she was human. She is not afraid of long, difficult rides.
She's not afraid to hit the road and to give up her daily comforts: A shower with a wipe?!!! No worries! Sleeping in a tent in the middle of nowhere ?!! No worries neither!
​
Her featherweight does not let us suspect her ogre's appetite. You'd better have some food reserves in the rear bag. Because, if she suddenly feels hungry without enough food reserves : run for shelter! We meet then a new person, mixing Lara Croft and the Donkey in Shrek. Just figure out a donkey with an opinel on his belt ready to fight and never moving a step forward until he ate his roasted chicken with new potatoes.
​
To make a long story short, this trip with her is going to be full of adventures and unforgettable experiences.
Romain
I first met Romain during a bike ride and our first conversation was a mechanical one: I had my chain jumping and he fixed it quicky like a pro. No doubt about it, I'm hiting the road with an outstanding technician, able to solve any mechanical issue even in the middle of the desert ( well I hope so !!).
​
Nothing restists to his strong calves, not even a strong headwind. In this kind of situation, the best place is to hide behind him, protected from the wind. Like a real "workhorse" of 1m90, you are barely disheveled by the gusts.
​
He is not a salesman for nothing: communication and easy contact are his main strengths. Curious about everything, the encounters during our future journey will be completely natural.
​
He knows how to manage stressful moments with calmness and serenity.
He will always try to fix the problem in a rational manner.
​
Optimistic and benevolent by nature, he is always positive. During my little psychological failures, he is always here to support me and to show me that we can do it!
Simply put, he is the man you need for this kind of challenge!
Our bikes
The choice of bike equipment is very important since we will spend a lot of time on the saddle in the next few months. For the comfort of our little butts and to avoid any potential mechanical problems, we informed ourselves well about the different possibilities.
The Craftsman "Vagabonde"
After many researches, we chose handmade bikes, created by a duo of craftsmen located at the foot of the Vercors, precisely in Chatuzange-le-Goubet.
At Vagabonde Cycle, all is handmade in their workshop: from the cutting of the steel tubes to the welding, including the spoking of the wheels and the assembly of the components.
​
We had the free choice of components, while being advised by an experienced man Patrice Drouin (founder of Vagabonde).
The components
We chose some options to allow an easy repair whatever the country we are in.
For example, we chose a gear shifting system integrated to the rear hub, which let many people believe that our bikes are electric (but no, we can assure you that we will cover all those kilometers by our leg strength).
This solution avoids all the derailleur issues and allows us to fit any kind of chain on our bikes ( It seems that even a moped chain could fit on it !!).
​
At the front we chose a dynamo to power the headlight but also to charge a phone, electronic devices etc... Perfect for several days crossing without the possibility to charge on mains.
A big thanks to Vagabonde for its professionalism and the work done!
Saddlebags
To keep all our precious belongings safe, the bikes are equipped with waterproof bags. We chose the leader German brand: Ortlieb.
We each have:
​
-
1 handlebar bag
-
2 front bags of 12.5 L
-
2 rear bags of 20 L
-
1 extra bag on top of the rear luggage rack
​
With this, we are supposed to be able to carry our life across the world!
The tent
The choice of the tent and the sleeping bags was not easy. We were looking for comfort, lightweight and solidity
Our mobile kitchen
What better than having a well-equipped kitchen to enjoy cooking even in the middle of nowhere? After a hard day's travel, we have everything we need to cook delicious meals.
​​
The best stove for a world travel is a multi-fuel stove. This stove can be fueled by gas or gasoline. Ours is the Primus omnifuel TI model.
​
From Turkey, gas bottles are rare or inexistent, so we will have to fill our small tank at the gas station. Hope that by then, Total is not any more on strike!
All our kitchen utensils are from Seatosummit.
We chose a complete kit :
All of this gear is pretty light and can be easily nested. It is important to optimize the space in the bags, especially if we want to bring back a lot of souvenirs!
​A frying pan to make delicious omelettes for breakfast
A 2.8 L pan for our big pasta dishes
2 hermetic boxes for the leftovers of food from the day before
Multi-fuel stove. This stove can be powered by gas or fuel
Double function plates, on one side cutting board: Very practical for cutting vegetables or sausage!
A pipette of oil, salt, pepper because it's better when it's seasoned!
A set of titanium cutlery, because titanium is light !
For water, we have :
3 water bottles of 750 ml each for daily use
1 folding bag of 3L each
1 flexible bag of 10 L that we fill the evening before the camp. we use it for the shower, for washing the dishes, ...
Bowls / cups to be used for breakfast and also to be warmed up with the infusions of the winter evenings
Our Clothes
It's not easy to choose the clothes you'll have to wear for the next year.
When you travel for such a long time and you cross so many different countries at different seasons, you have to be prepared to face all kind of weather: From the harsh winter in Eastern Europe, to the arid desert of Kazakhstan, to the Chinese roads during the monsoon season.
Therefore, we have chosen the following clothes (this list is per person):
4 pairs of merino socks. Merino wool is known for not keeping smell, even after several days of use without washing. It's better for keeping a love relationship over 8 months of travel!!!
1 feather down jacket to stay warm even on winter evenings
1 pair of waterproof overshoes: It is not very comfortable to have wet feet for hours
2 pairs of hiking pants with removable legs to make a short. They will be used for all the daily life (on the bike or during the hikes)
1 swimsuit for swimming in lakes and rivers
4 merino wool underwear
​1 pair of warm gloves for cycling
1 Goretex-type waterproof jacket, matching the bikes. It's to have a minimum of style!
1 pair of light gloves
2 bras for Camille only
1 merino wool neckwear
1 fleece
1 cap
3 T-shirts in merino wool
1 merino wool hat
1 rain pants
We have a soap to wash our clothes daily and we will aim for communal laundries for weekly cleanings.
Image capture
​
So we are going to take in our bags :
-
A drone
-
A camera
-
A GoPro
-
Our two phones
And of course, two external batteries that we can recharge with our dynamos located in our front wheels.
A journey like that, it's not every year!
Therefore, we want to capture the highlights of our trip and bring back a lot of great memories.
​