a dozen hard-boiled eggs, 4 snickers type bars, 4 peanut butter and jam sandwiches, 3 kimbabs, a bag of cream cookies, one ice-cream waffle sandwich, 2 ramyeons (instant noodles), 3 egg salad sandwiches, many cokes, energy drinks, litres of water.
That was basically what I ate over the two days of cycling across Korea, north - south. I know, not the best diet in the world and my stomach was a little lost when I finished but I got the job done.
Incheon - Yeoju. I started with a 9:40 am bus ride from my hometown in the south-west corner of Korea to Incheon. Arrived at 2pm. Then, the worst part of the whole journey! 2 hours through Incheon to the start of the 4 Rivers Bike Path. Total traffic chaos, dust and big trucks. Finally arriving at the canal that runs east to join the mighty Han river near Seoul.
heading east along the Han and Seoul KM 20.
I had intended to ride through the night and do the whole bike path in one shot. But around midnight, my wife kept calling, worried. She even sent me a viral video of some guy punching a cyclist on a bike path. Also, worried the life insurance wouldn’t pay. So, for the sake of a happy marriage, I stopped in Yeoju after 7+ hours of riding and climbed into an electric blanket. Night was chilly cold and damp. This central part of Korea along the Han is very, very bone-chilling damp. It was 4 Celcius at night and in the morning - 5 am dark, when I started out again. But I enjoyed the solitude of night riding, lights worked well and I had lots of time to just zone out and be, and feel, Naked and Alive.
I crossed so many bridges! You basically weave side to side along the rivers.
Yeoju - Gumi. Lovely. Climbed the big pass in the middle of Korea which is a watershed. On the other side was the Nakdong, the other big river that heads to Busan, Korea’s second largest city in the south. 10 hour sleep like a zombie in Gumi and then back to finish up the trip.
One of the hills you climb south of Gumi
There are some shortish but very steep hills in this last section. I started hearing funny sounds from my cranks. Loud creaks and groans. The bike was hurting. I got up the hills but about 120 km from Busan the cranks totally failed! Came apart. I could still pedal but it was like walking on water, only use one gear. I made it into Busan, 49 hours after starting in Incheon, crossing my fingers the whole way!
The famous Haeundae beach in Busan.
I rested 2 days in a posh hotel “The Van” by the bus station. Then, a 4 hour bus ride home to my own bed, comforts in Mokpo. The next day, my Cello bike mechanic gutted my bottom bracket and put in a new one. Solid like a rock now. And believe it or not - 40,000 won or about $27 USD. I’m now ready to ride again, move or die - my motto these days.
I will make a full video report on the YouTube channel, the cycling playlist, in the coming days. You can view my phone footage here. I need to edit and work on the GoPro stuff.
Proud that I do believe I’m now able to handle anything, any terrain, weather and just go, go, go - one with the bike. It’s been 1.5 years working up to becoming a cyclist. Now, feel like I’m there. A world tour beckons - stay tuned!
Across Korea By Bike