The price of progress: Riding the Silk Road before it changes forever.
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- While China’s observation of its neighbours is nothing new, its plans for this sleepy little undeveloped country are.
In the preceding centuries, passage through this area was a central part of the important Silk Road trading route, connecting the East and the West. The Chinese government’s 21st-century ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ is fundamentally a reinvigoration of this traditional trading route, with significant development slated for Eastern Europe, Africa, and Central Asia.
Spanning four continents and at a cost of over $1 trillion, it is the largest infrastructure project in history.
And as we’d learn, the impact on Kyrgyzstan would be much, much greater than simply a new road.
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Rewind a half-dozen months.
Sitting in the office one mundane weekday, I received a strikingly similar email to the one that my mate Shannon from Serk Cycling had sent which sparked an adventure that saw us riding up to Mount Everest base camp. He’d included a link to a proposed bike-packing race in the ‘Stans, with a note along the lines of “Let’s get here before this place becomes a superhighway”. The video became my daily escape, with each viewing stirring an incredible wanderlust for this central Asian wild west.
Full article at CyclingTips.com - cyclingtips.co...
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I rode my bike from Belgium to China in 2017. I spent 4 weeks in Kyrgyzstan. This brought back a lot of memories
Thats amazing!How long did it take you?
@@tahawaqar7174 4 months exactly for 10.500 km
Bart van de Langenberg Thinking of doing something similar, was expecting it to take longer than 4 months. What route did you take. Have you published anything of your journey online. Would love to read.
@@OscarMager you can check my FB group " Bart's cycling scribes " and look up everything between July and October 2017. All in English btw. I went from Belgium across central and eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, the Caucasus to Baku in Azerbadjan, where I hopped over the Caspian Sea to Aktau, Kazakstan. There I cycled along the Uzbek silk route into the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Unless you can get a Turkmen visa, I suggest you do the same.
I did the same in 2011. Yes, this brings back a lot of memories
For anyone considering this without support vehicles.. you will need pannier rack and a lot more gear.. ie a big sleeping bag and tent.. these guys make it look oh glamorous
You can carry a sleeping bag and a tent without racks and panniers if you have the proper bikepacking gears. These guys are calling it bikepacking when they have a supporting vehicle. Looks like they only loaded their bikes with some extra clothing, water, and light snacks.
@@tzs3889 Bike glamping!
@@tzs3889 bikepacking is a term for idiots that don't carry anything. What you're talking about is real touring. Which is easy with Front and rear panniers and trunk bags and even a BOB trailer if needed. People do it all the time without support vehicles. Sad how dumb and out of touch you people are from sitting around without exercise all day and staring at a smartphone screen your whole life.
Whoever did your colour grading deserves huge kudos, perfectly done, especially on the drone footage - absolutely stunning work both in the filming, editing and the colour grading that brought the scenery to us. Thank you.
I watch fully supported bike trips and have even more respect for Iohan Gueorguiev.
Iohan is the real dude! :)
Love his videos and journey.
YYYYYYYEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cycled around the region in 1994/5 and had a super time riding these tracks etc super place .. brings back happy memories of the time in the mountains on the tracks... changed so much since we were there
Such stunning scenery - we can’t wait to try the Silk Road race next year! 😍😍🇰🇬
Not to toot my own flugelhorn, but I once rode the full length of Burwood Highway.
Haaaaaaaaahahahahahahahaha! Epic.
That’s like 31 km
@@nipuma4 It's 25km - Burwood Highway becomes Toorak Road at Warrigal Road - but it's a dangnably long 25.
Not to toot my own flugelhorn though.
Absolutely spectacular, well shot and edited , stunning vistas.
That is a beautiful video. My mother in law was a school teacher in Uzbekistan and Kyrgistan as a young woman. She lived in mountain villiages and has amazing stories. I'd like to make that ride.
would you like to connect @observer82 😇
One of the best I've watched this year and in recent memory. Thank you
You guys did a cycling trip through China with a local fixer and a Chinese guy but in the whole 17-minute video they never spoke and barely were captured on video - actually it felt like they were purposefully edited out. Would some commentary and video capture of these two individuals have helped add another - perhaps more local - dimension to the video?
Exactly
its their video they can do what they like.
Where has this product been all my life?! Works like a charm!
Watched for the second time now, will repeat again no doubt. How could anyone not want to go there!? Incredible! Thanks for sharing!
This is so inspiring. Thanks for the great video guys.
Looks like I have my summer of 2020 planned. Thanks for the awesome video!
Welcome
@Gavin Milton LOL of course it did
Not to be a hater, Because the video was great. But calling it "bikepacking" and refering to having "everything i need on my bike" when you're sleeping in hotels and have a big support vehicle 300 feet behind you - hahaha.
Good job, great video, and beautiful footage though!
Bikepacking is the new fad for social media tards who can't tour properly and need to feel special about themselves. Like all the fake "van life" people these days.
Dudes... What new fad is it to be condescending pricks. :)
@@clarson2916 dUDE, companies like specialized is the reason why Kyrgyzstan's beauty will be loss to industrialization.
Lizard B'ricks not that I said anything about the modernization of Kyrgyzstan, but if Specialized is causing the Silk Road area to be modernized, and Specialized makes its money by selling bicycles, then it’s actually people buying bicycles who are causing the modernization of Kyrgyzstan. Try again.
Mats Hallin because that's filming .. everything is a make believe .. the other cycling network is doing the same thing on their supposed epic rides too (lol!!)
Amazing shots and very inspiring video. Keep it up! 👍
Hi, kyrgyz guy speaking.
Many thanks for all kind words about my country! You are always welcome to come again!
My friend is cycling round the world, I've seen a few limited photos of this area that he took, having seen this makes me even more stoked for him and his adventure!
Ripper video Andy. Guess I need to book a flight tomorrow!
Amazing... Bike packing is something I've always wanted to do but have kept pushing back and back because of life stuff. But, amazing! So glad this is an experience someone can have.
To understand more about the impact this initiative will have - read the 2 books by Peter Frankopan about the history of The Silk Roads - a MUST for anyone thinking of entering politics!! Actually, a must for anyone interested in history, economics, politics, or just how and why the world is how it is at the moment.
More, please. And thank you!
Awesome trip guys and very relevant!! We met Shannon at Serk in Beijing before we started our trip along the Silk Road, awesome stuff!
I need an adventure like this in my life!
So beautiful places along the silk road!!!!
Beautiful adventure! Thanks for including women on this one 💪
That bike packing style shown in the video is ok if you have somebody following you with all the goodies...
Last summer I went to Kyrgyzstan and had 5 times what you carry, food, filter, warmer clothes, etc...
If you plan to get there without the sherpa on motorbike, plan well your routes and take enough food with you, as there is nothing literally for days of cycling.
No showers no shops no tourists.
PS: Kegeti mountain pass the southern part is dangerous, and it's better to climb it from north side. From south it will be just pushing on steep big fallen rocks path for 500+ meters elevation, I did it to descend and I had to walk down and break my bicycle not to fall down with all the stones.
And Kyrgyzstan is nothing like Switzerland, it's wilder, rougher, nicer :)
@Alistair Mc cock I guess you right.
Anyway my trip was a bit different, and I was happy to have everything with me, as there were not one around.
Kyrgyzstan is pretty big :)
show riding
guys all i can say is; absolutely bloody beautiful. Very inspiring video, thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Fantastic videography! Am awestruck by the natural beauty...
Inspiring stuff, thanks to the team, ‘would watch an hour long version, this should be on mainstream TV, how tough are some of those riders!....wow!.
Simply put: WOW! What a stunning part of the world. Thanks for the amazing imagery.
This is awesome. You could’ve stretch this documentary to an hour and a half.
Maybe you should try to work with the government to make some suggestions on how they could capitalize on the tourism while maintaining the beauty. There’s a huge opportunity here. Can’t just say - don’t build these roads through because it’ll spoil my view of your country!
Thank you! More of this please!
Wow, amazing, brilliant video, looks an amazing country, such stunning scenery.
So you went on a supported bike packing trip in Kyrgyzstan for a few weeks and you dressed it up as something to do with The Belt and Road?
Nice video for sure but there were very few links The Belt and Road initiative or even The Silk Road itself.
13 mins "I carried too much baggage" did make me giggle. Huge numbers of cycle tourers have made this pass usually starting at Lake Issykul. Taking the pass from the Issykul side is ALOT harder and most of these tourers are fully self supported, on bikes that weigh close to 50kg and often riding solo.
Oh you bike packers do make me giggle.
Very beautiful!
Nelson Trees, you're a good man! Thanks for bringing us lucky and privileged adventurers to Silk Road this year. #SRMR2019
OMG I’m reading Colin Thubron’s book “Shadow of the Silk Road” and so want to do this. Amazing adventure and scenery. I’m also building a titanium ultra gravel bike at present and this has got me excited at the possibilities.
This really stoked up my wanderlust
well get out there and tourist! the poor lands are awaiting you
Most beautiful scenery I've seen. I hope one day I can push myself to go. Thanks for the video!
Stunning film 🥰
Absolutely wonderful
WOW! Amazing! Maybe we should do gravel tours there!
Nice video people. Will have to add that to my to do list. Loved it.
What a beautiful wonderful adventure. I'm very sorry that I won't have the opportunity to experience this first hand. Progress is somewhat catastrophic in some ways.
Our bikes are amazing and essential tools for adventure
Super bike video krásná příroda hodně krásných kilometru a štěstí přeje biker eda🇨🇿👍👍👍😀😀😀
Not really bikepacking when you have a support vehicle
There's always one of you
That was lovely :-D Those big open views were pretty amazing.
World class short doco. Thank you.
Had the pleasure to lived in Kyrgyzstan for 8 years, saw many view coming and going toward Issykul lake and to Almaty in Kazakstan. But, did not have that bike luxury to see the inner beauty of the free mountain range. This coming summer, I will make a point to see more when I am in Kyrgyzstan (need to leave Bishkek comfort lol). Lovely video guy' thank you.
Awesome experience I bet!
Great video. Fabulous scenery.
What beautiful scenery .
Great job guys!
What an epic adventure. Time to pull out the bike bag...
truly amazing! well done to you all
thank's for sharing your experience with us all
Successful marketing. I got excited and just caught myself considering to buy a gravel bike. I was even thinking about equipment, and brands, like Specialized here. Until I realized that I won't get much use for it at the moment. But at least this video made me dream a short sweet dream. So I'm happy anyway.
of course you need a Specialized.
Awesome adventure!! Loved it! Thanks!!
If I could name a positive thing about the Belt is that we might see UCI World Tour there in the future. That would be unique for bicycle racing because nowadays the greatest mountain range in UCI World Tour is still the Apls and I think it would be awesome if UCI would start visiting mountain ranges that are a lot mightier than Alps, like the Tian Shan here. But at the other hand we already have loads of extremely high paved roads in South America, especially in Bolivia in the Andes (Plus we have Tour of Colombia however that's not an UCI event) that is huge too.
Amazing scenery
Try B.C. Canada. Expect to be blown away by the scenery.... My cycling backyard..
Great vid guys and great message, peace.
Thnks for visiting our country
Breath taking!
Planning on riding the bikepacking.com route through Kyrgyzstan in June 2020 with a friend. Should be quite the adventure.
I need cool friends like y’all
Unbelievable trip... incredible ride... !!!
I love your cycling projects!!! Great ideas, awesome rides, inspiring cycling experiences ... amateur like myself can only dream about and of course watch and enjoy your videos here in YT!!!! Please let me know if you decide to sell tickets to ... I am interested!!!
Those filthy dusty bikes - so beautiful!
I will never get to Kyrgyzstan, so I'm grateful for this video showing me what I will never see irl.
Wow what a trip well done!!!
Outstanding.
Amazing. (Also nice soundtrack.)
Astonishing!
Best Marketing
At 14:05 you say that Issyk-kul is the second largest inland lake (by volume) in the world. Ignoring the "inland" part because this applies to most lakes, Wikipedia says it is actually the tenth largest lake by volume. Maybe you mean the second largest semi-saline lake after the Caspian Sea.
In terms of water purity, it ranks second after Lake Baikal. In terms of salinity, the reservoir surpasses all other lakes, but is five times inferior to seawater. All the sources only flow into the Issyk-Kul, not a single river flows out of it. Due to this feature, minerals accumulate in it, the unique chemical composition is therapeutic for humans.
Rich people, with expensive gear, getting strugle with simple things. Fancy bikepacking!
brilliant job, guys!
I do not believe that we have to accept that it is okay to destroy these beautiful places with our "infrastructure." It is humankind's arrogance that thinks that we don't have a responsibility to tend to the garden that God gave us. The special places in this video are amazing as is the bike ride.
Amazing
The world can support many more people but only if we live sustainably.
Fantastic presentation. Don’t forget also that you guys were also tourists, as well as all past Silk Road traders for thousand years before us. Beautiful!
I’m so jealous
And love that you want everyone to go there and see it before it changes and if everyone does go it will change because they all went haha!
great video! Looks epic!
Yep. Super. Well done.
Wow! Just awesome!
So epic.
at 11:20 the simultaneity is stunning :D
Beautiful. I wish to go to adventures some day. :(
Awesome footage, I'm jealous in a good way.
Great vid!! Love to do something like this one day.
it's cycling paradise
AMAZING. Can you share the route?
silk road is beautiful and its already been there for a hundreds of year.. how can we not know it ?
Why so complaining that Bishkek will be developed? This project will be amazing for the local economies and communities. Typical a first-world complainer who has developed first his own country and now they are done, trying to stop other countries to do exact the same. The local people are happy with this kind of progress and there will be enough roads left to cycle on.
There will be high speed rails and highways in Central Asia.as part of the silk road.
Knowing the Chinese, they will probably build the world largest bike trail along side the New silk road.
I'll miss it
**crying**
Dream trip.
Thx , made my day