Second best couldn't be better
SO, our plan has matured from driving two cheapy stolen scooters accross china to driving a fully legal iron horse to kunming and sending her on the train back. From there we digressed to taking our semi-legal steed for a few-week gallop through the mountains west of shanghai and back. As I said second best couldn't be better. I've really enjoyed the ride reports here on MCM and hope to be able to repay-in-kind
The map doesnt show our actual route, maybe this link will
Re: Second best couldn't be better
Very keen to understand what you've posted, but it's not displaying well for me.
cheers
Re: Second best couldn't be better
hey corporal_clegg... interesting read ahead. same as euphonius though, I get half a google map screenshot on the right side of the picture with a list of waypoints to the left of picture...
Re: Second best couldn't be better
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bikerdoc
hey corporal_clegg... interesting read ahead. same as euphonius though, I get half a google map screenshot on the right side of the picture with a list of waypoints to the left of picture...
yea i tried to change it but it cant. the picture is interactive tho, you can click the waypoints away with the leftpointy arrow and then drag the map around, zoom-in/out etc.
Its nt great anyway as it only shows the waypoints. the link underneath has the route
Re: Second best couldn't be better
2236km on a bike.. China will always prove to be adventure. Good luck.
http://hotimg23.fotki.com/a/123_86/3_136/2nd.jpg
I just maximized the map area, then took a screen shot.
Re: Second best couldn't be better
Yeah, that looks an amazing ride. It should be some adventure.
Ride safe, and enjoy.
Re: Second best couldn't be better
Just got back now, a bit earlier than we had planned. Just had one of the worst days ever driving back into Shanghai in the rain, came off more than once, but that story will have to wait till the end of the RR. Will get on it tomorrow.
Re: Second best couldn't be better
Quote:
Originally Posted by
corporal_clegg
...came off more than once...
Holy shit, Clegg, you okay? Well, given that you're already on MCM and posting, as opposed to racked up in some rathole hospital somewhere, tells me it can't be too bad.
Very my looking forward to your ride report, and relieved that you're in a state and frame of mind to tell it!
cheers
Re: Second best couldn't be better
I was wondering what happened to you guys. Glad to hear you made it home.
Re: Second best couldn't be better
Using Imgur (thanks Slabo)
To Anji:
We set off in the early evening taking advantage of the unforecast nice weather to get out of Shanghai and its daily rainfall. Heavily laden we set off to meet our guide around the check points. Nuhaus took us around and back onto the G318 where we had a smoke and he went to get petrol. That was the last we saw of him. We were delighted to be out of the city on a nice big straight road with no cars. We had a mild case of buttache after doing our longest run ever (70km) followed by a shorter trip through the country so we set up camp in the first town over the border. I can't remember the name but unless you like roadside brothels (more than 7 to chose from right by the G318) there's no reason to. We found a nice bike for sale tho, all flashing lights, blasting out MJ only 800km on the clock but we declined.
Next day we made an early start (9 a.m. is early enough for us) speeded on by the hard mattresses. On the G318 again it didnt take long for us to lose interest and we couldnt wait to get off it. We saw loads of signs forecasting visual splendour only a few km up the road but when the appropriate kilometer arrived the was never a sign indicating the turnoff. We were repeatedly let down. Eventually onto the 306 and we had begun to give up hope. I was powering along wondering when our China adventure would begin when, about 30km outside Anji, we saw a sign for a turnoff. We turned off and again quickly lost interest, a lonely looking dirt-road to our left was calling us. "Come Mr. and Ms. Clegg," she said and we followed siren song all the way into a bamboo forest. We were so transfixed that we didnt notice the road shrivel away until the inevitable happened.
No sooner had the bike hit the ground than we heard the first crack of thunder. Rear light was detached and the bike was stuck in a bit of a difficult position, together we managed to get the bike upright and turned around (Ms. Clegg almost had her hand crushed when it came between the bike and some bamboo. Fake hard-knuckle gloves are better than no hard-knuckle gloves... word). I was happy to have a use for the crap tool-kit I got with the bike and we were back on the road in no time. Never found the temple.
Through the p'ing rain and into Anji we motored and unto a restaurant wherin we took shelter from the storm. Afterwards i set about fixing the wiring to the rear light which had some invisible problem. No one thought that they were up to it until I eventually managed to explain to a small army of mechanics that if they could fix a car light they could fix a bike light. Light fixed and chibaole we set off to find a hotel. Anji was an absolute mess after the few hours of rain. Puddles around 20cm deep in some places were fun to drive through... once. Again we got distracted (you'll learn that we are not very objective oriented) and ended up offroad again. Sometimes the roads were more like streams but this was no problem for the QingQi Enterprise and we found some fun little bits and talked a bit to a farmer lady.
Back in town we found a hotel (twice as expensive as the one the night before) and were happy to get into dry clothes and accross the road into a restaurant which had (as advertised in the window) the most haochi food in Anji. It was alright. We slept early. Next day onto LinAn
The bike, the gear (note gear, this is important)...
http://i.imgur.com/5k0ZO.jpg
.. and the passengers. You wouldn't have known that we had just had an extended quite fight over when to leave (note fake smile).
http://i.imgur.com/QoAi3.jpg
This master of disguise showed us the way
http://i.imgur.com/X3DiX.jpg
From the bike
http://i.imgur.com/y70RH.jpg
The bike we saw for sale
http://i.imgur.com/l9iCJ.jpg
Pic from snack stop. No chicken I'm afraid.
http://i.imgur.com/KHiqFh.jpg
The sign
http://i.imgur.com/S7vtZ.jpg
The road...
http://i.imgur.com/D1MFI.jpg
...worsened
http://i.imgur.com/PE3ZJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GCHAN.jpg
行?
http://i.imgur.com/fe7CK.jpg
不行
http://i.imgur.com/yEc73.jpg
more of that area
http://i.imgur.com/ADkne.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ch0Ds.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WBZYG.jpg
That could've been Ms. Cleggs hand
http://i.imgur.com/vVOyj.jpg
Yes... 9
http://i.imgur.com/12jRt.jpg
..and then there was one
http://i.imgur.com/wE97x.jpg
Anji after some rain
http://i.imgur.com/GLY1B.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ub4Ep.jpg
Downstream
http://i.imgur.com/qBVZu.jpg
3 angles of my 7-point turn
http://i.imgur.com/ywb5P.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Bs9ol.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/aPBQR.jpg
High and dry
http://i.imgur.com/DUrlU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dA8dj.jpg
More better stuff to follow