Hohhot - Harbin

[futianshenzhen]

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Another shot of the scenery near Manzhouli


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What I thought was a church in Manzhouli


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North of Erguna


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Muddy village shortly after I dropped the bike

[futianshenzhen]

Hey there, nice ride!

I see my saddle bags are still alive and well!

Lobotomous and me jus got back from a Qiqihaer to Beijing vial Hohot ride last weekend. Seems we missed you on the road!

Cheers, the bags are still going great! Looking forward to your RR


Some more stills from the video


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Wrong way down the gaosu!

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Friendly mechanic in Genhe

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A cyclist on the X324 heading north from Genhe

[futianshenzhen]

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Cable ties actually did a lasting repair of the chain runner


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The chain guard was a dead loss though, snapped at off the bolt

[futianshenzhen]

29

Left 7.45, X324 had the potential to be 400 kilometres of dirt hell and I would have taken an alternate route but thankfully it turned out to be a reasonable surface. It was pretty wavy and bouncy but I made good ground for the first 270 and the scenery was the best I’d encounter on the trip. It was also a popular route for cyclists who were braving the largest most aggressive mosquitoes I’ve ever seen in my life. As soon as I stopped to take a photo or have a drink I was immediately swarmed and bitten multiple times on any exposed skin. The last 100 kms were road under construction shite and the bike and I got pretty beaten up riding through the silver birch/pine forest. I them joined the S207 and rode through Mohe to the Russian border where I promptly did a U-turn and went back through Mohe to Jintaozhen then off S207 onto southbound nameless track (maybe called X502). It was brand new perfect concrete and I boshed out 150 kilometres in an hour and a half.

I arrived in Huzhongzhen at 7.10, 745 today, 3180total

It was a weird little town and there was a building (with English signage) for entry / exit visa into Huzhong area, no idea what that was about but kept a low profile and stayed in a proper pikey hotel for 40 quai that had communal toilets and basins but if you wanted a shower…tough.

After being questioned by a an old dude in a petrol station I had some dinner and then found some more excellent tinned goods. Even simple things like sardines in tomato sauce and pickled gurkins are a treat in China and I suspect a Russian influence at play here.


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All these photos were taken by the X324


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[futianshenzhen]

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View from the X324


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Check out the bugs!


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The silver birch and pine forest on the X324


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The X324 crossed the tracks several times - health and safety has never been my strong suit


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One of the many cyclists snapped this for me

[futianshenzhen]

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What could possibly add to nature's natural beauty? A tastful Swiss mill of course

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...and maybe a fake tree...

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...with accompanying fossil....

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...and nothing would be complete without a GWoC!!

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As any of my friends will tell you I'm the classiest and most sophisticated English gentleman you’re ever likely to meet. Today's lunch - pour monsieur - sardines au sauce tomat, servez vous avec les deux twigs

[futianshenzhen]

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X324 dirt


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I bought this beef jerky from a petrol station on the first day and it lasted the whole trip, great snack for a bike trip


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The entrance to a park about 2 kilometres south of the Russian border north of Mohe. You had to pay to get in so I turned around and headed back to Mohe


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A rower South of Mohe


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South of Mohe

[futianshenzhen]

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Some mud huts that were part of a tourist trap, no idea what they were


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South of Mohe


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South of Mohe


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[futianshenzhen]

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Friendly mechanic in Genhe


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One of the many cyclists on the X324


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Russian architecture in Mohe


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[futianshenzhen]

30

While loading up the bike I found that the exhaust bracket had snapped, probably due to me pushing too fast on the dirt yesterday, an easy fix with some wire.
Left at 6.25, decided the previous evening to go to Fuyuan, the easternmost point in China. I made such good ground that my original route would have meant reaching Harbin way too early, so to ride the Russian border by the Heilongjiang seemed the obvious choice.

Started with more great mystery road now called 501 country road, then intermittent road works on Jiamo highway AKA S207. Got low on fuel and missed the comfort blanket of the jerrycan I hadn’t filled up. Turned left at Jagdaqi, which looks like a province in itself but actually is just a prefecture. There then followed 100 kms of dirt, good enough to be in 5th gear but bad enough to be shaken to bits. Then on to Heihe, fast boring roads all the way. Nice enough scenery but nothing special, endless silver birch forest.

My phone died in Heihe, had to race through town to get on right road, just made it before power completely went. From there I just had to continue straight on the border road with the Heilongjiang on my left so it was pretty easy and I soon arrived in Xunke where some guys with some foregn bikes were parked. I did a stop and chat and they were heading up to Mohe, 3 bikes and one car in convoy. They were very surprised to hear I’d done over 800 kms that day!


Arrived Xunke 6.30, 820 kms 4000 total
100 quai hotel, very friendly boss who locked my bike up with his. Xunke itself was a nice little town with all the signs in Russian and Chinese.



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Bodged exhaust bracket


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You can see where it snapped


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The mighty Heilongjiang - I had to climb a tree for this one


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The excellent X501

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