Hey Fahni, yeah planning is definitely part of the fun, especially going through the bike, check-lists and maps !

Well noted about Aba, anyway as I wrote the route will be flexible, and who knows how it'll be in Spring 2012 anyway...


About the route, one thing I notice is that we have a lot of RR and suggestions for the South of China (Zhejiang, Fujian, Yunnan, Sichuan) but not so much for the North (Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shandong).
My understanding is that :
1. maybe we have fewer members up north
2. we are attracted to elevation changes, mountains, landscapes so the scenery in Yunnan is better than flat Shandong or Jiangsu...
3. Climate is generally better (eternal spring in Yunnan !).

In terms of the global route, I admit that we're still pondering the way to go after the Gansu province. We tend to plan big loops because we call them round-trip, but hey, we can do what we want, where we want, we could even maybe go back South after Gansu to Hubei and Anhui, see what I mean ?

I know China is BIG, so a definitive answer is not possible, but do you guys with experience think we will miss out great things if we don't go North after Gansu ?
Difficult question, I know...