Gobi 5 Zamyn-Uud Wednesday, September 2, 2009 46m/74m** 1,010 miles down, about 50 to go – it’s hard to tell exactly how far when you’re in the middle of the desert without references.  Lisa decides she wants to ride the…

Gobi 4 Tuesday, September 1, 2009 87m/140k   No breakfast at the ‘hotel’ in the depopulating but still proud town of Sainshand (pop. 19,500) .  While the team regrouped, I stuffed my face with nuts, Gummi Bears, a warm yogurt…

Sainshand, Mongolia (Gobi 3) Monday, August 31, 2009 91m/146k **    Note 1:  Thanks for the all the comments and good wishes, they help   Note 2:  I’m going to do a consolidated “Riders Notes” at the end of the…

Gobi Desert 2 Sunday, August 30, 2009 95m/153k   Riding in Russia a week ago, I’d wake up to 45f temperatures and ride through the morning as the temperature rose to about 70f.  Now we wake up to 70f, and…

Gobi Desert 1 Saturday, August 26, 2009 97m/156k   13.2 avg mph Just spent 2 days in Ulan Baatar, and will comment on it in a later posting.  Right now, it’s back to the ride.  Lisa’s here!  New energy, new…

Ulan Baatar! Wednesday, August 26, 2009 104m/167k Mongolia was controlled by Russia from 1921 until 1990, when a mostly peaceful, popular uprising overthrew the crony government and true democracy was established.  It took them a few years to get there…

Darkhan Tuesday, August 25, 2009 84.5m/136k Rider’s Notes Follow People from Mongolia have burst out of this land and taken over most of the world three times.  In the later centuries of the first millennia AD, the Huns (think Attila)…

Into Mongolia Monday, August 24, 2009 76m/122k Alexsey and I left Hotel Druzhba in Kyakhta, and backtracked 36m to where we ended the day before.  He got his tea, while I regrouped for the day’s ride. Then it was into…

Ulan Ude to past Gusinonzersk Sunday, August 23, 2009 94m/151k A day of faith…     (small note:  the distances indicated for each day are what I rode.  The towns are those closest.  Given the camping, stop points are semi-random.)…

Touring Ulan Ude Saturday, August 22, 2009 0m/0k Ulan Ude is the cleanest town or city I’ve seen in Russia, and I’ve been through at least 15 of them.  At first I couldn’t figure it out – why this place…

Babushkin- Ulan Ude Bike Ride Friday, August 21, 2009 99 miles = 72 ridden + 28 in a car = 160k Rider’s notes follow the narrative. After an exceptional start, this did not turn out to be a good day. …

Slyudyanka – Babushkin Bike Ride Thursday August 20, 2009 106 miles, 13.4 mph average       Rider’s notes follow the narrative. This is what a sunrise looks over Lake Baikal from my tent this morning. It’s pretty darn cold. …

Irktusk to Slyudyanka Bike Ride Wednesday August 19, 2009 78.9 miles, 12.6 mph average speed           Riders notes follow the narrative. Aaahhh… it’s good to be getting out on the road again, even with the difficulties…

As you may know, Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years+), deepest (5,390 ft), and largest freshwater lake in the world by volume. Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two thirds of which…

After 2 nights on a plane, I went to sleep at 8am in a bed at the Victory Hotel in Irkutsk.  Set the alarm for 10.  Alexsey picked me up at 10:30 and we headed off to a bike shop…

Saturday, 15 AUG, 3:00pm:  Lisa and my sister Susie saw me off at Charlotte Douglas airport. 17 hours later, via Paris, I arrive in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.  They scanned us all for ‘sickness’ with some sort of wireless ip cameras…

Travel Dates: August 15 – September 4, 2009 Riding Dates:  August 17 – September 3, 2009 Countries:  Eastern Russia, Mongolia Highlights:  Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Ulan Baatar, Gobi Desert             Section II = 1,707k / 1,060m…