Regarding the repairs issue - I have about 40 000 km on my current bicycle, and with only minimal maintenance things only really started wearing out around 30K.
Before 30K all I had changed was one back tire, handlebar tape, and maybe 10 innertubes or so. Since then I’ve had to change the transmission, bottom bracket and a couple of cables.
These are all lightweight parts, racing wheels and Shimano 105, but I should add that I don’t carry much weight.
Conclusion, you should of course be prepared for disaster, and accidents can easily wreck your wheels, but you’re just as likely to complete the whole journey with only a few flat tires to fix.
I also would like to know if the OP made the trip.
How are visas/country-entrance handled on a trip like this? I know many countries allow you to show up and work out details, but many countries require “in advance” visa applications. I lived in China two years and I did not think you could ride up and gain entrance. I thought all visa entries had to be done well in advance.
I do know someone who rode their bike from Beijing-Tianjin area down to Southwest Tibet. They rode north to Urumqi, and back east to Beijing.
Nothing compared to your London-Beijing trek, but impressive to me. This was over 10 years ago. I don’t know the road situation back then. It’s paved now, though.
The only countries where a visa is an issue are Russia, Kazakhstan and China. All are fairly straightforward, but will need to be arranged in advance. The China visa can be obtained in Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan, but it usually takes about a week. You’ll need the Russia visa before you leave London. Kazakhatan has a liberal visas waiver, but not for all nationalities, and may be only for 15 days for some.
A bicycle does not present the border customs problems that would apply to a private automobile. Many countries in the third world required a customs deposit of as much as double the value of the car, as a guarantee it will be re-exported. I believe you can get from London all the way through Kazakhstan without any serious carnet problems, but I don’t know about China. Nigeria, for example, forget it, you won’t get a car in unless re-export is guaranteed by a Swiss bank. Latin America, even Mexico, is very strict about that, and cars are rarely driven across borders, except Brazil which has reciprocity with adjacent countries.
But a bicycle is just accompanied baggage, so no customs issues at borders.
It couldn’t have literally been Barrow, because there are no roads out of Barrow. It was probably Deadhorse, which is connected via the Dalton Highway.
Although the site looks like a relic of 1997, Crazy Guy on a Bike is still updated with riders’ journals, and there are a lot that have made that crossing, or reverse, or similar.
I’d completely forgotten about this topic until SteveG commented on it. Unfortunately, I didn’t cycle all the way from London to Beijing, happily enough I have the money, but neither the friends nor bike to go there.
However I have visited China since then. This thread is making me miss China.
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