4 month tour of Nepal and north India
cagebomb
Posts: 47
Hey, I'm planning to do a 4 month cycle tour of Nepal and North India, starting at the end of November through to the end of March next year.
The plan/route I'm thinking of starts in Delhi then heads out east through the Mahendranagar border crossing into western Nepal. Then follow the East West Highway (h01) until I get to Bharatpur where I'll head north on H05 and take the northern road into Kathmandu. Then I'll spend around 2 weeks doing the Everest Base Camp trek. If anyone has cycled to Jiri or even Lukla I'd be interested to hear about it.
After that, if I have time I'll check out some other parts of the Kathmandu valley then start making my way south back to India. Once back down there depending on time I may head towards Varanasi before making my way back to Agra and the Golden Triangle area. Flying home from Delhi.
So those are the areas I want to see, I'm looking for some general advice from people that have been to these countries and cycled or walked there. Do you think Im trying to pack in too much in a short space of time? What are the road conditions like in these places? Will it be a constant battle with Indian traffic or are there quieter options, like smaller agricultural roads/back roads etc. Also is there plenty accommodation along this route? I'm mainly thinking western Nepal here, as it seems less touristy. I wont be taking camping gear but I don't mind where I sleep. I'm used to $2 per night flea pits after backpacking for a few years.
My mountain bike that I intend to take has been fitted out with new wheel bearings, BB, freewheel, gears etc and I intend to take a spare chain, some wheel bearings, spokes and the usual trail spares and tools. The tyres, I'm not sure about, I have my knobbly mtb ones and a set of schwalbe City Jet slicks with only a couple of hundred miles on them and it's the slicks that I'm thinking may be best. But if there's a lot of loose stone roads then maybe I should get something else, I think the knobblys are out though? What do you think?
If anyone has any good advice on the route or equipment including clothing then I'd be very thankful to here it.
The plan/route I'm thinking of starts in Delhi then heads out east through the Mahendranagar border crossing into western Nepal. Then follow the East West Highway (h01) until I get to Bharatpur where I'll head north on H05 and take the northern road into Kathmandu. Then I'll spend around 2 weeks doing the Everest Base Camp trek. If anyone has cycled to Jiri or even Lukla I'd be interested to hear about it.
After that, if I have time I'll check out some other parts of the Kathmandu valley then start making my way south back to India. Once back down there depending on time I may head towards Varanasi before making my way back to Agra and the Golden Triangle area. Flying home from Delhi.
So those are the areas I want to see, I'm looking for some general advice from people that have been to these countries and cycled or walked there. Do you think Im trying to pack in too much in a short space of time? What are the road conditions like in these places? Will it be a constant battle with Indian traffic or are there quieter options, like smaller agricultural roads/back roads etc. Also is there plenty accommodation along this route? I'm mainly thinking western Nepal here, as it seems less touristy. I wont be taking camping gear but I don't mind where I sleep. I'm used to $2 per night flea pits after backpacking for a few years.
My mountain bike that I intend to take has been fitted out with new wheel bearings, BB, freewheel, gears etc and I intend to take a spare chain, some wheel bearings, spokes and the usual trail spares and tools. The tyres, I'm not sure about, I have my knobbly mtb ones and a set of schwalbe City Jet slicks with only a couple of hundred miles on them and it's the slicks that I'm thinking may be best. But if there's a lot of loose stone roads then maybe I should get something else, I think the knobblys are out though? What do you think?
If anyone has any good advice on the route or equipment including clothing then I'd be very thankful to here it.
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