Wrapped: 30 days and 1,900 km across Vietnam and Cambodia

Thirty days, roughly 1,900 km, and more flat tyres than I'd like to admit — this trip is the reason Pedaltolive exists. I set out with a rough plan, a secondhand touring bike, and a notebook I ended up filling with turn-by-turn directions that later became the first route kit.

The route ran from the highlands north of Hanoi down through rice terraces and river crossings, into Cambodia along quiet provincial roads that barely show up on any map. Rain followed me for most of the second week, which turned out to be the best possible stress test for the gear list I now recommend to everyone.

If there's one thing I'd tell anyone planning something similar: budget twice the time you think you need for river crossings and border towns. The delays weren't setbacks — they were where the trip actually happened.

What worked

A light setup, a paper map as backup to the GPS, and asking locals for water rather than relying on marked sources. The bike itself needed only one real repair the entire month, which says more about simple gearing than about my mechanical skills.

What I'd change

More rest days in the first week. I pushed too hard early on and paid for it in the mountains later. The route kit now available in the shop builds in the buffer days I wish I'd taken myself.