Cycling UK Forum

Tuscany Trail was perfect off-road gravel cycling experience. South Korea was tarmac cycle path but Tuscany was 90% gravel cycling. Excellent route through scenic Tuscan hills. €95 to participate, great gps route.

I started trail in Incheon near Seoul and cycled South to Busan. I took a ferry to Japan and visited Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo ( some cycling some bullet train).
Totally amazing experience. South Korea was so easy to cycle with excellent maps and signposting.

Hope these post

Not very tech savvy at 5his but hopefully photos posted...

Just back from completing the 4Rivers cycleway in South Korea. Amazing 2 weeks of cycling on dedicated cycle paths mostly alongside major rivers. I did 750 kilometres - maybe just 10% on quiet roads. Perfect for camping or inexpensive hotels. Very friendly people, stunning scenery - hard to think of any downside apart from carbon footprint getting there (which I paid offset for).
On my way back I stopped in Italy and completed the Tuscany trail; 500 km of off road through Tuscan Hills, along with 4900 other backpacking cyclists. Cycling heaven.

Good information, Google maps rules ok! I'm touring Japan this May so thanks

Thanks Colin, that's a really helpful insight. I'm still in shock over the seriousness of the injury. Devastated actually. So determined to not be beaten. I have been kidding myself that i will be back on my bike by Christmas.... turbo is a good idea, and will certainly keep injecting the blood thinners until boot is off....thanks again

Response before last should have read 'that's useful ' (not 'that's usual'). Predictive text!!!!

The hospital want to see me again in 4 weeks.
Scratching my head a bit about alternative exercise but you're right, I should, important.

Thanks Jonathan, that's usual along with the replies. I'm guessing the injections they have given me to self- administer will help in avoiding the thrombosis that you suffered. I'm 66, is age a factor in recovery do you think?

Got broadsided on roundabout yesterday. Have been knocked off numerous times but this was the first time I have been hit by a car (SUV).
Cuts and bruises etc but my main injury is a ruptured achillies. Clipped in and went ass over apex with the bike. Ambulance, police etc. Driver 'sorry mate, didn't see you' classic. Cycling UK solicitors on the case.
My question is, is there anyone out there who has had similar injury and what's the journey back to riding my bike? I'm in a fancy looking boot for 10 weeks and have been shown how to inject a blood thinner (one injection a day for 6 weeks) into my tummy area.
Any advice appreciated.
Martin

Haha, love it...actually I agree with the guy, the women in Ethiopia are beautiful.
Thorn Nomad with Rohloff my steed

Yes, you are right to question my broad claims and about poorly defined geographical locations, so permit me to qualify what I said a little more accurately. But more importantly please be reminded that my views are purely based on what I experienced 'on the ground'. I only go by first hand experience - (apart from the anecdotal story of the Frenchman being stabbed which I heard on socialmedia).
I entered Ethiopia at Humora which is a lesser used border town in the north west. From there I cycled across to Shire,  Axum and Adwar and then southeast to Hawzen and Megab visiting the mountain churches nearby. From there I joined the road south at Wukro. Up until there I  experienced no stone throwing.  This is the 'northern region' (Tigray) I referred to which I found to be free of stone throwing youths. 
South of Addis up until Hawassa again was pretty much free of problems for me but south of there upto Yabelo was not good.   From Yabelo south to the border was fine again.
Raising another point... the border town of Moyale had experienced civil unrest a few weeks before I arrived including road blocks / army escorts and gun wealding vigilantes (!) but when I  was there it was fine.
(The riots in Khartoum, Sudan were  more of a concern to me at that stage but that's another story).
So PLEASE only take my account as a snapshot in time. A cyclist travelling the same route may have a completely different experience.  I would just like to reiterate that a few stone-throwing idiots should not put you off experiencing a stunningly beautiful culture and country ( but maybe not as your first cycle touring adventure in Africa).

I agree. Ethiopia is an amazing country and a highlight of my Cairo to Cape town trip. The people are generally friendly and welcoming and enduring the odd stone-throwing kid is a just a negative to put up with. It occurs in 2 or 3 areas only, the northern region is free of the problem and as I said before IMHO you should not let it put you off experiencing a fascinating country

Exactly, the most important strategy is to develop a positive mental attitude - don't let the little [rude word removed] grind you down!!
On the other hand I do like the idea of the AK47... or maybe the M16 is more recognizable...!!!
Seriously though don't let the odd idiot stone thrower put you off experiencing a spectacular country