If you enjoy the content and want to help me in the process I’ve just set up a buy me a coffee page and a patreon. www.buymeacoffee.com/JoshReid / joshreid
About a year ago I watched this video in the dark days of winter, and it inspired me to do a big bike trip on my own. 2 weeks after I finished high school this year I found myself in Paris, heading down south towards Lisbon. It took me three weeks, about 2000 kms through western europe. It has been the time of my life so far, doing that all alone as a foreigner who whether speaks french nor spanish nor portuguese. Now I'm here back again waiting for warmer days to get back on my bicycle again, making plans for a good destination. Thanks for inspiring me to do what I did.
@@marymiron03 I had a huge accident on the first day, a car crashed me from behind on my way to Orleans. Somehow I made it without any major injuries, just some bruises. After that I was extremely lucky and nothing happened. France was extremely nice to cycle, especially the way from Orleans to Tours and the coastline from Bordeaux to the spanish border (even though there were wildfires at that time). Spain was kind of boring and exhausting to cycle between Vitoria Gasteiz and Salamanca, just plain desert more or less. Also no good cycling paths. San Sebastian and the pyrenees were thrilling tho. Portugal was a great end of the tour, I've never been to a country with this welcoming and friendly people before. I'd suggest a longer bit of france and probably another route through spain than the one right through it, probably the coastline is better. Also take your time whilst cycling, I was in a rush at some point... and also start the tour at the end of august, it's still warm enough then. Mid of july was a huge mistake, I was the only person cycling a trip like that at this time, met nobody else who was actually bikepacking. Elseways, absolutely do it, it's a life changing experience!
What a great trip you are on. I travelled around Europe, North Africa and the Middle East in 1970 to 72. It was a very different world back then. I ended up staying in afghanistan for about 8 months. I didn't bike. I started with a motor cycle I purchased in England and after crashing it in Germany, bus and hitch hiking and short flights was the way I got around. My entire trip was 18 months. I slept in very cheap hotels, hostels and outside in my sleeping bag. My trip was more about getting somewhere and staying until I got to know locals. I regret now having not had a camera. What you are doing is a spectacular experience that very few do during their lives. You will never forget this trip.
Wonderful story! My Afghan parents told us there used to be a lot of hippies and foreigners that came to Afghanistan to visit and pass through when it was safe in the 60s and 70s. They showed me pictures of blonde people and Americans in front of the statues of Buddha in Bamiyan. They showed me images of white people sitting down and drinking chai with our family for breakfast. They told me how they let a couple stay in their house for weeks just for free. They told me about how they were trying to teach the couple Farsi and they managed to pickup a lot of phrases! When war struck the country one of the first places my parents chose to immigrate to was America because they had this image of friendly hippie people that had visited them during the 70s. I was born and raised in Arizona but hearing their stories about Afghanistan before the war is always fascinating. It makes me so sad that the country is in the state it is now.
If you'd managed a camera&cine 8mm and filmed your time traveling that would be off the scale RU-vid views...but cameras were a luxury and a 8mm cine camera was for the wealthy in the early 70s so a shame but what an experience fair play..
I don't care what anyone says. Staying at the side of the road in unfamilar countries is brave shit. Well done Josh. You're either mad, brave, or both.
@@metal87power It's actually standard for foreigners staying in China to be monitored by the police daily, with them having to report their location to them every night.
i've stayed in my room and done drugs for the last 28 years due to depression and this man has inspired me to cycle to the park on my bike to pick up, thank you
Its tough, but that's apart of it. Figuring out how far you can actually go you might surprise yourself. You figure that out and that is some happy shit right there. Figuring out what you're worth is an evolving story.
same here, thought I'd watch for 3-4 minutes to see a bit of the beautiful scenery but stayed for the entire video! All these wonderful landscapes made me realize once more how beautiful our world really is and how much there is to explore and how much I personally have not seen yet / and want to see at one point
These are the kind of videos that I long for in RU-vid. Independently made, no stealth advertising and just simple editing. This may be a late comment but this is so awesome dude, good on you. This deserves wayyy more views. EDIT: Your adventure made the Tour de France and Dakar Rally seem like child's play. There should be a Tour de Josh from Shanghai to London
@@LoscoeLad totally agree, the hell those people go through just to finish. Absolute respect. Especially for the Dakar rally, its basically mad max but without the fighting part.
The feeling of approaching Europe, like an ancient traveller. Entering a city slowly must give a totally different sense of space. Also, seeing the countries, the culture change...
A hundred percent. It gives a completely different perspective from doing it with a car. Next level is that one guy Christoph Rehage, who walked from China to Germany. The world has to seem massive for him. Seen his documentary years ago
@@Skyl3t0n I traveled by hitchhiking/ trains across the USA/Canada, took me 1 month but damn was it an amazing journey. One day Ill go to the Old World
So everyone needs to do a journey like this once in their lives..out of their comfort zone just a little and makes them rely on the kindness of strangers. Think of how much better the world would be if we did?
At exactly this time last year in 2022, I watched this video and felt something start to boil inside (in a good way). I did my own maiden journey this summer of 2023, took me 3 months to ride from the capital of Wales to the capital of Bulgaria. I've got the bug and can't wait to do it again, so I'm here again. Thanks, Josh!
Can we just appreciate the 1000's worth of hour footage he went through to put this documentary together. Just wow. Bet Josh enjoyed every minute of it. Well done. Trip of a lifetime!!
on the contrary, I think he knew what to shoot, and used most of it. I`ve done similar vlogs, ofcourse with not so much footage, but if you know what youre going for, you wont end up with 90% unused footage.
I basically did that this summer. I took a train to Milano, Italy and rode home to Germany via Cannes, France. It was worth the experience. Just do it, if you need something new in your life.
Just received this Video on RU-vid 2 Years after it was posted!Josh I've got to say Thank you for this fantastic Video! I'm going through real tough times as my wife of 39 years has Stage 4 Cancer I've really got into E bikes as a distraction and use RU-vid to watch anything to do with bikes!This for me was so good! Mate I hope this Video has furthered any Career moves for you! It made me cry tears of joy for you! You are an awesome individual! You've brightened my day and made me realise this world isnt such a bad place and I really wish you all the best in your life! Once again Thankyou
risky is missing from your adjective list. He got closed to being detained in China for political questioning. With small local corrupted police it can degenerate into false accusations. As some westerners have documented china in remote provinces exposing the corruption of the locals, now when they see a foreigner off the beaten path, they already consider that a fault.
I can only imagine how difficult this must have been , especially those shots where you had to film yourself riding away and then come back for the camera . Great job man , great production quality for a single person.
@@trieupham3524 ok 150m a day walking, compared to 200km cycling through a sand cyclone in a bumpy road in Afghanistan seems pretty insignificant effort to me.
@@B--en4db I mean did you see his limited fotage from china... the forced police escort and how police stormed in to his hotel becouse he cant be there as an outsider. It all just goes to show how hard the chinese want to keep their dark secrets hidden.
30 years ago I tried to ride from Midland, Texas to Houston, about 500 miles. My ear got so sunburned, I had to have a friend come pick me up in Austin. I feel little less like an adventurist after watching this.
Don't give yourself too hard of a time. There's a lot of things to think about for a trip. An adventurer is someone who goes out to a place they don't know, it need not be 500 miles
@@searaph I was just admiring how brave he was. On my trip I even mailed my luggage at a Greyhound Bus Station to the next town 100+ miles away to get a motel. I am an air conditioned adventurer.
@@ConstantThrowing seriously doubt he saw them. If he did, he would still be in Chinese jail right now. Why do you think they escorted him off to a restaurant and a hotel?
This is the real essence of RU-vid. No asmr, no food vlogging bullshit, no tiktok shorts. Just random people around the world, sharing their surreal experiences for the rest of us.
He mentioned a few : local china police appeared in combat equipment to take him somewhere for questioning then at last minute let him go, broken fork bolts, scary wild dogs attacks or possible wolf packs at night in the remote cental asian landscapes, food poisoning, staying in an unoccupied half broken down house in afghanistan (still trespassing). It's almost like the fee for adventure is a certain level of dangers and odds. I guess you have to take those risk to get something in return.
Why do some people always have to complain? Can't you just say "this video is good" without dragging someone else down? And who even makes only videos about breakfast?
This video resonated with such immense power that it evoked tears in my eyes. Its emotional impact is truly profound and deeply moving. The storytelling and visuals are exceptionally powerful, creating an experience that leaves a lasting impression. I am genuinely touched by the depth of emotion conveyed in this video. Outstanding work!
That was probably the most humble ending to a video like this, on youtube. "Feels good." No sun falling over the horizon, or overly drawn out teary monologue. Just a guy returning home, and just watching the video itself explained all there is that needed to be said.
Fantastic achievement, it was really interesting and inspiring to watch. Glad RU-vid recommended it. Many years ago I went from the UK to Singapore via train, bus, tuktuk, horse, bike, moped etc etc. Best adventure of my life, but cycling the entire thing is absolutely next level.
@@jackp492 I don't recall exactly, but I do remember it was almost the same cost as a flight for just the travel. Obviously not including hotels, food, tourists trips and plenty of beers.
Damn this has been a thriller, it brought me some tears when you showed us the beauty of Austria. It motivated me to work hard , leave Pakistan and tour the Europe.. There is still a lot in this world i have not even seen and i envy it. I am 27 now, i hope i can do it, it's on top of the wishlist
funnily enough, just today i was thinking that i would love to visit pakistan haha :D in austria we have nice mountains, but pakistan has mountains twice as high! i've seen photos of green valleys with scenic lakes between snow-covered peaks and it looks soooo beautiful 😍
....I'm speechless dude. You're in such amazing shape and to have the mental toughness to be able to cycle across so many intl borders wow man so much respect.
What an incredible achievement. I am in awe of your tenacity, dedication and ability to portray a journey so effortlessly through film. Everyone needs to see this video.
I went to Afghanistan in 2002 as a soldier fighting a war. The people (no combatants) were lovlely people they are like everyone else just trying to make it from day to day. And the country was beautiful. i had never seen a desert or mountains till i went to that country and i fell in love with the varity of landscapes. if the country could ever find peace it wold make a fortune from tourism as it has so many opportunities to be more than it is .
@@LoscoeLad I bet they were too. Sadly if you go back 2000 years it has always been a country stuck in the center of other people's fight , Russians Americans, british, india, Iran, the Mongol all the way back to alexander the great the Afghanistan people have been overlooked by people wanting to use their land more then work with the people of the land
Afghanistan looked peaceful from past pictures I have seen of it before various countries ruined the place.Anyway I would like to cycle through it someday myself.
I’ve done the Silk Road trip in a vehicle and it was tough enough. To do it on a bike! Cyclists have my respect and admiration but I still think they’re all slightly mad! We’ll done, amazing effort and self discipline to continue when it gets tough.
Bicycles are driven, and ARE vehicles btw. It's best to refer to you 'driving a motor vehicle' to make the distinction. Bicycles are one of if not the most efficient human made machines so they're ideal for a lot of transportation / touring needs. It is then up to the operator / driver of a bicycle to provide the mental will and physical capability to essentially tour half of the world by land using one.
Congratulations on an incredible trip. My father biked the Silk Road back in the 1980's. A very different world back then but to this day, he describes that adventure with much the same language you use here.
Your stamina and fearlessness is breathtaking. I cannot even in my wildest dreams imagine doing this but then, I'm 75. Congratulations. That is so awesome and I really enjoyed looking at all of the countryside your video was wonderful.
Absolutely amazing journey, congrats!!! In 23:15 i was surprised when seen woman who pulled her cart. After short research i found out at that was Rosie Swale Pope - 73 years young lady on her journey from England to Nepal.... Sky is the limit.
I had wondered for years if people did this, a European/Asia foot or cycle journey but I could never find evidence I’m glad to know that some do. Thanks for sharing !
Bloody brilliant mate! As a Giant employee, I was so happy to see you ride a Giant and this is a fantastic showcase of the Giant Revolt. You seriously put mine to shame with the amount of miles you've put on it! I would love to see a "behind the scenes" style video with what you packed, spares, your mechanical issues during the trip etc. Well done once again...
@@gravey07 it seemed a bad choice of bike for this type of journey, seen a couple of people similar trips and they keep buying road bikes then spend about half their time on bumpy and bad roads. It looked good until he got to Afghanistan, the bumpy roads then started to break things, but thats not the bikes fault, the bike and parts and designed for smoother roads. I think using a mountain bike for this would have be a lot better, the parts and bikes are designed for roads and paths like that and you get some suspension up front at least to reduce the bumps, it also gives you more choice on routes and your not stuck looking for roads all the time.
@@shroomiestshroom3655 The Giant Revolt was the best bike choice for the varied terrain as its a gravel bike. An mtb would have been good for certain sections but a drag most of the time. Difficult to get a bike that is designed for that sort of trip but I think it faired pretty well...
@@SC-hk6ui doesn’t necessarily have to be a giant gravel bike. This pretty much goes for all gravel bikes, as they are probably the best choice for these kind of trips.
26/07/21 - UPDATE - I relapsed for 7 days, but I’m now two weeks clean again. If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Thank you for all your comments there is too many to reply to, I appreciate you all. Thank you. 05/01/21 I’m a recently recovering alcoholic and drug addict, my addictions made me fall out of love with cycling even though I’ve always loved it, I really needed to watch this video right now. Just thank you.
awsome! double thumbs up to you for doing so while in a pandemic! so much strength! i hope you plan an adventure with your bike and use that to keep you motivated and something to look forward to! all the best :)
What an absolute legend! The planning, resilience, resourcefulness and sheer grit that you have shown, especially at such a young age is beyond impressive and inspirational. The force is truly strong in this one! Your parents must be so so proud. Hats off!!!
A ride you'll remember when you are an old man. Love this film because it shouts about the simplicity of journeying without all the "stuff" we're told we need. Nice one :)
Thank you for such an inspiring video. I watched the whole thing today and it brought back so many happy feelings from our travels. Looking forward to seeing more!
You should really watch the video of a man being alone for 1 year on a vulcanic island. Its really interesting. I need to find the video first but when i find it i will send the name as a comment below this one ⬇️
I vote this as the single best video on the internet. Well done man. Nearly 10,000 miles in 4 months, nearly 90 miles A DAY!!!! I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T DREAM OF DRIVING THAT FAR IN A DAY!!!! You sir should receive some kind of medal or something. That is a feat of mankind exceeding going to the moon in my opinion. I'm jealous, admiring.and honoring you for your accomplishment. I just don't have the words to tell you how much i look up to you. Well done man. Well done indeed.
yes, 120km/day with luggage, bad roads, filming, high mountains... cycling every single day, no break days, no injuries or broken parts... sounds almost too good to be true...
Thank you for taking the risk to share this with us. Your courage is commendable. You have made the world a better place in your own meaningful way. Loved every minute of your video!
Congratulations on a stunning achievement. Most people that do long distance cycling would use a purpose built mountain/hybrid bike of some suit, but you did it on a standard Giant road bike. You must have some legs of steel, huge lungs and an extremely strong mental attitude. It was great to see how much genuine hospitality and human kindness you experienced along the way.
You absolutely would not use a mountain bike for just riding on roads like he's doing. The road bike is much much more efficient than a mountain or hybrid bike.
This was incredible to watch thank you for sharing this if anyone is interested here are the songs in the video⬇️⬇️⬇️ 1:23 - No longer slaves by Worship Lounge 5:55 - Hemispheres by Jo Blankenburg 7:15 - Every mile by Layup 9:28 - Falling by Asher 13:22 - Storybrook by Analog Heart 14:57 - Before dawn by on earth & Michael gungor & Tyler Chester 20:11 - silhouette by vesky 23:57 - the veldt by deadmau5 ft Chris James 27:00 - Miguel by Jacob Steele
Chapeau and Kudos! So good to see such great support from locals as well as company directors. I was delighted to hear that your Dad joined you, especially as he seemed to be such a big influence on your cycling. Keep well and ride safe :-)
@@kudosbudo Unless you're feeding your children or have a mortgage, you can do this. You can rent your apartment if you have it and use that money to cycle. Sure, you would not be able to afford some luxuries on the road but I assure that you need less than 6, 7 dollars per day to cycle the Balkans. If you pay the rent and your children depend on you, it will get better. Children will grow up and hopefully, you'll live better life than you do now. So if you really want it, I wish you all the best. I want to do the same. And I will!
Great video bro. I did a drive when I was 27 from Singapore to UK in 2015 in an old camper and travelled more or less the same route overland so it’s nice to see the Silk Road again! I haven’t done anything like it since because work, mortgage etc is in the way but that time in my life was probably the happiest Ive ever been. Seems so long ago now. I wish life offered more freedom to experience these journeys more often! Subbed 👍🏻
One day, before I die, I hope I get to travel through the silk road. How those western and eastern people must have felt the farther they are from home and the closer they are to the other side of the world, I want to to experience it too. Thank you for this.
I watched this video about 100 times, and always felt inspired. One day i finally made the plunge, and took my first bikepacking trip. 600 miles across Spain, solo. Thanks for giving other people the inspiration to dream a little, and a greater hunger for adventure
Many people underestimate how cold it can get at night when doing a trip like this. Good on you for getting out of that sleeping back, keeping calm and carrying on. Great video!
All right! This is a crazy world trip. All on your own! Good on you! This will be a great memory to look back on as you age! You can be proud to have done this.
The world is an amazing place. I hope one day soon we all realize how much of an absolute present we've been given. And try to explore it with childlike vigor.
This is genuinely the best video I’ve ever watched in my life. Felt like I was with you on the entire journey. Completely captivating and so unbelievably impressive
I watched this video for the first time a year ago. I'm so glad it popped up on my fyp again today. Such a beautiful things to watch. Makes me think how much has changed for me this past year. Thank you so much for sharing this incredible life-changing experience ❤️
This is a remarkable combination of tenacity and self-belief that can only expand this young man's view of life. Anyone wishing for a similar adventure should start planning without delay.
