Watching you revisiting one of your past camping places was strangely emotional. Also, it makes me wonder when (if ever) we will watch 19 years old you crossing through Turkey and the Caucasus. I know editing it would entail months of your life but that would be truly epic! Great job with this series, Ed
Nice vid. I am 55 and back packed for 2.5 years non stop in my early 20s and i still backpack these days (4 to 12 week trips typically) and sometmes find myself back at the exact same spot as all those years ago.. Its an awesome way to reflect.
Thanks for sharing of your journey that included a return to a remote place in the world that you likely never imagined you would see again. Also, I surely wish that drivers would be far more careful of cyclists. One of my friends who had just gotten her pro card for triathlon, was with 4 others on a 125 mile ride in far southern Nevada, and they were hit from behind and crushed into the support vehicle from a guy on meth, who took the lives of all 5. Far too many cyclist tragedies for which literally all are preventable. Keep showing the world that very few of us get to see, and for which many of us have no idea of. Ride on, and Ride strong!
Your video keeps giving me chills and grins from ears to ears. I love your videos, good job Ed and Aishola! Such a shame your relationship did not work out, you two are beautiful together.
Gosh Ed -- your videos are amongst the best on RU-vid and arguably the best on all media. What is going to be your next adventure for us? Aishola's sense of presence will for sure be missed.
I remember riding down from Ninotsminda to Akhaltsikhe on my bicycle a few years ago, and seeing the train used as a bridge, and the castle along the way. Was a bit stressed out by a halfway broken bicycle then, so it's nice to see that valley from the comfort of my home and how others experienced it.
Your videography is really reminding me of iohan gueorguiev, who sadly commited suicide in August 2021. He was a cycling adventurer who did some insane treks. He was originally from Bulgaria but emigrated to British Columbia as a teen. He was a humbled human ho had an incredible skill to put the right music, with the right commentary to the right video. It was like watching a professionall y done video. He was a master. Your videos have come along to be of that quality Ed and it truly is a pleasure to watch. Iohans videos are still on youtube. If you are ever looking for improvements beyond what you already accomplished check out some of his videos. Unfortunately the ladt year he became depressed and his videos were slliding but go back a bit and you will see some amazing stuff. Im a road biker here in the states and it is frightening and frustrating to almost get taken out by traffic. Very dangerous unfortunately. Keep.up the amazing work.
@@hrvatss Iohan has passed away, when I heard I was shocked and extremely saddened. Sorry to bring you bad news. Cyclingabout posted a eulogy video and some links to a memorial from some of Iohan's friends. Never met Iohan but I miss him, and I can only imagine how big a hole he left for his friends and loved ones.
No higher compliment than being compared to Iohan in my book and I agree strongly. Best of health and good wishes to Ed & Arshola in their future travels and life in their next adventures.
Great video, Ive only just started watching because Ive been in devon sorting out the parental unit and tbh I kinda had to get my head around your breakup. Broken the ice now and they are perfect. Thanks.
Nice to see you uploads again Ed. 👍For some reason I have missed out on your vids after your unicycle trip. I will now go through your back catalogue for vids I have missed.
Mr Pratt's channel is definitely one of, if not, the best "feel good" production on youtube. Really loving these uploads and Aishola is really a superb person in her own right.
People who travel by bicycle inspire me. It's the kind of outdoor activity that requires love and devotion. If possible, I prefer to ride on the shoulder of the road to avoid being sideswiped. Fortunately, most highways in Thailand have a shoulder. Be happy and ride safely.
Amazing Ride! Yup I a run into them Ars holes too.. For me I feel its not a patch of Ground, But a Port Hole to The Past.. Its Wonderful how you can see before and after! You guys be Safe Out there.. Thanks for Sharing Your Adventures!!! AMAZING!!!
That abandoned village was an Armenian settlement. I thought I saw a glimpse of a carved stone khachkar so I looked it up. And then when you ended up in Akhalkalaki I was sure. I said "barev dzes" as well as "gamarjoba" to everyone I met there just in case.
The way Aishola beamed when you said you camped here before, you can tell she's proud of you. It was such a beautiful, moving moment and reflection. Thank you so much for sharing your journeys with us. ❤❤❤I know it takes hard work and a lot of time, but my breath caught in my throat when I saw your old footage (perfect editing by the way). I wondered, when I also figuratively returned to the same place, what had I learned? 🤲🏼🩷🤲🏼
Haha, funny to see you going right at Paravani. I was doing that road the other way around this summer but on a MTB, what i would say suit this road more than a tandem, but well done! It's nice to see it again from another perspective.
What I like about bike touring is not only for thecan o fun and adventure but also discovering (those who travel the world) what humanity all has in common and then there is discovering cultures and beliefs that may or may not bring us together. Ed, did you get back together with your girlfriend? (re; this video vs recent past others how you mentioned you two broke apart).
So refreshing to see your adventures. So refreshing to see your young love ❤️. So refreshing to see your toughtfull look at the world you are discovering. Thanks a lot for sharing this with us.
Really excellent. Just bought the whole series on Vimeo so that we can make a contribution. Might seem an odd question but what shoes do you wear. Are they cycling or walking shoes? My wife and i have a tandem as well and still trying to decide on the best footwear for the winter months.
Appreciate it Tim. I hope you enjoy watching it! We went with walking shoes as we wanted footwear we could use both on and off the bike. I did the same on the unicycle tour - just having one pair of shoes to save weight and bulk. Best of luck with your riding!
I have been bicycle touring for 40 years, done about 800 thousand clicks a lot of it on Highways. 99.99% of drivers are fine, the .01% who try to kill me are no specific type. Trucks, caravans, cars, they are all as bad as each other. The smaller the Vehicle, the less room they leave you. Now their way of thinking is they will miss me, but they do not understand that on a rough road, a bicycle may need that 2 inches of room you have deigned to give me. The only tips I have is to wear Hi Vis, have at least one very bright rear and front light, day or night. Buy a 2 way radio, tune into the frequency the drivers on that road use, cost you 50 bucks. Use a mirror and look at it often. If you see a vehicle coming, move over as much as you can, slow down, look,. its not about Ego its about staying alive. Just because a vehicle is in one place on the road, does not mean it will stay there. The attitude, well Ive got a right to be riding this line will kill you. Ride with eyes in the back of your head. Drivers do not look for Bicycles, they look for other cars. They expect you to move because they are selfish inconsiderate morons. Buy a good map, learn your route, do not rely on that tiny map on your phone, its better to go on a road with no traffic, even if it takes you a couple of hours longer. Cycling is not fun on major roads. PLEASE always ask the locals about the best route to take, they know more than you do. Be seen, be safe.
Such a beautiful country. It makes me want to go there too. Unfortunately traffic and roads are constantly expanding throughout most of the world. I always complain about ours here in Canada, but we have many secondary roads with wide enough shoulders to allow for a relatively safe passing distance. Unfortunately the "assholes" are here in great numbers. Car culture is not good for us cyclists. Happy trails and be safe 😉
what would you say was/is your best and most reliable tent model/maker? i see alot of people using MSR's, but i want to make sure i make the correct choice before buying.
I find it odd that drivers will yield to a greater degree for a deer than they will for a bike rider. People willing to endanger lives to possibly save a few seconds.
I am used to cycle in the Netherlands, where I don't have to share the main road. But last week I was in England, and I had the idea that they where stopping more then needed. I was like, this should fit, but they stopped to give me space. No idea it they are just more polite of less used to cyclists.
@@johanlugthart7782 The rules recently changed here to force motorists to concede to more vulnerable road users, as prior to that close passes were far more common. But yes, you do find some people over-compensating as a result. Much rather that than the lack of consideration previously on offer.
Dangerous drivers really are the real danger of cycle touring. I don't think I've ever felt unsafe in any other way. I often think of their reasons or motivations for putting a cyclist in danger like that, and although there are a multitude of possibilities, I think more often than not it's either ignorance or laziness. I genuinely think that many drivers just don't realize what they're doing is problematic. I've been overtaken dangerously and then caught up to the driver at traffic lights on a couple of occasions and both times they seemed completely unaware that they'd done anything wrong. Most of them have never experienced travel by bike and don't have an appreciation for the terror that one can feel when a vehicle passes inches from the bike. Perhaps they're also too stupid to realize that they're just one bump in the road away from committing vehicular manslaughter.... You can see the laziness in the way people drive around. Cutting corners at junctions or coasting rather than coming to a complete stop. I think that translates into confrontations with cyclists when they can't be bothered to put in the effort to stop or slow down for a moment and then maneuver - they'd rather just try and squeeze through without losing momentum - Quite hilarious in a sad sort of way that the cyclist may well have pedaled that bike thousands of miles and the driver can't even muster the energy to turn a wheel and push a couple of pedals. Another great vid, Ed!
i travelled 12 months with an ex girlfriend thru middle east/africa in my 20s and we parted pretty much at the end of the trip. we had an amazing fun happy and at times tough experience however its not normal spending 24 hours every day with the same person so travelling (especially on a tight budget) can add an extra spin to things you may not get in a normal living environment. hard to find a man-cave when sharing a tent..
"why are you doing this". Well, the obvious answer is that there are egocentric idiots on the roads who believe that they can not spend 5 sec to reduce speed and who feel empowered behind their steering wheel.
