Cycloscope

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Cycloscope

🚵 10+ Years Cycling Around The Earth (& counting)
🌍 The Number 1 Website About Cycle Touring & Bikepacking
🖇️ cycloscope.net

A bicycle journey around the earth
A blog to inspire and help people achieve their dream
A series of reportage
A book about this all
A new way of sampling landscape and sound environments

Cycloscope is this all, but even more. An adventure of the soul, a quest for a new lifestyle. "A vehicle of civilization", so the bicycle was described by a Dutch newspaper in the early '20s . As a means of

transport fully integrated with nature, the bicycle is the ideal choice for a "respectful exploration of the world". We are Daniele Giannotta (1982, musicologist, cultural worker and sound artist) and Elena Stefanin (1984, Graduated in Culture and Human Rights), and our project is just a respectful exploration of Central Asia by bicycle for documentary purposes . We think that the documentation is the higher purpose that a traveler might aim: to gather knowledge and information, that shared, could simplify and at the same time deepen the experience of the next traveler . In contrast to non-human-powered transport (trains, planes, cars...) the bike puts the traveler in close contact with the road, the landscape and the people . When cycling is not the destination that matters, but the journey itself. A way to travel slower, closer to ancient rhythms, a kind of neo-nomadism which, we hope, will help us to empathize with the authentic nomadic culture of Central Asia, or at least with what's left. The basic idea of Cycloscope is that of a "cycle of cycles" of which the one presented here is only the first of a hopefully long series. A journey by bike from the Danube’s delta through Central Asia in search of images, sounds and words. A series of reportages about contradictions and conflicts, traditions and cultural evolution, natural wonders and environmental risks of the former Soviet republics. Travelling by bicycle will allow us to fully explore rural and remote areas in a path through the ancestral territories of humanity, hunting for unknown or forgotten treasures.

12/11/2024

Shimanami Kaido, a stunning 70km route connecting Honshu and Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea, is probably the most famous cycling path in Japan.

🌉An imposing structure of suspension bridges inaugurated in 1999, the ramps are built exclusively for bicycles, making sure you never have exaggerated slopes to get on and off.

🏝It crosses the six islands of Oshima, Hakatajima, Omishima, Ikuchijima, Innoshima, and Mukaishima. So, wow! A cycling path across the sea? How can we miss this? And here we go, bye-bye Shikoku!

The first bridge that we cross is spectacular, below us the sea is full of whirlpools. It's a beautiful archipelago, with hundreds of green islands but the part of the path within the islands is a bit disappointing though.

Read our full story + review here 👉 https://cycloscope.net/shimanami-kaido-review-shikoku-honshu-by-bike-cycling-seto-sea

11/11/2024

Are you looking for ideas for your next bike trip? Curious about cycling in Africa?

What about Tanzania? We stayed in Tanzania for about a year, traveling by bike and by car. This guide explores scenic bikepacking routes, from coastal roads to mountainous trails, ideal for anyone interested in combining adventure with cultural immersion.

It covers practical tips on navigating diverse terrains and connecting with Tanzania’s landscapes and communities. Perfect inspiration for planning a memorable cycling journey across the country!

From 2 week itinerary to as long as you wish itinerary ideas + maps.

👉Read the full guide here: https://cycloscope.net/cycling-tanzania-bikepacking-cycle-touring-routes

08/11/2024

What is your favorite bikepaking tent?

We first tested a NatureHike tent back in 2016, while living in China, when the brand was still relatively unknown. To this day, we continue to use their products.

Our Cloud Up tent performed reliably under most conditions. However, during an extreme windstorm in the Arctic Circle, a pole broke, tearing the flysheet.

NatureHike quickly sent a replacement flysheet and even contributed to our accommodation costs for the nights we couldn’t camp. While these tents may not last forever, they offer an excellent budget-friendly option for outdoor enthusiasts.

11/10/2024

🏠 It is said that the origin of the capanno, also known as Padellone (or Bilancione), due to the large net extending over the water, dates back to the 15th century. However, its spread in the Po Delta area and along the entire Adriatic coast is documented in the 19th century.

🐠 The structure of the capanno—as the name itself suggests—is that of a small hut, partly built on land and partly supported on a barge or on stilts suspended over the water.

🥘 Its original function was to provide temporary shelter for fishing activities. Right next to the capanno, a large square net (padellone) is mounted and lowered into the water to catch the best of the local fish.

🪵 The construction materials have always been modest, often scraps. Anyone with an extra door or window frame knew how to recycle them.

🧑‍🍳 Inside, the capanno has one or two rooms, with an area for cooking and eating, and another for resting as needed.

06/10/2024

🦾 Although I only encountered electric bikes, there are several easy and flat cycling paths towards the sea through the Pineta of Ravenna.

⛵️ The origins of the Pineta of Ravenna date back to Roman times, when this land was part of a system of lagoons and forests. The Romans exploited the pine forest for timber, primarily for shipbuilding, but it was during the Byzantine period that it became strategically important, providing wood for fleets and the city.

👑 In the Middle Ages, the pine forest continued to be used for timber and resin and also served as a hunting reserve. During the Renaissance, the Malatesta family and later the Papal State recognized its importance and protected it.

🐺 Today, it is a protected area rich in biodiversity, and apparently, in 2020, wolves returned after three centuries.

05/10/2024

👩‍🚀 It's so true that we often don't know or overlook what's right next to us.

👓 I recently had the chance to visit Ravenna, and wow—I'm still in awe of its stunning mosaics!

👩‍🏫 The mosaics of Ravenna are among the most famous and precious examples of Early Christian and Byzantine art in Italy and the world, dating primarily from the 5th and 6th centuries.

⛪️ They are found in various monuments throughout the city, an important center for both the Western Roman Empire and later the Byzantine Empire.

🍌 I’m sure, though, that if I had come here as a child, there wouldn’t have been a flowering banana plant at the church entrance.

04/10/2024

I return where the river
is slow like life
and everything seems always the same,
but changes, a little, every day,
a tree, a leaf,
and you, who watch the world
pass slowly, without making a sound.

“Torno dove il fiume
è lento come la vita
e tutto sembra sempre uguale,
ma cambia, un poco, ogni giorno,
un albero, una foglia,
e tu, che osservi il mondo
passare piano, senza far rumore.”

[Ritorno alla Bassa di Zavattini]

02/10/2024

🚴🚴‍♀️ During our bike tour in Ireland, we visited the Aran Islands.

🪨 Walking among the endless stone walls and enclosures will give you the distinct feeling of being inside the script of the next fantasy film adapted from a Tolkien novel.

🐦‍⬛Pics taken by our drone before it was attacked by crows ▶️ https://cycloscope.net/aran-islands-what-to-see

Have you been there?

30/08/2024

Some time ago we came across this interesting discussion on the Facebook group Bicycle Touring and Bikepacking, where many members expressed what, according to them, might be the rules of bicycle touring. I will say that most of it is more the kind of helpful advice on how to enjoy a bicycle trip, avoid troubles, and don’t be an as***le.

Some are funny, some are serious, and all are useful. We also added some comments of ours.

Do you respect these rules? Do you have something else to add to the list?

▶️ https://cycloscope.net/bicycle-touring-tips-rules-advice

14/08/2024

Nestled in the heart of the Kashmir Valley, Srinagar is a city where history breathes through every stone and whisper of the wind. Its breathtaking landscapes, crowned by the serene Dal Lake, are contrasted by the echoes of a tumultuous past and present.

This city is where Mughal architecture tells tales of a bygone era, where gardens and mosques like the Jamia Masjid stand as symbols of faith and resilience. Yet, beneath the surface lies a story of struggle—a city shaped by decades of conflict, its people caught in the crossfire of a militarized zone. The streets here know the footsteps of soldiers and the chants of prayers, woven together in a complex tapestry of survival.

And then there's the mystery of the **Rozabal Shrine**, believed by some to be the resting place of Jesus (Yuz Asaf). This place adds another layer to the spiritual and historical depth of Srinagar, a city where religions intersect, and stories from centuries past still spark debate and reverence.

Srinagar is more than a postcard; it’s a place of soul-stirring contrasts—of breathtaking beauty and heartbreaking realities. It’s a city that demands to be seen, heard, and understood, not just through the lens of its struggles but through the resilience and hope of its people. ✨

24/07/2024

Here's something you should never do in the Himalayas

21/07/2024

🧑‍🦱 In the 1970s in Marin County, California, pioneers like Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, and Tom Ritchey started modifying their bikes to tackle rugged trails, creating the first "klunkers" with stronger frames and wider tires.

This is How the Story of Mountain Biking Began!

Are you curious to know how the MTB revolution evolved to reach the Olympics?

Read the full story here 👉 https://cycloscope.net/history-of-mountain-biking

20/07/2024

We made it to the top of Spiti!

12/07/2024

Alessandro and Stefania have been riding a touring tandem around the world for 7 years.

In the utterly lavish cycling lot, tandem bikes still come as an extravagance. Not only does the tandem defy our shining depiction of the exulting pink jersey hero at the end of his lonely final sprint.

It also overturns any embraceable idea of a dream bike: aerodynamic like a jet, agile like a panther, light like a feather…the tandem is not.

👉 https://cycloscope.net/best-tandem-bikes

What do you think about this way of traveling? Have you ever considered it or you think tandems are just a divorce machine?

11/07/2024

We lived in China for a couple of years, one of which we spent in Sanmen County. And we loved it! If you plan to visit China (now it is visa-free) and you want to see something authentic, go to Sanmen!

👉 https://cycloscope.net/sanmen-travel-guide-zhejiang

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