Episode Description
Ever thought about bikepacking across multiple countries?
In this episode, I chat with Belgian bikepacker Xiao, known online as @Ciao_Xiao, who set off on a long journey from China back to Belgium.
Xiao first got into bike travel as a teenager, riding with his mum and later heading off with friends when time was plentiful and money was not. That curiosity eventually grew into a much bigger ride, beginning in eastern China and unfolding west through Central Asia.
In this conversation, we talk about:
- How early bike trips shaped the way Xiao travels
- What it is really like to cross China by bike, region by region
- Riding through Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and camping high in the mountains
- Cold nights, mechanical problems, and figuring things out as you go
- His time riding through Afghanistan and how that experience shifted his perspective
- Why bikepacking often works best without a rigid plan
This episode is a grounded look at long-distance bikepacking, curiosity-led travel, and what you notice when you move slowly through the world on two wheels.
Be sure to give Xiao a follow on YouTube and also via his instagram - @Ciao__Xiao
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