How do we keep the bikes in shape?
The bikes have been carefully prepared to brave the long riding-days on dirt tracks. Our mechanic and his super tools is in charge of keeping the bikes in shape. Last but not least, 75 kg of spare parts will be shared on the bikes and new spare parts will be sent to different places along the trip prior to departure.
How do we manage the language barriers? Between us and the people we will meet?
Four languages will be used inside the team: Chinese, English, German (well, Austrian to be specific) and French; most of the time, conversations end up being a mix of the four languages. If it is laborious sometimes, the expedition members always manage to communicate together by speech, gestures or by their own made-up language! To share and communicate with all potential friends on the road, a map will be displayed on one sidecar motorbike showing the expedition route.
What did we do to get ready for this physical challenge?
All four members of the expedition hold a Chinese sidecar driving license and have already taken part in motorbike road trips in the past.
All team members will have past a first aid diploma by May 2011.
They plan to go to Zhejiang and Anhui provinces (South of Shanghai) three months before the departure in order to test their material.
What kind of special equipment do we need?
A GPS is at the basis of our survival equipment. A big thank you to GARMIN for donating one of their GPS to our expedition. We also acquired a SpotFindMe device, this upgraded device provides a vital line of communication with friends and family and emergency assistance anywhere in the world, even where cell phones don’t. It also allows us to send and save your location and allow contacts to track our progress in near real time using Google Maps. A first aid kit will be in every bike.
