Vietnam cycling tour - 2000km unsupported cycling challenge from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City

Initially I ( Stuart ) had planned to do this trip solo and I had allowed 25 days of leisurely cycling with an additional rest day in the City of Hue on day 11. Without any unforeseen issues this would mean I would arrive into Ho Chi Minh City on Monday 3rd of December with my flight back home the following day. The Entire Route - 2,002km After spending one Month talking Alex into joining me he finally said yes provided he could get the time off from his new job as a fire fighter, this proved a little difficult because he only had a set holiday period and he needed to be back into work on Monday 3rd of December, so the leisurely cycling trip through Vietnam has now turned into a bit of a cannon ball run!, however, its still manageable and will mean combining a couple of shorter days into one longer day resulting in us arriving in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday 1st December with Alex's flight back the following day. We also may be able to improve further by combining furthe

Prior to booking our trip to Vietnam I had only two bikes at my disposal which covered all forms of riding that I have previously done, A Ribble carbon fibre sportive road bike and a Trek off road Mountain bike, However, taking on this challenge of an unsupported ride from Hanoi to Ho chi Minh city it was clear neither bike would best placed for this challenge and other options would be more suitable.  Bike after up grades Original bike Carrying all our personal belongings and everything needed throughout the journey I needed something a bit sturdier than my carbon road bike and something quicker than my full suspension MTB so we could cover more ground quicker. I purchased a Boardman CX comp, cyclocross bike. The Boardman CX Comp’s frame is made from triple butted alloy so although I am giving away some weight advantage to a full carbon bike, it will be a stronger frame and be able to carry the extra weight I will be carrying over any tough/uneven ground we encounter

Stuart's Bike I wanted to use something a bit more sturdier than a full carbon road bike as the roads may not be the best and we will also be carrying all our clothing and belongings for the full duration. I already had a full carbon Specialized hybrid bike with a Shimano 105 group set & hydraulic disc brakes which I didn't use too much, but I actually wanted to do the trip on something with drop handle bars. Looking around on the internet I purchase some Specialized drop bars off Ebay & some STI hydraulic shifters from Evans Cycles and Bounce MTB in Preston converted it for me along with upgrading the wheels. With the more upright geometry due to it really being an hybrid, and 32mm wide tyres which will give a smoother ride I think it should make a decent touring bike - We will see. Bike after conversion Bike before conversion Further upgrades I carried out was fitting new mudguards as there is no doubt it will rain during riding and there is nothi