Istanbul was a blast, so the bikes didn’t go together until Sunday night. Sophia’s derailleur hanger was a bit tweaked, but we got it straightened out and shifting like butter. Traffic in İstanbul was a bit mad, to say the least, so we found a different way to get out of town. We took a ferry boat up the Bosphorus as far as a town called Sariyer. We jumped off the boat and started riding. Our destination was a town on the Black Sea called Kilyos. Our map said that we could ride along the Bosphorus and simply turn left and follow the Black Sea coast. The crucial road that showed on the map just simply wasn’t there. That meant about 20km of back tracking, and we learned our first lesson about riding in Turkey, ask a local about the road ahead before you get too far along it. By the time that we got back to the coast, we were ready to sit on the beach and relax a bit, so Kilyos was perfect.

Tuesday we learned our second lesson about riding in Turkey, the locals don’t necessarily know anything about the road ahead. Our map and the road signs disagreed, so we sought a third opinion. We asked a bus driver and ended up with another extra 20km. Once we were back on track, had a rest break under an old Roman aqueduct and a bit of lunch we got some more bad news. There was a huge road construction project ahead. We were told that the next stretch of road would be some of the worst that we’d ever see, AND 3000 trucks a day are moving back and forth on it. This tıme both accounts were spot on… Still, between dust clouds, we had some amazing views of the Black Sea, and the temperature couldn’t have been more perfect for riding. After a day of dust, exhaust and rough roads, we picked up some snacks in a village called Subaşi and then headed out of town to set up camp. We found a nice spot and were crashed out by dark.

Today has been a gem by comparison. The roads have been relatively smooth, almost no traffic and some of the most beautiful rolling countryside that you can imagine. We only logged about 70km today and had a headwind most of the way. We’re stopped for the night in a town called Saray and have found that Turkish dish called Lahmacun can make you forget a day of wind in the face.

Tomorrow we’re on the road again heading north and west.

All the Best,
James