Timeline
Matthill71 went gravel riding
February 22, 2026
Thanks a wrap Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City Done !
22 days riding 2700km 30.000m elevation
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Rene likes this.
Matthill71 went gravel riding
February 19, 2026
160km Through the Mekong Heat
Some days on the bike are tough. Some are unforgettable. Today was both.
I rolled out early, the first 20km tracing a surprisingly quiet main road — a gentle start before the real adventure began. Soon the route turned into a perfect mix of tiny local lanes and fast gravel…
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Rene likes this.
Matthill71 went cycling
February 18, 2026
Bloody Scorching – A Day on the Bike
Not a lot to report today — just one of those long, hot slogs that tests you more than you expect.
After breakfast I made sure to grab an extra bánh mì so I’d have something sorted for lunch. A decision I was very pleased with later on.
The first…
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Rene likes this.
Matthill71 went gravel riding
February 17, 2026
Bonked on the Road to Phuc Long – And Not in a Good Way
Bonked on the Road to Phuc Long – And Not in a Good Way
I knew today was going to be hard. I just didn’t realise it was going to be that hard.
It was New Year’s Day, and my wonderful hosts packed me off like a man heading into…
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Rene likes this.
Matthill71 went gravel riding
February 16, 2026
What A Day
After coffee and breakfast, I hit the road with the wind at my back, cruising through towns and cities buzzing with life as everyone prepared for New Year’s Eve. Markets were packed, roads were busy, and there was a real sense of celebration in the air.
A couple of hours…
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Rene likes this.
Matthill71 went cycling
February 15, 2026
A Day of Two Halves
Some days on the bike feel like a gift. Others feel like a test. This one was both.
The morning began with a punchy couple of hundred metres of climbing, just enough to wake the legs, and then — bliss. Nearly 70km of gentle downhill with a tailwind pushing me…
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Rene likes this.
Matthill71 went cycling
February 14, 2026
Change of plans
The original plan was a gravel route tracing the border with Laos and Cambodia. But after a closer look at the maps—and remembering a previous encounter with Vietnamese border police—I decided not to test my luck. The safer option was to stick to the Ho Chi Minh Road.
I thought…
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Rene likes this.
Matthill71 went cycling
February 13, 2026
Friday the 13th
Nothing went wrong today… apart from Garmin lying about the elevation.
1,500 metres? My arse. It was closer to 2,400 m.
The morning was brutal: 1,500 m of climbing in the first 40 km, with gradients kicking over 16%. My legs were screaming at me to get off and walk.…
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Rene likes this.
Matthill71 went cycling
February 12, 2026
Climbs, Coffee and Headwinds
A leisurely breakfast meant I didn’t roll out until around 8. There was no gentle start to the day—just straight into the first climb. No warm-up, just the nervous buzz of too much coffee dragging me over the top and into a cracking 10 km descent.
Naturally, that was followed…
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Rene likes this.
Matthill71 went cycling
February 11, 2026
Đà Nẵng back to the Ho Chi Minh Road
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Đà Nẵng back to the Ho Chi Minh Road
I was up early, but it took a while to get moving. After checking out, I stopped at the first café I found for breakfast and a strong coffee—fuel for what I suspected would be a tough day.
It took…
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Rene, Péter Majoros and Mario like this.
Matthill71 went cycling
February 10, 2026
Huế to Đà Nang (via mud, floods, and the Hai Vân Pass)
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As usual, I was up early. Bike packed, breakfast demolished by 6:30, and at least a pint of coffee down before rolling out.
I weaved through Huế’s narrow lanes and was quickly back in the countryside. Things were going smoothly—right up until I decided to try the off-road trails.…
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Rene likes this.
Matthill71 went cycling
February 7, 2026
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Rene and Daniel P. Courvoisier - THAILAND 🇹🇭 like this.
Matthill71 went cycling
February 4, 2026
Day 8 phong nah to Troung son
Great Day, Finished With a Bang
I set off into town early to collect some lunch and extra drinks, knowing it would be a long, demanding day on the bike. After a couple of tough little climbs, I stopped at Hang Chỉ Huy – Commander Cave, planning only a second…
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Rene and Daniel P. Courvoisier - THAILAND 🇹🇭 like this.
Matthill71 went cycling
February 2, 2026
Day 7 Type 2 Fun in Vietnam
I woke to weather that begged me to stay in bed—but with 130km ahead, that wasn’t happening. The forecast promised “light drizzle.” Lies. Absolute lies.
I hid in a café for coffee and breakfast, hoping it would clear. No chance. So I dropped my head and pedalled into what quickly…
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Daniel P. Courvoisier - THAILAND 🇹🇭, Rene and lgwramp like this.