About Lensdude
youtube.com/@globalbikepackingnetwork
5,040 km
272:37 h
Recent Activity
Lensdude went for a bike ride.
November 15, 2025
Excellent weather for a ride to one of the most iconic Buddhist temples in Laos. That Ing Hang Stupa boasts a rich history dating back to the 16th century. Built in 1560 by King Setthathirath of the Lan Xang kingdom, the stupa stands on the site of a pre-existing Khmer temple. Its construction is believed to enshrine a sacred relic of the Buddha's collarbone, imbuing the stupa with immense religious significance. There was one other statue I stopped by for a closer look only to be confronted by a conflagration of Police dressed in camouflage riot gear with automatic weapons! "NO PHOTOS" they insisted... Phoun Sipaseuth was a political figure of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party who died 30 years ago at the age of 74. My Kokopelli cycling kit must look like something a 'revolutionary' would wear.
01:37
28.0km
17.3km/h
200m
220m
Lensdude went gravel riding.
November 12, 2025
The scenery and the people I encountered along this Mekong route was worth the beating my bike and I had endured. The Road repair crews were out in force this morning, working from south to north. First crew dumps a load of red clay dirt in the middle of a potholed section then move on to the next section and dump another load. The next crew is one farm tractor with a 1.5m blade instead of a bucket. Finally there's the tar, pea gravel and packer crew which I met with only 5km to go. I'm planning to stay in Savannakhet for the next five nights and do some 50 or 60km loops to get a feel for the area. Remember to visit the TrevTravels YouTube channel and like, comment and subscribe for more bikepacking adventure videos.
03:10
48.8km
15.4km/h
380m
390m
Lensdude went for a bike ride.
November 11, 2025
It seems that I underestimated the road surface or overestimated my pain threshold... Much of the route was like HWY 13 north of Kasi, either finding a line between the potholes or shaking my bones loose on the rough asphalt. I'm still 45 km north of Savannakhet so I was a bit too optimistic to conquer another day over 100 km, especially on suboptimal roads.
03:50
69.9km
18.2km/h
340m
350m
Lensdude went for a bike ride.
November 10, 2025
The HWY 13 route is mostly flatland with long, gradual climbs and plenty of roadside vendors for resupply. The only real challenge was the heat and humidity... At 8am it was already 33C and 95% humidity!!! I didn't shoot any stills but you can watch the video on the TrevTravels YouTube channel, so poke and swipe your way over there. There's even a few bonus clips from yesterday included with today's video.
05:06
106km
20.8km/h
770m
750m
Lensdude went for a bike ride.
November 8, 2025
Smoothest road ever... I stopped by a Petro Vietnam station that also featured ballistic missile decorations, except this station's cafe was open! I enjoyed a conversation (Google Translate) with Kop and his sister, who run the place. He has been at medical school in Luang Prabang for the past five years and we shared the same sentiment of HWY 13 to Vang Vieng; and that it is the longest 185 km of terrible, potholed road that we have ever traveled.
02:17
47.3km
20.7km/h
230m
240m
Lensdude went for a bike ride.
November 6, 2025
Solid ride all tolled, with bags of awesome scenery and welcoming people along the way. I couldn't ask for a smoother road to ride... Some segments were worth riding twice LOL Okay the double back... I rode into the Petro Vietnam station to refuel and cool off but I didn't instinctively remember which way I was heading-that's how hot it was, so I turned the wrong way when leaving the station. I didn't realize my error until 10 km later. A more thorough description is the video on the TrevTravels YouTube channel. Like and subscribe so you can stay on top of all of my trials and tribulations that I experience along the way to Vietnam and beyond.
02:11
58.2km
26.7km/h
250m
250m
Lensdude went gravel riding.
November 4, 2025
23 km asphalt to Borikham then 23 km of knobbly gravel to Nong Boua with the last 24 km on asphalt back to Paksan. The ride was perfect... Nice breeze, not too hot or humid, fantastic scenery and great conversations.
04:04
69.6km
17.1km/h
450m
460m
Lensdude went for a bike ride.
November 2, 2025
HWY 13 at its best... Mild headwind and my right leg was almost chewed off below the knee by a ginormous winged creature with razor sharp teeth!!! Okay, it was just a large insect with a stinger the size of a dagger!!! I have swung a deal at a nice hotel to pay just 600,000 Kip for four nights. Plenty to see and do in Paksan so I will be shooting video of it all that you can watch on the TrevTravels YouTube channel.
02:35
54.4km
21.0km/h
260m
260m
Lensdude went gravel riding.
October 29, 2025
Actually only the first half was terrible, potholed road with heavy traffic swerving to avoid the potholes. The final 30km was extra wide, pristine asphalt with designated cycling lanes.
02:40
52.0km
19.5km/h
250m
280m
Lensdude went for a bike ride.
October 27, 2025
I chose this route along the Mekong River with the hope that I would happen upon a riverside restaurant with the fried eggs over rice with chicken and veggies. I settled for a baguette sandwich (Khao chy pate') then found a riverside temple to enjoy my breakfast. My route turned North at Ban Mak Nao then onto the notorious HWY 13... Where I punctured the rear tire. I'm now at a Guesthouse in Ban Woen and feeling Woen out. The patch job on my last TPU tube didn't seal the leak so now that I can work on it in my air conditioned room, I will reinstall the original butyl tube. Downside is I am now without spare tubes or a butyl patch kit so I'd best stop in at the next scooter shop and buy some vulcanizer from them.
02:53
55.3km
19.1km/h
290m
290m