Dahon was founded with the singular purpose of promoting environmentally-sustainable forms of transport. In 1982, they were pioneers of the folding bicycle. Now, with over 2 million folding bicycles sold, Dahon is the proud worldwide leader in folding bicycles. Dahon cycles are manufactured and ridden all over the world.  It is the fine quality of Dahon’s cycles, and the international span of the company which makes them perfect for AsiaWheeling.

AsiaWheeling is proud to ride a pair of Dahon Speed TR’s on our journey, a pair of bicycles which your humble correspondents are honored to rely upon. Interested in learning more about our folding bicycles? Interested in owning a Dahon? You should be. Visit Dahon.com

It’s bright out there, and we’ve got an image to maintain.  In the heat of the Gobi desert, Maui Jim shades keep us shielded from sun and sand.  With PolarizedPlus® Technology and saltwater resistance, these are the perfect specs for the beaches of Kuta to the levantine alleyways of beirut. Coupled with our panama hats, these shades allow us to achieve both protection and style.  The latter, of course, you may judge by yourself.  Woody wears the Lanai and Scott wears the Akoni.

Here on AsiaWheeling, there’s really only one serious logistical issue that can put a damper on the day: clean underwear.  Without it, we just can’t move forward.  Thats why Exofficio’s quick-dry underwear is our choice for those long hauls on the Great Indian Railways and beyond.  String them up to dry across a hotel room in Kashgar, and they’ll be ready to step into faster than you can say “doxycycline.”

It’s 3AM and we’re crossing a razor-wire border between two warring states.  Which passport to present?  Do we have all the bags?  With a little sugar free RedBull shot, we can stay alert and on point.  It’s also good for a morning boost when the nearest french press is 1300km away.   And the beauty of RedBull energy shots?  They comes in condensed bottles, small enough to carry onto a TSA regulated airplane.  We can’t wait to put it to the test against Red Camel and other strange, unregulated Southeast Asian beverages.

This unique and internationally known gentleman’s clothier, with three shops in the heart of Kensington near Kensington Palace, carries hats made by the venerable Christys’ & Co. Established in London in 1773, Christy’s has a worldwide reputation for craftsmanship, style and excellence in traditional, classic and modern headwear. AsiaWheeling has the great pleasure of bringing a pair of Christy’s Superfine Lightweight set crown, 2½ inch snap brim Panamas on our journey, compliments of Hornet’s Hats. If you, dear reader, have any interest in panama hat of your very own, we cannot more highly recommend this most distinguished purveyor.

Meet the WikiReader.  It’s wikipedia in your pocket.  Durable, touchscreen enabled, energy efficient, and easy to use, WikiReader helps AsiaWheeling read any of WikiPedia’s three million topics even when we have no internet access.  Designed in collaboration with Thomas Meyerhoffer of Apple and curvy surfboard fame, and produced by forward-thinking OpenMoko, the WikiReader is a critical library for AsiaWheeling.  WikiReader has graciously provided these for use along the trip, as well as for donation to educational institutions and non-profit humanitarian organizations throughout the journey.  Get one for yourself or a friend.  The price is right.

Knog is an savage organization of bike heads which, upon visit to their website you will agree, really get it. As suppliers of wild gear for the discerning cyclist, Knog needs little introduction. AsiaWheeling is giddy to announce our partnership with this most esteemed collective. In exchange for our undying affection, they have provided us with a pair of Knog FROG headlights, and KNOG NERD wheeling computers. The streets of Kuala Lumpur won’t know what hit ’em.

Called the “Ebay for space” by Time Magazine, Airbnb is an online marketplace allowing anyone from private residents to commercial properties to rent out their extra space. This reputation-based site allows for user reviews, verification, and secure online transactions. AirBnB supports AsiaWheeling in it’s travels and works closely with the AsiaWheeling mobile team to expand it’s influence in Asia.  We will be scouring the globe for special properties to list on Airbnb and will look to Airbnb.com for warm beds in faraway lands.

AsiaWheeling has the great fortune of partnering with Travisa in all endeavors involving passports, visas, and legalizations. Travisa is a vital member of the Asiawheeling team, providing us with both visas and passport services during the planning phase in the US, and providing on the go air mail courier support for our team while in the field. After a long day of wheeling, we can rest assured, tucked soundly in a yurt somewhere in eastern Kazakhstan, knowing that the crack squad at Travisa is working tirelessly preparing our visas for Siberia, to be delivered in the nick of time to outpost in the Altai Mountains. Travisa, we humbly doff our caps.

Jarrow Formulas is the market leader in pro-biotic supplements. They come as a critical partner for AsiaWheeling as they supply award winning products to colonize and repopulate the flora in our gastrointestinal tracts, which are decimated from consuming antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin.  AsiaWheeling takes Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS and Jarrow-Dophilus EPS® in conjunction with prescription antibiotics in order to properly digest food and thrive in the field.

Michaels Naturopathic Programs is a provider of traditional and contemporary herbs to supplement the AsiaWheeling diet.  Their Paraherbs both provide fibers to support digestion, as well as a multitude of seeds, barks, hulls, and cloves to supplement nutrients that may not be available in the foods we normally consume and retain.  Michaels also provides AsiaWheeling with Adrenal Xtra tablets, which support the adrenal glands for optional healthy energy production throughout the day, helping the pancreas to regulate bloodsugar levels.

A corporate communications firm specializing in science and technology, deClarity has supported AsiaWheeling since the very beginning. When wheeling the streets of Kashgar was originally proposed as a mere gentleman’s wager in a smoky hovel on Preston St. in Providence, Rhode Island, deClarity was there to support our organization in its infancy. From supplying our team with temporary office space and high speed data uplinks in the Bay area, to sponsoring promotional materials for the journey, to serving as a strategic sounding board, deClarity has stood by us throughout the evolution of AsiaWheeling.

Row Apparel is the official custom apparel and promotional goods supplier for the AsiaWheeling. Believe it or not, dear reader, there was a time when we were naked, and without business cards, shivering masses yearning for a board of trusted advisers to keep us warm. It was at that very moment that a Mr. Bradly Thompson emerged from the blizzard. He wrapped us in silicone washed discharge printed swaddling v-necks and swiftly produced elegant business cards for our advisory team. AsiaWheeling was a merely a house; Row Apparel made it a home.

Even AsiaWheeling is not invincible. When traveling to the ends of the earth, your humble correspondents may and quite often do find them selves with a case of the old local gidwitz. And when that happens, we rely on Surgical Associates. From diagnosis of bacterial infections causing ghastly internal hemorrhages, to removal of suspicious growths, Surgical Associates of Grinnell provides the AsiaWheeling team with expert medical care through email, phone-calls, and when needed, in person slicing and dicing. We wheel here today only because of the expert patching up we have received from these fine physicians. We can quite safely say: AsiaWheeling could not be in better hands.

Speed Matrix is not just the largest Dahon bicycle distributor in Southeast Asia, but also purveyors of find folding cycles and folding kayaks for the discerning adventurer in Singapore. AsiaWheeling is pleased to announce our partnership with Speed Matrix and My Bike Shop, has generously assisted us with repairs, parts, and general support for the Speed TRs to keep us wheeling in cities from Singapore to Krasnoyarsk.

Hardened by wheeling in the icy Kazakh winters, STANTOURS is AsiaWheeling’s boots on the ground in Central Asia. Working closely with the Central Asian Bureau, STANTOURS has time and time again come through for the AsiaWheeling team with relevant and timely information to aid us in navigating the sometimes confusing world which a diligent Central Asian traveler must navigate. Any AsiaWheeling readers who are interested in visiting Central Asia are thoroughly encouraged to visit www.stantours.com.