Cycling journey from France to Erzincan

A French couple who set off from France on a bicycle journey reached Erzincan after pedaling approximately 6,000 kilometers. Living in France, Roxy and Tommy, who added Erzincan to the route of their tour that they started in May by taking their bicycles, had beautiful moments in Refahiye and Kemaliye districts. The nature and bicycle enthusiast French couple entered Turkey from Ipsala Border Gate and traveled through historical and touristic cities and districts by bicycle, crossing Kızıldağ through Sivas to reach Erzincan. Roxy and Tommy took a break for a while in Refahiye and Kemaliye and mingled with Turkish citizens. Roxy and Tommy, who will continue from Turkey to Iran and then to Central Asia, shared with an IHA reporter that they will complete their world tour by bicycle in Australia. They described their journey as follows: ‘For the past few weeks, we have been cycling in the mountainous region of eastern Turkey. Before this journey, as we were not cyclists, we were looking for the flattest roads available. Eventually, we really started to enjoy it with time and kilometers. Climbing with such heavy bicycles is difficult, yes, but going downhill is very rewarding. In addition to this magnificent scenery, you hit the wind in your hair, fresh drinking water from springs, and local treats. Our daily life in Turkey is full of numerous pleasant encounters, tea breaks, and long lunch breaks. With the current heatwave, we usually wake up very early in the mornings and only encounter shepherds on the road. At the end of the morning, we systematically stop for a coffee/tea break and take a good nap to recover from the tough awakening at dawn.’ ‘After Cappadocia, we set our sights on the east.’ French couple Roxy and Tommy noted that they prepared vlogs by taking notes about the routes they saw, saying, ‘After spending two days in beautiful Cappadocia, we set a new goal for ourselves: to cross the east of Turkey and reach the cities of Erzincan and Erzurum. This was not the initial plan: we wanted to cross the country by going further south of Lake Van. Unfortunately, we will realize too late that if we want to continue to Iran, the last town where we can get the Iranian visa on our way is Erzurum, further north. Approximately 8 days of cycling, descents, and ascents take place at an altitude of 2000 meters. In terms of the road, there are not many options on the route, just one road that connects the West to the East by crossing the valleys, deserving its name. The good news is, we have a large emergency lane one meter wide that is perfect for us! We gave everything during these eight days! Waking up every day at 4.30 AM to climb 1000 meters in altitude before enjoying the descent in a very mountainous region of Turkey. Another blessing on the road was Couchsurfing that we encountered in Sivas on our way to Erzurum. Hasan, a young Turkish train driver, warmly welcomed us in his home and offered us to do our laundry.’