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Laura Ma

Chan Yanki is set to make history by travelling from Hong Kong to Norway – on a home-made bamboo bicycle.
The 28-year-old graphic designer will cover 19,658 km over 450 days, taking her through China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe in a trip estimated to end in July or August next year.
Once completed, Chan, who set out on her journey from Hong Kong last month, will be the first woman to do a world tour on a bamboo bike.
Watch: Wheel deal: Hong Kong woman’s epic bamboo bike ride


Chan said she undertook the expedition in the hope of inspiring young people in Hong Kong to dare to do something different.
“It all started with getting tired of the working style in Hong Kong,” she said. “Hong Kong kids always say they want to be doctors and lawyers and teachers. Not many people set out to travel by bike, especially ­bamboo bicycles, alone, and as a woman.”
Wolves, noodles and bushy beards: Brits finish epic London to Hong Kong bike ride
Chan includes herself among “narrow-minded Hongkongers” who face difficulty being themselves and chasing passions that might be considered slightly “weird”. The desire not to conform was a motiviating factor behind pedalling her way to Norway, but she said the final decision to undertake the project was as simple as deciding to “just do it.”

“There’s a lot to see in the world and to learn from, I just wanted to see the unknown places,” she said.
Heading to the most northwest point of Europe, Chan said she picked the Norwegian town of Tromso to catch a good view of the spectacular natural phenomenon, the Northern Lights, or ­Aurora Borealis.
“The Northern Lights is a light in the dark. It means the dark and lost part of my life can break through with light,” she added.
Chan, who keeps a Facebook blog, Live Cykler, with videos to share details of her trip, has no qualms about playing her trip by ear, having just planned her route to Laos after arriving in Hanoi, where she spoke to the Post.

Eating mostly local foods such as street food and using Warm Shower – the Couchsurfer for touring cyclists – Chan said she has enjoyed meeting different people, living in a variety of houses and experiencing new things on her journey.
Pacing herself by riding no more than 110 km a day, she said she hoped to allow her Facebook followers to vote for the next country to visit after Greece as she heads north.

Experienced in martial arts, she is realistic about risks while travelling but said she was not concerned about being alone.
How bike ride from Hong Kong to Paris changed four young men
But she admitted to some apprehension about travelling through parts of the Middle East. “I think I’m more concerned about ISIS than being sexually harassed,” she said.

Overall, her trip has gone smoothly to date. Her biggest challenge came even before her adventure began as she built her bike by hand at Bamboo Bike Beijing, the oldest bamboo bike workshop on the mainland.
Hundreds to make friendship bike ride to Pyongyang
She said the process was fraught with issues because of the particular demands of a long-distance ride.
Now, however, her daily goals are much simpler.


“Now the biggest challenge is simply cycling up hills and getting up early. It is so tiring,” she said.
Chan is funding her trip with her own savings, as well as support from family and friends.
While she does have a GoGetFunding site, it’s to save up money to buy used bikes for communities in the Marshall Islands to move around easier and in an environmentally friendly way.
She also received clothing, equipment and bike parts from V Bike, Abus HK, Phiten HK and Olympic sports and spine centre. Sony also gave her a camera and action cam.


From Hong Kong to Norway on a bamboo bike: graphic designer set to make history with epic 19,000km trip 

Chan Yanki with her bike. Photo: Supplied

Chan Yanki with bike in Hong Kong about to take off to Norway. Photo: Lisa Hopey

"This A6300 camera has 10 secs selfie, in this 10 secs I needed to run up, sit down, pretended I am so chill, actually I looked so stupid in the scene. lol," wrote Chan on a Facebook post about having to photograph herself. Photo: Supplied

From Hong Kong to Norway on a bamboo bike: graphic designer set to make history with epic 19,000km trip

Chan Yanki hopes to inspire young people to become more adventurous