Why use bicycles?

You may wonder, why go into roadless country with bicycles?

History has proven, that expeditions who tries out the Chang Tang with the help of pack animals have failed badly, often with lots of casualties of horses, yaks and camels. Grazing is scarce and to bring enough food for the animals is not realistic.

The alternative of walking over the plateau was at one point the number one choice, but in the end the choice of using bicycles came through as the most sound alternative.
When the terrain is fine, you can travel much faster on a bicycle, than on foot. 
You can bring much more food and gear on a bicycle.
If we had chosen to walk with trailers, in order to bring enough food, the trailer is as big a burden as a bicycle, when we have to negotiate wild rivers, deep sand, swamps and rocky ground.

Finally, if an emergency situation is a fact, we can always leave our bicycles and walk the rest of the way.

From the experiences on the Kerriya Route, we've found another reason why to use bicycles instead of walking with a trailer. After all, a linear wheel base is easier to navigate in this kind of surroundings and it's easier to avoid the obstacles along the route.