This is very sad and disturbing of course.

But really this could (and has several times) happen anywhere. Not just in "islamic" countries!! Two similar incidents happened last year in central London involving cars and mass stabbings.

If you think you need a security detail as your post suggest just because of this isolated incident, then you should have one with you 24/7 in every country - clearly a gross over-reaction and not necessary.

I have personally travelled many times in Tajikistan / Kyrgystan / Uzbekistan and never once had a problem of any sort. It is an amazing cycling route and a beautiful and very friendly region to travel through by any means and this incident should not deter anybody - but unfortunately it will deter I am sure. That is very sad because these people will miss out on seeing one of the last remaining unspoiled part of the world.

A good friend of mine finished a bike tour of the 'stans' (excluding Afghanistan) this year. His pictures were amazing and he had no problems with the people. However he said the driving was horrendous and he had to be a little careful when crossing between countries because politically the countries don't get along very well. He was also expected to keep a record of everywhere he slept because as part of the tourist visa requirements you are only supposed to stay in official tourist hotels. As a experienced traveller he just took a tent, told the authorities he wild camped and knew what to say to work his way around the system. Overall it sounded like an incredible trip but one best left to experienced bike packers and even then it did have its instrinic dangers.

As a reference this same friend just finished cycling east-west across the US and is now starting a journey around the Pacific Rim. His chosen path up from Miami through the rest of Florida was in my opinion sketchy as hell and he found himself stuck in the middle of nowhere in the Everglades. He also had someone fire a gun out the window in his vague direction in Arkansas (its unclear why the gun was fired and it wasn't aimed directly at him but near enough to make a point). Finally it is hard to rival the US visa system in terms of difficultly in getting an extended VISA for an ambiguous bike packing journey. So you don't have to travel to remote destination to find trouble.

Careful out there, especially when cycling in Islamic Countries.


I bicycled around the world and the Islamic countries were by far and away the most hospitable and friendly. It only takes a few nutcases to change that but things like this happening to random strangers is incredibly rare.


My biggest risk was getting hit by a car and so the most dangerous countries were going to be those with the most cars traveling at the highest speeds and I ended up getting hit while in the U.S., and that ended my trip.


I cycled through that area and have been following groups doing a similar route for years. I've been following one guy who is just ahead of this group. In all my years, I've never heard of a problem other than people getting hit by cars. It is very unusual and hopefully not a trend. When they get. publicity like this, it might be a sign of problems to come.

This was (obviously) all over the bike touring sub-reddits yesterday and most people had the same reaction; it's a horrible thing to happen, but it is not the norm and shouldn't deter anyone from touring that area.

It is alarming for me as I'm planning an round the world tour for next year, but this sure as hell isn't gonna stop me.

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Strava

You write pretty well for someone born yesterday.

the OP has the right approach - do not let this action stop you from exploring the globe, including Islamic countries and including Tajikstan.

....enjoy!!

the OP has the right approach - do not let this action stop you from exploring the globe, including Islamic countries and including Tajikstan.



If people stopped traveling where a terrorist attack occurred, they wouldn't be able to go to Canada, the U.S and almost every country in Europe.



But common sense doesn't make good headlines and stoke fear...

Nonsense to suggest Islamic countries are especially dangerous. I'd sooner ride there than many, many other places including big portions of the US and some parts of some less cycling-friendly western european countries.
"Beware the the scary islamic countries" is not a helpful narrative to be propagating, unless you've a vested interest in that notion. It's scaremongering.

Nonsense to suggest Islamic countries are especially dangerous. I'd sooner ride there than many, many other places including big portions of the US and some parts of some less cycling-friendly western european countries.

Out of all the countries I biked through the one that stood out (it was extremely rare to meet unfriendly people) as the most hospitable and friendly was Syria. I was there in late 2010, just before the war. The hardest part about cycling through there was getting out. I would be invited into someone's home and then their friends or neighbors would insist I stay with them the next night. On the roads, people kept stopping and offering food and water. Those things never happened on my route through Canada, the U.S or Europe.

My only regret was not going into Iran (couldn't get in) because of all the touring cyclists I met, it was the only country in the world more hospitable to strangers than Syria.

When I was invited into Syrian homes, they would typically put out 4 or 5 packs of cigarettes of different brands and insist that I take one. Somehow it doesn't register that athletes don't smoke. When I politely refused, they'd send a boy out to get even more brands to array before me (thinking that they had been negligent hosts by not offering me what I wanted). That could go on for a while. I eventually learned to just pick up one of the damn things and light it. Deadly hospitality!

And woe betide the guest who says they like something in a Syrian home. They will insist that you take it. After nearly being forced to take an antique clock with me, I learned not to do that!

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My latest book: "Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Fire" is on sale on Amazon and at other online and local booksellers

When I was invited into Syrian homes, they would typically put out 4 or 5 packs of cigarettes of different brands and insist that I take one.


It's similar in Indonesia. A majority of the men (about 65%) smoke and I was always offered one almost everywhere. They just didn't seem to link someone bicycling through their town and not wanting a cigarette. Cigarette smoking is on the decline here but in places like Syria, Jordan, China and a good selection of Eastern Europe it doesn't seem to be slowing down at all.

Friend of mine just posted this yesterday....

I am safe. The attack that killed 4 cyclists in Tajikistan took place where we will be in 3 days. I am in an area deemed safe. We are going to cycle for 2 days. Then we will be bused past the attack area to Dushanbe and stay there for 2 days instead of 1. We will arrive in Dushanbe a day early.

He is currently on a bike trip/tour from Beijing to Istanbul (old Silk Trade Route) ~7,800 miles. Follow him at Jimontheroad.com pretty wild adventure.

CJ
Slow, Old IM

you think that is bad, those Christians are complete psychos!!!

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/...alian-car-crash.html

I'm not sure I get the point of your comment, or the relation to Christians from the article.

The OP was talking about being careful in Islamic countries.

I was talking about being careful riding in Christian countries. It appears you can get hit by cars in both of them.

Every other "Driver Kills Cyclist" thread on ST is a pile-on over how bad drivers are...how it's so unsafe to ride outside...how distracted driving is everywhere...

For the life of me, I can't figure out why this one's not a pile-on?

Oh well.

How can anyone pile on when cyclists are getting run over left and right in Islamic and Christian countries!?

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My marathon PR is "under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something."

Really? You didn't think the OP attributing the incident to the fact that the country is Islamic, when hit and runs happen all over the world was a more noteworthy point? The driver's culpability is not exactly controversial.

This wasn't just a hit and run, they ran over 7 cyclists then exited the car and stabbed them.

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Terrible Tuesday’s Triathlon

I wasn't aware of that, but it still doesn't change the fact that this sort of incident is not specific to islamic countries and the comment to beware Islamic countries is unjustified and unhelpful.

This wasn't just a hit and run, they ran over 7 cyclists then exited the car and stabbed them.


I wasn't aware of that, but it still doesn't change the fact that this sort of incident is not specific to islamic countries and the comment to beware Islamic countries is unjustified and unhelpful.



I am always one to defend the Muslim countries as I have biked through a number including Syria. However, when you say this incident is not specific to an Islamic country I would disagree. Car accidents are not specific of course but when they ran them over, turned around and stabbed them and claimed allegiance to ISIS, makes it different. I've never heard of that happening anywhere else in the world which of course makes it specific to that Islamic country.

My point being it's not a trend, it's a single incident and therefore silly to suggest it's a problem with islamic countries. If it were something that tended to happen repeatedly in either the same geographical area or in areas of similar beliefs as is the case with mass shootings in the US, then it would be a fair comment.

...and my point was not that cyclist aren't hit all over the world. My point was when a cyclist is hit in the US, the commentary is how unsafe the roads are and how all drivers are a$$holes. Here, cyclists are killed in an Islamic country and posters jump to defend how this was isolated and Islamic countries are safe.

I'm surprised no one brought up the 2017 incident in Manhattan when the Muslim driver mowed over and killed 8 bicyclists and injured 11 others while shouting Allahu Akbar. Apart from not getting out and stabbing them too, there wasn't much difference between the two attacks. And the Manhattan driver was from Uzbekestan. I've been to a lot of Muslim countries but don't think I'll be biking through any of the 'stans in my lifetime. Hopefully, crushing westerners on bikes does not become a popular attack pattern. https://www.nytimes.com/...lower-manhattan.html