A Pretty Tall Order

From Munich to Beijing on a tallbike: for Tommaso Weller and Jakob Wall, this bikepacking trip is the fulfillment of an enormous dream. The two spend nearly four months in the saddle – Jakob on a regular bike, Tommy on a tallbike. He had it custom-built by a frame builder especially for this journey, because he wants to attract as much attention as possible to raise donations for the Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid). To reach their fundraising goal, Tommy and Jakob cross 12 countries and seven time zones – with no jet lag, but with every other challenge a bikepacking trip toward Asia can throw at them: pothole-ridden roads, chaotic truck traffic, tense border crossings, and relentless headwinds. But the 12,000 km route has the potential for even more absurd moments.