Four 23-year-olds, a year off, and a shared desire to take to the road in a different way. Clément, Paul, Perrine, and Valentin left Lyon to travel from France to Kyrgyzstan by bike. Their project, Hors du Cadre , wasn't about breaking records or defending a great cause: it was simply about traveling slowly, at human height, and seeing how far their legs, and their curiosity, could take them.
A gap year to see the world differently
It all started with a shared desire: to take advantage of a gap year to go on an adventure.
“We wanted to travel, discover other cultures and get out of our sedentary comfort zone.”
The bicycle quickly established itself as the ideal means: ecological, accessible, and slow enough to savor the journey.
Their final destination? Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. But the real objective lay higher up, on the legendary Pamir Highway, a high-altitude road connecting Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan at an altitude of over 4,600 meters, with majestic and unique landscapes and remote locations!
“And to be completely honest, our goal was simply to travel, to see the world, to open ourselves up to unknown cultures, to get out of our sedentary comfort zone.”
A last-minute preparation
No perfect plan or intensive training: Hors du Cadre was built on the energy of the moment.
“But to be completely honest, everything (or almost everything) was done in the two months before departure! And there were team members who received their sleeping bags the week before departure…”
Some even received their equipment the week before the big departure. Three new bikes, cold-weather gear, sleeping bags capable of withstanding -10°C, a few heated debates about locks and solar panels... and desire as the main driving force.
Unforeseen administrative issues, particularly visa issues, also affected the preparations.
“In Greece, we thought we would have to give up on the Pamir. But after days of struggle, we finally got the famous Russian visa.”
The cold, the mechanics and the road hassles
Their departure in October didn't make things any easier. The first few weeks in the cold Balkans were trying for the team: between frozen fingers, icy nights, and eating pesto pasta by headlamp, these moments were part of their new daily routine.
Bike breakdowns also put their nerves to the test.
“A broken spoke once is fine. Every day for a week, much less.”
Despite everything, the group remained united: “Being four people allowed us to share the mental load. We took turns, we supported each other. The collective clearly saved us more than once.”
Suspended moments
One of the most powerful moments took place in the heart of the Pamirs: 4,000 meters above sea level, surrounded by immense mountains and silence. Not a sound, not a soul. After eight months, eleven countries, and 11,000 kilometers, they finally accomplished what they had in mind when they set out.
“At that moment, we all had the same thought: we did it.”
But it was also the encounters that marked their journey. In Slovenia, a family spontaneously welcomed them one freezing rainy evening. “They offered us a room, a hot meal, slippers… We were embarrassed to receive so much. The father, Egon, simply told us: Don't try to reciprocate. When I was young, I was welcomed like that. Now it's my turn. This moment sums up the whole trip.”
Changing your view of the world
Living outdoors for a year transforms their perception of everyday life. They become more attentive to nature, to the sunrise, the rain, the stars. Everything seems simpler.
Their adventure also reinforced their ecological and social convictions, because seeing so many different countries makes us understand how fragile and precious the planet is. And how universal human connections are.
They didn't have a cause to defend, but a message to convey: to promote slow, motorless travel on a human scale. " If our adventure inspires someone to take a bike instead of a plane, we will have succeeded."
![]()
And a return to “normal” life
After ten months on the road, returning to Lyon felt strange. “We find comfort, friends, routine… but something has changed. We feel calmer, more confident.”
Some experienced a bit of a void. “I felt lost,” says Clément. “As if everything was moving too fast after living by the rhythm of the sun for a year.”
Yet, everyone draws the same lesson from it: “This adventure has taught us to know ourselves, to live more simply, and to have confidence in what life puts in our path.”
