Cycling into the Wild Landscape — Breathing Alongside a Rugged Terrain

Cycling into the Wild Landscape — Breathing Alongside a Rugged Terrain

Rider Park Geunyeong looks for journeys that leave smooth pavement and repetitive scenery behind and bring him a step closer to nature. Here are the photographs he brought back from Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, on an e-bike. They carry his sincere hope of inspiring travelers to set out in search of the landscapes they show.

Words & Photos Park Geunyeong
Park Geunyeong works at Rapha, a brand that makes cycling apparel and gear. Following the company’s motto, ‘to make cycling the world’s most popular sport,’ he works to introduce the appeal and joy of bicycles to more people.

In 2010, I saw a fixed-gear bike (a “fixie”) for the first time in a photo on a fashion community site, and I fell for its simple colors and look. That is when I started riding. I soon found it exciting how a single bicycle could vastly expand the radius of my daily life, and to ride farther and faster, I put myself in the hands of a road bike and a jersey kit.

When I choose a touring route, my first consideration is how beautiful a landscape I can experience. I naturally avoid big roads with heavy traffic and unchanging scenery. Once I settle on a region, I begin by looking up other riders’ records. I pick places with impressive views, mark each point, trace the route connecting them on a satellite map, and build a route file in advance before heading out to ride. The moment a striking scene I first saw in someone else’s photo unfolds before my own eyes is always what drives me to go a little farther.

When I take photos while riding, I focus less on capturing a cyclist’s personal charm than on showing the space and circumstances in which they are enjoying the ride. I hope that anyone looking at the picture will want to get on a bike and experience the scene for themselves. My attitude toward the bicycle and touring was shaped by the video series ‘The Rapha Continental,’ which documents projects riding for days across Europe and the Americas. Through it, my view of the ‘bike trip,’ which had focused only on the starting point, the destination, and the shortest route between them, grew much broader.

The destination of this trip on a Specialized e-bike was Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do. I have been interested in gravel riding, which leaves the pavement to find roads closer to nature, and I wanted to capture the unusual scenery there on camera. The route isn’t easy to ride with camping gear loaded on a bike, and the quarry on Hyeongdo always came up in the middle of the day along my route, so until now I had only ever ridden past it. This time, for the first time, I camped there and got to watch the sunset. Looking at the huge rocks arranged in all different shapes, with the glow of dusk filling the spaces between them, I felt as if I were seeing it for the first time, even though I had visited several times. I was moved by the sight of a lone tent standing in that landscape. After the sun disappeared, though, the cries of wild animals came from every direction, and I couldn’t fall asleep easily.

To me, the e-bike is irresistible because it opens the door to more adventure. When you have to get through a set itinerary in limited time, you often reach forks in the road and can choose only one. If I couldn’t go farther than the planned course, or turned back without conquering a steep climb ahead, I was always left longing for the road not taken. An e-bike eases limits of time and space and widens your choices, helping you ride without regrets. Thanks to that, I began to hope that I might sometimes come across an unexpected, wonderful view in a place I hadn’t planned to go.

Going forward, I want to make full use of the e-bike’s physical advantage, fit thicker tires, and take on forest trails. One of my goals is also a multiday bikepacking tour along paved roads. I think that would be the journey that best shows the value and appeal of both the e-bike and gravel riding. If you are a rider who wants to stretch the routes you’ve already ridden over longer distances, or to pass through a greater variety of places, I recommend trying an e-bike. New journeys that your physical limits once kept out of reach are waiting for you.