Monthly Archives: April 2010

The Marco Polo of the Middle East

On Friday, April 30th, 2010 in Printed Page

While I was travelling through Europe, people would sometimes smile and jokingly pass reference to Marco Polo, the medieval Italian merchant who brought home epic tales of Asia, now immortalised as one of history’s great adventurers, and whose experiences neither I nor anyone else stand the slightest chance of recreating in today’s world. While I […]

How To: Build The Perfect Expedition Bike (Part 4)

On Thursday, April 29th, 2010 in Practical Advice

(If you just got here, you might want to start at Part 1.) If you’ve been following this series, you’ll now have a strong, capable expedition bike, but nowhere to put your tent, camera, food, clothes, or anything else you might need on a long cycle tour/bikepacking trip.

Staying Afloat Away From Home

On Monday, April 26th, 2010 in General

I wrote recently about funding a long-term bicycle expedition, and I mentioned that it’s possible to find work pretty much anywhere if you have suitable skills. I graduated in 2005 with a degree in Computer Science, which morphed upon graduation into occasional bedroom-bound work developing websites for friends of friends. I didn’t make any money […]

How To: Build The Perfect Expedition Bike (Part 3)

On Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 in Practical Advice

(Please check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven’t already done so!) In Part 2 I looked at expedition bicycle drivetrain components, a.k.a. the bits that move when you pedal. In Part 3 I’m going to look at brakes, wheels and ‘finishing kit’ — the bits you need to finish the bike off.

10 Strange Things Bicycle Travel Has Done To Me

On Monday, April 19th, 2010 in General

It’s difficult to notice the subtle changes that come over you during a journey of duration and difficulty, but certain situations have alerted me to them very strongly. I’ve only been travelling for a couple of years, but this must be where the curve is at its steepest. Here are a few, both good and […]