Category: Creative Projects
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How To Fly With A Touring Bike Without It Getting Trashed (Video)
In this video I demonstrate how – after repeatedly trying all the different methods of flying with a bike – I currently pack and prepare my touring bikes for air travel. Then I actually put it on a plane to prove it works. Otherwise, it’s just theory. I’m here to actually do stuff, not just […] Continue reading →
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Introducing Yet Another Cycle Touring & Bikepacking YouTube Channel
So I’ve caved in to demand and rebooted my long-abandoned YouTube channel. Check it out here. This is a long-overdue experiment to see if my obsession with exploring the world by bike will translate into the short, informal video format. I have no more intention of becoming rich and famous on YouTube than I did […] Continue reading →
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Tom’s Bike Shed: Packing Ultralight Camping Gear For A Bikepacking Race (Video)
In this episode of Tom’s Bike Shed (also the first episode, for what it’s worth), I conduct a test-run of packing and attaching to my new bike the camping gear I’ve selected for the bikepacking race later this year. Continue reading →
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Oxford Bike Works Expedition: New Upgrades For 2023
Before my recent Australia tour, I took Tom’s Expedition Bike back to its birthplace in the UK for a tune-up and a few experimental upgrades. This post details what’s changed, explores the thinking behind the upgrades, and goes deep into the specifics of why they were made. (Warning: it’s a 5,000-word long read, so maybe put […] Continue reading →
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‘Janapar: The Game’ Is Now Available. Download It For Free Today!
For the last few weeks I’ve been putting the finishing touches to a project I’ve been working on for many years – and with so many of us in isolation and looking for things to do, the timing could not be better! Yes, that’s right – the story of my award-winning documentary Janapar: Love on […] Continue reading →
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How To Custom Build The Ultimate Expedition Touring Bike (With Pictures)
Some of the most frequently-asked questions I get on this blog are about designing and building custom touring bikes, whether DIY or built to order by a professional bike builder. Especially now the world has opened up to bicycle travel again, these questions often come from people planning cycle tours or bikepacking trips of ambitious […] Continue reading →
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Researching Armenia’s Most Comprehensive Travel Guidebook – By Bicycle
There’s another purpose to my in-depth bicycle tour of Armenia, which is also a nice development for my occasional career as an author: I’ve been greatly honoured with the task of researching and writing the next edition of the Bradt Travel Guide to Armenia. This British publication is the only dedicated English-language guidebook to Armenia […] Continue reading →
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Oxford Bike Works & Tom’s Expedition Bike: The Story So Far
Just before I flew out to Bangkok for my current trip, I paid a visit to Richard Delacour at Oxford Bike Works to collect Tenny’s newly upgraded tourer. Based on a vintage steel Trek frame, the lovingly recycled bike is a tidy piece of work, naturally — but it got me reflecting on the story […] Continue reading →
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Safe roads & tailwinds to Janapar Grant winner Jess Hargreaves!
A little over a year ago, I was having a chat with a small group of friends who all made a living – one way or another – from adventure. We’d been having these irregular meetings for a couple of years. Ideally they took place down the pub, but often – the lifestyle of the […] Continue reading →
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What Does The Ideal Cycle Touring Clothing Collection Look Like?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel I’ve ever quite solved the cycle touring clothing quandry. Walk into a bike shop or outdoor store and it isn’t quite as simple as finding the ‘cycle touring’ department and taking your pick. I inevitably end up wearing garments – such as trekking trousers, merino or […] Continue reading →