Hi! I’m Tom, originally from England, but the island was too small.
For 18 years I’ve been pedalling the world... and peddling the word:
Travelling by bicycle is a revolutionary act, and the closest thing to freedom on the open road.
Here at TomsBikeTrip.com I tell original stories, trail-test new ideas, and share hard-earned lessons about cycle touring and bikepacking. A love of adventure has powered my AI-free blog since 2006. Welcome!
The blog: over half a million words of hard-earned cycle touring & bikepacking advice.
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Meat. To Eat, Or Not To Eat?
If you had asked me one year ago about my thoughts on vegetarianism, I would have replied that there was no argument that would convince me to give up eating meat. It constitutes a necessary part of our diet, we are all born omnivorous, and I would happily go out and hunt my meal if […] Continue reading →
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Belgium And Beyond
We quit our jobs. We sold our clothes, possessions, computers and stereos. We shaved our heads, said goodbye to friends and families, got on our bikes and cycled off one Sunday afternoon with the mother of all hangovers. We left everything we take for granted behind in pursuit of some endless quest for intrigue and […] Continue reading →
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After A Week On The Road
After 5 days on the road, we arrived in Amsterdam in the evening of Friday 22nd of June. It took until Thursday 21st to reach the port of Harwich, after around 170 miles of cycling. During that time, we camped in parks, fields and back gardens and were shown incredible hospitality by complete strangers. We […] Continue reading →
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Departure Time
Finally, after months of planning, paperwork and 25-hour days, we’ve left on our epic journey round the globe! We’ll be posting regular updates on this blog, as well as making video podcasts available throughout the journey. Make sure you subscribe to the blog or check back often to see how we’re doing! None of us have […] Continue reading →
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Help!
It’s 20 days ’til the date I’ve told everyone I know (and plenty I don’t) that I’m going to leave on to cycle round the world — is this the part where the nerves are meant to kick in? I guess it would be weird if not, since the furthest end-to-end distance I’ve ever cycled […] Continue reading →
Books, eBooks & Guides
I’ve written a range of guidebooks and travelogues to read at your leisure, whether you’re preparing for a bike trip, living life on the road, or home and dreaming of the next big ride.
How To Hit The Road: A Beginner’s Guide To Cycle Touring & Bikepacking
First published in 2017 and updated in 2021, this book is my comprehensive newcomers’ introduction to the art of the bicycle-mounted adventure.
Every aspect of a cycle tour or bikepacking trip is covered in 34 chapters, split over three parts: pre-trip planning, initial execution, and adapting to the long haul.
As well as broad, practical advice, I’ve woven inspiring and reassuring anecdotes throughout the book – because getting away from the starting line isn’t about knowing everything, but having the confidence to begin.
Drawing on my personal experience of almost two decades of adventure cycling, more than 50 veteran riders from diverse backgrounds have also contributed to this guide, making it one of the most well-rounded introductions you’ll find to this radically liberating form of independent travel.
Whatever you’re planning and wherever you’re going, if it involves a bicycle and the spirit of adventure, How To Hit The Road has got you covered.
Janapar: Love, on a Bike
My first travelogue, originally published in 2013 and the subject of a successful crowdfunding campaign, telling the true story of my first 3½ years on the road.
This was far from your typical long-distance bike tour, however. From the cover blurb:
When twenty-three-year-old Tom Allen and his friends set off from their English village to cycle around the world, they were expecting physical hardship, extreme conditions and a serious case of culture shock. But the hours spent poring over maps could never have prepared them for the experience of life on the road: the petty squabbles, the extreme hospitality, the unexpected joys and dangers.
And then Tom meets Tenny, a feisty Iranian-Armenian girl with dreams of her own, and hits a crossroad. Should he give up his grand plan for the girl he loves, or cycle off and risk missing out on the greatest adventure of them all?
Temporarily out of print (except in the USA), Janapar is still available as a Kindle ebook from all Amazon portals worldwide.