Category: News
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First Glimpse: The New-For-2019 Oxford Bike Works Expedition Disc
When visiting the UK earlier this year, I popped over to Oxford Bike Works to catch up with Richard Delacour and to check out a prototype of the new Expedition Disc touring bike he’s been working on. This disc-equipped specification will be part of Richard’s custom-built bike lineup as of 2019, so I wanted to share some insights on what else makes this new touring bike different from the original Expedition and, perhaps more interestingly, why he decided to go down the disc brake route after years of steering clear of them (neither pun intended). Why Put Disc Brakes On An Expedition… Continue reading →
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Last Chance to Get Tickets for The UK’s First & Best Cycle Touring Festival
The UK’s 4th annual Cycle Touring Festival is rapidly approaching – there are now less than two months to go until that weekend of cycling, camping, workshops and talks in the lovely surrounds of the Forest of Bowland AONB in Lancashire. Founded and run by my good friends and fellow world cyclists Tim & Laura Moss of TheNextChallenge.org fame, I was proud to have played a small part in organising and promoting the inaugural event back in 2015, after a fairly nonchalant chat about the idea during a picnic in Esfahan a year previously. It’s ironic that I’ve been too… 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 of my acquaintance with Richard and his company; a tale of serendipity and good timing that still elicits a smile. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tom Allen (@tom_r_allen) I first met Richard in 2014 when he wrote to me asking if I’d… Continue reading →
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The Adventures of Charlie the Scrapyard Touring Bike: Iceland
This is a guest post from Kelly Diggle, a traveller and blogger who in 2015 became the 4th owner of Charlie the Scrapyard Touring Bike (read Charlie’s full story here). Here’s her account of pedalling Charlie around the perimeter of Iceland… In the spring of 2015 I found myself boarding a plane to Spain. It wasn’t for a holiday, however, but to collect Charlie the Scrapyard Touring Bike. Tegan had recently finished her tour across the country, and now it was my turn to take him on an adventure. To start, I needed to get him back to England. I deliberately booked… Continue reading →
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How Charlie The Scrapyard Touring Bike Made It Halfway Round The World (And How You Can Take Him Further)
This is a guest post by Charlie Rowen, the fifth in a series of owner-riders of Charlie the Scrapyard Touring Bike, who I rescued from my local tip and refurbished back in 2013. The following year, at the end of his maiden voyage, I nonchalantly launched him into the world with a new owner, Tegan, on a brand new adventure. Little did I know that I was putting into a motion a train of events that would eventually see him arriving in Hong Kong in time for Christmas 2016 – and in need of a new rider to take him further round the globe!… 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 nomadic self-unemployed adventurer being what it is – they’d be conducted via Skype or somesuch technology, all dialling in from a constantly changing series of locations worldwide. The reason for these group chats was to soundboard new ideas, figure out if they had the potential… Continue reading →
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Bikepacking The Transcaucasian Trail: Your Input Kindly Requested
Today I’m departing the UK on a brand new adventure. This one’s rather different to my previous trips, in a couple of ways. Firstly, it’s vehicle supported, which means I’ll be carting my bike around on top of a Land Rover. Second, it’s got a broader social & environmental goal attached to it, which is to pioneer a brand new backcountry route through the Caucasus mountains. If that sounds like fun, check out the Transcaucasian Expedition website here. By the time you read this, Day One will be well underway! A prototype trail of around 1,500km in length is the… Continue reading →
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Your Frequently-Asked Questions About The Janapar Grant, Answered
The response to the announcement of the Janapar Grant has been overwhelmingly positive – but then with £2,500 worth of bikes and equipment up for grabs, that’s no great surprise. What’s been interesting is the questions I’ve been fielding about the specifics of the idea. Some have been obvious, some not so much. They’ve certainly got me thinking. In response, I’ve put together a selection of the most frequently-asked, and done my best to answer them. What are the dates for application submissions and winner announcements? The 2016 Janapar Grant will open for applications on Monday the 29th of February,… Continue reading →
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The UK Cycle Touring Festival Returns For 2016! Get Your Early Bird Ticket Now
Quick version: Earlybird tickets for the 2nd UK Cycle Touring Festival are on sale! Click here to get yours. Last year’s inaugural Cycle Touring Festival turned out to be a really powerful celebration of bicycle travel, and a massively enjoyable way to spend a weekend. If you came along last time, I hope you’ll be joining us again! And if you didn’t, will you consider coming along this year? Set to return for late May bank holiday – that’s May 27th-30th – the aims of the festival are again twofold: Firstly – as mentioned – it’s a celebration of this thing… Continue reading →
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Introducing The Janapar Grant, A Travel Grant For Adventurous Young British Cyclists
Today I’m excited to announce one of the big new projects I’m starting this year: the Janapar Grant. This is a brand new venture aiming to help young people begin a rite-of-passage journey at a time in their lives when it will benefit them most, with the fewest possible strings attached. Check it out here. The structure of the grant is pretty simple, and has been informed by looking back on my own experience of preparing for a big ride, drawing on the experiences of others I know who’ve made similar journeys, and seeing what patterns emerge. It seems that the single most… Continue reading →