Category: News
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What are your adventure cycling plans for 2016?
Over the recent holiday season, I’m sure your mind has wandered towards what 2016 might have in store for you. Perhaps you’re dreaming up new bicycle expeditions of your own. Perhaps you’re in the middle of a big cycling journey already. Perhaps you’re happy to continue experiencing vicariously the adventures of others. Or perhaps you’re making your first tentative steps into the world of cycle touring. Where do you fit into all of this? (This is not a rhetorical question – I want to hear from you about your plans!) For TomsBikeTrip.com, this is going to be a year of building on what already exists,… Continue reading →
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An Affordable & Unique Gift Idea For The Armchair Traveller In Your Family
Yes, it’s the time of year when every author needs to come up with a gift idea… Not wanting to break tradition, I’ve got a handful of paperbacks of my first book Janapar: Love on a Bike to autograph and sell at a discount. I do think a signed edition would make a nice Christmas present for an armchair traveller, don’t you…? To keep things manageable, I’m limiting it to 100 copies (of which 95 are left at the time of posting) to UK addresses only, so get your orders in ASAP if you’re interested. Click here for full details and to place an… Continue reading →
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The Future Of TomsBikeTrip.com
Tuesday’s announcement appears to have resulted in mild confusion about the fate of this long-running cycle touring blog. Allow me to set the record straight: TomsBikeTrip.com is here to stay! The launch of TomAllen.info reflects the fact that I have interests and stories beyond bicycle travel. But travelling on two wheels remains the thing that’s most precious to me – and I’ve got plenty more to write about, not least because I continue to go on regular cycling adventures. Simply expect this blog to continue in a more focused way from now on. So, if you’re more interested in personal philosophies, tales from on the road and… Continue reading →
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Why, After 9 Years Running TomsBikeTrip.com, I Started A New Blog Today
This is the biggest upheaval in my blogging life since Ride Earth became Tom’s Bike Trip back in 2010. It’s long overdue. The short answer to the “why” in the title of this post is this: I have a lot more to say about travel, adventure & storytelling than there’s space for on a cycle touring website. The long answer can be found in the 2,187-word article I’ve just published on my brand new blog. It’s unclear where this new venture will lead. But that’s true of every Day One, isn’t it? Click here to read more and see if this new journey is one you’d be interested in following. Continue reading →
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Just Released – A Brand New Edition Of The Best Adventure Cycle Tour Planning Guide On The Planet
The very first edition of Trailblazer’s Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook, compiled by veteran bicycle traveller Stephen Lord, didn’t just help me plan my first big journey; it actually inspired that ride’s very conception. I can barely believe that that guide has just seen the publication of its third edition. Have I really been doing this for that many years?! Now with Neil and Harriet Pike (of Pikes On Bikes fame) at the helm, the new edition has been totally revised and updated in light of the changing nature of what’s possible on a bicycle, given a map of the world and a limitless imagination. It’s still… Continue reading →
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Get A Year’s Supply Of Vicarious Adventure This Month At The Adventure Travel Film Festival
Two of my favourite human beings of all time are Austin Vince and Lois Price, who have not only released some of the the best DIY travel films and books ever, but also live on a Dutch barge, which to my mind immediately puts them right up there with the very best that leftfield British society has to offer. Oh yes, the point: they also run the Adventure Travel Film Festival, which for its 5th year will be relocating to Mill Hill school in north west London, making it a heck of a lot easier for more of us to get to. It’s happening on the 14th-16th August. That’s the weekend after next!… Continue reading →
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Get Funding For Your Next Big Cycle Tour With The Next Challenge Expedition Grant
Set up by my good friend Tim Moss, The Next Challenge Expedition Grant has just opened for applications. Up to £1,300 of funding is available for a big adventure, whether by bicycle or otherwise. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 26th August 2015. I caught up with Tim to ask about the grant and why he set it up. 1. What is your main reason for setting up the grant? Six years ago I started a website to encourage and help other people have adventures. I’ve written lots of articles and responded to lots of emails but sometimes what people really need is… Continue reading →
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Introducing CyclingTouring.org, A Social Network For Solo Cycle Tourists To Find Partners In Adventure
Today’s Q&A‑style guest post comes from Pete Ashford, founder of CyclingTouring.org, a new (free) social networking website aimed at finding cycle touring partners to join your trip wherever and whenever you happen to be riding. Tell us a bit about yourself! I have been riding bikes all my life – BMXs, mountain bikes, road bikes, single speed, just about anything with two wheels. I dream about bikes, I scan the internet for them, I read cycling books/magazines, I listen to podcasts… at the moment I’m wondering if I need a fold up bike, just because I think they look cool and… Continue reading →
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Just Announced – Kona’s Updated 2016 Sutra Touring Bike + New Sutra LTD
I’ve been a fan of Kona’s bikes and their corporate ethos for donkey’s years. Today they’re announcing their new season bike line-up, which includes not just an updated 2016 Kona Sutra (their mid-range disc-equipped 700C tourer) but also a brand new variant, the 2016 Kona Sutra LTD, aimed even more squarely at short-haul adventures on mixed terrain. Both the 2016 Kona Sutra and the Sutra LTD share an updated frameset, similar to last season’s frame (which was shared with the gravel-racing Rove), but this year with heavier-gauge tubing, acknowledging the benefits of a burlier build for luggage-carrying applications. Other improvements to… Continue reading →
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The Continuing Adventures Of Charlie The Scrapyard Touring Bike, By Kelly Diggle (Rider #4)
Today’s guest post is from Kelly Diggle, who has just come into ownership of Charlie the Scrapyard Touring Bike. Read about how Charlie was born, as well as the stories of his first and second big journeys. Take it away, Kelly… I’d be lying if I said cycle touring has always been a dream of mine. In fact, I blame my wanderlust and itchy-feet-syndrome on the books, blogs and adventurers that tell me over and over again that pedalling off into the distance is an absolute must! This year I decided to listen. Having had my heart stolen during a 10 day… Continue reading →