Category: Touring Advice
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Why It’s Friendliness, Not Defensiveness, That’ll Keep You Safe On The Road
If there’s one question that I can guarantee will come up in a post-film Q&A, it’s the one about safety. “Didn’t you ever feel threatened by people?”, someone will ask me of my 32-country bike trip. “What was the most dangerous situation you had to deal with?” Continue reading →
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How I Got A Touring Bike, Gear & Luggage For The Price Of A Round Of Drinks
I believe a lack of funds should not be an obstacle to setting off on a cycling adventure. But rather than spend a few thousand words arguing my case, I decided to demonstrate the principles of no-budget cycle touring by doing one myself. In this, the first post of a series (which I’ll warn you right now is going to require at least two cups of tea), I’ll demonstrate how I gathered everything necessary to set off on a big bike trip for the price of a round of drinks. And by a round of drinks, I mean £25.14. (That… Continue reading →
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Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite Ultralight Camping Mat: Long-Term Review
A detailed write-up of this impressively light, compact and comfortable camping mat, used on multiple expeditions since 2012. Links to best deals included. Continue reading →
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Folding Touring: A Review Of The Tern Link P24h
A long-term test and write-up of the Link P24h folding touring bike from Tern, its fully-loaded and long distance performance, and its portability in the real world scenarios. Continue reading →
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How To Cycle Round The World In 3 Easy Steps
So you want to cycle round the world? Great idea! Here’s how: 1. Get a bicycle. It doesn’t matter too much which one, as long as it’s comfortable, but you won’t get far without it. 2. Quit your job. You’ll need a few years for a lap of the planet, so write to your boss explaining that you’re sorry but there’s something you have to do. (Skip this step if you are a student/unemployed/retired.) 3. Start. You can’t cycle round the world without starting. So strap your stuff to your bike, ask your neighbour to look after the dog/cat/goldfish, and pedal… Continue reading →
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MSR WhisperLite Universal Canister/Multi-Fuel Stove: Owner Review
Full disclosure: In 2012, Cascade Designs sent me a WhisperLite Universal for testing, review and feedback. As with all such arrangements, I reserve the right to write honestly. If a product is crap, I’ll tell you why. We are already spoilt for choice with camping stoves, but MSR have recently brought out a hybrid-fuel version of the classic Whisperlite, which burns propane-butane canister fuel as happily as the unleaded petrol/gasoline/benzine/diesel/kerosene/white gas we’ve come to rely on as cycle-tourists. This is interesting. Who is the MSR Whisperlite Universal for? Why would you want to burn canister fuel? It’s more expensive, the canisters… Continue reading →
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A different kind of tour — of Taiwan’s bicycle industry
I’ve started to receive a steady stream of PR emails thanks to my blog’s more-or-less decent visitor numbers over the years. These emails usually go straight to the spam folder (sorry PRs!), but a recent one caught my eye: “As part of your ongoing and deliberate transition to celebrity bike tourist,” it asked (not at all ironically), “would you be interested in participating in a tour of the Taiwanese bicycle industry?” Hold on — an invitation to the centre of the bicycle-making universe? Hell yeah… Continue reading →
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How To Wild Camp Anywhere & Not Get Busted [Video]
Wild camping, or stealth camping, is the default modus operandi for the cycle traveller, for two obvious reasons: It’s free. Therefore you can strike accommodation costs entirely. Which means you’ll have more money to travel for much longer. You can do it anywhere. Therefore your destination is less important. Which means you can better experience the journey itself. Simple, really: Wild-camping equals a longer, cheaper, better journey. In this short video, we’ve taken a very tongue-in-cheek look at this crucial bastion of long-distance adventure cycling. Please help us get the word out about Janapar by sharing this video with the… Continue reading →
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Adventure Does Not Require Any Fancy Gear. (Just Ask Rob & Maria)
I recently received an exasperated comment from a wound-up-sounding man called Rob on an article I published about trip sponsorship. ‘This is really annoying’, wrote Rob, referring to the fact that I’d got a 50% discount on an Extrawheel trailer five years ago. ‘Who needs celebrity bike tourers anyway?’ It’s not often that I find myself on the receiving end of an angry rant. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve dealt a fair few of these in my younger and more obnoxious days, so it’s probably a case of “what goes around comes around”, as my mum would say. But… Continue reading →
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Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Touring Tyre Review
Full disclosure: Schwalbe gave me a pair of Marathon Supremes for my 2012 U.S. West Coast trip, asking for feedback and an honest write-up of the tyre in return. From the ashes of the much loved Schwalbe Marathon XR expedition tyre arose a phoenix. Or, more correctly, a number of phoenixes. Or perhaps phoeni. Anyway. The point is that Schwalbe now make no fewer than 10 varieties of touring tyre, instead of just two or three; each specialising in a particular kind of touring. Continue reading →