Category: Planning & Logistics
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15 Unorthodox Ways To Train For Cycle Touring & Bikepacking (Bicycle Optional)
So you’re dreaming of life on the open road on that epic long-distance cycle tour or bikepacking trip. Yet you’re doing nothing proactive about it, because (among other reasons) you think you’re not fit enough. The odd commute or day-ride isn’t enough; it’s waaaaay too big a leap from your current lifestyle to the kind […] Continue reading →
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6 Steps To Planning Your First Ever Overseas Cycle Tour
If the hustle of modern life is stopping you from getting out there on your first bicycle adventure, try following these six simple steps: Come to think of it, I should probably get around to doing this myself. Yes. I really should. I work too hard. I need a break – a break from writing all this stuff […] Continue reading →
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Don’t Bother With The Whole Sponsorship Thing
In 2014 I joined seasoned round-the-world cyclist Alastair Humphreys for a coffee in a secret location in central London (okay, it was the British Library canteen) in order to chat about bike trips — specifically, bike trips that could be made for under £1,000 and within the average annual holiday allowance. It was part of […] Continue reading →
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Iranian & Central Asian Visas for Cycle Tourists Riding East
One of the things I get emailed about most frequently is how to get Iranian and Central Asian visas. Bicycle adventurers heading east, no matter how spontaneous, inevitably have to think further ahead once Istanbul looms near. Many touring cyclists have published strings of elaborate blog posts detailing their torment at the hands of these nations’ bureaucrats. But it’s […] 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 […] Continue reading →
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Cycle Tour Sponsorship: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Imagine the following entirely hypothetical situation. Several months into your round-the-world cycle tour, you are still glowing with what you see as a victory over the whole of capitalism — when something goes wrong. A piece of equipment isn’t doing its job properly, and you need one particular sponsor’s help to replace it. So you […] Continue reading →
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On The Hidden Rewards Of Unplanning Your First Big Adventure
It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to. The words that Tolkien gave to Bilbo are true. Without a solid and meticulous plan, a journey can quickly end up somewhere you never expected. […] Continue reading →
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How To Use A GPS Unit On A Cycle Tour
As with many of the technology and equipment articles I write, this one opens with a question: Do you really need to use GPS on your tour? Will a GPS unit help you significantly to achieve your goals? Or will it serve as a distraction from the experience? Could you navigate by road-sign, map & compass, […] Continue reading →
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The Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook
One of the most valuable resources I had when preparing to make the leap and begin cycle touring was the Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook. In fact, I’d say that it’s responsible for my ideas becoming anything more than just ideas. It was summer 2006 and I was living in Edinburgh during the festival season, working as a […] Continue reading →
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High-Tech or Low-Tech?
There’s a balance to be struck between taking too many and too few techy gadgets on an expedition. I’m a bit schizophrenic in this area. I’d like to say I’m naturally frugal — last year I hitched home from Armenia with only a knife, phone and poncho — but I also greatly value the usefulness […] Continue reading →