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 of physical fitness required for that big bicycle-mounted adventure. Right? Well, no, actually. For most people in this scenario, the truth about training for long-distance cycle touring or bikepacking is actually this: Training yourself mentally will serve you far better than attempting to train yourself physically.… 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 about adventure cycle touring. Right. That’s it. I’m going to go and ride my bike. I leave tomorrow. Bye! Think it’s more complicated than this? Click here and let me prove you wrong. 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 Al’s excellent #Adventure1000 project. What follows is an edited transcription of our discussion. Enjoy… Alastair: My Adventure1000 interview today is Tom Allen – cyclist and filmmaker – chosen solely because of his beer can stove, about which more later… Could you start by outlining the biggest expedition that you’ve been on? Tom: The biggest expeditions… 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 really not such a big deal. Especially if you are one of the elite few on this Earth to hold a Western — British, American, Canadian, Australian, EU, etc — passport. (If that’s you, please sit back for a few seconds, close your eyes, and… 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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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 write to them. They don’t respond. You spend a small fortune to call them from a public phone booth. But the person you want is not available right now. And after endless weeks of being fobbed off because someone in an office somewhere is still in… 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. And, for your first trip, that’s exactly what I suggest. A couple of days ago I received emails from two people planning long cycling journeys. There seem to be a lot of people interested in adventure cycling these days, judging by the number of messages… 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, common-sense and by asking for directions, and would that be more fun? Would a cycle-computer suffice to keep track of distance — and why are statistics so important anyway? Still considering using GPS for your next bike tour? Let’s continue. 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 technician for a variety of venues and productions. I had two days off during those 5 weeks of voluntary sleep-deprivation. On the first, I got up at 5am and went for an epic mountain-bike ride in the foggy Pentland hills. On the second, I wandered… 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 of certain technologies. But some technologies become nothing but a fad, or — worse — create more problems than they solve. Over-complicated computer systems in small libraries. GPS navigation units which send drivers merrily trundling into rivers, despite warning signs and the presence of bridges.… Continue reading →