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, developing and creating resources to help others explore the world by bicycle.
Seeing new journeys emerge from the help and advice I’ve published is one of the most rewarding things about what I do for a living. While my two-wheeled travels are nowadays interspersed with other kinds of adventure, I always come back to the bicycle, finding its potential for adventure to be matchless. Continuing to evangelise that is going to be my top priority.
In concrete terms, there’s a new book in the works, due for publication in the first half of the year. While my last two books have been on specialist topics, this one’s going to be a broad introduction to adventure cycling, with the aim of teaching the newcomer what’s possible on two wheels and how to get started. It’ll also be the first physical book I’ll have published since Janapar, professionally designed and including tons of stunning full-colour photography. More news as it comes!
Beyond that, I’ve been looking into using video as a format for new in-depth tutorial material, rather than written word. There are some specialist topics best explained visually – particularly on the mechanical front (there’s a big clue!) – and with my filmmaking background and contacts it makes a lot of sense to put these two things together.
As for the blog, expect a glut of long-overdue gear reviews of equipment I’ve been field-testing over the last couple of years. There’ll also be plenty more in-depth how-to material, regular news from the evolving (and expanding!) world of bicycle-mounted adventuring, and a few of my own stories (and rants) too.
I’ve no concrete plans for my own year’s trips, but I suspect they’re going to involve continuing to experiment with bikepacking in some of the wild places that have become close to my heart – particularly Armenia and the Caucasus, where I’ll be based for the majority of this year. Again, watch this space.
Do feel free to leave a comment with your own plans for 2016. It’s always good to hear what’s happening in the broader adventure cyclcommunity.
Something to add?