Seek Travel Ride is an adventure travel podcast hosted by Bella Molloy. It features real stories and practical insights from people who explore the world by bike, on foot, and close to home. The podcast covers bicycle touring, bikepacking, long-distance cycling, and other human-powered adventures, as well as slow travel and micro-adventures. Listeners can expect travel stories, helpful advice, and tips for shaping their own adventures, whether dreaming of world travel or starting small.
Episodes
Wild Camping on a Bike Tour: Where to Pitch and How to Feel Safe
If you are going on a bike adventure chances are you may be thinking about wild camping. And if wild camping makes you nervous, you're in good company. Wild camping is one of the topics I get asked about the most, so for this midweek episode I went back through the podcast back catalogue and pulled out the best advice from some of the most well-travelled guests I've featured on the show
6,000km Pulling a Cart Across Australia: Mark Gresser
Mark Gresser shares his experiences of trekking 6,000 km across Australia connecting the most westerly and eastern points of the country. Taking on such a challenge makes more sense when you consider Mark's previous adventure where he cycled from his home in Perth 29,000 km to Paris on a journey that lasted almost three years.I previously caught up with Mark when he had just arrived at Uluru,
The Best Thing About Taking a Bike Adventure Is?
What's the best thing about taking a bike adventure? Well I've been asking guests that very question for the last two years and today I'm sharing some of their responses, as well as from listeners in our community.The guests you will hear from have taken a myriad of adventures, some lasting for a few weeks, others for a few years. You'll notice there are some common responses f
A Bike Adventure from Europe to Australia: Episode 200 with Rebecca Gross
For episode 200 of Seek Travel Ride, I’m joined by Rebecca Gross, a listener of this show who took a year off work, left her home in Austria with her partner Javi and set off for a bike adventure hoping to get to the Pamirs in Tajikistan.Rebecca had never done any long distance bike travel prior to leaving but with a keen sense of adventure the lack of experience was no reason not to give it a go
Bikepacking Turkey with Two Toddlers: Vanessa Ruck + Your Worst Mechanicals
Vanessa Ruck and her best friend Tori have taken their e-bikes and two toddlers to Turkey, with 25 days to see how far they can ride and around 21,000 metres of climbing on the route. Follow Vanessa: The Girl On A Bike on Instagram and Facebook Donate to Vanessa and Tori’s Leukaemia UK fundraiser I also asked you to share out your worst mechanicals. I put the question out on Instagram after Rob Ma
Bikepacking 13,000kms Around Australia Solo: Louann Perriere
Louann Perriere arrived in Australia with the idea she'd get a bike and use it to get to work. Instead she ended up on a huge adventure, circumnavigating the entire country. What makes this even more impressive is she had never done anything like this before. People warned her that crossing the Nullabor in summer would be too hot, so instead she waited for autumn and was surprised by just ho
Bike Touring With No Experience: Learning As You Go
How much do you need to know before you set off on a bike adventure? Going back through nearly 200 episodes of Seek Travel Ride, I found the answer from guests is usually a lot less than people expect.For this midweek episode I’ve pulled clips from eight guests who started out with very little idea of what they were doing. Florence Cotel taught herself to ride a bike at night in Copenhagen so nobo
Bikepacking Central Asia Then Racing Silk Road Mountain Race: Rob Maclennan
Six days into a two-month ride across Central Asia, Rob MacLennan found himself driving a minibus over the mountains in Mongolia. His broken bike was strapped to the roof, there were twelve local women in the back, and the driver was having a nap in the passenger seat. It turned out to be a fair warning of what was coming.Rob first joined me on the show after riding from London to Cape Town. This
Bikepacking Wildlife Encounters
This week’s episode has a Eurasian lynx attacking a cycle tourist through his tent wall and three lions calling to each other around a wild camp in Tanzania, so yeah, it’s a wildlife one. It all started with an email from a previous guest, Robert Reynolds, where he shared a frightening experience when a Eurasian lynx tried to attack him in the night while he was inside his tent!It sent me back thr
Bikepacking Seven Countries in Asia with Shuhena Islam.
Shuhena only learnt how to ride a bike as an adult and she's been rediscovering what is possible for her ever since. She shares how she always viewed bikepacking as a 'white persons sport' and also how she hopes more muslim women will take to doing what she has done. Shuhena walked away from a corporate law career in London, bought herself a one way ticket to Asia and went bikepacki
What's It Like to Cycle in Indonesia and Ride to Mount Bromo? | Olly Hargreaves
What's it like to go bikepacking in Indonesia? Olly Hargreaves has sent through his last update all about cycling from Jakarta to Balin starting with a 38 hour ferry ride from Singapore!Olly reckons Java has the steepest roads of his whole ride, steeper than the Alps, Afghanistan or the Pamir Highway, with gradients up to 30% and descents where your fingers never leave the brakes. He also exp
TransAmerica Trail Angel Wes Murray: Hosting Nearly 300 Cyclists in Missouri
Wes Murray has been hosting cyclists on the TransAmerica Trail since 2012 at his home in Houston, Missouri. Since then he's hosted over 300 bike adventurers who have stayed at 'The Shack'. His hospitality and kindness is legendary and now many riders have 'staying with Wes' as a milestone when they plan their ride across the USA. It's a pleasure to chat with Wes and h
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway: Bikepacking Tips from Saorsie Pottie
Going on a bike adventure can be a huge deal and perhaps you've found that fear is holding you back from going out there and exploring. This week I'm sharing excerpts from my original interview with Saoirse Pottie, which give insight into how she pushed her fears (and those others had for her!) aside and how she did this one small step at a time. Firstly with getting used to riding alone
I Do It to Feel Normal. Long Distance Cycling and Beating Cancer with Ash Eagles
This year Ash Eagles won the 1700km TransAtlantic Way which was his first ever ultracycling event. What makes this even more incredible is that it came almost 5 years after surviving a very rare form of bone cancer where doctors warned him he may never ride his bike again.The day after going through the operation, Ash promised himself that he'd cycle 100kms within a year and it's incredi
Bikepacking Cork to Cape Town With a Surfboard: James Ryan
Imagine setting off to cycle from Cork in Ireland all the way to Cape Town South Africa. Then picture yourself doing it while towing a surfboard on a trailer! That's exactly what James Ryan has just set off to do!In this episode we are getting to know James, his reasons for this particular adventure and what he is especially looking forward to wiht the huge journey that lies ahead. This updat
From Bikepacking to Racing Ultras With Poli Berber
Poli Berber started out being fearful of riding her bike in traffic. Then she went on a 10 month tour from Paris to Yereven which ended up being life changing. She returned back to Mexico City and through bikepacking rediscovered her own city. Since then she's taken to mapping out off-road routes around Mexico as well as lining up for ultra racing events, such as Tour de Frankie and the Japan
The Single Best Moment From a Bikepacking Adventure
If you could relive one moment from your bike adventure what would it be? Earlier this year I hosted a series of live shows in Melbourne featuring previous podcast guests Fergal Guihen, Em Hulbert and David McCourt. This exact question was posed during one of those Melbourne Live shows and the answers were so good I'm sharing it with you today. Fergal takes us into the Taklimakan Desert in Ch
Solo Cycling 12,000km From Poland to Vietnam (and Back) Oktawia Van Tienderen
Imagine a bike adventure that takes you from Europe SE Asia and back again. Now imagine doing it solo. That is exactly what Oktawia Van Tienderen did and in this episode she is sharing her experiences of taking a journey on like this as a solo woman. Oktawia's original plan was to set off from Poland and continue travelling East. Then she realised that would entail enduring temps of minus 30C
TransAmerica Trail Angel: Your Stories About the Legend
Often the highlights of many bike adventures come from the people you meet along the way. In my recent episode with Becky Gilbert she mentioned being hosted by Wes in Missouri, while making her way across the USA on the TransAmerica Trail. Since that episode went out countless others have gotten in touch with me to share their experience of staying with Wes. Even better, Wes himself also got in to
Bikepacking Italy to the Swiss Alps with no plans or itinerary: Daniel Troia
Daniel Troia initially got off a plane in Milan, Italy initially thinking he'd go bikepacking to Slovenia. But then as he set off he decided to change things up completely. He got rid of the entire plan, dumped his itinerary and let strangers he would meet along the way guide where he should go. He ended up in the Swiss Alps and in this episode I'm chatting to him all about it. We discu
Just Go: Beginner Bikepacking Tips From the Seek Travel Ride Community
If you are thinking of taking a bike adventure but find yourself holding back this episode is for you. I put the question out to our instagram Seek Travel Ride Community of 'what's one tip you'd give to someone looking to take their first bike adventure' and in this episode I'm sharing all the answers with you.There's one overriding theme throughout most of them and t
Cycling the TransAmerica Trail: 4,000-Mile Ride Across the USA with Becky Gilbert
Becky Gilbert shares what it was like to cycle from Oregon to Virginia on the TransAmerica Trail. She undertook this adventure with her partner and Ash and all up spent three months cycling coast to coast across the USA. This was the first long distance bike adventure Becky had undertaken and she admits that she had doubts about being able to complete the journey right from day one. In fact it wa
Cycling Across Scotland, the Netherlands & Belgium with Brian Sampson
Guest Brian Sampson is currently on a bike adventure connecting up 1000 places to see before you die. In this update he gives us the lowdown on what it's like to go cycling in Scotland, Belgium and the Netherlands. If you are planning on riding in Scotland you'll love the ease of wildcamping there and hiking ot the top of Goatfell, the highest peak on the Isle of Arran should definitely
Solo Bikepacking the Nordics: Finland, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands with Marcello Pacifici
Guest Marcello Pacifici shares his experiences of bikepacking in some of the most isolated places in the Nordics. Originally from Rome in Italy, Marcello now calls Helsinki home. He got into riding bikes as a cheap way to get around the city, then expanded that to bikepacking as a way to discover Finland. His first bikepackign trip was 800kms and would take him all the way to Finnish Lapland. He&
Wild Things Happen on Bike Adventures
What's the wildest thing that's happened to you during a bike adventure? I asked this question and got inundated with responses so this week I'm sharing them with you.Responses range from marriage proposals, dog chases, nudist beach encounters to being kidnapped by the Taliban! I also share some of my own crazy bike adventure experiences including how I've twice managed to fin
Blending Ultra Racing with Bikepacking: Hannah Simon
Hannah Simon has raced ultras in four different continents, but you'd be wrong to assume she is only focused on racing. She also enjoys strapping gear on her bike and riding through new landscapes. This year she chose to combine them all by riding to the start line of three seperate events across Europe. I enjoyed exploring her experience as a photo journalist and how she blends her desire
From Bikepacking to Ultra Racing: Anna Ruddiman's El Piri Experience
Considering riding an Ultra? You need to listen to this episode!A few months ago Anna Ruddiman was on the podcast talking about cycling from London to Turkey, and mentioned she might try an ultra cycling race. Well, she just went ahead and did it. Anna has just finished El Piri, an unsupported 800km race through the Spanish Pyrenees (with 20,000m of climbing no less), and she's sent through
Bikepacking from Alaska to New York: Jimmy Vervoort
Belgium bikepacker Jimmy Vervoort shares his awesome journey riding from Alaska to New York City. This was a trip split into two parts with the first starting in the middle of winter which made for some very cold riding days in Alaska. One of the golden rules of bike travel is being adaptable, so Jimmy changed up his route, flew to Vancouver and then cycled south down the Pacific Coast trail. Whe
Cycling to Everest Base Camp: Daragh Cronin's Monsoon Setback in India
Twenty kilometres outside Mumbai, sitting in a half-flooded slum with the rain hammering down,Daragh Cronin had what he calls one of the lowest moments of his life. This week he's filling us in on what happened since his last update during his adventure of cycling from Ireland to Mount Everest Base Camp. To keep up with Daragh's future adventures you can follow him via instagram @RoaminW
Could You Spend Two Years Bikepacking? Paula and Juan Pablo
Juan Pablo's first bike trip was a huge solo journey over 16 months. Then he came home to Chile, met Paula, they got married and six weeks after their wedding they both got on bikes and started bikepacking together.. All up they hope to spend two years on this adventurous version of a honeymoon.We discuss:Bikepacking as a couple: a newlywed honeymoon covering 20,000kmSolo bike touring: 19,000
51 Years Cycling The World: Remembering Heinz Stücke
This week's episode is dedicated to Heinz Stücke, who passed away on July 22 aged 86. Heinz is a legend in the bike travel community, the holder of the world record for the most travelled person in the world. He spent over 51 years cycling to every single country and territory in the world. In Sept 2025, I visited Heinz in his home in Hovelhoff and spent the day chatting about this adventures
Bike Touring the World with Marielle Jauring (re-visited)
Marielle Jauring has ridden roughly 89,000 kilometres across the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe and Asia since her first tour in 2017.This interview was recorded midway through her current ride from Poland to Sri Lanka. The conversation ranges from lighter moments (a turtle sanctuary in Malaysia, blue lava in Indonesia, petting a bear in Canada that turned out to be drunk, n
The Best Countries for a Bike Adventure (According to You)
What's the best country to take a bike adventure? I put that question to the Seek Travel Ride Instagram community, and the answers poured in, from expected favourites to a few genuine curveballs. This episode is dedicated to running through every single one.It comes on the back of a scorching European summer and a roadside afternoon spectating the Tour de France, which got me reflecting on ho
Cycling 12,000km Through 16 Countries: Germany to Turkey with Rieke Schmees (re-release)
In 2022, German psychologist Rieke Schmees swapped a desk for a bike and cycled 12,000km through 16 countries. This adventure took her from Germany to Turkey, via Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Italy and the Balkans. It was the first type of adventure like this she'd taken with almost no camping experience prior to setting off as well. Rieke shares the reality of taking this adventure as a solo fe
Bikepacking Mongolia: Rob MacLennan on Ultra-Cycling to the Silk Road Mountain Race
Rob MacLennan is back on the pod, this time mid-adventure sharing updates as he bikepacks from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to the start line of the Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan. We learn about how Rob has transitioned from long-distance touring (London to Cape Town) to getting into the world of ultra-cycling and how he ended up signing up to one of the hardest off road ultras out there in the S
Cycling to Everest Base Camp in 1986 with James Baile (Re-visited)
Back in 1986, two Englishmen in their early twenties flew to Delhi with brand new mountain bikes and a paper map, and set off to ride through the Himalaya. James Baile takes us back nearly 40 years to a trip that saw him carrying his bike over three high mountain passes, reaching Kalapattar at 5,545 metres as one of the first cyclists ever to do it, and crossing into India solo after his riding pa
Raid Pyrénées by Bike: Cycling Across the Pyrenees Coast to Coast
Ever wondered what it's like to cycle across a mountain range? Well in 2023 I loaded up my bike with gear and set off from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean at St Jean de Luz, to cross the Pyrenees mountains all the way to Argeles-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean Sea. The route we took was a mix of the Classic Raid Pyrenees road bike and touring routes and we took nine days to complete the crossing.
Solo bikepacking 9000km Across South America | Marta Ballús (re-visited)
Ever wanted to go bikepacking in South America? This episode is for you. After being laid off from her job in Barcelona, guest Marta Ballús decided to take back control of her life by loading up her bike and taking an adventure in South America. I spoke to her while she was nine months and over 9,000 kilometres into her solo South American journey. A trip taken to help her reclaim her confidence a
Bikepacking through Malaysia and Singapore: Olly Hargreaves
Planning a bike adventure through South East Asia? Olly and Ellie just rode Thailand into Malaysia, dealt with Ramadan closures, ferry logistics, and hit some gnarly climbs. Tune into this episode for intel on what it's like to go bikepacking in South East Asia plus a masterclass in pivoting when ferries only run once a month.Follow Olly's adventures on Instagram - @sagas.of_olly.hargrea
A 1,500km Bike Packing Adventure Through Norway with Slauka (Revisited)
This week we're re-releasing one of our favourite episodes. 1,500 kilometres through Arctic Norway on a fully loaded bike. Our guest Slauka had never done a bikepacking trip before this but she didn't let her lack of experience get in the way of a good adventure. Slauka's journey took her from the Lofoten Islands all the way to the North CapeIn this episode we Cover :Why May could b
A Month Spent Cycling Around Ireland: Brian Sampson
We are going to hear what it's like to spend a month cycling in Ireland thanks to the latest update from Brian Sampson who just completed a 1500km loop around Dublin and Belfast that proved tougher, more beautiful, and far more rewarding than expected. After cycling through England and Wales, Brian discovered Ireland's slower pace, where he enjoyed cycling on empty farm roads. The stando
They Took a Year Off Work to Cycle the World: Katy and Alan
Katy and Alan spent five years dreaming about this adventure and then went ahead, put their careers on pause and spent a full year cycling 20,000km around the world. Halfway through the adventure, a monotonous desert section through Central Asia nearly broke them, so they threw out their initial planned route and let the trip become something even better.These are the key lessons from their journe
Cycling from London to Croatia with Milica Kovačević
When we last heard from Milica, she was in Northern France and just a few days into her ride from London to Croatia. In this update, she reflects on what the bike adventure has actually looked and felt like across the weeks in between. Milica shares about:What her worst day on the road looked likeWhy keeping yourself fed is actually one of the most important things you can do out thereWhen a bad d
Bikepacking Africa Solo: 10,000km from Rwanda to Cape Town with Ellie Mitchell-Heggs
Dreaming about taking a huge bike adventure? Then this episode is for you.Ellie Mitchell-Heggs shares her insights from her solo journey where she cycled 10,000 kilometres across Africa from Rwanda to Cape Town. All up her trip was nine months long and took her across ten countries. It was also a ride that was layered with both a personal family connection to Africa and loaded up with a huge sen
Cycling Turkey, Kurdistan & Kuwait in 47°C Heat: Daragh Cronin
Daragh Cronin is back with a wild update from his Cork to Everest Base Camp ride. This time he shares with us the extraordinary hospitality of Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan. Then every bike travellers nightmare, a flat refusal at the Federal Iraq border crossing derailing his plans for his route. This led Daragh to have to re-route through Dubai and Kuwait City where the intensity of the trip got tu
Around the World by Bicycle: Live in Melbourne
This is a live show, recorded on stage at the Antique Bar in Melbourne. Joining me on stage were three guests who between them have cycled through some of the most remote, challenging and eye-opening places on earth, Fergal Guihen, Em Hulbert and David McCourt.Fergal cycled from Roscommon, Ireland to Sydney via Mauritania, Iran, Afghanistan, the Tibetan Plateau and beyond. Em Hulbert is mid-journe
Touring on a Brompton: Cycling Senegal with Two Strangers
James Baile, along with two complete strangers (one of which hadn't ridden a bike since he was 13!) packed their Bromptons into IKEA bags and flew to Dakar. What followed was two weeks riding through Senegal and The Gambia: navigating Dakar rush hour, camping on school playgrounds by invitation of village chiefs, pushing loaded folding bikes through sand that felt like treacle, and sparking c
17,000km Bikepacking Adventure: Baja, Japan, the Balkans and Istanbul
Roisin Gallagher has cycled over 17,000 kilometres across two continents. Her adventure started by riding the Baja Divide with her partner before continuing through Mexico and Central America. After seven months on the road together, their relationship ended and instead of flying home, Roisin bought a one-way ticket to Japan and kept riding.Roisin has now arrived in Istanbul to share the story so
Cycle Touring China and the UK with Brian Sampson
Brian Sampson is cycle touring the world to tick off every destination from the book 'The Thousand Places to See Before You Die' This month's update covers the end of his time in China and his first stretch riding through England and Wales.Brian shares his experiences of:Sleeping in temples and stealth camping in multiple continentsVisiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
Airlifted Mid-Race: River Rescue and Ultra Cycling Safety with Robbie Danger Webb
A few weeks ago Robbie was 500 kilometres into the Monaro Cloudride, a thousand-kilometre ultra race through the Australian high country, when a night-time Snowy River crossing went very wrong. They ended up stranded on a tiny island in the middle of the river with their bike, waiting for a rescue helicopter to winch them out.Robbie shares their experiences of this event including he decision to c
From London to Croatia by Bike: Milica is Cycling Home
You're four days out of London, somewhere in northern France, and every evening you check in with your body to decide how far you'll ride tomorrow. Nobody is telling you where to be. This is your life now.Milica Kovačević was commuting through London on her bike, listening to this podcast for inspiration to take her own bike adventure. Then she decided it was time to leave the city, and
Cyling from Bangkok to the UK | Bikepacking Solo with Eleanor Hulm
Eleanor Hulm left Bangkok on a loaded bike she'd just assembled in a hotel room at 6am, sleep-deprived, slightly terrified, and laughing her way through the traffic. Four months later she's ridden solo through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan and she's just getting started.In this episode you'll hear about:The 20km of peanut butter mud in Laos that nearly broke herPush
68 days cycling to Istanbul: Daragh Cronin on Crossing Europe Solo
Daragh Cronin has been on the road for 68 days. He left Blackrock, Cork, on a loaded bike with Everest Base Camp as his final destination, and this week he is checking in from Istanbul.This is a midweek update episode, and it covers a lot of ground. Daragh has already cycled the length of Africa, Morocco to Cape Town, so crossing Europe was his second continent. In this episode we discuss:Arriving
Bikepacking the Andes, Ultra Cycling in New Zealand, and Racing Lostdot 101 | Megan Young
Megan Young is a UK-based ultra cyclist and bike packer from Dorset. She's raced the Atlas Mountain Race in Morocco as a pairs entry with her husband Angus, taken fastest female honours on the Dorset Divide, spent six months cycling through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile on sabbatical, and then finished that stretch with the Tour Te Waipounamu, a 1330km ultra race down the South I
Cycling the Sahara: 1,500km of Headwind, Sandstorms and Survival
Chris Petermnn has been cycling across the world for four years. When he set out to cross the Sahara on the final leg of his Africa circumnavigation, he was craving one silence. After months of never being alone in West Africa, the desert felt like it might finally offer him some peace. Unfortunately, what he got instead was 1,500 kilometres of relentless headwind.In this Tuesday snippet, Chris ta
Cycling the Silk Road from Scotland to China | Tea, Grit and the Arab Spring with Helen Watson
What does it take to cycle 15,000 kilometres from Scotland to China along the ancient Silk Road? And what happens when the countries you just rode through are plunged into war the moment you get home?In 2009, Helen Watson and her husband Ed clipped in at Glasgow and pointed east. Their route took them through Syria, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and into China, riding one of t
Cycling Through China: Practical Tips and What It's Really Like with Brian Sampson
Brian Sampson is cycling through China for the second time, and this update is packed with everything you'd actually want to know before attempting it yourself. He covers the apps that make daily life manageable (WeChat, Alipay, trip.com, and a VPN you'll need from day one), how to find hotels that accept foreign passports, what border crossings look like, and why cycling in northern Ch
Solo Bikepacking South America: Leonie Katekar
Leonie Katekar was 56 years old when she set off solo from Guatemala to cycle 12,000 kilometres to the tip of South America and had no prior solo bike travel experience. The whole adventure was driven by one question: what would you do if you weren't afraid?In this episode:The chaotic Day One in Guatemala: lost, dehydrated, and rescued by a stranger before finishing half the rideManaging Cent
Cycling Through Thailand: First Timer, Loaded Bike, No Experience. Ellie Ormerod & Olly Hargreaves
If you're planning to cycle Southeast Asia, or just want to hear what it's actually like, this one's for you.Olly Hargreaves is back with an update and this time he's sharing how his girlfriend Ellie has decided to give bikepacking a go.Olly rode to Thailand from the UK and Ellie's longest ride prior to this, was about 30km! We'll hear how they got on, Ellie's f
Cycling from Austria to Australia: 20,000km adventure with Javier Carrasco
Javier Carrasco rode from Austria to the other side of the world on a bike rescued from a dumpster. Over 20,000 kilometres and 200,000 metres of climbing travelled on a bicycle that cost him exactly nothing.Javi is the partner of previous guest Rebecca Gross, and while Rebecca made it back to Austria after a year on the road, Javi wasn't quite ready to stop. I got to catch him in person here
Cycling Post-Adventure Blues: The Side of Adventure We Don't Show
In this solo episode, I'm talking about post-adventure blues. The experience of coming home after a big journey and finding it so much harder than you ever expected. It's a theme that has come up again and again across three years of conversations on this show, and one I've been deliberately exploring with guests for the past year.The prompt for this episode was a brilliant piece of
Ultra Cycling for the Experience: Claire Stevens
What if the whole point of racing ultras wasn't the race at all? Claire Stevens is a surgeon and ultra cyclist who rides for the experience of pure presence in wild places.She has lined up for events such as the Indian Pacific Wheel Race, Silk Road Mountain Race, Race to the Rock, Rhino Run and GB Duro. We get into what happens to your senses when you push into the night, what it actually fee
Cycling the Tassie Traverse, Tasmania: Rebecca Gross
Rebecca Gross has been sending updates from the road all year and After cycling from Austria to Australia across something like 30 countries this is the final one!In this update Rebecca talks us through cycling theTassie Traverse, a relatively new bikepacking route running from Hobart up to Launceston through the Highlands and along the east coast. She covers a detour to Maria Island (wombats eve
Cycling 32,000km After Stage 4 Cancer. A life in Tandem with Luke Grenfell-Shaw
In 2018, at 24 years of age, Luke Grenfell-Shaw was given a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and told he had months to live. Within weeks, he also lost his brother John in a freak accident. Most people would have pulled the covers up. Luke signed up for a half marathon, hopped on a stationary bike in the hospital ward, and started planning to cycle from Bristol to Beijing.On 1 January 2020, Luke set off o
Cycling Ireland to Everest Base Camp: 40 Days In
Daragh Cronin is 40 days into his solo cycling expedition from Ireland to Everest Base Camp, and I sent him four questions via Instagram to find out how it's actually going.He talks about the send-off from Cork that genuinely blew his mind, how it compared to the low-key departure for his West Africa ride, and why the first two weeks on the bike were so much harder than he expected. He gets i
Cycling Scotland Solo: Wild Camping, Bothies and the Hebridean Way | Sheelagh Daly
Ever wanted to take a bike adventure through Scotland? This episode is for you!Guest Sheelagh Daley shares her experiences cycling Scotland's Highlands and the Hebridean Way. This was a trip she planned specifically to challenge herself to wild camp and tackle off-road routes solo. She had ALL the weather, sunshine, rain and of course wind.Find out about Scotland's Bothies, what it'
Cycling in Mongolia and Bucket List Destinations.
This week, listeners Juan Pablo and Paula share a day from their cycling adventure in Mongolia which has to be one of the most remote and rewarding places you can ride a bike on this planet. You can keep up with their adventures via their instagram channel - @juan.pablo.toroI also opens up about my own bikepacking bucket list, and throws the question out to you: where is the destination you'r
Cycling the Length of Africa: Morocco to Cape Town with Daragh Cronin
Daragh Cronin booked a flight to Marrakesh before he even owned a bike. He had no cycling background, no camping experience, but he had a goal to ride the length of Africa from Morocco to Cape Town. Just over 200 days and 13,500 kilometres later, he arrived. In this episode, Irish adventurer Daragh talks through the mental and physical reality of cycling Africa's west coast: navigating border
Three Months Cycling Europe Every Year: How Alison Fullerton Does It
What does it actually take to spend three months a year cycle touring through Europe? This week, Alison Fullerton shares how she and her husband make it happen every single year . She talks about the budgeting, the fitness worries, the accommodation, navigating trains with bikes, and the mindset that has turned their bike adventure dreams into a yearly reality.The thing I love is that Alison and h
Cycling Iceland’s Ring Road with Skis on Your Bike: Cody Cirillo
What happens when you strap skis to a loaded bike and set off to cycle 1,700 kilometres around Iceland in winter? Skier and filmmaker Cody Cirillo did exactly that on a trip he took with his good friend. What's more he also documented the whole experience in his film A Hundred Words for Wind.Cody is a professional skier who's chased remote lines in Mongolia, Morocco, and Iceland. In rece
Cycling Japan and Korea: Bears, Hiroshima and a Solo Round the World Bike Tour
Ever camped in bear country in Japan? Brian Sampson has. This is his second update from his mission to cycle every destination in 1000 Places to See Before You Die.In this episode Brian shares stories from cycling through Japan, including encounters with bears and wild boars. He also shares his experiences exploring the Hiroshima Peace Museum. From Japan Brian crossed into South Korea, where heri
She Cycled 4,500km Around the UK to Play Every Single Gig: Sarah Small
What would it look like to tour a concert by bicycle?Sarah Small is a viola da gamba player who did exactly that. Between May and July, she rode across the UK with her instrument on the bike, playing concerts in village halls, churches, community spaces, and remote locations. Along coastlines, across islands, as far north as the Hebridean Way and the Shetland Islands, bringing live music to places
Cycling Scotland to China via the Silk Road | Helen Watson
Imagine cycling from Glasgow to China for your honeymoon! Well that's exactly what guest Helen Watson did with her husband Ed, back in 2010. That extended honeymoon turned into a huge 15-month adventure across Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and into western China.Helen gives us an insight into what it's like to use cycling as a way of moving slowly through cultures, and
Cycling Vietnam to the UK: A Year on the Road | Matt Whitley
What is it really like to cycle solo from Vietnam to the UK?In this episode, I’m joined by cyclist Matt Whitley, who set off from Ho Chi Minh City in March 2025 to ride home to the UK. Nearly a year into the journey, Matt shares stories from riding solo across the Tibetan Plateau, Central Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Europe.We talk about the intensity that comes with taking long-distance bike
Bikepacking the South Island of New Zealand | Rebecca Gross
Ever wanted to cycle the South Island of New Zealand?Rebecca Gross shares an honest update from her time bikepacking the South Island. It was a bikepacking trip shaped by relentless rain and freezing summer temperatures. This led to long days of riding chasing weather windows that would allow for side quests such as hiking around Mount Cook. From Te Araroa sections and west coast gravel to the hi
Ultra Cycling with Lotti Power: Racing, Training and Life Beyond the Start Line
Ultra cyclist Lotti Power has completed the Atlas Mountain Race, the Hellenic Mountain Race, and the Silk Road Mountain Race in a single season. Often the youngest rider on the start line, Lotti did not come into ultra cycling through a traditional racing background. Instead she embraces the idea of learning by doing and it has to be said it has served her well!Lotti first came into long distance
From Delhi to the Himalayas by Bike. Annapurna, Altitude and a Broken Collarbone |Olly Hargreaves
You are descending from the Annapurna Circuit when one pothole changes everything. A crash, a broken collarbone, and the ride comes to an abrupt halt.In this midweek update, Olly Hargreaves shares what it was like cycling through India and Nepal. He drops us right into the chaos of riding out of Delhi before reaching the huge peaks of the Himalayas in Nepal. He talks through the aftermath of his a
Bikepacking From China to Belgium, Fulfilling a 10 Year Dream
Ever thought about bikepacking across multiple countries?In this episode, I chat with Belgian bikepacker Xiao, known online as @Ciao_Xiao, who set off on a long journey from China back to Belgium.Xiao first got into bike travel as a teenager, riding with his mum and later heading off with friends when time was plentiful and money was not. That curiosity eventually grew into a much bigger ride, beg
Cycling A Thousand Places to See Before You Die | Brian Sampson
How long would it take to cycle your way through A Thousand Places to See Before You Die?This week I am introducing you to Brian Sampson, who has been doing exactly that since 2018. Brian shares an update from his journey so far, and across the year he will be checking in with audio updates as his adventure unfolds.Follow Brian's adventure via his instagram -@brian.sampson4 and check out his
Making Bikepacking Feel Like It's For Everyone: Claire Sharpe
This week’s episode features a really thoughtful conversation with Claire Sharpe, a mountain bike instructor, community builder, and the founder of the Bristol Rally. It's a great listen if you’re curious about bikepacking, interested in community-led events, or if you’ve ever talked yourself out of an adventure because you thought you weren’t “ready” yet.In this episode, we talk about:Coming
