Author: Laura Moss
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Walking the Kids to School… and keeping on going
Ali Makoutz won a Next Challenge Grant in 2022 to walk her kids to school, and then keep on going through the foothills of the Sierras. As a nurse and mother of four girls she doesn’t have a lot of time to nurture her own adventurous spirit, but has been dreaming about microadventures you can…
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Cycling Across Denmark While Pregnant
Meandering down the banks of the Elbe on a sunny May morning, we were surrounded by cyclists of all tribes. Parents and children rode next to old men on novelty bikes. Lycra-clad women flew past at speed as young couples gossiped on sit-up-and-begs. Commuters picked their way through the crowds, while my husband Tim and…
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I Think, Therefore I Can
A couple of weeks ago, I (Laura) gave a talk in Leeds as part of the Pedalling Ideas festival, an event which celebrated bike-based ideas. I was there to represent The Adventure Syndicate, an organisation which aims to encourage people, particularly women and girls, to achieve more. Our mission is to inspire, enable and encourage,…
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What Is The Best Thing About Cycle Touring?
At last year’s Cycle Touring Festival, we asked people: What is the best thing about cycle touring? Judging by the responses we received, as displayed in the image above, most cycle tourists are curious about the world, love meeting new people and have MASSIVE appetites. Hmmm, sounds familiar. As one attendee said: I…
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Ultra Light Cycle Touring on a Single Speed
At 9pm I sent Tim a text. Just leaving the office. No rack”. In less than twelve hours, I was supposed to be cycling to Amsterdam. I hadn’t planned a route and hadn’t packed. The beautiful Carradice bag I had bought didn’t fit my bike without an extra bracket, which I couldn’t find in any…
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Run a mile a day in 2015
***UPDATE: You can now join our Strava group to log your miles here*** Have you resolved to get fit this year? Have you started January determined to lose weight, tone up and feel healthier? Or are you just looking for a challenge to fill the coming months, that will fit around your normal life?…
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It’s All About the Bike (because it’s all about the people)
The kid leaned over, gave me a hug and told me he liked me. ‘You should never leave’. Before you suspect a scandal at Next Challenge HQ, my new friend was ten. His ardour was no doubt inspired by the fact that I’d lent him by head torch: if only picking up admirers was always…
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15 Gift Ideas for the Adventurer in Your Life
Christmas is coming and it’s time to drain the bank account in pursuit of the annual present binge. If you have an adventurer type in your life, we have compiled a list of niche kit that we love – or would love to have – to help give you a bit of inspiration. If you’re…
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Why we love the desert
We both have a deep and abiding love of desert regions. There’s something about the harshness, the solitude, the quiet and the feeling of being in an endless, timeless land. They seem empty, until you realise the life scurrying about you, like you, fighting to survive. We’ve walked across deserts in Oman and Patagonia and…
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The things we’ll miss about our cycling adventure
We recently wrote about some things we’ve missed about home since we’ve been away. The first comment we received was from Dorothee Fleck, veteran long distance cyclist, who warned us not to be too anxious to get home. She pointed out that, once home, she missed things about being on the road far more. This…
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Why New Zealand might just be the most awesome country in the world
There are rocks in New Zealand which are just a few years old. By the time you read this, there might even be some which are just a few hours’ old, should one of the country’s many volcanoes have decided to wake up and shake up a bit. Geologically speaking, things are pretty new in…