The Next Challenge

Category: Tim’s Adventures

  • Cycling across Arabia: a photo diary

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    Laura Moss
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    We cycled from Sharjah in the UAE, via Dubai, to Muscat in Oman.  Although cycling is very popular with expats, few cycle tourists make it to this part of the world and it’s a shame.  With wonderfully smooth roads (oil money put to good use), frequent cafes to rest at and plentiful opportunities for wild…

  • On being a female traveller

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    Laura Moss
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    We live in the twenty first century, and yet chauvinism, misogyny and paternalistic attitudes towards women are still alive and kicking. Travelling throws these into sharp relief, as it means stepping outside the bubble we create for ourselves with the familiar attitudes of friends and family, and encountering new people and sometimes challenging opinions. The…

  • Our video about cycling through Persia and Arabia

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    Tim Moss
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    Our last two months’ cycling has been through some wonderfully historic areas of the world, principally Persia (now Iran) and Arabia (in our case, the United Arab Emirates and Oman), and we have made a short video of our time there. Personally, my favourite so far. In the space of a week, we experienced a…

  • Iran: the good, the bad and the downright crazy

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    Laura Moss
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    The Good The people We had already been warned about the extraordinary levels of hospitality we should expect to find in Iran. After a month of cycling across the country, we can confidently confirm that the Persian reputation for generosity and warmth is well-deserved. On our first night in the country, we were cycling around…

  • Come to the Cycle Touring Festival

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    Laura Moss
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    We are very excited to announce that we are planning a Cycle Touring Festival, to take place in Spring 2015. Our first step is to gauge the level of enthusiasm for this kind of event, so please read on and sign up below if you’re interested. The aim would be to bring together those who…

  • Inside Iran: Images from the Islamic Republic

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    Tim Moss
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    Before setting off to cycle around the world, there was one country that we both looked forward to more than anywhere else: Iran. Here is a little taster of what we found when we got there… Cycling in an Iranian winter We cycled approximately 900 miles in Iran, from the northwest to the south. It…

  • Honk Once for Hello, Twice for P*** Off

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    Tim Moss
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    I am developing an involuntary reflex. At the sound of a horn, without volition, my right arm rises into the air. Though this may happen against my will, I am quite aware of the cause. Almost every day for the last six months, I have spent several hours at the right hand side of a…

  • What have we learnt from six months of cycling?

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    Laura Moss
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    We sit here in a cavernous waiting room, waiting for a ferry to take us from Iran to the United Arab Emirates. We have six months’ of cycling behind us, as evidenced by our sun-lined faces, our scuffed panniers and our super-strong thighs. What has the last six months taught us? That we love cycling,…

  • Ever wondered what Armenia looks like?

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    Tim Moss
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    Laura and I recently cycled through the small but historic and proud nation of Armenia. Here’s a little bit about the place and a few wintery snaps so you can see for yourself what it looks like… We entered from Georgia and followed the hotly disputed Azerbaian border. Large boulders on either side are painted…

  • Photographs from Cycling Through Georgia in Winter

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    Tim Moss
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    Here are our pictures from a few weeks spent riding through Georgia over Christmas and the New Year. Click an image to view full screen and browse properly (any problem, just go here) Highlights include: Santa Claus smoking a fag on his lunch break  Breaking the 4,000 mile barrier Man (Tim) vs Food (huge khacapouri…

  • Six months of cycling

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    Laura Moss
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    We have now been on the road for six months. Here is a little snapshot of the journey so far: Distance cycled: 5,000 miles Money spent on the road: £1,625 each Countries visited: 14 Police escorts given: 1 Times stopped by the police/military: 15 (all Iran, all involving the question ‘what football team do you…

  • Into the Empty Quarter – Film Review

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    Laura Moss
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    Over Christmas you may have caught a film about Ben Fogle and James Cracknell crossing the Empty Quarter desert. No doubt their film had the perfect blend of emotion, drama and eventual tear-jerking success – I have no idea, having been holed up in a hostel in a corner of Georgia at the time it…