Laura and Tim Moss completed a 13,000 mile cycle around the world.
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With the Sun on Our Right
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The full story of Tim and Laura’s 13,000-mile round-the-world cycle
330 pages plus 8 pages of colour photographs
Order now for delivery in May
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Before
Hampton Court Palace, August 2013
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After
Hampton Court Palace, December 2014
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THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING US!
13,000 miles on the clock
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Menu
Scroll down to read more or click to jump to…
Map | FAQs | Photos | Videos | Articles
Charity | Sponsors | Kit List | Daily Stats
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Highs & Lows
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Duration
452 days
1 year, 3 months, 26 days
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Distance cycled
13,054 miles
(21,008km)
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Visited
27 countries
4 continents
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Country Facts
Best food: Turkey, Iran, Japan and America
Best drivers: France
Worst drivers: Switzerland and America
Craziest roads: India
Best cycle lanes: Korea
Favourite country: Japan
Best hospitality: Turkey and Iran
Cheapest countries: India, Vietnam and Cambodia
Most expensive countries: Switzerland and Greece
Hilliest country: Armenia
Coldest countries: Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iran
Hottest countries: UAE, Oman, India and SE Asia
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Numbers
Average daily distance (while cycling): 44.3 miles (71.3km)
Average daily distance (whole trip): 28.8 miles (46.3km)
Longest day: 81 miles (130km; Malaysia)
Total days: 452
Days of cycling: 315
Days not cycling: 137
Nights spent camping: 119
Nights with WarmShowers/CouchSurfing hosts: 125
Nights with spontaneous local hosts: 59
Nights spent in hotels: 104
Number of punctures: 17
Number of crashes: 5 (4 Tim, 1 Laura, 0 involving vehicles)
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Lake Taupo, New Zealand
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Map
We departed on 18th August 2013 and came home on 14th December 2014.
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Europe
France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece & Turkey.
Caucasus, Middle East and India
Georgia, Armenia, Iran, UAE, Oman, India.
(South East) Asia
South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia.
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Australia & New Zealand
Adelaide to Melbourne. Wellington to Auckland.
North America
Return leg across the USA, from Oceanside to Orlando.
UK
Cycled to Hampton Court Palace (where we started).
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Winter in Iran
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FAQ
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[toggle type=”min” style=”closed” title=”Where did you sleep?”]We carried a tent so often just slept at the side of the road. We usually asked for permission first which meant we often got invited inside to people’s homes, churches, temples, mosques, police stations, kebab shops and petrol stations. We also used hospitality networks like Warmshowers and CouchSurfing. In cheaper countries, we sometimes used hotels.
- Nights of camping: 119
- WarmShowers/CouchSurfing hosts: 125
- Hotels: 104
- Random acts of kindness: 59
For a proper breakdown of where we slept each night (complete with pie charts), see our daily stats spreadsheet.
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[toggle type=”min” style=”closed” title=”What bikes did you use?”]We used Ridgeback Panorama touring bikes which were excellent. You can do long tours on a variety of bikes, they just need to be strong enough to carry all of your kit (e.g. with racks and panniers, back and front) and be comfortable enough to ride every day for several months. Read our full review of the bikes here.[/toggle]
[toggle type=”min” style=”closed” title=”What equipment did you carry?”]You can see our complete kit list here.
We carried a tent and sleeping bags so we could sleep anywhere; stove, pans and “portable kitchen” to cook for ourselves; enough warm clothes for any environment; and Kindles for reading and a laptop for updating this website.
All of this fitted into four panniers on each bike. In the winter, we also each carried a small duffle bag on the back of our bikes.
More about our kit:
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[toggle type=”min” style=”closed” title=”How far did you cycle each day?”]We aimed to do at least 40 miles (64km) most days. Through the Turkish winter it was more like 30 (48km) but in the US it was closer to 50 or 60 miles a day (80-100km). Our longest day was 81 miles.
We would typically take one day a week off the bikes but that varied greatly.
- Average daily distance (when cycling): 44.3 miles
- Average daily distance (for the whole trip): 28.8 miles
- Days of cycling: 315
- Days not cycling: 137
To see how far we actually cycled each day, visit our daily stats spreadsheet.[/toggle]
[toggle type=”min” style=”closed” title=”How did you arrange all of the visas?”]We got through Europe without them. The only visas we needed to obtain in advance from an embassy were Iran (which we got in Turkey) and India (which we got in Oman). The rest we just got at the border (e.g. Turkey) or registered for online (Vietnam and USA).[/toggle]
[toggle type=”min” style=”closed” title=”How could you afford to travel for so long?”]For 16 months of cycling, we spent around £6,000 each. This included all of our food, accomodation, visas, bike repairs, transport and six flights – every penny we spent whilst away. The average monthly cost of the trip (~£400) was notably less than the rent we would have paid on our London flat.
We saved for the trip by putting aside £200 each month before we departed, selling lots of our belongings (including five bikes!) and doing a few bits of extra work on the side. On the road we earned a small amount of money (~£2000) by writing articles and doing a little web work.
More about costs:
- How much does it cost to cycle across Europe?
- How much does it cost to cycle around the world?
- The Database of Long Distance Cycle Journeys (see costs for over 200 other cyclists)
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Wheeling through mud in Albania
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Photos
There are loads of photographs from our trip, mostly taken by Laura.
Click the image below to flick through some or browse all of them on Flickr.
<< Click the image above to flick through our photos >>
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Alternatively, you can follow our story in the following series of photo blogs:
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1. Palace to Palace Photos (Hampton Court to Versaille)
2. EuroVelo 6 in Photographs (France)
3. Pictures from Cycling Across Italy
4. Photos from the Croatian Coast
6. Autumn Photographs of Greece
7. Photos of Turkey (the country, not the festive meat)
8. Photographs from Cycling Through Georgia in Winter
9. Ever wondered what Armenia looks like?
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10. Inside Iran: Images from the Islamic Republic
11. Cycling Across Arabia Photo Diary (Dubai & Oman)
12. 15 Photos from India on Bicycles (+ Magnificent Moustaches)
13. Good cycling, great pictures (Korea)
15. Best of SE Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand & Malaysia)
16. Kangaroos, Koalas and The Giant Lobster (Australia)
17. Photos of Middle Earth (New Zealand)
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Browse all our photographs on Flickr…
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Videos
We filmed a series of short videos on the road. Each one is less than 90-seconds long. They were filmed using a GoPro and made with Magisto.
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1: Crossing the Alps (Western Europe)
2: Biking the Balkans (Eastern Europe)
Quit Job, Cycle to Asia (London to Istanbul)
3: Winter in the Caucasus (Turkey, Georgia, Armenia)
4: Persia/Arabia: Iran, UAE & Oman
8: Cycling Down Under: Australia & New Zealand
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Browse all our videos on YouTube…
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Hot in the Mojave Desert
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Articles
We maintained our blog through the trip, with new articles once or twice a week. The highlights are below or you can browse them all here.
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Europe
Cycling in France (this is our life)
Update from Croatia (what do you want me to say?)
Go Away and Leave Me Alone (or: Miserabilis Buggeritis)
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Turkey, Middle East & India
Why Two Breakfasts are Better than One
I Hate Mornings (but not for the reason you’re thinking) *
Honk Once for Hello, Twice for P*** Off
You’ve Got to be Careful in India
Four examples of (the lack of) personal space in India
Better Call Seoul: Escape to South Korea
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Asia, Australia & America
Why no water buffalo in South Korea?
Good Morning Vietnam! (about Japan)
The Worst Visa Office in the World *
Sleeping in Bike Shops & Temples
Life on the Road: Strip Washes and Car Parks
Highs and lows of cycling England to Australia
Why New Zealand might be the most awesome country
It’s All About the Bike (because it’s all about the people) *
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Sleeping under the stars
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Thoughts from the Saddle
We are *not* cycling around the world
My favourite part of cycling across Europe? Lidl.
If cycling around the world is so good, why do I just want to watch DVDs?
Choosing what to do with your life
What have you done while I’ve cycled the world?
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Practical Articles
What have we learnt from six months of cycling?
Ten things I know about long distance cycling
Communicating without language
Advice for Cycling into Istanbul
The things we’ll miss about our cycling adventure
Five things we missed about home
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Browse all the articles we wrote on the road…
With fellow cyclists in Vietnam
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Charity
We were supporting the charity JDRF during our cycle around the world. JDRF exists to find the cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications, and is the world’s leading charitable funder of type 1 diabetes research.
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Sponsors
We had a number of generous equipment sponsor for our trip:
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Ridgeback
Provided our bicycles, two top of the range Panorama touring bikes.
Berghaus
Kitted us out with the latest GoreTex Active waterproofs and other clothing.
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Adventures Insurance
Provided us with free travel insurance.
Lyon Equipment
Supplied us with Ortlieb panniers and handlebar bags, Petzl headtorches, Exped camping mats, Tubus racks and more.
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Buffalo | Rab | Whitby & Co. | Brooks | Sealskinz | Keen
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With the Sun on Our Right
Now available for pre-order!
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The full story of Tim and Laura’s 13,000-mile round-the-world cycle
330 pages plus 8 pages of colour photographs
Order now for delivery in May
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[button color=”gray” link=”http://thenextchallenge.org/books/sun/” size=”bigger” align=”center”]Read more[/button]
[/one_half]
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[button color=”blue” link=”http://thenextchallenge.org/books/sun#buy” size=”bigger” align=”center”]Pre-Order Now ➜[/button]
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