Adventure Cycle Touring Resources
Bicycle touring is an excellent way to start out in the adventure world. You can get away with cheap kit, cover long distances without training, and get a real sense of freedom.
I spent 16 months cycling 13,000 miles around the world and have written a guide on How To Cycle Around The World.
Below are a collection of useful links to help you plan a bike tour.
How to Cycle Around the World
ebook
18 months’ research
13,000 miles cycled around the world
10 years experience in the expedition industry
Plus quantitative data from 227 long-distance cyclists
Long Distance Cycle Journeys (LDCJ)
A unique online database of over 200 cycle tourists who have covered 6,000 miles or more (10,000km) in a single trip.
Stats on average distances, daily costs, types of bike used and more.
Tim’s Cycling Trips
Cycling Around the World – 13,000 miles through 27 different countries.
Rickshaw World Record – I hold the world record for the longest distance cycled in a rickshaw.
Cycling Home from Norway – 1,000 miles through Scandinavia after an expedition in the Arctic.
Three Peaks, Two Wheels – Cycling between the UK’s Three Peaks and climbing up them.
Sarah Outen: London to Tokyo – I provided the logistics for the first leg of Sarah’s circumnavigation.
Cycling Around Masirah Island on Christmas Day – An alternative festive celebration on a desert island.
The London to Isle of Wight and Coast-to-Coast Triathlons – Two ‘real world’ triathlons.
Cycle Touring Advice
10 Tips For Your First Off-Road Cycling Expedition – by Tom Allen
10 Tips For Your First Big Bicycle Expedition – by Andy Welch
Ten things I know about long distance cycle touring – by Laura Moss
Cycle Touring Expedition Travel Insurance
Managing knee pain and back pain for cyclists
Reading List for Cycle Tourists
Advice for Cycling into Istanbul
37 Cycle Tourists Share their Kit Lists
34% of all Cycle Tourists use Hub Gears
Brooks Lands End & John O’Groats Panniers Review
The Cycle Touring Festival started in 2015 and has now become an annual event. It’s been fully sold out every year so far.
www.cycletouringfestival.co.uk
Cycling Articles & Stories
Don’t Cycle Lands End To John O’Groats – Consider the world of alternatives first.
If Cycling Around The World Is So Good Then How Come I Just Want To Watch DVDs?
Honk Once for Hello, Twice for P*** Off – On the use of car horns.
Bicycle Karma – A white van pulls up next to me, winds his window and… thanks me
Angry Young Man – A guest blog by controversial record breaker Julian Sayarer from This Is Not For Charity
8 strange situations in which I’ve found myself wearing lycra – Cyclists, I am sure, will relate
The Vehicle of Poets – Famous quotes about the beautiful vehicle
Solo travels as a woman in Africa and Asia – interview with Helen Lloyd.
Mountains & Mole Hills – When a commute becomes a race to the death
Cycle Touring Links
- How To Cycle Around The World by Tim Moss – My ebook guide available for download now.
- Essential Gear for Cycle Touring by Tom Allen – an excellent guide to getting kit your trip.
- The Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook by Stephen Lord – The bible for bicycle expeditions.
- The Travelling Two – Impressive set of resources, reviews, country information, podcasts etc. They have a free Bike Touring Basics ebook too.
- Audax – Organise super cheap group cycling events across the UK
- Adventure Cycling Association – American association with useful PDF downloads on touring
- Adventure Cycling Guide – Simple website with useful expedition touring advice
- Andes by Bike – Lovely resource from Harriet and Neil Pike for anyone cycling in South America
- CTC – The Cyclists’ Touring Club is a membership organisation offering advice, events, insurance and maps
- Sheldon Brown – Great down-to-earth explanations of many technical bike-related matters
Cycling Adventurers
Interesting adventurers who have completed big bicycle tours.
Alastair Humphreys – 4 years around the world, popular blogger
Tom Allen – Off-road expedition cycling all over the place
Andy Welch – Off-road expedition cycling all over the place
Rob Lilwall – Cycled home from Siberia
Rob Thomson – Cycled and skateboarded Japan to Europe and back
Mark Beaumont – Broke speed record for cycling around the world
James Bowthorpe – Broke Mark Beaumont’s speed record raising money for Alzheimer’s research
Julian Sayarer – Broke James Bowthorpe’s record under the banner This Is Not For Charity
Peter Gostellow – Cycled 50,000km from Japan to England and later through Africa
Friedel & Andrew – 60,000km+ all over the world. Fantastic resources website.
Books/Films
There are probably thousands of books and films about cycling but here are a few that I’ve read/watched and would recommend:
(Browse the full list of the best books about cycling here)
The Man Who Cycled the World
Great book and series about Mark Beaumont’s record attempt.
Adventure Cycle Touring
The best handbook you can buy.
Cycling Home from Siberia
Rob Lilwall starts in the deep end of a Siberian winter.
The Wind in My Wheels
80,000 miles with Josie Dew.
The Flying Scotsman
Not much to do with expeditions but it’s a great film.
- Janapar – Amazing movie about Tom Allen’s journey, entirely self-filmed. The book’s great too.
- Moods of Future Joys – Wonderfully honest account of Al Humphreys’ 4 year trip. Spreads into a second book – Thunder & Sunshine. He has a third book too: 10 Lessons from the Road.
How to Cycle Around the World
ebook
18 months’ research
13,000 miles cycled around the world
10 years experience in the expedition industry
Plus quantitative data from 227 long-distance cyclists
