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 how the race first brought me to France  and ultimately to the Pyrenees back in 2013, where I now live.

Countries featured in this episode:

• Most votes: France, Turkey, Spain
• Mountain destinations: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Bolivia, Norway
• Off the beaten path: Tunisia, New Caledonia, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia
• Classic bike-adventure countries: New Zealand, Thailand, Japan, China, Peru, Iran
• The philosophical answer: "Wherever you haven't been yet" (and "any country" will do)

Got a country to add to the list? Get in touch and let me know your pick for the best country to take a bike adventure.

Mentioned in this episode

Slauka' Macurak's Norway episode (recently re-released)

Leonie Katekar's episode on cycling solo from Antigua to Ushuaia

My YouTube series on crossing the Pyrenees coast to coast

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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 female, the toughest weeks in Morocco which also became teh most rewarding, and how it came to be that she rescued a puppy in Bulgaria. 

This episode originally aired in June 2024.

Be sure to follow Rieke's future adventures via her instagram - @riekeschm

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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 SRMR!

He also tells us why he is now out there combining both disciplines on this trip, and what it's actually been like riding through Mongolia's empty grasslands, staying in gers with hospitable nomadic families. He also shares a crazy story of ending up driving a minivan full of people after his bottom bracket failed after teh water exposure from 30 river crossings in the Orkhon Valley.

You can listen to the original episodes featuring Rob's adventure from London to Cape Town here - Part 1 and Part 2.

Be sure to also give Rob a follow via his instagram @Robbo_On_The_Road

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.

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Buy me a coffee!

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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 partner's frame gave out.

Highlights from the episode:

• Two 20 year olds, no maps of their own making, no local language, and a bike that had barely existed as a category three years earlier
• Two weeks of carrying rather than riding, before the terrain eased into Namche Bazaar
• Reaching Kalapattar at 5,545 metres, among the earliest cyclists to have done it
• The transition from cycling with a friend to riding solo across northern India
• The hospitality of strangers shown throughout the journey
• Five days in McLeodganj giving Tibetan kids bike rides outside the Green Hotel

Follow along with James' future adventures via his instagram - @JamesB.Adventures

This episode originally first aired on Feb 01 2025. 

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.

Support the show

Buy me a coffee!

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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. All up it was 803kms, 24 Cols and almost 18,000m of climbing. 

You can watch the visuals behind this adventure via our Raid Pyrenees video series on YouTube

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.

Support the show

Buy me a coffee!

I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

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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 and learn to trust herself. 

Marta's mantra on this trip is 'Do what scares you until it doesn't'. 

Highlights have included:

Southern Chile/La Carretera Austral: Her emote and rugged starting point heading south

Argentina desert: So boring she ditched the bike, hitchhiked instead and learnt to paraglide

Peru: Demanding bikepacking routes 

Bolivia (Salar de Uyuni): Cycling across the salt flats and seeing the sunset and stars in the night sky was like a dream.

Colombia: Brought with it a tropical climate and an explosion of exotic fruits.

Ecuador: Where she witnessed the incredible strength of Indigenous women doing hard physical labour

Galapagos Islands: Unique wildlife experience most bikepacking journeys never get to see

Follow Marta's future adventures via her instagram @MartasWay

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.

Support the show

Buy me a coffee!

I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

👉  CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)

👉 Zorali 

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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.hargreaves

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.

Support the show

Buy me a coffee!

I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

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👉 Zorali 

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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 Cape

In this episode we Cover :

• Why May could be a perfect time to go bikepacking in Norway
• Wildcamping in Norway
• Preparation, testing gear in bad weather, and packing strategy
• Why flexibility in your schedule matters more than having the perfect plan
• An Italian photographer who rode her bike up a mountain for her
• Cycling through the North Cape Tunnel 

GUEST: Slauka Macurak (Instagram: @allridegirl)

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.

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Buy me a coffee!

I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

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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 standout moment was a hike to Comshagan Lough, a glacial crater lake. He skipped the touristy Dingle Peninsula due to the busy traffic and 40mph wind gusts, opting instead for the quieter Sheepshead Peninsula. 

Key takeaways: the Irish hospitality is peak (work crews offering shelter, locals offering directions), the scenery rivals NZ and Tasmania, and yes, the weather will get you wet every morning. Cycling in Ireland may not be easy, but it absolutely is worth it.

You can keep up with Brian's adventures via his instagram - @brian.sampson4 and also his personal blog https://justfeltlikebiking.blogspot.com/

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.

Support the show

Buy me a coffee!

I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

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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 journey:

• You don't need to wait for retirement to take a big adventure
• A plan is a starting point but it's ok to change and adapt them
• The less you know about a place, the more it can surprise you
• People will help you, almost everywhere, almost every time.
• Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.
• Fear of the unknown is usually worse than the unknown itself.
• Shared goals matter more than shared stats.
• Hard days don't last, but you will have hard days on big adventures
• You don't need a year to have an adventure.

Be sure to give Katy and Alan a follow via their account @CycleTheLongWayHome

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.

Support the show

Buy me a coffee!

I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

👉  CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)

👉 Zorali 

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👉 Ombraz 

Follow us on Social Media!

• Instagram - @SeekTravelRide
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