Seek Travel Ride

Shuhena only learnt how to ride a bike as an adult and she's been rediscovering what is possible for her ever since. She shares how she always viewed bikepacking as a 'white persons sport' and also how she hopes more muslim women will take to doing what she has done.  Shuhena walked away from a corporate law career in London, bought herself a one way ticket to Asia and went bikepacking. She ended up cycling through seven countries: Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, China, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia.  We talk visas (the Chinese one took a month), gear, and how cycling the mountainous roads in Java, Indonesia left her completely broken. She also shares how she has found community on the road, and the realities of what it is like to  go cycling through Asia as a Muslim woman. You can keep up with Shuhena's future adventures via her instagram:  @Cycling_Shu Send a message or voice note to the show. I read every one, and some might make it onto a midweek episode Head over to Old Man Mountain and checkout the Manzanita Cradle  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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

What's it like to go bikepacking in Indonesia? Olly Hargreaves has sent through his last update all about cycling from Jakarta to Balin starting with a 38 hour ferry ride from Singapore! Olly reckons Java has the steepest roads of his whole ride, steeper than the Alps, Afghanistan or the Pamir Highway, with gradients up to 30% and descents where your fingers never leave the brakes. He also explains why he skipped the busy north coast road and the brutal southern route other bikepackers took, instead choosing to go through the middle of the island via Bandung, Borobudur, Yogyakarta and Malang instead.  Then comes the climb to Mount Bromo, where his brother Jamie told him there was no way he'd ride the whole thing, and you can probably guess how that went. They cycled through the sand of the Bromo crater and watched Mount Semeru send up a cloud of ash every 20 minutes. After that came a night hike to the blue fire and sulphur mines of Mount Ijen, the ferry to Bali, and one last steep valley before they flew on to Australia. If you're planning a cycling trip in Indonesia, Olly's advice is to be ready for the hills and make time for the volcanoes.  Follow Olly;s future adventure via his instagram @Sagas.of_Olly.Hargreaves Send a message or voice note to the show. I read every one, and some might make it onto a midweek episode Head over to Old Man Mountain and checkout the Manzanita Cradle  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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

Going on a bike adventure can be a huge deal and perhaps you've found that fear is holding you back from going out there and exploring. This week I'm sharing excerpts from my original interview with Saoirse Pottie, which give insight into how she pushed her fears (and those others had for her!) aside and how she did this one small step at a time.  Firstly with getting used to riding alone, then wildcamping solo, to taking a journey that would last weeks before going ahead and spending months cycling through Africa.  You can listen to the full episode with Saoirse here and be sure to give her a follow on instagram to check out her future adventures in her snailblazers community via @snailblazers.cc Check out Old Man Mountain's Ponderosa Panniers 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

Imagine setting off to cycle from Cork in Ireland all the way to Cape Town South Africa. Then picture yourself doing it while towing a surfboard on a trailer! That's exactly what James Ryan has just set off to do! In this episode we are getting to know James, his reasons for this particular adventure and what he is especially looking forward to wiht the huge journey that lies ahead. This update comes to use while he is currently in Northern Spain cycling on the Camino de Santiago route, and James will be giving us updates every few weeks as his adventure unfolds.  To follow along with James' journey you can check him out on instagram - @JimmyGoodTimes 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

If you could relive one moment from your bike adventure what would it be?  Earlier this year I hosted a series of live shows in Melbourne featuring previous podcast guests Fergal Guihen, Em Hulbert and David McCourt.  This exact question was posed during one of those Melbourne Live shows and the answers were so good I'm sharing it with you today.  Fergal takes us into the Taklimakan Desert in China, stranded with no food or water until a local guide turned up out of nowhere on a tiny bike. Em goes right back to the very first pedal stroke of her trip, heading up the coast out of Margaret River. David remembers a night in Malaysia, being chased by a storm in an area inhabited by wild elephants and I couldn't resist sneaking my own moment in too which will transport you to the Ireland at the Cliffs of Moher at sunrise. Plus, in this week's listener shoutouts, Anthony shares his own wild camping story from the Goulburn River in Victoria involving a very determined possum! 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

Often the highlights of many bike adventures come from the people you meet along the way. In my recent episode with Becky Gilbert she mentioned being hosted by Wes in Missouri, while making her way across the USA on the TransAmerica Trail.  Since that episode went out countless others have gotten in touch with me to share their experience of staying with Wes. Even better, Wes himself also got in touch to share why it is he loves hosting people who are cycling across the country. If you've got a story about being hosted by Wes, or perhaps you've hosted cyclists yourself, get in touch with me, I'd love to hear about your experiences. 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

Daniel Troia initially got off a plane in Milan, Italy initially thinking he'd go bikepacking to Slovenia. But then as he set off he decided to change things up completely. He got rid of the entire plan, dumped his itinerary and let strangers he would meet along the way guide where he should go.  He ended up in the Swiss Alps and in this episode I'm chatting to him all about it.  We discuss the importance of getting out into Nature and how getting away from structure and adventuring without a goal can be enriching.  For the visuals behind this adventure you definitel want to check out Daniel's award winning documentary film which he made about this journey called  the Child Within.  You can also keep up with Daniel's future adventures via his instagram - @the_travelin_dude Check out the Elkhorn Rack from Old Man Mountain 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

If you are thinking of taking a bike adventure but find yourself holding back this episode is for you. I put the question out to our instagram Seek Travel Ride Community of 'what's one tip you'd give to someone looking to take their first bike adventure' and in this episode I'm sharing all the answers with you. There's one overriding theme throughout most of them and that is - don't overthink it! Just get out there and give it a go. There are also some great tips in terms of how to get yourself to commit to going on the adventure in the first place as well as some key pieces of spare equipment you may want to take with you. If you have a beginner tip you'd like to share, get in touch with me and I'll shout it out on a future episode. 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

Guest Brian Sampson is currently on a bike adventure connecting up 1000 places to see before you die. In this update he gives us the lowdown on what it's like to go cycling in Scotland, Belgium and the Netherlands.  If you are planning on riding in Scotland you'll love the ease of wildcamping there and hiking ot the top of Goatfell, the highest peak on the Isle of Arran should definitely make it on your list. But beware of the midges and ticks! Then Brian shares his thoughts on the cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands as well as how he actually plans out his cycle routes. Working out how to join the dots of places he wants to see on a google map and then the reality of physically standing in the Grand Place in Brussels, and then taking in the history right at the site of the the battle of Waterloo.  Be sure to give Brian a follow via his instagram - @Brian.Sampson4 to keep up to date with his bike adventure. He is now currently making his way through Europe and the Balkans and plans to wrap up this leg of the journey in Athens, Greece.  Check out the Elkhorn Rack from Old Man Mountain 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

What's the wildest thing that's happened to you during a bike adventure?  I asked this question and got inundated with responses so this week I'm sharing them with you. Responses range from marriage proposals, dog chases, nudist beach encounters to being kidnapped by the Taliban!  I also share some of my own crazy bike adventure experiences including how I've twice managed to find myself starting a mountain descent wit no brakes (don't recommend!) Also a big shoutout to Adam Leathwood who has been tuning into the podcast for some inspiration to get out there for his own bike adventures and has now gone and done the thing! You can read more about Adam's adventure here:  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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

Hannah Simon has raced ultras in four different continents, but you'd be wrong to assume she is only focused on racing.  She also enjoys strapping gear on her bike and riding through new landscapes.   This year she chose to combine them all by riding to the start line of three seperate events across Europe. I enjoyed exploring her experience as a photo journalist and how she blends her desire to see the landscapes with the competitiveness it takes to race through them as well. Her racing pedigree speaks for itself, she has successfully completed  the Triple Crown (Arizona Trail, Tour Divide and Colorado Trail) as well as the Triple Nelson (all three mountain races, Atlas, Silk Road and Hellenic).  In 2024 she finished as first woman across the line at the Silk Road Mountain Race, which required her to ride on a pedal spindle for over 400kms due to a mechanical. But did you know she only learnt how to ride a bike so that she would be able to go horse riding? That her favourite riding food is humous from Lidl and that she enjoyed being humbled by the weather and terrain in Scotland's highlands during the Highland Trail 550? Be sure to follow Hannah's future adventures via her instagram - @HannahSimon_ Check out the Elkhorn Rack from Old Man Mountain 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

Juan Pablo's first bike trip was a huge solo journey over 16 months. Then he came home to Chile, met Paula, they got married and six weeks after their wedding they both got on bikes and started bikepacking together..  All up they hope to spend two years on this adventurous version of a honeymoon. We discuss: Bikepacking as a couple: a newlywed honeymoon covering 20,000km Solo bike touring: 19,000km across Turkey, the Middle East, and Africa Bikepacking Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia: expectations vs. reality Route planning and gear for long-distance cycle touring Relationship and communication tips for touring as a couple Bike mechanical failures and storm survival on tour Juan Pablo's 104 tips for bike travel 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

This week's episode is dedicated to Heinz Stücke, who passed away on July 22 aged 86. Heinz is a legend in the bike travel community, the holder of the world record for the most travelled person in the world. He spent over 51 years cycling to every single country and territory in the world.  In Sept 2025, I visited Heinz in his home in Hovelhoff and spent the day chatting about this adventures. This episode features excerpts from that conversation.  You can listen to the original episodes in full here - Part 1 and Part 2. RIP Heinz. I like to think you are still out there travelling now. 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

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. 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

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! I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including: 👉  CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!) 👉 Zorali  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

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 the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

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 the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

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 the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain 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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

Dreaming  about taking a huge bike adventure? Then this episode is for you. Ellie Mitchell-Heggs shares her insights from her solo journey where she cycled 10,000 kilometres  across Africa from Rwanda to Cape Town. All up her trip was nine months long and took her across ten countries. It was also a ride that was layered with both a personal family connection to Africa and loaded up with a huge sense of purpose as well. Alongside the cycling, Ellie spent time in every capital city meeting with over 100 local NGOs, social enterprises and community organisations working in education, youth empowerment and gender equality. Ellie shares how those conversations, got her through the toughest stretches on the road. In this episode we cover: How Ellie got into bikepacking starting with the Vélodyssée down the west coast of France Why she chose to start in Rwanda and ride south  The communities and landscapes that shaped each country, from Uganda's warmth to the brutal isolation of Botswana's flat roads 70 kilometres being swarmed by tsetse flies in a Tanzanian national park Canoeing four days down the Zambezi river as a mid-trip reset Grieving her father on the road  Cycling through Namibia with two fellow bikepackers. Food poisoning two days from Cape Town, and the unicycle escort into the city What made those NGO conversations so energising  Find Ellie on Instagram: @ProjectCycleAfrica Check out Old Man Mountain's new Manzanita Handlebar Cradle  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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music 

Daragh Cronin is back with a wild update from his Cork to Everest Base Camp ride. This time he shares with us the extraordinary hospitality of Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan.  Then every bike travellers nightmare, a flat refusal at the Federal Iraq border crossing derailing his plans for his route.  This led Daragh to have to re-route through Dubai and Kuwait City where the intensity of the trip got turned to the max when he found himself trying to cycle through the desert in extreme heat leading to a stint in hospital to be treated for heatstroke.  Follow along with Daragh via his instagram - @roaminwithcronin Check out Old Man Mountain's new Manzanita Handlebar Cradle  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  👉 Helinox  👉 Ombraz  Follow us on Social Media! Instagram - @SeekTravelRide Facebook - Seek Travel Ride YouTube - @SeekTravelRide Seek Travel Ride Newsletter Leave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music