In this episode guest Agnieszka Bagińska shares her experiences of exploring countries and cultures on a bicycle. It was 2013 when she went on her first cycling trip, a tour which would take in the Polish coastline - starting from the border with Germany, and continuing on until reaching the Russian border. Since that trip she has discovered a passion for slow travel and has taken many more cycle tours. In 2021 she loaded her bike up and set off from Spain for a tour of Southern Europe. 5300kms ...
Dec 30, 2023•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 52
It was an absolute pleasure to feature Eric Lederer for this episode of Seek Travel Ride and have him share his story and experiences of bicycle touring over 11,000km across North America. Eric started in LA and called the ride Operation Fish m Market - named after the dive bar which he would end his ride at in New York City. Some common themes which came out during this discussion was centred around Eric putting his career on hold to take this journey. We talked about what it's like to put life...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 51
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Laura Killingbeck and have her share her experiences of spending 8.5 months cycling solo across the US and Canada. But you'd be wrong to assume this has been the only adventure in Laura's life. Indeed, she has lived a life of adventure since she first started travelling solo when she was an 18 year old when she stuck out her thumb and hitchhiked her way to Mexico. Since then Laura has had what many would deem to be wild experiences. It was when she wor...
Dec 16, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 50
I had the absolute pleasure to speak with Viola and Jeff Baker - a father daughter duo who who recently cycled across Canada. With their back wheels dipped in the Pacific Ocean, they set off from Bamfield on the West Coast of Vancouver Island and cycled West until they reached their end point of Cape Spear, on the Atlantic Ocean. This trip would see them cycle over 8000kms, creating endless memories as they discovered more about their own country. They also fundraised during the trip - raising f...
Dec 09, 2023•1 hr 36 min•Season 1Ep. 49
This episode features the amazing story of April Drage - an ultra endurance cyclist who this year took on her dream race of the 2023 Tour Divide - an event that is often seen as the premier off-road bikepacking race. But to April this was more than just a race - it was what she termed her 'cycling holiday' and she had a goal to ride this event for years. This wasn't April's first off-road bikepacking event - indeed, she has quite an impressive palmarès, and we spoke about her experiences of ridi...
Dec 02, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Season 1Ep. 48
In this episode I speak with Katja and Martin who recently completed a 22,000km bicycle tour of the Americas. This journey would see them cycling for 21 months setting off from Argentina, destination Canada. Their adventure from south to north saw them battle with relentless Patagonian headwinds, cycle across amazing landscapes such as the Salar de Uyuni salt desert, tackle the Peru Great Divide trail, and get fully immersed in the Amazon jungle. We spoke at length about what it was like to pack...
Nov 25, 2023•1 hr 53 min•Season 1Ep. 47
I had the pleasure of interviewing Stefan Barth an ultra cycling athlete and Medical Fitness and Endurance Coach who has a passion for the sport of bike packing and also enjoys testing himself in ultra cycling events. Stefan has competed in 24hour cycling races, and has tested his limits in the gruelling 9 day ultra cycling event - Race Around Germany, where he was chasing the fastest known time record. Stefan's passion for the sport has also led him to take longer bike packing tours as well - m...
Nov 18, 2023•1 hr 35 min•Season 1Ep. 46
In this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with Laura and Simon - a couple who made the decision to go on a world wide bicycle tour. These two are no strangers to travel, but this is the first time they have used cycling as a way to discover new places and cultures. I spoke to them both while they were in Bangkok, Thailand having already cycled and explored the world on a bicycle for a year and a half. They set off from England, crossed Europe and then took the road less travelled through th...
Nov 11, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 45
In this episode I had the pleasure of interviewing Rebekka Wiedener who recently completed the European Divide Trail on a Unicycle! Rebekka started learning to ride a unicycle at the age of 10 and the places she has explored on one wheel are truly phenomenal. She is a two times Unicycling Uphill World Champion and she has a lot of experience in unipacking, which is multiday adventures on offroad trails on a unicycle. In 2017, Rebecca unipacked the Arizona Trail,...
Nov 04, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 44
In this episode I catch up with Graham Coult and Charles Henderson who recently completed a bikepacking trip on the escape route taken by Graham's grandfather from a WWII POW camp - Stalag 18a. The idea for this route came to Graham when he discovered the original map his Grandfather used to escape from the prison camp in Austria. The thin blue line traced on the map formed the basis of the 2000km route, and Graham and Charles set out to see what this experience would entail. It should be pointe...
Oct 28, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Seeking out adventure and a spirt of wanderlust? Then Seek Travel Ride is for you. Each week I share the stories and experiences of my guests who have undertaken amazing adventures on a bike. Whether crossing state borders, mountain ranges, countries or continents, during a bicycle tour, bikepacking trip or even testing the boundaries in an ultra-distance cycling race, I seek to share that spirit of adventure with our listeners. Support the show Buy me a coffee and help support the show! I’m an ...
Oct 23, 2023•30 sec
In this episode I had the pleasure of interviewing Stevie and Tom Thissen - a German couple who recently took a 2 month sabbatical from work to go on a bikepacking trip. Their adventure saw them leave their home in Frankfurt and make their way across 8 different countries, pedalling a distance of over 5000kms. I spoke with them about the motivations to take time off work to go cycling in this manner and how they planned where to go during this time. Despite leaving in Summer, they endured endles...
Oct 21, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 42
I had the absolute pleasure to catch up with Claire Wyatt and have her talk about her amazing cycle tour around Australia. Fans of the show will recognise Claire from a previous episode where we chatted about how bicycle touring has become a way of life. Claire was partway through her trip of Australia then, having completed the entire east coast from Tasmania to the Atherton Tablelands. In this episode we fill in the gaps from what came next as Claire made her way across to the Northern Territo...
Oct 14, 2023•1 hr 40 min•Season 1Ep. 41
In this episode I had the pleasure of interviewing Cedric and Azur - the father and son from the Six Spinning Legs family. Since Azur was just 1 year old, Cedric and his wife RoPu have undertaken many bicycle touring adventures together. From the early days of Azur being carried on Cedric's bike their tours have grown from strength to strength and they have undertaken many trips together, including an impressive traverse of the entire Rhine river on Eurovelo 15 in 2018. Azur was just five years ...
Oct 07, 2023•1 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 40
In this episode of Seek Travel Ride I interview Emma Williams, a Queensland Paramedic who recently cycled 2.800kms, from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory to Alexandra Headlands on the Queensland Sunshine Coast. This trip was undertaken solo and also involved a section of over 800kms on remote and isolated dirt roads. During our discussion Emma talked about how the idea for this trip, which she named the Alice to Alex ride, came to be. We discussed how the insights gained from a previous a...
Sep 30, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 39
In this episode I had the pleasure to interview Helen Dainty who has been a full time traveller now since 2016. Helen refers to herself as a full time global hobo and has cycled over 75,000kms around the world. During this discussion it was clear to me just how much her passion for travel has led her to developing a lifestyle which means she is now on an endless bicycle adventure. Helen is unofficially the first solo female to cross Saudi Arabia by bicycle and we discussed what it was like to cr...
Sep 23, 2023•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 38
In this episode I interview Art Zemon who recently completed a 1200km bicycle tour along the Mississippi River from St Peters Missouri to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Art is a relative newcomer to cycling, having rediscovered his love of riding bikes in his retirement. He started out on an e-bike and has since progressed steadily to a fully fledged bicycle touring set-up, enjoying the freedom two wheels has given him. During the interview we discussed what it was like to pick up cycling again later i...
Sep 16, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 37
In this episode I interview Rebecca Lowe who in 2015 cycled all the way from her home in London to Tehran. Her motivation for her solo bicycle tour was to get a better understanding of the Middle East - beyond the portrayals in western media. She knew that travelling on a bicycle would be a perfect way to discover the region and also be a great catalyst to have truly immersive interactions with the locals. All up she cycled over 11,000kms and the insights and experiences she collected along the ...
Sep 09, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 36
In this episode I speak with Chloe Sanderson & Mary Thornton who recently bicycle toured coast to coast on the Raid Pyrenees route. This cycle tour would see them leave the shores of the Atlantic, Ocean to cross the entire Pyrenees mountain range until reaching the Mediterranean Sea. I met Chloe and Mary whilst they were part-way through this challenge - we swapped details five kms from the top of the Col du Tourmalet and agreed to get together afterwards to see how it all went for them. Dur...
Sep 02, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 35
In this episode I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Pippa Langan, who recently cycled 25,000km around the world. This was a monumental trip and Pippa shared her experiences from her bikepacking trip. Her set up was ultra lightweight - she didn't even take a tent. Just a bivvy bag - and later on a hammock. Pippa travelled vast distances each day as she cycled from her home in London, across 4 continents, 24 countries before ending the trip in New York. In total it took her just over 7 mon...
Aug 26, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In this episode I had the absolute pleasure to chat with intrepid adventurer McKenzie Barney, who recently finished a 29,000km expedition cycling around the world. Five continents, 28 countries and so many priceless experiences along the way. After discovering a passion for slow travel via thru-hiking, McKenzie decided she wanted to explore another form of human powered travel and turned her attention to bicycle touring. She has come a long way since her first tour where she landed in Vietnam, b...
Aug 19, 2023•1 hr 43 min•Season 1Ep. 33
In this episode I speak with Nathalie Baillon, a French ultra endurance athlete who recently set the women's world record for the fastest cycle across Europe. Nathalie took just 18 days, 15 hours and 27mins to cycle from Tarifa in Spain to the North Cape in Norway, a total distance of 6,300km. We chat about how Nathalie first discovered the world of long distance cycling during a bicycle tour she took in N.Z. She was completely hooked on the sport and since then has put her engineering career on...
Aug 12, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 32
In this episode I had the pleasure of interviewing Muriel Zaccuri, an Italian who is currently on a long distance bicycle tour that will eventually see him get to Japan. But Muriel isn't taking the conventional touring route from Europe, instead, with a mind to escape the cold winter, he detoured via the Gulf region to explore areas not often travelled by tourers. I catch up with his experiences from his bicycle tour so far, what his impressions of touring in the Gulf Region have been, as well a...
Aug 05, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 31
In this episode i had the pleasure of speaking with Tess Meyer and learning more about her bicycle adventures. Tess first started exploring by bicycle on a trip through New Zealand. That first trip was done with her good friend and she was hooked, enjoying some of the finest off road trails on her Tour of Aotearoa . Since then Tess has continued touring with a bicycle and we talked about her experiences of cycling from London to Istanbul. The key difference with this big trip was that Tess under...
Jul 29, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 30
In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Ali Dastagirzada regarding his Bicycle Tour from Virginia to Oregon on the TransAmerica Bike Trail in 2022. This was Ali's first bicycle tour and it would see him buy a bike, quit his job and then ride across ten states from his starting point in Virginia to reach his finishing destination in Oregon. Ali shares his motivations for taking this tour and his experiences along the way. From resetting his expectations after a tough first day on his ...
Jul 22, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 29
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Lesa Ashford who recently set the female World Record as the fastest woman to circumnavigate Australia. Lesa set off on March 08 2023, from the Wheel in Brisbane, then connected 19 waypoints around mainland Australia with a total distance exceeding 14,000kms. 92 days, 6 hours and 33 mins later she arrived back in Brisbane, setting the official record as first female. Lesa discusses her motivaions to set off on this challenge, and the obstacles which sh...
Jul 15, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 28
In this episode I interview Mark Wedgwood who in 2022 took on the challenge of cycling every single Ordinance Survey Map of Britain - all 204 of them. This ride saw Mark cycle over 7000miles / 11,000kms and it would take him 6 months to complete. In doing so Mark was able to discover the very best of Britain, traversing across from coast to coast through England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. I discuss how a challenge like this came to be, and how the adventure unfolded for him. You can r...
Jul 08, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In this episode I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Chris Barker a man with a truly adventurous spirit. In 1998 as a mountaineer, Chris survived a harrowing ordeal on the Tasman Glacier in the NZ Southern Alps, where he and his brother had to build a snow cave to survive, They would spend 5 days trapped in the snow cave before their subsequent rescue. After this experience, Chris found cycling was the way he could battle best with the 'ice demons' within. He subsequently embarked on a 16...
Jul 01, 2023•1 hr 45 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In this episode I speak with Rory Mansfield and Ben Cannell, two cyclists from the UK who are about to embark on their own cycling challenge which they have named Les Lanternes Rouges. This July they will be looking to cycle the entire Tour de France 2023 route, including the stage transfers, fully self-supported. I spoke to them about how an idea conjured up almost ten years ago, is now about to come to life. What their challenge involves, and what they are most looking forward to on their own ...
Jun 24, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 25
In this episode I interview Kristina Rivers who recently set a new Guinnness World Record (currently being verified) as the fastest women to cycle across Australia - from Perth to Sydney. Kristina cycled a total of 3,970kms in 11 days, 8 hours and 6 mins, a phenomenal feat of endurance and strength. So what does it take to cycle across Australia in record breaking time? Listen to the episode to find out more about Kristina's amazing ride. Kristina's Instagram - @kristina._rivers Check out RedWhi...
Jun 17, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 24
