Here's a list of some of the things I've found useful and/or inspirational:
YouTube Channels
- Nomads Trails - great gear lists on their website and a superb YouTube channel.
- Adam Hugill - English bloke who started off cycling around the world with his girlfriend, before carrying on alone(!) Useful stuff on his YouTube Channel.
- Wheels to Wander - a Dutch couple on a big ride.
- Ed Pratt - this guy unicycled around the world at the age of just 19. His kit list is a study in minimalism; his YouTube channel is inspirational.
Books
- Rob Lilwall - a mate of my brother's who has written a couple of books. Cycling home from Siberia + hearing him talk many years ago fanned the flames for me.
- Three Men in a Bike by Rory Spowers I've ordered this book on Amazon, following a tip-off from a colleague. An old-school adventure awaits :-)
- Jonny Ginger's Last Ride by Tom Freemantle. I was given this by a parent whose child I was taking to cycle in Nepal. It's rather a wonderful travelogue but a sad one to be reading now in the sense that it deals so warmly of cycling through Syria.
- Alastair Humphreys - I first heard about this guy via my brother and read some of his early books. He's living proof that if you want to bike touring can be done in a way that would please the most hard-core Mustachian (i.e. you don't need much money!)
Blogs and other resources
- Tom's Bike Trip - this is the guy on whom the film Janapar was based. His site is an absolute treasure-trove of information.
- Caravanistan - detailed information on visas for Central Asia. Looks very helpful indeed.
- DHL Race to the RWC - I suspect this might be taken down soon, but it has a useful map and led me to connections to Ron Rutland and James Owens - their Strava tracks are publicly visible :-)
- Pete Adeney - cf Mustachian - not a bike tourist per se (though he does like bikes!) But adopt some of his principles even just for a year and you'll feel less worried about finances and more able to take the leap.
- Pete Gostelow - fellow teacher and fellow Thorn Raven Tour owner. Lots of useful hints and tips on cycle touring on his website.
- Alee Denham - some useful stuff here, but mainly an inspiration of you're looking to monetise your tour (I'm not).
- Travelling two - a useful blog with a lot of information on cycle touring.
- Lifetime Trails - kit lists, reviews and advice.
- Crazyguyonabike - a wonderfully retro treasure trove for cycle tourists.
- Two on Four Wheels - I've blogged about these two elsewhere, their site is a useful, if sobering, archive of their trip.
- A Bike Journey - Guy and Frederike did a ride from the UK to Australia back in 2010/11. They rode Thorn Raven Tours (same as us) and kept a journal while they went.
- Cycletourer website - Frank and Jon, a retired teacher couple, have put up a wealth of information here. I love their kit advice which comes from the perspective of years of experience. They've got their gear sorted to a tee.
- Complete Tandenomium - these two did almost the rider we're going to be doing on a tandem. There's some useful info here including a piece on electronics which put me off spending money on a dynamo hub and USB charger. Having read this, I think keeping things simple is best. It also happens to be cheaper :-)
- Vaegabond - a German couple on a mission to travel around the world for five years. Very organised - comprehensive kit list and links.
- Tour on a Bike - some useful kit reviews and other tips and tricks.
- Rolling East - smart looking website of a couple who cycled from London to Melbourne. Really informative kit reviews etc.
- Riding Round - Adam Riches' circumnavigation.
- The Next Challenge - Tom Moss delves into cycle touring with a new level of geekiness.
I'll add to this if I come across any more, but that's it for now (15/4/2020). Please let me know in the comments if I've missed any gems :-)
