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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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When we last heard from Milica, she was in Northern France and just a few days into her ride from London to Croatia. In this update, she reflects on what the bike adventure has actually looked and felt like across the weeks in between. Milica shares about:

• What her worst day on the road looked like
• Why keeping yourself fed is actually one of the most important things you can do out there
• When a bad day turned into a genuinely good one
• Why she loves Austria
• Insights from riding solo across Europe
• Cycling into Croatia knowing her family had to flee the same villages she's now riding through freely

Follow Milica's adventures via her instagram page - @2Wheels1Milikov

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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Follow us on Social Media!

• Instagram - @SeekTravelRide
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Seek Travel Ride Newsletter

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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music