WELCOME

"The first pedal strokes out of Shepherds Bush were so scary and surreal for me I could hardly stay upright and now...I LOVE IT! It is the most amazing/challenging/rewarding thing I have ever done!"
Glenn Saberton, round the world cyclist.

Welcome to the Adventure Cycling Guide. The objective of this site is to inspire, encourage and assist anyone who is thinking about doing a long journey by bicycle. If you are just starting out, it aims to provide you with all the information you need to know and and to answer all the frequently asked questions like "What sort of bike should I buy?", "How do I get my bike on a plane?" and "How fit to I need to be to cycle 10,000km?"

I hope the site inspires you to set off on your own cycling adventure . A bit of browsing should convince you that you too can do something extraordinary, like cycling from Europe to Australia, or across the Himalayas or from Cairo to Cape Town or around the world. You don't need to be super fit or super rich to have the adventure of a lifetime on two wheels. And it is by far the best way to travel.

About the author

I'm Tim Barnes. This all started in 1991 when my wife, Rowena, suggested we go on a cycling holiday. At the time, I thought she was bonkers. Not knowing anything about cycle touring, I was appalled by the prospect of pedalling a heavily loaded bike around for eight hours a day and living out of a tent for two weeks. And I was sure I would be bored. However, I couldn't come up with a better idea, so we bought a couple of cheap bikes and some panniers, took the ferry to northen Spain and started cycling. It turned out to be the best holiday we'd ever had and the rest is history.

Since then Rowena and I have cycled in France, South America (three times), the Himalayas, Central Asia and across Europe You can read about our adventures at www.timbarnes.ndo.co.uk/adventure.htm

Gear recommendations

The site contains a number of recommendations for good gear. This is kit that I have used myself, read enough independent reviews of, or heard a enough positive feedback about, to be confident in recommending. I have not taken any money or favours in kind from any of the suppliers. But they are only recommendations and shouldn't stop you checking stuff out for yourself and using the many internet forums (see links page) to get feedback from other adventure cyclists. You should also check out electric bikes from bikeandgo.co.uk

Copyright © Tim Barnes 2007