Seek Travel Ride
Bella Molloy
<p>Seek Travel Ride shares the stories and experiences of people who have undertaken amazing adventures on a bicycle. From crossing state borders on a bikepacking trip, or mountain ranges during an ultra cycling race, through to traversing countries or continents on a transformative bicycle tour; through our guest interviews we seek to share that spirit of adventuring on two wheels with our listeners.</p>
- 1 hour 19 minutesCycling from Austria to Australia: 20,000km adventure with Javier Carrasco
Javier Carrasco rode from Austria to the other side of the world on a bike rescued from a dumpster. Over 20,000 kilometres and 200,000 metres of climbing travelled on a bicycle that cost him exactly nothing.
Javi is the partner of previous guest Rebecca Gross, and while Rebecca made it back to Austria after a year on the road, Javi wasn't quite ready to stop. I got to catch him in person here in Canberra before he headed north, and we sat in the sunshine at the National Arboretum and talked about all of it.
It's been a huge journey that's taken him through the Balkans, Turkey, Iran, into Iraq, through Tajikistan's remote Bartang Valley, across Mongolia, solo onto the Tibetan Plateau at minus 20 degrees, through China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and all the way to Australia.
Be sure to follow Javi's adventures via instagram on - @hackerbikepacker
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music18 April 2026, 5:00 am - 27 minutes 45 secondsCycling Post-Adventure Blues: The Side of Adventure We Don't Show
In this solo episode, I'm talking about post-adventure blues. The experience of coming home after a big journey and finding it so much harder than you ever expected. It's a theme that has come up again and again across three years of conversations on this show, and one I've been deliberately exploring with guests for the past year.
The prompt for this episode was a brilliant piece of research by previous guest Alee Denham of cyclingabout.com. Alee fed every transcript from Seek Travel Ride into AI and surfaced the seven biggest lessons bike touring teaches you across 170 podcast guests. The findings are genuinely fascinating and I'd really encourage you to go and read the full article here:
But when I read it, one thing was missing and it was dealing with post adventure blues.
In this episode I dig into why it might not have surfaced in the data, share what I've picked up when interviewing guests and beyond them, and lay out my own three-part hypothesis on why it hits some people harder than others.
Guests referenced in this episode include Steph Devery, Luke Grenfell-Shaw, Alastair Humphreys, Daragh Cronin, Mark Gresser, Claire Wyatt, Paul Edkins, Samer Abouhamad, Tristan Ridley, Madeline Hoffmann and Jesus Estrada.
And if you haven't read Alee's previous article ranking the top cycling destinations by podcast guest, that one is worth your time too and you can check it out here.
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music14 April 2026, 5:00 am - 1 hour 42 minutesUltra Cycling for the Experience: Claire Stevens
What if the whole point of racing ultras wasn't the race at all? Claire Stevens is a surgeon and ultra cyclist who rides for the experience of pure presence in wild places.
She has lined up for events such as the Indian Pacific Wheel Race, Silk Road Mountain Race, Race to the Rock, Rhino Run and GB Duro.
We get into what happens to your senses when you push into the night, what it actually feels like to cycle in the huge mountain landscapes of Kyrgyzstan, the flooded river crossing at Race to the Rock that nearly went very badly and the experience of rolling into Uluru at sunrise.
There is also a genuinely wonderful amount of time talking about birds.
Be sure to follow Claire's future adventures via her instagram - @surgeonabike
Other guests mentioned in this episode:
Seek Travel Ride is a podcast about cycling adventure, ultra endurance cycling and the stories of people who ride to experience the world.
Check out the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music11 April 2026, 5:00 am - 28 minutes 49 secondsCycling the Tassie Traverse, Tasmania: Rebecca Gross
Rebecca Gross has been sending updates from the road all year and After cycling from Austria to Australia across something like 30 countries this is the final one!
In this update Rebecca talks us through cycling theTassie Traverse, a relatively new bikepacking route running from Hobart up to Launceston through the Highlands and along the east coast. She covers a detour to Maria Island (wombats everywhere, no cars, highly recommended), a night in a tent that was decidedly not waterproof, a private waterfall at sunset after the worst day of the whole traverse, and a Huntsman spider making a last-minute appearance on her handlebars on the final day into Melbourne.
She also reflects on what it feels like to come home after a year on the road and why the whole thing already feels like it happened to someone else.
Check out the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music7 April 2026, 5:00 am - 1 hour 41 minutesCycling 32,000km After Stage 4 Cancer. A life in Tandem with Luke Grenfell-Shaw
In 2018, at 24 years of age, Luke Grenfell-Shaw was given a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and told he had months to live. Within weeks, he also lost his brother John in a freak accident. Most people would have pulled the covers up. Luke signed up for a half marathon, hopped on a stationary bike in the hospital ward, and started planning to cycle from Bristol to Beijing.
On 1 January 2020, Luke set off on a tandem bike. Over the next few years he rode 32,000 kilometres through 30 countries, with more than 800 different people taking a turn on the back seat. Some were strangers he met on the road. Some were friends and family. One was a puppy named Tarzan. The ride became the award-winning documentary A Life in Tandem, which you should watch immediately after listening to this episode.
In this episode we talk about:
- What it feels like to be diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at 24
- Why Luke chose a tandem over a solo bike and what that decision changed
- The science behind exercise during chemotherapy and what the research now says
- Dev, the Indian man who turned up in jeans, hadn't ridden in three years, and became Luke's longest-serving stoker
- The brake failure at 50mph on a Kyrgyzstan mountain pass that ended in a medical clinic
- Tarzan the puppy of Uzbekistan (fate: unknown but probably fine)
- The post-adventure blues, identity after big goals, and what it means to turn 32 when you once didn't expect to see it
- Luke's definition of a 'canliver' and why he prefers it to 'cancer survivor'
- What it means to be a professional trail runner representing Great Britain, and what comes next
Luke Grenfell-Shaw is a professional trail runner representing Great Britain, adventurer, filmmaker, and speaker. His documentary A Life in Tandem is available to stream now.
Links:
- A Life in Tandem documentary
- Luke's website and Instagram
- Best Foot Forward short film (Luke and Dan in Sichuan):
If this episode moved you, plea
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music4 April 2026, 5:00 am - 23 minutes 8 secondsCycling Ireland to Everest Base Camp: 40 Days In
Daragh Cronin is 40 days into his solo cycling expedition from Ireland to Everest Base Camp, and I sent him four questions via Instagram to find out how it's actually going.
He talks about the send-off from Cork that genuinely blew his mind, how it compared to the low-key departure for his West Africa ride, and why the first two weeks on the bike were so much harder than he expected. He gets into the reality of solo wildcamping for the first time, hitting big milestones across Europe, and a very special stop in Germany to see the man he cycled more than half of Africa with.Daragh's route to Everest Base Camp is also currently under a cloud with the war that's broken out in Iran putting his planned route through Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman into doubt. He doesn't have answers yet. Istanbul is where it gets real.
You can also watch the new Daragh YouTube video on our Seek Travel Ride channel.
Here's the link to Daragh's Africa episode .
Follow Daragh via his instagram @roaminwithCronin for his latest updates.
Donate to his fundraiser.
Old Man Mountain
Big thanks to Old Man Mountain for supporting this episode of Seek Travel Ride.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music31 March 2026, 5:00 am - 1 hour 31 minutesCycling Scotland Solo: Wild Camping, Bothies and the Hebridean Way | Sheelagh Daly
Ever wanted to take a bike adventure through Scotland? This episode is for you!
Guest Sheelagh Daley shares her experiences cycling Scotland's Highlands and the Hebridean Way. This was a trip she planned specifically to challenge herself to wild camp and tackle off-road routes solo. She had ALL the weather, sunshine, rain and of course wind.
Find out about Scotland's Bothies, what it's like to wild camp solo, taking ferries between the islands on the Hebrides, and why Sheelagh says she could return to Scotland for all her bike adventures and be happy.
Be sure to follow Sheelagh to keep up with her adventures. here are links to her instagram - @sheelagh.daley and also her awesome YouTube channel.
Links mentioned:
- Sheelagh's first STR episode
- The Hebridean Way
- Pictish Trail on bikepacking.com
- Log Drivers Waltz route episode with Jen
Check out the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain
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
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music28 March 2026, 6:00 am - 15 minutes 28 secondsCycling in Mongolia and Bucket List Destinations.
This week, listeners Juan Pablo and Paula share a day from their cycling adventure in Mongolia which has to be one of the most remote and rewarding places you can ride a bike on this planet. You can keep up with their adventures via their instagram channel - @juan.pablo.toro
I also opens up about my own bikepacking bucket list, and throws the question out to you: where is the destination you're dreaming of? Where would you go if you could go anywhere?
Also mentioned this episode: A Life in Tandem — the incredible documentary following Luke Grenfell-Shaw, diagnosed with incurable cancer at 24, who set off to cycle 20,000 miles from Bristol to Beijing on a tandem bike. Watch it here.
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
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music24 March 2026, 6:00 am - 1 hour 40 minutesCycling the Length of Africa: Morocco to Cape Town with Daragh Cronin
Daragh Cronin booked a flight to Marrakesh before he even owned a bike. He had no cycling background, no camping experience, but he had a goal to ride the length of Africa from Morocco to Cape Town.
Just over 200 days and 13,500 kilometres later, he arrived. In this episode, Irish adventurer Daragh talks through the mental and physical reality of cycling Africa's west coast: navigating borders, battling food poisoning, riding the notorious iron ore train in Mauritania, the strangers who became lifelong friends, and what it was like to finally arrive at the Cape of Good hope
This episode was recorded when Daragh was days away from his next challenge: cycling from Cork to Everest Base Camp to raise funds for the Children's Unit at Cork University Hospital. Be sure to follow him on instagram - @roaminwithcronin and you can check out his fundraiser here.
Other guests mentioned in this Episode:
Check out the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain
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!
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music21 March 2026, 6:00 am - 27 minutes 52 secondsThree Months Cycling Europe Every Year: How Alison Fullerton Does It
What does it actually take to spend three months a year cycle touring through Europe? This week, Alison Fullerton shares how she and her husband make it happen every single year . She talks about the budgeting, the fitness worries, the accommodation, navigating trains with bikes, and the mindset that has turned their bike adventure dreams into a yearly reality.
The thing I love is that Alison and her husband are retirees and they are making this work for them, but her tips are relevant regardless of your age
If you've been telling yourself a big cycling adventure isn't possible yet, or isn't possible anymore, Alison's story might just change your mind.
Follow Alison on Instagram: @loose.spokes
Check out the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain
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
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music17 March 2026, 6:00 am - 1 hour 24 minutesCycling Iceland’s Ring Road with Skis on Your Bike: Cody Cirillo
What happens when you strap skis to a loaded bike and set off to cycle 1,700 kilometres around Iceland in winter? Skier and filmmaker Cody Cirillo did exactly that on a trip he took with his good friend. What's more he also documented the whole experience in his film A Hundred Words for Wind.
Cody is a professional skier who's chased remote lines in Mongolia, Morocco, and Iceland. In recent years he's started cycling to his ski terrain instead of driving, something we have called ski bikepacking. Using human powered forms of travel has now completely changed how he experiences the places he travels through.
In this episode we cover:
- How ski bikepacking started — including his first trip from Telluride to Utah, off the couch, on a wobbly Walmart rack
- Iceland's Ring Road in winter : The brutal crosswinds, iced roads, blizzards, and dealing with it on 50kg loaded bikes
- Tips and tricks for surviving headwinds when skis add extra sail area?
- Breaking eight ribs, a scapula, and puncturing a lung weeks before departure and why Cody went anyway
- The vinarbröð, hot dogs, Snickers, and tortellini that held the whole thing together
- What it feels like to park your bike roadside, hike for hours in ski boots, and ski a line down to the ocean
- How going slowly created the human connections that made the trip
- Turning a 40-day expedition into a film — and why that was harder than the riding
**Links:**
- Cody on YouTube and also Instagram - @Cody.Cir
- A Hundred Words for Wind — Cody's documentary
- Steph Devery's ski bikepacking episode
Check out the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain
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
Leave me a voicemail message
Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music14 March 2026, 6:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App