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How to Cycle 40,000 miles Round the World in 1000 Words

 

I wanted to see the world. I wanted to do something difficult and exciting. I wanted to escape the meaningless daily treadmill. I wanted adventure!

So I cycled round the world. Cycling and camping is cheap. It’s simple. It’s the perfect blend of easy but challenging; fun but a struggle; slow but fast; crazy but achievable. There are no barriers to entry: you learn as you go. You get fit on the job. If you can ride a bike you can cross a country, a continent, a planet. By the time I arrived home after four years on the road, (hair wild, clothes ragged, head stuffed with memories) I’md cycled 46,000 miles across 60 countries. The whole adventure cost under £7000.

I’mm going to show how you too can cycle round the world. A long bike journey may not be easy, but it is simple.

The following list is written in order of importance.

  • COMMITMENT.
    What differentiates people who do massive adventures from those who want to but never do has little to do with athleticism, experience or affluence. It’s about committing and beginning and making stuff happen. The first and most important thing to do is commit to making this happen. Tell your friends so that you can’t back out. Announce a non-movable departure date no more than one year from today. Start sorting things with your family, work and commitments. One other point to note: you will not have organised everything by the start date. It doesn’t matter. Just begin. You’ll be fine. It’s only a bike ride and a camping trip.
  • BUDGET.
    Begin saving today. Going for a pizza and a couple of beers costs as much as cycling through the wilds of Bolivia for a fortnight. Adjust your priorities. And save, save, save.
  • STYLE.
    Questions to consider: do you want to go solo or with a friend? Ride fast and cover big miles, or ride slow and savour what you see? Do you want to live like a dirtbag (wild camping, cheap food, long trip) or more comfortably (hostels, nice food, shorter trip)?
  • ROUTE.
    Questions to consider: where in the world excites you? Which season will you be riding in? Where can you afford? (America will cost far more than South America.) Do you need to fly (expensive, tedious to organise), or will you just pedal away from home? Do you want a familiar culture / language or something different? Do you want epic (Siberia in winter) or pleasant (California in the spring)?
  • LOGISTICS.
    Arrange visas for any country that requires them from the appropriate embassy. Get vaccinations and a medical kit. Buy travel insurance, even if it only covers medical support. Open a couple of bank accounts and spread your money across several bank cards. Get a PayPal account. Stuff an emergency wad of US dollars cash somewhere safe.
  • EQUIPMENT.
    Note that gear is last on my list. It’s not very important, though most people believe that it is. Expensive kit is nice to have, but not essential. Only spend on gear money that is surplus to the essential items in your budget: living costs, visas, insurance, flights etc. If you’ve got lots of money, buy a bike like this. If you can’t afford it then get any old bike, and go on that. You’ll be fine, I promise! Thomas Stevens cycled round the world on a Penny Farthing. Imagine you were preparing for a week-long bike holiday. That is more or less all the gear you need to ride round the world.

Gear Advice:

    • Buy the best racks and panniers you can afford.
    • Your tent should be free-standing. If you’re going solo get a 2-person tent. You’ll appreciate the space.
    • Clothes should be comfy, versatile (think riding, relaxing, impromptu wedding invitations), and culturally sensitive.
    • If you will pass through different climates consider what to do about cold weather gear. You can buy expensive down jackets and post them home when you no longer need them. Or you can buy cheap woolly jumpers in a local market and give them away when winter has passed.
    • The fewer gadgets you take, the better. (And the less you Tweet, Blog and Facebook the better, too.)
    • Take photos, but not too many. Write lots in your diaries (even if you’re not a writer). Send your mum lots of postcards.
    • Sleeping mat – it’s worth buying a nice one, though only a 3/4 length one.
    • Sleeping bag – it’s better to have a light bag and sleep in all your clothes when it gets cold than to carry a heavy bag for thousands of miles. Remember though that shivering in a sleeping bag is grim!
    • A camping stove will save you lots of money and allow more flexibility in your plans. A multi-fuel stove is the best option for a long tour in far-off lands. You do not need a titanium spoon.
    • Tools and spare parts – learn what you’ll need and how to use them. Buy a bigger pump than you think you should.
  • FURTHER PLANNING.
    Google will give reams of information on every tiny planning detail. Please remember this: most things seriously do not matter as much as people on internet forums will have you believe. Use your own best judgement, don’t overspend, and just get going. The Adventure Cycle Touring Handbook, Tom’s Bike Trip, and the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree are invaluable resources.

CONCLUSION

I am not a cyclist. I’mm not very brave. I didn’t have much cash. I didn’t have the best gear. I’mm still rubbish at fixing my bike. Here then is how I cycled round the world:

I committed to beginning. I saved as much as I could and lived frugally. I planned the important, trip-affecting details carefully (visas and so on). Then I urged myself to relax, to be spontaneous, to not fret too much. And I began.

You can do the same.

bikeinthesand

This article first appeared on the Red Bulletin.

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Comments

  1. carmine Posted

    Just ended first book “moods of future joys” great reading, one can tell that you love reading. Just one consideration: the bike seems overloaded in the pics (see above) what would you change today if you were to do it again? Maybe less wait to carry? Or not? Thanks for all Alastair, i’ll wait for your answer

    Reply
    • Alastair Posted

      The bike was massively loaded at times. But I didn’t really care. And nor do I care today. The gear I had got me round the world. I could have ridden faster, certainly. But actually the slower you do a trip the more you learn, so I wouldn’t change a thing.

      Reply
      • carmine Posted

        I agree with you, the slower the better. But you can go slow by decision. Carry too much load is a work on top of the work.
        I always try to go as light as I can, Once in the middle of a week travel in central Italy, I mailed home some 20 kilos of stuff from a postal office (mostly tools for the bike clothing and security items, extra locks etc.) Thank you.

        Reply
  2. Bryan Young Posted

    I read your book, “Cycling Home From Siberia.” I loved it! It inspired me to begin my own journey.

    Reply
  3. carmine Posted

    I just wanted to add that my and my wife and kids will be delighted to have you over for as much you want, if ever you’re around here. We live in a quite beautiful corner of Puglia, a southern region of Italy (Have sort of summer all year around and such). the place name is Ostuni. Bye

    Reply
  4. “Announce a non-movable departure date no more than one year from today” This one is very important, and I can honestly say it was the most difficult part of the planning stage.

    Well Al, I am yet another step closer. I have told my family and children that it’s on, it’s happening, it’s a done deal!

    I sold that house in Wales, bought a smaller one to do up and keep me busy for a while and to be close to my daughters for a little bit, and now I am in the Getting Bloody Excited stage.

    This house is a guaranteed quick sell so is scheduled to go on the market in Feb 17, stuff going in storage, money from house going in bank so I can buy another on my return, and then hitting the road.

    If it takes me 3 years or more on the road, so be it, I will of course keep you posted. Thanks again for your support. Steve

    Reply
  5. However, titatnium spoons sooth my impulse buying needs. Better that than the carbon fibre bike!

    Reply
    • Alastair Posted

      I have plenty of books you can buy on an impulse…?
      😉
      alastairhumphreys.com/shop

      Reply
  6. Kristina Posted

    How did you setup the visas so far in advance? I know some countries will let you get one on arrival but some require time and if you’re gone for 4 years how did you deal with the logistics? They usually start the clock when issued. This is my main worry. Vaccinations are timely too, how did you keep up on them after you left?
    Thanks,
    Kristina

    Reply
    • Alastair Posted

      I got the visas along the way.
      I got all my vaccinations before I went, and then just hoped they didn’t expire! (Not very professional, I know!)

      Reply
  7. Gary Brooks Posted

    Read all your books and have ridden to Greece and back but only recently discovered that all insurance company’s insist on a return ticket and proof of booking should you become ill or have an accident, etc, on the journey. I never had a return ticket and assumed I was covered for the length of the policy. How did you get round that? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Alastair Posted

      I used a specialist (expensive) company called Harrison Beaumont to get round it.

      Reply
  8. Fantastic advice and spot on too. You inspired Tom and i and we are now 18 months and just over 14,000 miles into our trip. We did everything you suggested, being old we’ve opted for a bit of comfort with warm sleeping bags tho! Every day is an adventure and tho we are grubby and a bit smelly most of the time we are happy beyond words. We keep a blog for our mums and dad, family and friends both at home and on the road. And so we can remember it all!

    Reply

 
 

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