In Part 2 of my conversation with Irish cyclist Tomas Mac An T-Saoir, we continue his nine-year journey around the world by bicycle. We begin in Syria and Afghanistan, where Tomas shares what it was like to travel through regions affected by conflict and have frank, human conversations with the people who live there. One powerful story includes an Afghan woman who was permitted by local authorities to guide him through her city, offering him a rare window into daily life under restrictive laws.

From the Middle East, our conversation shifts right back to New Zealand, where this chapter of Tomas’s journey actually began, and where Covid lockdowns meant he ended up staying far longer than he ever expected. His time in New Zealand eventually led to Australia, and onward to Timor Leste and Indonesia, where he dealt with blistering heat, remote roads and even a major earthquake on the Indonesian side of Timor.

We also explore something many long-term travellers quietly struggle with: finishing. After nine years of life on the road, how do you return home? What happens to your identity when the bike stops moving? And how do you make sense of everything you have seen and experienced along the way?

If you are interested in bikepacking, long-term travel, culture, human stories and round-the-world cycling, this episode offers an honest look at both the extraordinary and the everyday parts of life on the road.

Follow Tomas on Instagram - @anbotharfada

📍 Listen to Part 1:
Meet the Irishman who Cycled Around the World — Tomas Mac An T-Saoir (Part 1)
Episodes mentioned during this conversation:

Peter Gostelow - Part 1 and Part 2

Heinz Stucke - Part 1 and Part 2

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This week I'm sharing a recap from our recent live shows which were held in Melbourne with guests Emily Hulbert, Fergal Guihen, and David McCourt. We discuss tips on facing fears head on, wild camping, and the importance of leaning into adventure during these long kind of travel journeys. The kindness of strangers shines throughout our panelists stories and Em Hulbert also shares her perspective of travel as a solo female.

Want to hear my full length episodes with these guests? check them out below:

Emily Hulbert

Fergal Guihen - Part 1 and Part 2

David McCourt - Part 1 and Part 2

You can also follow them on their social media channels below

Emily Hulbert -@emhulbert

Fergal Guihen - @Rossie_to_Aussie

David McCourt - @longwayhome__2022

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Ever wanted to go on a bike adventure that takes you from one side of the world to the other? Which countries would you choose to travel to? How do you decide where to go? Well this week I speak with Irish adventurer Tomas Mac An T-Saoir to hear all about his incredible travels across the last decade.

Follow Tomas on instagram to see where his future adventures take him: @anbotharfada

Other guests mentioned in this episode: Rebecca Lowe

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Ever wanted to cycle in Kyrgyzstan? Well this week adventurer Olly Hargreaves is going to take us on his cycle tour and let us know what it's like to actually ride there. Goign up huge mountain passes, riding alongside the amazing Lake Issyk Kul, Olly tells us all about it as he shares the moments cycling from Osh all the way across Kyrgyzstan and into Kazakhstan, ultimately finishing in Almaty.

You can follow Olly's adventures via his instagram account - @Sagas.of_Olly.Hargreaves

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What happens when two bike adventurers meet outside a supermarket in Turkey, buy a kebab, and end up riding more than half the world together?

I sat down with Jamie Hargreaves and Malachi Francis just days after they rolled into the Sydney Opera House, for an in person interview

We talk about how fast friendships form on the road, the reality behind the hardest days, and why some of the most miserable moments become the most meaningful in hindsight. Jamie reflects on following in his dad Phill's tyre tracks decades later, Malachi opens up about dealing with setbacks on the road and together they talk about what it really means to share a journey this big.

From cycling through Turkey, Nepal, and Central Asia to sleeping in toilets, carrying bikes to base camp, and rolling into the Sydney Opera House together this episode is honest, reflective, and sure to make you laugh.

Listen to the previous episodes with both Jamie and Malachi here:

Malachi Francis - Ep 102

Jamie Hargreaves - Ep 107

Jamie and Malachi - Ep 126 - Himalayan Challenge

Phill Hargreaves Part 1 and Part 2

Follow them on Instagram - @J.A.hargreaves @Malachi_Cycles

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This week I'm sharing some of my own riding adventures - specifically ones I took just a few days ago over Christmas. I was camped by the Ovens River near Bright in Victoria, and I enjoyed some fantastic riding. This included a memorable cycle to The Horn, a lookout located 11kms further on from Mount Buffalo in Victoria. It's a climb I'd dreamt of riding for over a decade, and I'm sharing my experience of that ride now with you.

If you are interested in learning more about the riding around this area of Victoria, check out - Ride High Country, which is a great site for planning out your own stays.

For those in Melbourne get yourself tickets to our upcoming live shows:

January 07 - Antique Bar, Elsternwick

January 08 - Moondog Wild West, Footscray

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Claire Wyatt returns for part two of her Mongolia to UK journey, sharing her experiences of cycling across winter roads, what it's like to hear wolves outside your tent in the night,the illness that put her in hospital and nearly ended her ride half way through and dreamy cycle routes through Northern Italy.

Claire also offers up practical advice for anyone wanting to start out on their own bike adventure, from choosing kit that actually matters - spoiler alert you'll want to get yourself some gardening gloves! - to how she plans out her routes.

This is part 2 of my conversation with Claire - listen to part 1 here.

Follow Claire's future adventures via her instagram - @exploringbybicycle

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Guest Steven Cuthbertson takes us on a ride from Romania to the UK. He shares the story of a 1,700 mile solo bike ride across Europe, ridden in support of a dog rescue charity that helped re-home his Romanian Shepherd dog, Stella.

Steve’s journey begins in Romania, at the very kennels where Stella once lived, before heading west through Hungary, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and finally back to the UK. Along the way, he follows parts of the EuroVelo network, adapts his route when plans change, and discovers just how important flexibility can be on a long ride.

You can read about the full adventure in Steven's book - Going to the Dogs

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