Ride Earth

Ten days have elapsed since we made our way hesitatingly out of Istanbul after nearly a month off the bikes. We were expecting hardship; cycling and camping in the cold, wet, and mountainous climes of northern Turkey. (more…)

I know you like reading about our misfortune. It’s dramatic stuff. I like writing about it, too, trying to commit the experience to words and take you to that place and time. I hope that the results are entertaining, but also resemble the reality of what happened, too - exaggeration and artistic license are not for the non-fiction of a travel blog.

But to put things into a wider context, it’s sometimes good to write about the times when things do go our way!

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We arrived in Istanbul after cycling through 75km of suburban sprawl along the dangerous highway. It was a traumatic experience. We rewarded ourselves with a gourmet kebab that we couldn’t afford from a small place full of old men drinking, smoking and chatting. It had become dark in the city, after watching the sunset on the cycle in, and we needed to find our place to stay for the night. It was in Besiktas over the other side of the Golden Horn, probably about 25km away. Tom and I were both tired and decided to split up to find it and we went our separate ways. I met Maria at the ferry port and followed her along past the Ottoman palace which looked amazing all lit up. The main street in Besiktas is lined by large trees with Turkish flags hanging between them. It was very atmospheric. I sunk into bed that night and slept very well after a very long day. (more…)

I am in Kadikoy on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. We have reached Asia by bike. Today commences our third week in Istanbul. It is a multi-layered and vibrant place, enough to make one consider staying longer. The open road and adventure beckons once again. (more…)

Hello. Mark here.

Just a brief word or two alerting you to the arrival of Ride Earth Podcast Episode 5, brought to you from the magicians at String Films. 

We suffer in this one. Well, Tom does. He recovers from a potentially catastrophic knee injury, has his trailer mysteriously broken in the night, and almost gets blown away by a freakishly fast-moving storm. But it’s not all candy and giggles for the rest of the team. When the weather turns one night, Andy is forced to construct an impromptu shelter using two of our bikes and a poncho, whilst Mark grows increasingly lovesick and suffers with delirium as a result of cheddar cheese withdrawal.  Drama, comedy, cycling… Episode 5 has it all and more. Don’t believe me, just watch for yourselves…

To view: simply click on Podcast, or subscribe on iTunes.

Enjoy…

Oh, and Episode 6 is nearly ready too…

Andy and I have been soaking up Istanbul for a fair while now. We’re both itching to get on the road again, and I’m excited and a little apprehensive at the prospect of seeing through the winter in Central Asia. But we’ve had more than our fair share of hiccups, and they are still preventing us from leaving. So here’s a run-down of how fate, or the process, or luck, has treated us in recent weeks. (more…)