Seek Travel Ride

Mark Gresser shares his experiences of trekking 6,000 km across Australia connecting the most westerly and eastern points of the country. Taking on such a challenge makes more sense when you consider Mark's previous adventure where he cycled from his home in Perth 29,000 km to Paris on a journey that lasted almost three years.
I previously caught up with Mark when he had just arrived at Uluru, just under halfway through this monumental challenge. Now he fills us in on the rest of the journey. 
He was all set to saddle up for another bike adventure and then decided why not go on a long distance hike, The answer, as hiking across his own country of Australia, crossing through six Australian Deserts and enduring days where the temperature was close to 50C. 
To make this trek possible Mark had to haul all his supplies with him on a purpose built cart which at times weighed in excess of 170 kg. It was a true adventure highlighted by Mark's grit and determination to keep forward progress. To escape the hot temperatures he found himself trekking through the night, and a stretch through the Strzelecki desert in particular pushed him to his limits. 
Then he was caught in a lightning storm where the resulting rain made the track entirely impassable, resulting in a stay in the small outback town of Tibooburra for 29 days. 
331 days after setting off from Steep Point in Western Australia, Mark finally arrived at his end destination at Cape Byron. His adventure also had an extra sense of purpose behind it, with Mark fundraising for Batyr an Australian charity focused on Youth Mental Health. 
Listen to the two previous episodes with Mark here
Ep. 06 Cycling from Perth to Paris
Ep. 151: Trekking Across Australia 
What's the best thing about taking a bike adventure? Send me your Answer
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What's the best thing about taking a bike adventure? Well I've been asking guests that very question for the last two years and today I'm sharing some of their responses, as well as from listeners in our community.
The guests you will hear from have taken a myriad of adventures, some lasting for a few weeks, others for a few years. You'll notice there are some common responses from them all which and they are often linked to the feeling of feeling truly freed.  Of course the kindness shown to you by the complete strangers you'll meet from all over the world also popped up many times. 
Guests featured in this episode
David McCourt (Ep 99)
Luke Grenfell-Shaw (Ep 170)
Anna Ruddiman (Ep 160)
Fergal Guihen (Ep 145)
Tomas Mac an tSaoir (Ep 159)
Leonie Katekar (Ep 173)
Malachi Francis (Ep 157)
Jamie Hargreaves (Ep 126)
Steph Devery (Ep 139)
Poli Berber (Ep 194)
Alastair Humphreys (Ep 101)
Jimmy Vervoort (Ep 188)
Matt Whitley (Ep 165)
Daragh Cronin (Ep 168)
Javier Carrasco (Ep 172)
Em Hulbert (Ep 127)
Slauka Macurak (Ep 136)
Claire Wyatt (Ep 86)
What about you? I'd love to hear your answer to this question. Get in touch with the link below and let me know what you think the best thing about taking a bike adventure is.
What's the best thing about taking a bike adventure? Send me your Answer
Check out the new Axle Pack V2 from Old Man Mountain
Support the show
Buy me a coffee!
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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For episode 200 of Seek Travel Ride, I’m joined by Rebecca Gross, a listener of this show who took a year off work, left her home in Austria with her partner Javi and set off for a bike adventure hoping to get to  the Pamirs in Tajikistan.
Rebecca had never done any long distance bike travel prior to leaving but with a keen sense of adventure the lack of experience was no reason not to give it a go. She and Javi reached the Pamir Highway months ahead of schedule, so they kept going through Iran, China, Tibet, Mongolia, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand, until Australia became her finish line.
Rebecca shares her experiences from this huge journey and how the trip has transformed her. How she went from hating gravel on day one to riding Western Mongolia and the Assy Plateau in Kazakhstan. How she is no longer a planner and learnt that often the best way to go is to leave things up to the road. 
She also shares how they found themselves in a Tibetan town foreigners aren’t allowed to enter and the best sidequest of the whole journey wth an expedition to try and climb Mt Damavand in Iran. 
We also discuss what it is like to travel with your partner on such a journey and be with them 24/7. Then dealing with life post adventure and feeling judged for riding as a couple. 
If you’ve been holding yourself back from your own bike adventure, this episode is for you. You can keep up with Rebecca's future adventures via her instagram @Rebecca_grb
What's the best thing about taking a bike adventure? Send me your Answer
Check out the new Axle Pack V2 from Old Man Mountain
Support the show
Buy me a coffee!
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 Music

Vanessa Ruck and her best friend Tori have taken their e-bikes and two toddlers to Turkey, with 25 days to see how far they can ride and around 21,000 metres of climbing on the route. 
Follow Vanessa: The Girl On A Bike on Instagram and Facebook 
Donate to Vanessa and Tori’s Leukaemia UK fundraiser 
I also asked you to share out your worst mechanicals. I put the question out on Instagram after Rob Maclennan’s episode, and you sent through some cracking ones, like brakes giving out on Bolivia’s Death Road and a frame welded back together on a Friday night in Canadian bear country. 
Lastly, a reminder Episode 200 is out on Saturday 31st October. I’m also putting together a separate episode where someone else interviews me, so if you’ve got a question about the podcast or my own rides, send it through using the contact link below or DM me on Instagram at @seektravelride.
What's the best thing about taking a bike adventure? Send me your Answer
Check out the new Axle Pack V2 from Old Man Mountain
Support the show
Buy me a coffee!
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
Seek Travel Ride Newsletter
Leave me a voicemail message

Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music

Louann Perriere arrived in Australia with the idea she'd get a bike and use it to get to work. Instead she ended up on a huge adventure, circumnavigating the entire country. What makes this even more impressive is she had never done anything like this before. 
People warned her that  crossing the Nullabor in summer would be too hot, so instead she waited for autumn and was surprised by just how cold things would get. She also survived one of the most intense lightning storms, stuck out in the middle of nowhere. 
Some of the highlights came with being in those big open spaces, such as when she was riding across the Barkly Tableland, and a place that stole her heart was Broome. 
When she had setbacks like equipment failures, she quickly learnt to trust the road and that there would always be a solution. She loved how travelling solo in this manner across Australia also sparked countless conversations from curious strangers, and the kindness they showed towareds her.
Like many other long distance travellers Louann also shares how she enjoys the solitude that comes with taking these kind of adventures on your own. Her advice to people thinking of doing something similar is to not listen to the fears others may put on your shoulders when you tell them your plans. It's not as scary as you think out there. Give it a go, and you can work things out as you travel.
You can follow along with Louann's future adventures via her instagram @Louann.Perriere
What's the best thing about taking a bike adventure? Send me your Answer
Check out the new Axle Pack V2 from Old Man Mountain
Support the show
Buy me a coffee!
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
Seek Travel Ride Newsletter
Leave me a voicemail message

Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music