The Olive Route Cycling Tour is divided into 3 separate sections which, like the olives they are named after, each have a distinct flavour, its own individual appeal. Of course, as anyone who has visited a tapas bar knows, the combination of all 3 types of olives is also a winning combination! So try one, two, or all three!

Let’s start with Kalamata. The olive itself, appropriately named after a Greek city in the southern Peloponnese Peninsula, is large and purple with a fruity and smokey taste and a meaty texture.

What about the Kalamata section of the Olive Route, a 2220 km journey from Athens to Milan? What makes it so special?

Acropolis

Given the current political climate, having the riders of the Olive Route begin their journey in the shadow of the Acropolis, which watched over Athens as the ideal of democratic governance emerged, seems serendipitous. This stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site features the Parthenon, an ancient temple dedicated to the Goddess, Athena that incorporates some incredible architectural and engineering techniques. Be sure to book your tickets ahead of time.

The Best Day Of Cycling In Italy

“It just kept getting better and better. It was almost indescribable.”

Somewhere in Italy on the Olive Route there is an 85 km stage that will knock your (cycling) socks off but you will have to join the tour to find out where!

Mosaics of Ravenna

Even in a country like Italy, with its seemingly endless treasury of cultural riches, the mosaics of Ravenna stand out. These beautiful pieces of early Christian art were created between the 5th and 6th centuries and are situated in 8 (yes, 8!) UNESCO World Heritage buildings. The tradition continues today as students from around the world come to Ravenna to learn the art of mosaic. You can also try your hand at creating your own piece of art in a local workshop.

>>Related Post: Kalamata: Athens to Milan On The Olive Route

Leonardo da Vinci Museum Of Science & Technology

In 2025, Founder Henry Gold was wandering aimlessly through Milan when he noticed this museum. He recalls that “Inside I saw Leonardo’s sketches for a variety of inventions from flying machines, to military devices, to a mechanical walking lion. The exposition and the range of Leonardo’s work or rather his genius simply mesmerized me. There was a whole room dedicated to Leonardo’s Last Supper painting including a video of the colours of the painting when Leonardo first created it.”

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Olive Route

The Olive. The food most closely associated with Western European civilization. Olive oil. One of the most important ingredients in European cuisine...

Are you happy with your current bike and cycling gear? Or are you looking for ways to improve your performance on the road? We have hosted riders on our cycling adventures for over 20 years and recently asked our in-house experts for 5 quick and easy upgrades that should have an immediate impact on your cycling performance and enjoyment out on the road.

1. Pedals and shoes

An upgrade to your pedals and shoes doesn’t always mean switching to clip-in pedals. If you have found that you are falling or feeling unsafe or unstable while using clip-in, the best upgrade might be to switch to sturdy soled flat shoes – like mountain bike riders use. Conversely, If you are considering moving up to clip-in, that’s fine, just be sure to use them a lot at home before starting your adventure. And lastly, if you are riding in regular street shoes or running shoes, we highly recommend upgrading to sturdy-soled cycling shoes.

2. Tires and tubes

The simplest upgrade of them all costs you nothing besides a few more pumps on your floor pump. Find the PSI or bar rating on the tire sidewall. Once inflated to the right pressure, you will find that you will cruise along much more smoothly and efficiently.

Another tire consideration – upgrade from the stock tires to the flat resistant Schwalbe Marathon line of tires. These tires have been tried and tested by touring cyclist over many years and we always recommend them to our tour participants.

>>>RELATED: Tubeless Tires – Everything you need to know

3. Seats and bike shorts

The seat that came on your bike is probably not ideal for touring. Speak to someone at your bike shop. Have your sit bones measured and get a seat that suits your body type and is good support for long days in the saddle.

It’s also important to choose high quality padded cycling shorts. The midrange to higher end padded cycling shorts will do a lot to help cushion your bum and a well fitting short, with good construction, will reduce the risk of chaffing and saddle sores. Don’t go cheap on cycling shorts.

4. Gearing

The vast majority of riders will want easier gears than what comes on a new bike from the factory. Consider upgrading to a smaller chainring or bigger cassette. Your bike shop staff can help you with this. This can be a game changer in your overall enjoyment of a cycling tour. You essentially want to have the largest range of gears (especially climbing gears) that are compatible with your bike. A few extra teeth on the gears will make all the difference when you are ascending a steep hill.

5. Grips and gloves

The original grips on your bike may not be the best choice for long days on the bike in a variety of weather. Make sure you have good thick and comfortable grips. For straight bar bikes, ergonomic grips are essential to avoid hand pain and numbness. A good pair of padded gloves are also a big part of this upgrade.

Choosing the Right Bike

I hope our 5 upgrades help make your ride more enjoyable. We have an even more detailed blog with an accompanying in-depth video to help you choose the right bike for your next cycling tour. Whether you are hitting the road with TDA Global Cycling or another outfit, this should be a great resource for you.

>>>BLOG: Choosing the Right Bike for a Supported Cycling Adventure

Got some other suggested bike upgrades? Share them in the comments.

Sara Frenning was the Content Creator on the 2026 Viva Italia Cycling Tour.

My parents live in a very small village in the Swedish countryside. It’s the kind of place where, in winter, rain falls horizontally, and the cold seems to sink straight into your bones. In summer, it does get warmer, but never enough to forget where your jacket is or to fully trust a sunny day. It’s about as far from Italy as you could come in terms of both weather and culture. Yet in my parents’ house, on a wall in the kitchen sits a sign reading “Ici on sert L’Aperol” (Aperol is served here). They brought it back from a train trip to southern Italy, along with the habit of having a glass of Aperol basically any chance they get.

It looks completely out of place against Sweden’s lemon-less fauna, but it serves an important purpose. It lets my parents transport themselves back to warm summer evenings in Italy with a specific bright orange beverage, if only just for a moment.

It’s the same kind of sign I’ve biked past multiple times in souvenir shops all over Italy. Shops filled to the brim with trinkets people can bring home to remember the brief time they spent soaking up the Italian sun and the Italian culture. More than just a trinket, or a sign marking the presence of Aperol, I think what people are trying to bring back home is a feeling, a lifestyle, or perhaps even a personality. The ease of life, the flexible relationship with time, late dinners, and the love of siestas is perhaps Italy’s biggest imaginary export. Everyone wants to live life like Italians, even if it’s just having an Aperol Spritz in Sweden’s afternoon sun.

After biking along much of Italy’s coastline, I get it. There is something special in the air that I can’t help but be inspired by, and whatever *that* is, it seems, for me, to be nestled into Italian people.

Sunset in Cefalu

It’s in the way Mario, a local farmer, stopped me on my bike to hand me two bags of figs and grapes after he saw me reaching on my tiptoes to pick some from a tree. It’s the way the local market man asks me endless questions in Italian and doesn’t let the fact that we don’t speak the same language stop him from conversing, or the way the roadside fruit vendor quickly hires me as his personal photographer (I was paid in grapes) and asks me to take his photo again and again. It’s also in the way the shopkeeper refuses to keep his shop open even just a minute longer if it encroaches on his siesta time. It’s in the way people see you and respond to you, even when it’s in the form of an angry “mano a bolsa.” I also want to take that feeling home with me, and I wonder if I should get a trinket to remind me how life feels the Italian way.

When I think about the highlight of my Viva Italia tour, I keep coming back to the people and the Italian way of life. Although the places we visited and the views we saw were incredible, it’s not them I will try to resurrect by pouring a generous amount of olive oil on my food, or taking a siesta once I’m back home in Kathmandu. I will do so in the hope that, in its own tiny way, it will let me live a little more like an Italian. And perhaps that is the best kind of souvenir. (But if I’m forced to pick one specific highlight, it would be Sardinia, and the whole Tyrrhenian Sea. I had some of the best swims of my life there)

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Viva Italia

It has been said that ‘All roads lead to Rome’ and the Viva Italia cycling tour is simply more proof that this may indeed be the case...

This summer I was fortunate enough to take part in our popular The Odyssey Cycling Tour from Athens to Amsterdam. I joined the riders in Sarajevo and stayed with them until Munich. My colleague Micah was also on the tour and was doing the entire distance and we took the opportunity to chat about how unique the Balkan countries were. While Micah had visited the area in the past for bikepacking, it was my first visit and I was charmed from the start.

At one point when discussing some of the challenges the tour faced, we thought it may be a good idea to check some new ideas so I headed off from Sarajevo to scout out a potential new route from the city south to the Croatian coast and Dubrovnik. As I pedalled along the Ciro Rail Trail, I felt like I was travelling through layers of culture and history. Each small town had a story, in fact, many stories from their past and as the churches and flags (and beer ads) changed along the route, I felt like I was spinning through a virtual history lesson.

Rejoining Micah and the tour in Split, we continued our conversation about the Balkans. In the end, we felt that this incredible region of the world deserved much more time to fully experience its vibrant cultures and incredible landscapes. After combining additional research, information from my brief scouting trip, and Micah’s knowledge of the area from his own bikepacking trips, we eventually came up with a new plan. What emerged was the Balkan Odyssey.

>>Related: Click here for dates, prices and full details

Ciro Rail Trail, Bosnia

Our new version of The Odyssey will begin in 2028 and takes riders from Athens, Greece to Zagreb, Croatia. Covering almost 2100 km over 6 weeks, the average daily distance of just under 80 km will allow the riders plenty of time to take in the sights along the way. And what sights they are – the Acropolis,  Temple of Apollo, Meteora Monasteries, Sarajevo’s Old Town, the Stari Bridge in Mostar, Dubrovnik’s walled old town, Diocletian’s Palace in Split & Zagreb’s quirky Museum of Broken Relationships.

St Mark’s Church, Zagreb

Along the way, we have included a stunning train ride from Sarajevo to Mostar, a 2 day jaunt on Bosnia’s new Ciro Rail Trail and some island-hopping ferries along Croatia’s stunning Dalmatian Coast.

Korcula old town, Korcula island, Croatia

We invite you to join us in 2028 on the Balkan Odyssey. Pedal through Greece’s hilly countryside, explore enigmatic Albania and spin past Montenegro’s towering mountains. Ride through Bosnia’s historic cities and cycle to the sun-drenched Adriatic coast. Travel to some of Croatia’s stunning islands and experience Zagreb’s coffee culture.

Registration for the 2028 Balkan Odyssey is now open!

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Balkan Odyssey

The original Odyssey by Homer followed Ulysses, King of Ithaca, on his grueling 10 year trip home from the Trojan War during which he faced and...

On our Tea Route Cycling Adventure through southern India & Sri Lanka, the traditional TDA Global Cycling ‘coke stops‘ are often replaced by ‘cuppa stops’. During these breaks, the riders can sample the various types of tea available locally, like Nilgiri in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka’s famous Ceylon varieties.

The ride itself, however, is much more than just a chance to try out some of the local teas, it is an opportunity to visit some of the world’s most amazing sights, from ancient temples to stunning national parks. Here are a few highlights we suggest you pencil in to visit along the way.

Fort Cochin

Chinese fishing nets

The tour begins in Kochi, Kerala, a historic spice trading port that has been influenced by visiting Dutch, Portuguese and British merchants over the years. Riders should explore the older European area of Fort Cochin where they can wander past the iconic Chinese fishing nets, visit the 450 year old Pardesi Synagogue, marvel at the incredible array of spices on offer and then end the day with a performance of the traditional Kathakali dance which reenacts stories from the Hindu epics.

Meenakshi Temple in Madurai

Even in a country like India, where gorgeous temples seem to be everywhere, Madurai’s Meenakshi Temple stands out. I remember visiting it for the first time way back in 1990 and being floored by the complexity and beauty of the structures. Over 2000 years old, it covers almost 6 hectares and has 14 colourful towers (gopurams) decorated with numerous gods and demons, heroes and mystics. Be sure to wear appropriate clothes – the dress code is strictly enforced.

Temples of Mahabalipuram

The area around the town of Mahabalipuram is sprinkled with amazing temples, caves and rock carvings. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it features the famous open-air rock relief, Arjuna’s Penance, which relates the story of the descent of the sacred Ganges River to earth from the heavens. In all there are about 40 monuments, most dating from the 7th and 8th centuries, that showcase the religion, culture and legends of the Hindu religious pantheon.

>>Related Post: Tea Route Rider Reviews: “I Would Go Back In A Heartbeat And Do It All Over Again.”

Sacred City of Anuradhapura

Once Sri Lanka’s capital city, Anuradhapura is the birthplace of the country’s Theravada Buddhism. When we were scouting the route I remember being awed by the emerging vision of its 3 towering domed dagobas (shrines) as we approached the city. It is also home to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, a sapling taken from the original Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Planted in 236 BC, it is widely accepted as the oldest human planted tree in the world.

Lion’s Rock – Sigirya

It is hard to explain how striking this UNESCO World Heritage Site actually is. The photos of it are stunning but nothing compares to seeing it close up and in person. This fortified palace was constructed in the 5th century BC and within the protective moats and defensive walls, there was a beautiful landscaped garden with pools and fountains. Riders with the energy to climb up to the top can stop at the Mirror Wall, where over the course of centuries, visitors left their thoughts etched into the rock face.

Yala National Park

If you are looking to see a leopard, Yala National Park might be your best bet. This area of forests, grasslands, lagoons and coastline has the highest density of these beautiful animals in the world. There is also an excellent chance to encounter an Asian elephant or a sloth bear. Birders will also rejoice as the park features over 200 species, including seven that are endemic to Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka grey hornbill, Sri Lanka jungle fowl, Sri Lanka wood pigeon, crimson-fronted barbet, black-capped bulbul, blue-tailed bee-eater and brown-capped babbler).

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Tea Route

Tea. It wasn’t until the British arrived that this wild plant was turned into a commercial crop both in India and in Sri Lanka, creating those...

“Africa from west to east is one of the most difficult and complex overland journeys in the world, primarily due to severe infrastructure gaps, geopolitical instability, and impassable gaps through Central Africa.” – AI

For TDA Founder Henry Gold, who has done the Tour d’Afrique (Cairo to Cape Town/2003 – Present) and the West Africa en Vélo (Casablanca to Cape Coast/2018), this is waving a red flag in front of a bull. Like Paul Theroux’s memorable opening line in his book, Dark Star Safari, “All news out of Africa is bad. It made me want to go there...”, reading that sentence is a challenge that, in good conscience, we simply could not ignore. And that quote is talking about doing it in a vehicle! While we will have support vehicles, our riders will be completing the distance on 2 wheels.

About 170 years ago, David Livingstone also concluded his journey from west to east, from Angola to Mozambique, the first European to do so. While not following his route exactly, we are certainly keeping his spirit in mind. He once claimed “I will go anywhere, provided it be forward.” We couldn’t agree more.

Over the years a number of issues have made past crossings of Africa from west to east problematic.

Visas and Border Bureaucracy

Entering Sudan from Egypt on the S.S. Sagalnaam

In the past, getting the required visas for crossing Africa involved a delicate dance of getting dates just so and crossing each border could be time consuming and frustrating. You might have had to have the correct amount/currency in cash, maybe passport photos, maybe not. Maybe this, maybe that. Now, with the widespread implementation of e-visas, crossing from one country to another is much easier and less stressful.

Road Conditions

Roads can vary from smooth asphalt to deep mud tracks in the rainy season to corrugated gravel and everything in between. If you are heading out on your own, there might be some nasty surprises lying in wait if your information is not up to date. Our African Project Manager, Sharita, has driven every inch of our Africa: Ocean to Ocean route and, while conditions can still change quickly, her detailed knowledge of the roads will make for a much smoother ride.

Safety & Security

Crossing any continent will bring risks with it and heading out across Africa from west to east would certainly be worrisome for any group if you were unsure of what to expect along the way. On the Africa: Ocean to Ocean expedition, riders will be supported by our talented and veteran field crew who have many years of experience in Africa and can count on a dedicated team of local contacts and knowledgable office staff to back them up.

Vehicle & Logistics

Driving vehicles over 5,000 km across Africa is a huge challenge. Insurance, carnets, fuel, mechanic issues…the list is endless and quite daunting. For the Africa: Ocean to Ocean Cycling Expedition, we will be using our own, custom-designed support vehicles, trucks that have been successfully crossing the continent for many years, driven by experienced African drivers who understand the local conditions and have a detailed knowledge of what to expect along the route.

“The question isn’t, are we crazy, it’s, are you coming?”

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Africa: Ocean to Ocean

The original way to cross Africa from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean was the maritime Cape Route past the continent’s southern tip, a perilous...

Ever wondered who decided that cycling across Africa was a good idea? And how was it possible to turn that idea into TDA Global Cycling, a company getting ready to celebrate its 25th anniversary next year? And after all these years on the road, where is he planning to ride in 2027?

You’ve enjoyed our general info sessions and the chance to chat live with the TDA team, so this time we’ve decided to treat you to a special guest: our founder, Henry Gold.

With a milestone anniversary approaching, it’s a good time to revisit how it all began – and get a glimpse of the adventures still ahead.

Join Henry and the TDA team for a live online conversation about the early days, the lessons learned along the way, and his own cycling plans for 2027.

We’ll also explore our 2027-2028 tour calendar and talk about how to take those first steps towards your own adventure. Wondering how fit you need to be, whether you can join just part of a tour, or what happens if you need a break from riding? We’ll cover the common questions, with our team on hand to explain the practical details.

There will be time for your questions too – whether they’re for Henry about his experiences or for our staff about preparation, bikes and life on tour. You can also submit questions when you register to help us shape the conversation.

Event Details:

When: Wednesday, November, 4th, 2026, at 1 pm EST (Toronto/New York)

Where: Online via Zoom

Duration: 60 minutes

Participants: Henry Gold, TDA Founder, Miles MacDonald, Operations Manager, Shanny Hill, Marketing Manager, Michael Coo, Customer Support Manager.

REGISTER HERE

Can’t join us live? Register anyway, and we’ll email you a link to the recording afterwards. Still have questions after browsing our FAQ page or TDA Starter Kit? Bring them along. From choosing a tour and getting ready to ride to the everyday details of life on the road, Henry and the team will be there to help. If you’d prefer to send your questions in advance, email Olha at [email protected], and we’ll include them in the conversation.

The 2026 Istanbul Express Cycling Tour from Paris, France to Istanbul, Türkiye is our second longest running adventure, having begun way back in 2005. Each time the riders experience the thrill of pedalling through 8 amazing European countries and each time we ask them -“How did it go?”

“A fantastic ‘once in a lifetime’ adventure. We did this as a 30th wedding anniversary trip and it was truly memorable.”
– Mick Dunne (Australia)

“Epic, adventurous, challenges one to test their limits.” – Rachel Chandler (Canada)

“It was the experience of a lifetime. Great, if warm, summer riding; Beautiful variety of scenery and cultures; just the right amount of challenge (I did more climbing than I have ever done in my life, and it was OK!). Well taken care of and would do it again in a heartbeat.” – Matt Gallagher (USA)

“We felt like we were riding through a postcard some days.” – Tammy Dunne (Australia)

“If I had done it on my own I would never have; travelled through Romania and crossed the Transfăgărășan Highway (an awesome experience), I would never have stayed in the superb hotels that TDA organiszed for us, I would never have found the numerous gravel roads that bypassed the busy road sections and I would never have met all the truly awesome people that were on the TDA tour.” – David Turnbull (UK)

“My experience left me wanting more! I had never considered this type of adventure but after my experience on the Istanbul express I looking for ways to make more trips like this a priority in the future.” – April Gutzwiller (USA)

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Istanbul Express

It was in 1889 that the original Orient Express train completed the Paris to Istanbul route for the first time. Our cycling version of the Orient...

Our inaugural cycling adventure through Scandinavia, The Road to Valhalla, ended in Trondheim, Norway about a month and a half ago. Let’s see what the riders thought about their time in Finland, Sweden & Norway…

“Stunning landscapes, beautiful roadways, cycling heaven.” – Anne Thompson (USA)

“The most wonderful journey in many respects. The best way to see and experience a country, make new friends and be lucky enough to ride in such a beautiful place. I didn’t want it to come to an end.” – Sarah Gunn (UK)

“Definitely exceeded my expectations. It’s the best way to see the Scandinavian countries.” – Jeanine Hartnett (USA)

“I am 71 years old, and I have done many interesting runs, hikes, treks and rides around the world. The TDA rides are what I put at the top of the list in terms of memorable and enjoyable experiences.” _ Bob Jensen (Canada)

“The tour showcased Scandinavia in the best light. Starting in Finland spinning the legs on quiet cycling paths watching farmland and forests go by. Then into Sweden cycling and cruising on ferries amongst beautiful island sceneries. And then came the drama in Norway with the countless waterfalls, fjords and mountains. Besides the cycling there was lots of history to see and learn about while enjoying the friendly hospitality of the Scandinavians. This is certainly a tour with the best way to get into the rhythm of a cycling tour.” – Ursula Simpson (Canada)

“I loved the tour, the staff, the route, and getting to know my fellow riders. There really wasn’t a dull day in the entire trip. I credit the TDA staff for maintaining a fun atmosphere even when the weather didn’t cooperate or mechanical problems slowed us down. Kudos to the whole TDA team for constructing and running an unforgettable tour .”
– Scott Colner (USA)

“My heart is full after completing the Oslo to Trondheim portion of the Road to Valhalla! I found that each day of riding seemed to be a notch higher than the previous. We road by farm fields of barley, the cleanest cows you’ve ever seen and spent time on bicycle paths that kept cars/bikes separated so you could take in the sights. There were small colourful towns, rolling hills and climbs through deep forests, modern architecture by the sea, and ferry rides beneath thundering waterfalls due to the record rains.” – Peggy Morsch (USA)

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Road to Valhalla

Valhalla, also known as the Hall of Heroes, was the goal for all real Vikings. Ruled by the Norse God, Odin, only the bravest and fiercest of warriors...

“Tea is the taste of the wind, the fragrance of the mountains.” – Chinese proverb

“Tea tempers the spirits and harmonizes the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness.” – Lu Yu

“What’s your next tour?”  This is a question that participants asked each other – me included – as the Road to Valhalla Cycling Tour wound down.

I am fascinated by China. If you want to know why, read the book ‘The Man Who Loved China’ by Simon Winchester. I highly recommend it. I first went there in 2006 to scout what was then going to be our company’s 3rd transcontinental tour, the Silk Route Cycling Expedition. At that time, China was in the midst of a great transformation and my eyes were often open wide in wonder. The following year I cycled the inaugural Silk Route tour, including two months crossing China from west to east, an adventure in every sense of the word.

Henry in Beijing in 2007 on the Silk Route

In 2013, I had an opportunity to cycle a different part of China on our Bamboo Road Cycling Adventure from Shanghai to Hong Kong and then on to Vietnam. As on my previous visit, there was no end to the surprises and discoveries. In March of this coming year, I hope to be on our company’s new tour, The Road to Shangri-La, which will be passing through one of the most fascinating places in China. The riders will enter the country from Northern Vietnam into Yunnan, one of China’s most culturally diverse regions. Twenty five ethnic minorities live there – a personal interest of mine – 15 of which reside only in that area.

During a recent dinner in Montreal, I asked Max Dionne, who scouted this route before Covid hit, what the highlights were. Max’s face broke into a big grin and he started listing them.

The first was the spectacular Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (pictured above) which the riders will see soon after entering China.

He went on, pointing out that while all cities in China have gone through modernization, on this route many of them kept their traditional ancient Chinatowns. In particular, he pointed out that the city of Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, had thousands of heritage houses and apparently is one of the most authentic ancient towns in Asia.

Lijiang Old Town

Another area of interest to me is the world’s second most consumed beverage, of which I drink a lot – tea. Tea originated in Southwest China and I recall my first tea tasting in the country, an elaborate and very pleasant event. Afterwards, I felt as if I haven’t ever drunk real tea before.

On the Road to Shangri-La, riders will visit Shaxizhen, home to some historic landmarks where horse caravans carrying tea would often stop. On one of my previous visits in China, I bought a book in English published in China called the Tea-Horse Road which describe how tea was being transported from China onwards, often through difficult and challenging landscapes.

This brings me to another highlight Max mentioned, Tiger Leaping Gorge, a scenic and dramatic canyon on the Jinsha river. Max also mentioned the spectacular temples in Shangri-La, similar to the ones in Lhasa and the large praying wheels – which apparently take at least four people to move. By the way, Shangri-La in Tibetan, means ‘the sun and moon in one’s heart.’

Tiger Leaping Gorge

And, of course, there is the food. Max mentioned loving the Crossing Bridge Noodles and in a recent blog, our Operation Manager and former chef, Miles, pointed out a few more things to try in Yunnan. Having grown up on potatoes in Eastern Europe myself, I can’t wait to taste Old Grandma’s Potatoes! Besides the cuisine, what Max found particularly delightful were the evening activities on the  town squares with people dancing and just enjoying themselves and outsiders encouraged to join in.

For myself, going back to China is to get a glimpse of what feels like the most fascinating transformation of a society in human history. Returning home from my previous trips in China, I often found it was hard to describe what I had witnessed and experienced. I fully expect this tour will be no different.

Going back also means enjoying some great Chinese food and sampling a lot of wonderful tea in the company of a number of TDA riders. Some of them I know from previous tours and some I hope to meet on the Road to Shangri-La for the first time. If you have never been to China, or for that matter Laos or Vietnam, join us for this unique tour. I promise, you will not regret it.

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The Road to Shangri-La

Shangri-La, an earthly paradise cut off from the world in a hidden Himalayan valley, a place where there is no war or suffering and where people live...

Benjamin Levin is the Content Creator on the 2026 South American Epic.

I have not showered for three days. Admittedly I have gone longer, but usually when I am at one of the few places I call home I shower a little more consistently. Nonetheless, here I am in Salinas de Garcia Mendoza, the self proclaimed Quinoa capital of Bolivia, smelling my feet as I write this blog. The last two days we have spent in Ardamarca and Santuario de Quillacas. Heard of them? I had not either until we camped there. Picture a town, 50 km away from any other town. It might have paved roads, it might not. It might have a hotel, it probably does not. It might have a shop, it probably does actually have a shop. But you know what it definitely does have? It has a football pitch and a church. 50 km away from the middle of nowhere in Bolivia, the small town you are picturing has a football pitch and a church.

So, what do you really need to live? I do not really need to shower every day. You come to learn, or remember, that sort of thing when you travel like this. On a cross-continental cycling expedition, your idea of what is essential and what is not, starts to change.

And over the course of these trips, your opinion on what you need changes. That 4 kg of skincare products you have hidden in your permanent bag becomes a four-in-one shampoo-conditioner-bodywash-facial cleanser… Those 4 pairs of rest-day jeans become an overseas express package back to Europe that will arrive after you get home in 2 months. On these trips you are stripped down to the bones of who you are and what you need. And in facing the reality of this, you find that you really do not need so much.

Today riding into Salinas we saw some dogs on the road that looked keen to chase some riders and snap at some ankles. We stopped and Cristiano and our Bolivian local support Ana-Marie walked over to chat with their owner to see if she would mind locking them up for a while in order to let our cyclists pass unaccosted. She lived in a stone house. There was no running water, no electricity. When we first saw her, she was walking with a few litres of water from a well 200 metres from her house. She lives by herself with no form of transportation, 10 km from the closest town. None of us can imagine living like that. She does. She lives this way every day. It makes me reflect on what I need.

Now I sit in that town, 10 km away from this woman tending her llamas and dogs. And you know what they have in this town? They have a football pitch and a church. And you know what I am hoping to have later? A shower, maybe.

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South American Epic

This challenging expedition offers you the best opportunity to explore the vastness and diversity of South America by bike. In keeping with the TDA...

When we announced the Path of the Jaguar earlier this year, we certainly expected it to be popular. After all, it was an amazing cycling route through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala & Mexico. Along the way riders would be able to explore the Monteverde Cloud Forest, marvel at the sublime beauty of Lake Atitlan, sample Mexico City’s incredible street food, lounge in the sun on the sandy beaches of El Salvador and wander through the colonial architecture of Granada.

>>Related: Click here for dates, prices and full detail

Costa Rica Rainforest

The response was incredible, the tour quickly sold out and the waitlist began to fill out. Originally, we thought we might run the tour every second year but obviously we needed to reconsider that idea, given the interest shown by our riders.

We are pleased to announce that we are now offering cyclists another chance to experience Central America on the Path of the Jaguar. The 2028 adventure will depart from San Jose, Costa Rica on January 16, 2028 and arrive in Mexico City six weeks later on February 27, 2028. Same amazing route. Same incredible sights.

If the size of the waiting list for the 2027 tour is an indication, we expect the tour to fill up as well. This time don’t miss your chance.

Registration for the 2028 Path of the Jaguar is now open!

Plaza de la Constitución, Mexico City

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Follow in the footsteps of the flower children and cycle into the physical and spiritual kaleidoscope that is India.

We have been running long distance cycling adventures in India for over 15 years and our riders are always amazed at their experiences. Cycling is the best way to see any country and this is especially true for the sub-continent, allowing riders to meet the locals and experience their warmth and hospitality.

India is such an intense experience that sometimes it is difficult, if not impossible to describe it simply with words. To that end, we have gathered together a few videos in order to give a visual taste of what cycling through this amazing country from Agra to Goa is like.

Spaces are still available for the 2027 Hippie Trail Cycling Adventure.

Hippie Trail Accommodations: From Basic Hotels To Royal Palaces

The Hippie Trail is full of surprises and one, perhaps unexpected example, are the accommodations. Hotels in the more isolated areas of Madhya Pradesh, where few Western tourists venture, may be basic and simple but they allow riders to get an authentic feel for live in these regions, a way to feel part of the rural community around them. At famous historic sites like Ajanta and Ellora, we stay in comfortable government hotels along with domestic tourists while on the Konkan Coast, the riders will bunk down in sunny beachfront hotels. In Rajasthan, many nights are spent in historic forts and palaces. As one rider put it,  “You are staying in a place that until recently had soldiers guarding the parapets and there’s a real Maharaja somewhere in the vicinity.”

A Gastronomic Journey Through India

Indian food is certainly one of the world’s great cuisines and the Hippie Trail will give the riders the opportunity to sample dishes that are not only familiar to them from their local restaurants but spices they have never tasted and flavours and pairings that they have never experienced at home. On tour, the day usually begins with a buffet breakfast, followed by a nutritious roadside lunch, a mix of protein and carbs, combining comfort food with local flavours. Dinner is enjoyed each night as a group at the hotel and often includes some of India’s famous curries. Adventurous riders can take part in street food tours and discover the wide variety of options available each night at local markets.

Cycling India On The Hippie Trail Cycling Adventure – From Nervousness to Nirvana

For many cyclists perhaps, pedalling through India on a bike might not be the first thing that comes to mind. The prospect of navigating such a bustling landscape can initially spark anxiety and the prospect of constant human interaction, endless attention, and persistent curiosity might seem overwhelming – but the reality is beautifully different. What begins as nervousness quickly transforms into genuine connection and joy. The Hippie Trail reveals a profound truth about India: beneath the dense population lies an incredibly warm and welcoming culture. Every day brings unexpected encounters – from spontaneous wedding invitations to impromptu cricket matches, from being asked to speak at local schools to experiencing moments of genuine hospitality. What cyclists discover is that India’s crowds are not intimidating, but instead represent opportunities for remarkable human experiences, making the journey not just a cycling expedition, but a deeply transformative cultural immersion.

A New Perspective: Experiencing India From The Saddle Of A Bicycle

Over 6 weeks, the route of the Hippie Trail leads cyclists 2750 km across India, all the while exposing them to the country’s remarkable culture. What dynamic elements makes it so unique? Past riders have gained first hand insight into why the Hippie Trail is different from all other cycling tours and discovered the specific qualities that make India a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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Our newest cycling expedition, Africa: Ocean to Ocean, takes riders through seven fascinating Southern African countries. In this post, we take a look at what cyclists can expect on their journey through countries number 5, 6 , & 7 – South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique.

Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa

Once the riders cross the border from Zimbabwe into South Africa, they will spin past surreal baobab trees which eventually give give way to the subtropical Soutpansberg (Salt Pan Mountains), part of UNESCO’s Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. They contain over 500 species of trees and birds and 116 species of reptiles as well as leopards, hyenas and antelopes. The area is also the ancestral heartland of the Venda people who are known for their distinct culture, including the pre-marital Domba (python dance).

Blyde River Canyon, South Africa

At 26 km long and 800 m deep, the Blyde River Canyon is the third largest on earth, after the Grand Canyon in the US and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. What makes it unique and special is that, unlike the other two, it is a ‘green’ canyon, covered in sub-tropical vegetation. Riders will enjoy a rest day there allowing them time to explore natural wonders such as the Bourke’s Luck Potholes, the Three Rondavels, Pinnacle Rock and God’s Window.

Kruger National Park, South Africa

One of the most famous National Parks in Africa, Kruger National Park was established in 1926 and covers almost 20,000 sq. kms. Riders will have an excellent opportunity to see the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, African buffalo) here as well as the endangered African Wild Dog. The park features 6 distinct ecosystems, 150 species of mammals and hundreds of bird species. It is not just wild life – there are also 300 archaeological and cultural heritage sites to be found in the park.

Sibebe Rock, Eswatini

After exploring Kruger National Park, the riders will cross into the tiny landlocked country of Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland. One of the world’s last absolute monarchies, one of the highlights is Sibebe Rock, just a few kilometres outside the country’s capital, Mbabane. Also known as ‘Bald Rock’, it is the second largest monolith in the world and the world’s largest granite dome. Riders can hike to the summit and afterwards enjoy an appropriately named, cold Sibebe Premium Lager

Hlane Royal National Park, Eswatini

Formerly the private hunting grounds of King Sobhuza II, Hlane Royal National Park was established in 1967 and  is known, not only for its mammals like elephants, cheetahs and rhinos, but also for its incredible bird population, many attracted by the park’s ancient hardwood trees like knobthorn, leadwood, and tambuti. They include white-backed, lappetfaced and Cape vultures,  martial eagles, bateleurs, and long-crested eagles as well as Marabou storks and the southern yellow-billed hornbill.

Maputo, Mozambique

A couple days of cycling after leaving Eswatini will bring the riders to Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, where their incredible trans-African adventure will come to a close. This port city features some stunning Portuguese colonial architecture as well as a number of vibrant local markets. After exploring the  city’s striking railway station, designed by an associate of Gustave Eiffel, the riders can celebrate by gorging on the country’s delicious, fresh seafood.

Recommended Reading

Jacob Dlamini – Safari Nation: A Social History of the Kruger National Park
Eben Venter – Decima
Hilda Kuper – The Swazi: A South African Kingdom
Mia Couto – Women of the Ashes

Recommended Viewing

The Train of Salt and Sugar (2016): A perilous 1989 train journey through war-torn Mozambique during the civil war.
Wah-Wah (2005): Director Richard E Grant’s comedy-drama set during the twilight of British colonial rule in Swaziland and based on his own childhood growing up there.
Keeping Up with the Kruger (2017): 13 episode documentary on the day-today operations of the national park.

Recommended Listening

Kruger National Park (SANParks)
Eswatini Talks (Spotify)
Left To Die: Escape From The Amarula (Apple)

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*originally posted February 6, 2020 and updated in 2026 with new and improved info. This is also part 3 of our 3-part bike maintenance series. Click here for part 1 on cleaning your bike and part 2 on morning bike safety check. 

A roadside flat tire is the most common mechanical problem you will encounter on any cycle tour.

If you are joining a supported cycling tour where you bring you own bike (such as the many tours we run around the world), there is a good chance that you will be expected to know how to change a flat tire. If you are solo cycle touring, then you definitely need to know.

On TDA Global Cycling’s supported cycling tours, our mechanics are available at the end of the day for maintenance and repairs, but they are likely not going to be there the moment you get a flat tire. So we expect our participants to learn this skill before they come on our tours.

Before you set out on your ride, make sure you have these essentials on your bike:

• spare tube in the right size for your tires
• tire levers
• a reliable handpump
• also handy: needle nose pliers and gloves or rag

Here are the three simple steps to fixing a flat:

Step 1: Remove the Tire

Step 2: Find the Hole

Step 3: Repair the Flat

I suggest you watch our how-to video first, and then read the more detailed step by step instructions below.

Step 1: Remove the Wheel & Tire

Find a safe space where you can either lay your bike down or turn it over to rest it on the handlebars and seat. Do your best to find a place shielded from the elements.

When repairing a flat on the rear wheel, shift the rear derailleur to the outermost gear on the cassette. This allows the wheel to be removed while the chain is under the least tension, and causing the least resistance.

For bicycles with rim brakes, release the brake so there is room for the tire to slide out past the brake assembly. Release the quick release. In the case of bikes with a thru axle or bolted axle, use the necessary allen key or wrench to loosen the bolt. Remove the wheel.

TIP: Wheel Terminology
Some terminology that people can get mixed up: ‘Rim’ is the metal hoop without the spokes, hub or tire. ‘Wheel’ refers to the whole assembly of the hub, spokes, and tire. ‘Tire’ refers to just the rubber outer tread (and not the tube, rim or entire wheel).

Next, deflate the inner tube and use your tire lever(s) to remove the tire. Be careful to avoid pinching the tube inside the tire. Run the lever along the inside of the tire slowly, continuing to adjust as you encounter resistance. The lever will help you lift the tire out of the rim and allow you to slide along the rim’s braking surface, pulling out the tire from inside the rim as you go.

With one side of the tire released from the rim, you can remove the inner tube. The opposite side of the tire can remain inside the rim to make reinstalling quicker.

Step 2: Find the Hole and the Cause

Using gloves or a cloth (or carefully without gloves) run your fingers along the inside and outside of the tire. While you are doing this, you should also be looking closely at the tread to see if you spot any pieces or wire, glass and feel for any bumps or gashes.

You will be surprised how small the culprit can be. The smallest shard of glass can be picked up on your ride and slowly over many many kilometres work its way into the soft rubber tire and eventually pierce the tube.

TIP: Find the Cause
The most common cause of a flat tire is the previous flat tire – meaning that the same piece of glass or wire was never found and removed. After you repair the flat the same sharp object simply works its way into a new tube. So make sure to do a thorough check of your tire. Taking an extra 5-10 minutes to fix this flat could save you from fixing another one further down the road.

To make sure you find the cause of the flat, pull the tube out from the tire, but leave the part with the valve stem still installed in the rim. Then, attach your pump and add some air. You should be able to hear or feel where the air is leaking out of the tube. Because the tube is still on the rim, you can now match up the position of the hole in the tube with the same place on the tire.

The smallest piece can slowly work its way into the rubber over many miles and puncture your new tube if you don’t remove it immediately. Use pliers if necessary to extract embedded wire or glass. Taking an extra five minutes to find the culprit will save you from fixing another flat ten miles down the road.

. But once you are satisfied that the tire is free of debris and sharp objects, its time to put in a new tube.

Step 3: Repair the Flat

Take out a fresh tube and inflate it just enough to give the tube form, making it easier to position it inside the tire. Put the valve through the valve hole making sure it sits straight up and down, perpendicular to the rim.

TIP: Use a New Tube on the Roadside
On the roadside, get yourself riding as soon as possible by putting a new tube in and carry the damaged tube with you to be repaired later. Once you arrive at the end of your ride, you can take the extra time to patch the damaged tube. You can do this in your tent or hotel room, out of the elements to ensure you have created a good seal.

Seat the tube inside the tire, making sure it isn’t pinched or folded. Start putting the tire back onto the rim at the valve, and work your way around the rim from there.

TIP: Avoid Tire Levers
Try not to use levers for putting the tire back onto the rim. You are likely to pinch the tube against the rim when doing this. Use tire levers only as a last resort (in the same orientation used when removing the tire). 

You might want to hold the wheel against your midsection with the valve side at the farthest point away from you. With both hands, work your way from the valve on either side pushing the tire onto the rim. Pushing the last few centimetres of the tire into the rim requires more force, so you could place the wheel on the ground, standing on the opposite side and rolling the remaining tire towards you.

TIP: Set Tire in Deepest Part of the Rim
If it won’t budge, try adjusting the tire inside the rim so that it is sitting in the centre of the rim channel all the way around. The centre is the deepest part, so this means the tire should more easily stretch over the final few centimetres.

Now that it’s on, visually inspect it to make sure the tire is sitting evenly inside the rim. Inflate the tire partway, than re-inspect the rim to ensure the tire sits evenly all the way around and on both sides. Continue inflating to the desired pressure.

TIP: Tire Pressure
You shouldn’t always inflate to the maximum pressure. Instead it should be inflated to an appropriate pressure based on the terrain you’ll be riding (softer for unpaved, rough roads for example).

Put the wheel back on the bike. Tighten the quick releases or bolts. Spin the wheel to double check that its seated properly in the dropouts.

Then you are good to go!

Tubeless Tire Systems

Tubeless tires automatically seal most small punctures, often making them go completely unnoticed. If you’re riding tubeless on a tour, check the sealant levels regularly, and top up when necessary to make sure it keeps working as intended. Always carry a plug kit and a spare tube on the bike to avoid getting stranded by a bigger cut or a sidewall tear.

Only use a tubeless system on tour if you are experienced with it. A major expedition is not the time to learn complex tubeless repairs. We have a more detailed blog on tubeless tires here.

Was this useful? Many of us have our own tips and tricks, so please share yours in the comments below.

This is part 2 of our 3-part bike maintenance series. Click here for part 1 on cleaning your bike, and stay tuned for part 3 arriving next week. 

Nobody wants a mechanical on the roadside that disrupts their ride. This 5-minute safety check can be done every morning and doesn’t require any tools.

It’s an easy, surefire way to keep you safe, and prevent any roadside hiccups. If you do this safety check every day, it will quickly become second nature.

We have divided the steps into A,B,C,D,E as an easy way to remember it.

A – for Air and wheels
B – for Brakes and headset
C&D – for chain & drivetrain
And E – for everything else tight.

Watch the video, or if you prefer read the blog below.

A — Air (tire pressure & condition and wheel check)

Squeeze your tires, and check with a pump if they feel a bit low.

TIP: by attaching the pump to your valve you inevitably loose some of the tire pressure when air leaks out before the pump head seals around the vale. So there is no need to pump them if they feel as firm as yesterday.

Spin the wheel slowly, looking at the entire surface area of the tire. You are looking for embedded debris (most often its small shards of glass, or tiny strands of wire) or cuts in the sidewall.

For tubeless systems, check if the tire still holds a bead and hasn’t seeped sealant overnight.

Then, while standing beside the bike, grab the front wheel and push and pull it side to side to make sure the wheel and hub assembly doesn’t have any give or play. Then do the same with the rear wheel.

B — Brakes & headset check

Now squeeze each lever, and make sure they don’t feel too soft. They are too soft if the lever is pulling all the way to the bar.

Visually check the brake pads for wear. Inspect the condition of the rotor (is it bend, rusted, oily?) and rim (is the rim cracked or visibly out of true?). Push the brake caliper to see if it’s secure. It should have no play and be fixed in place.

Listen and feel for rubbing when spinning the wheel.

As you are engaging both brakes with the tire on the ground, rock the front forward and back to check for any play or movement in the headset or front wheel.

Then, get in front of the bike facing the back and straddle the front wheel. Gently push the handlebars side to side to see if the bars/stem/headset assembly is tight and remaining in line with the wheel.

C & D — Chain & drivetrain

Next, confirm the chain is lubed and not visibly dry or rusty. Spin the crank slowly, listening for grinding or skipping.

Push on the front and rear derailleurs gently to make sure they are secure and not loose. Visually inspect them for any damage. The derailleurs should be straight and upright and sit inline with the gears. Sometimes it can be bent at the point where it attaches to the frame (at the derailleur hanger).

Then push and pull the crank from side to side looking for any movement in the crank and bottom bracket assembly.

Then visually inspect the pedals – are they threaded in all the way in the crank? Do they move at all if you try to pull them up and down against the crank? Do you see any damage or embedded dirt in the clip mechanism (for clip-in style pedals)?

E — Everything else tight

Lastly, you want to confirm that the seat and wheels skewers (or wheel thru-axles) are tight. Push the seat side to side to make sure it doesn’t move.

Give racks, bags, bottle cages, bells, and other accessories a quick shake or a push to confirm they’re secure. Are there any straps dangling from bags that might catch the gearings or spinning wheel? Maybe lift the bike an inch off the ground and let it drop on its wheels – listen for any unexpected sounds that might indicate something still loose that you missed.

What to do if Something’s Off

Minor issues, like low tire pressure, or a dry, squeaky chain you can fix yourself immediately. Bigger concerns, like a loose headset, worn-through brake pads or a cut sidewall, are things you should definitely address before you start riding. Speak to the tour support staff such as the bike mechanic when you are on an organized trip. If you’re travelling self-supported, try to get a lift to the nearest bike shop and address the problem as soon as possible.

Make a judgement call on what is an immediate safety issue and what is more cosmetic or less urgent. If in doubt, have an experienced mechanic or professional inspect it before you set out on your ride.

Now get out there and have a safe and enjoyable ride!

Was this useful? Many of us have our own tips and tricks, so please share yours in the comments below.

*originally posted August 27, 2020 and updated in 2026 with new and improved info. This is also part 1 of our new 3-part bike maintenance series. Stay tuned for part 2 on morning bike safety check and part 3 on cleaning your bike. 

Cleaning your bike is about more than just making it look good. On a long tour, it is essential to keeping your bike in good working order.

Your drivetrain – that is the gears and chain – is the most abused part of your bike. It’s constantly fighting dirt, rain, sand, and thousands of pedal strokes a day. It’s the hardest, but also the most important part of your bike to keep clean.

By the end of this blog, you’ll know how to clean your bike and drivetrain in under 15 minutes. All you need are a few basic tools and a simple method tried and tested by our own tour mechanics.

Why it Matters

A dirty or dry drivetrain wears out fast. Chains, cassettes, and chainrings are expensive and hard to replace when you are on a cycling tour.

Grit acts like sandpaper between your chain and cassette. Meanwhile, applying too much lube without proper cleaning creates a sticky paste that just attracts more dust.

A clean drivetrain means fewer skipped gears, quieter rides, longer component life, and far fewer roadside failures.

What you need

• Hose or water source
• Bucket
• Dish soap
• Tooth brush or scrubbing brush
• 2 Microfiber cloth, towel, or rag for washing the bike
• Chain lube

We’ve broken down the cleaning process into 10 simple steps. Watch the video showing how to proceed, or scroll down if you prefer the written description with pictures.

Rinse your bike

Get the whole bike wet, but be careful not to spray high pressure water into any of the bearing in the wheels, bottom bracket, or headset. Lightly rinse the drivetrain.

Prepare your wash bucket

Put a bit of dish soap into a bucket, and then fill with water.

Wash your bike

Dip your cloth into the soapy water, and use it to wipe down your bike. Start with the less dirty parts like the frame, and then move on to the wheels. Dip the cloth into the soapy water again frequently, and rinse the cloth off if it gets too dirty.

Don’t use the cloth on disc brakes, and don’t clean the drivetrain yet.

Rinse

Quickly rinse the bike, just so that the soap won’t dry while you clean the drivetrain.

Scrub

Dip your brush into the soapy water, and use it to clean any hard to reach areas, like under the downtube, around the derailleurs, and so on. Then you can use the same brush to clean your drivetrain. Use it to scrub the gears and chain, but just quickly, as you will clean these again later on.

Rinse

Rinse the drivetrain, and then rinse the whole bike again in case any dirt or soap was left there. Be sure to lightly rinse the brakes as well.

Dry

Let the bike dry before moving on to the next step. If the sun is out, move the bike to a sunny spot and it will dry quickly. Otherwise let it sit overnight.

Chain lube

Hold the bottle over the chain, and squeeze it very lightly so a slow drip of oil comes out. Spin the pedals while you do this, until the whole chain has a light coating of oil on it. The oil only needs to be on the top or bottom of the chain, not the sides.

Use dry lube on dusty roads, or dry pavement so grit won’t stick to your chain. Switch to wet lube in rain or mud—it stays on in the wet and lasts a bit longer but attracts more grit.

Clean the chain

With a clean microfibre cloth or rag, clean any remaining dirt and excess lube from the chain. Hold the cloth around the chain while you spin the pedals. You can do this first quickly, and then again where you hold the pedals in place, and scrub back and forth on one section of the chain at a time. Move the pedals a bit, and repeat, until you’ve worked your way through the whole length of the chain.

Clean the chainrings and pulley wheels

Wipe off any excess oil from the chainrings. Then clean the pulley wheels. Press the cloth firmly against the pulley while spinning the pedals, but be careful not to catch the cloth in the drivetrain or pinch your fingers.

How Often Should you Clean your Bike?

Not every camp or hotel has access to water, and usually a quick wipe-down after your ride is enough. But as a rule of thumb, and in normal, mostly dry conditions, a full clean-and-relube every three days to a week is more than sufficient.

Listen and feel for cues: chain squeaks or grinding noises, a gritty feeling when back-pedaling, or visible black buildup. Any of those mean it is time for a clean.

Done – now all you have to do is go and ride your bike!

Was this useful? Many of us have our own tips and tricks, so please share yours in the comments below.

Benjamin Levin is the Content Creator on the 2026 South American Epic.

When I was a kid playing soccer (football to the many), my coach always used to tell me, “Benjamin, stay on your toes!” Little good that did me because here I am in La Paz, Bolivia, writing travel blogs for an expedition cycling company rather than scoring goals for F.C. Barcelona… Alas, it was not all for nothing. Because here in Bolivia, with TDA Global Cycling, we have to stay on our toes.

Valle de Los Animales

Bolivia is a country of extremes. It was extremely cold yesterday morning. Today, on my morning ride up to Valle de Los Animales in La Paz, it was a tad under boiling. Out on the Altiplano, the population is sparse; llamas outnumber humans and abandoned buildings seem to stand one-to-one with inhabited ones. In El Alto and La Paz, it is the opposite. You are among the people, all the people, all the time. The streets are alive with vendors, business people, students, tourists, and stray dogs.

Llamas in the Altiplano

Even the traffic seemed extreme. On the road cycling into La Paz, it was heavy, but Ana Marie, our local support, told us there was about 50% less traffic than usual. Why? Right now, Bolivia is in the middle of a serious fuel shortage. For much of its history, Bolivia has been able to produce a good portion of its own fuel. That is no longer the case. The country still has the refining capacity, but there simply isn’t enough domestic crude oil to keep the system supplied. As a result, Bolivia has become increasingly dependent on imported fuel. And importing fuel requires U.S. dollars, something Bolivia is currently desperately short of. The result is four-day-long lines at gas stations, if those stations are even open at all.

Now theoretically you do not need fuel to ride your bike across Bolivia. Unfortunately, we are doing rather more than that. We are driving four vehicles supporting a group of 28 cyclists and 10 staff across hundreds and hundreds of kilometers, from Lake Titicaca to the Argentine border. So, as my soccer coach 15 years ago would be proud to hear, we have stayed on our toes.

Gas pumped wrapped up and closed in El Alto, Bolivia because there is no fuel at the station

Over the last few weeks, we have been collecting hundreds of liters of diesel in Peru in order to be as independent as possible from Bolivia’s struggling fuel system. We entered the country with four full diesel tanks and another 730 liters strapped to the roofs of two of our buses. In La Paz, our local contact was even able to source another 200 liters that she had stashed at home. Lucky us. Hopefully, that should be enough to get us into Argentina without too much trouble. Of course, this is Bolivia, and there are always a few variables to account for. A road closure, a political protest, a particularly ambitious pothole or some other unforeseen adventure that could change the equation pretty quickly…

Staying on your toes is one of the great skills that TDA staff excel at. As Will Druce, our Tour Leader from La Paz to Ushuaia, put it: “The tour is already taking us through some pretty remote areas where it can be hard to find basic resources… so this is just another extra challenge that we’re going to have to take on.” And that is expedition cycling for you. You can plan the route, bring a doctor and a mechanic, pack the food and bring nearly a thousand litres of diesel across an international border. But once you set off, you never quite know what is going to happen next. You just have to stay on your toes.

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The most common question our customers ask before a tour is, “What bike should I bring?”

We’ve created a video with some advice on choosing a bike for one of our tours. However, these tips also apply to anyone planning for a supported cycle tour of a week or longer. Go ahead and click play, or read on below for more details. We also created a handy downloadable checklist you can print and take to your bike shop to help staff find you the best bike for these types of tours.

Things to consider

There is an almost infinite list of things to consider when choosing a bike, especially one that you’ll be riding all day, day after day, for weeks or months in a row. We’ve broken down these decisions as follows:

Types of bikes
Frame material
Tire clearance
Gearing
Brakes
Bike fit
Saddle
Handlebars
Pedals & shoes
Suspension
Carrying your gear
Recommended bikes
Printable checklist

Types of bikes

The type of bike you choose will depend a lot on what type of handlebars you like.

Keep in mind that as we get older, our balance, agility, hand strength, and dexterity can decrease. For that reason, many riders change to flat bar hybrids as they age.

Bikes with drop bars (touring, gravel)

A ‘touring bike’ is one of the most common choices. These bikes are designed to cover long distances, to be very durable, and to carry lots of gear. On a supported cycle tour, while you won’t use the full extent of these capabilities, a touring bike is always a good choice.

Gravel (and cyclocross) bikes are also a very popular choice. These may appear at first to be similar to a touring bike, but are typically designed a bit more for speed than for comfort and durability. They are a good choice for anyone used to riding a road bike, but who needs something a bit more suitable for a long tour.

Note that we do not recommend narrow tire road racing bikes for any of our tours.

Bikes with flat bars (hybrid, hardtail mtb)

A hybrid with a flat bar is a good choice for anyone who likes a comfortable, upright position, or who ‘just wants a bike’. They are also often available with front suspension. Modern hybrids can be just as light as gravel bikes, with the only real difference being the more upright and relaxed seating position.

A hardtail mountain bike can also be a good option. It is a particularly good choice for any tour where extended portions of the route will be on dirt roads. And for paved sections, you can easily switch back to a thinner set of tires to regain some speed.

Frame material

Steel frames are well known for their excellent durability, and smooth ride quality. This is the most durable frame material available. If you want to use a steel frame for durability, but are concerned about the weight, you may be able to swap some of the other components (like wheels, etc.) to make the bike lighter.

Titanium frames are also very durable, while being lighter, but are significantly more expensive.

Aluminum frames are lighter than steel, but are slightly less durable and a bit less comfortable.

Carbon frames are the the lightest option available. Compared to the other options, carbon is much more susceptible to damage from smaller things like falling over onto a rock, being carried in vehicles, and so on. In our experience, touring with a carbon bike tends to become a source of stress and worry for the rider. Having said that, a growing number of TDA riders do use them, and you can do so if you accept these risks.

Three key elements of bike selection

1. Tire Clearance

We recommend a minimum tire width of 35 mm, with 40 mm being ideal. Even for tours on paved roads, you never know when you’ll come across a detour, broken pavement, or construction, and you’ll appreciate the extra comfort.

For tours on unpaved or mixed road surfaces, tires up to 50 mm wide may be needed.

On some tours you may want to bring two different sets of tires for varying road conditions. This can be a thinner set around 35mm wide, and 40mm (or wider if your frame will allow it) for dirt sections.

Registered for a TDA tour? Check the specific tire size recommendations for your trip. We don’t recommend narrow tire road racing bikes for any of our tours.

2. Gearing

On a long bike tour, it’s very important to have gears easy enough to allow you to spin up hills. The gears that you might be comfortable using at home, when you tend to have a few days to recover after a ride, may not feel the same when you’ve been riding five or more days in a row. Ask your bike shop about changing to a larger cassette or smaller chainring to make climbing easier.

You will also need to choose between mechanical or electronic shifting. Mechanical systems can require more careful tuning, but are easier to repair in the field. Electronic systems are generally reliable, but problems can be difficult or even impossible to resolve without ordering new parts from a bike shop. For more rugged adventures through remote areas and with a lot of camping, like our expedition tours, electronic shifting might not be the best idea.

>>RELATED: Click here to read more about bicycle gearing

3. Brakes

Most new bikes come with hydraulic disc brakes, and that is what we recommend. They are reliable and perform well even in bad weather conditions. Click here to read more.

Comfort & Fit

Now that you’ve settled on those basics, there are a few other options that, while based on personal preference, are still very important.

Bike fit

Being comfortable on the bike starts with a professional bike fit. They’ll dial in your saddle and handlebar position, saving you from a whole world of riding pains.

Saddle

Saddle choice is entirely personal and the options are endless. Your bike shop can measure the width of your sitbones, which is a crucial step in finding a saddle that matches your body. Make sure to put some real distance on your new saddle before your trip. Don’t be afraid to try more than one type to find the right match.

Handlebars

Ask your bike shop for options to make your handlebars more comfortable. Ergonomic grips or padded bar tape can make a big difference.

Pedals & Shoes

We recommend high quality flat mountain bike pedals paired with stiff-soled bike specific shoes. They drastically reduce the risk of falling when getting on or off your bike and make walking around roadside stops, touristic sites, and hotel lobbies easier and safer. Avoid using basic cheap pedals and running shoes.

If you have years of experience using clip-in pedals, great. Make sure to bring shoes with grippy soles where the clip does not protrude from the bottom. Don’t switch to clip and pedals just for your tour – stick with what you know. The performance advantage of clip-in pedals is small, and makes much less difference than being comfortable and safe on your bike. Avoid road pedals with road cleats. They’re unsafe for walking and make the risk of falls even higher.

Suspension

For tours on rougher roads, you may want to look at front suspension. If possible, a fork with a lockout is preferable. There are also options for seatposts and stems with suspension built in. But most riders will be happy with just the cushioning provided by their larger tires.

Cost

More expensive does not equal better. A capable bike can cost anywhere from $1,500 up to $5,000, and more. The key is to get the right bike for you and your trip. Durability and capability do not increase as you go up into the higher price ranges. Instead, you get relatively small gains in lightweight or aerodynamics, which are much less important on a long bike tour. An expensive or fragile bike can be a huge cause of worry on a long cycling trip. It’s not going to be parked safely in your garage. No matter how careful or prepared we are, on trips like these, there’s always a risk of damage or theft.

Carrying gear & accessories

Even on a supported trip, you still need to carry extra clothing, rain gear, tools, and water on your bike. You will need to carry a minimum of two water bottles, though some environments or situations call for three or four. At TDA, we recommend a minimum of 2 L on all of our tours. For the rest of your daily gear, consider bike packing frame and seat bags, handlebar bags, or even a rack and pannier. And don’t forget a mount for your phone or GPS device.

Recommended bikes

The following four bikes have been common choices among past TDA riders, and any one of them would be a good choice. But they can be taken as examples – there are plenty of slightly different models, or even similar bikes from other brands, that would also be suitable.

Kona Sutra (touring bike)
Salsa Journeyer (gravel bike)
Trek FX (hybrid)
Specialized Chisel (hardtail mountain bike)

Printable bike selection checklist

To help the staff at your local bike shop understand exactly what you need, we’ve created a handy printable checklist with all our recommendations. Click here to download it now.

Conclusion

Whatever bike you choose, make sure you have it well in advance of your tour, and get plenty of miles on it too. You don’t want any surprises when you set off on your next adventure!

What type of bike do you ride on long supported cycling tours? Leave us a note in the comments below.

Sara Frenning is the Content Creator on the 2026 Viva Italia Cycling Tour.

“Was that tobacco back there?”

The riders all roll into lunch with the same question. Some were able to identify the plant, and others “aaah” in recognition when they hear the answer. Soon the conversation continues.

“Did you see that plant?, Did you see that bird? What were those flowers with that wonderful smell?”

Small things noticed along the way, all discussed and compared over Balazs’s scrumptious lunch and slices of bread topped with a heavy layer of Nutella.

Tuscany

We are in the Tuscan countryside, completely taking over a gravel parking lot as TDA does, when the clock strikes lunch. Today we have shared the road with motorcyclists whose speed tilts their knees dangerously close to the road. They certainly enjoyed the views and the wind in their hair just like we do, but as they swoosh by, I can’t help but wonder if they spotted the tobacco, or if they smelled the flowers?

That’s the thing with traveling by bicycle speed. You notice things. Places you travel to by bicycle stick to your senses in a different way. More than a postcard, it becomes a sensory memory that captures smell, feeling and taste.

Diane heading to Rome…the long way.

You notice and encounter people more slowly. Cathy and Dianne, the smiling Australian sisters on this year’s Viva Italia, shared an encounter from the day over our pasta dinner. They stopped at a cafe for a coke stop, where the person behind the counter was far beyond retirement age. “Nonna looked like she had trouble walking between the cash and the counter,” Kate says, and we all laugh. But coffee by coffee, Coca-Cola by Coca-Cola, all the riders get served by the 80+-year-old Nonna who must have wondered what biking tornado had hit her otherwise sleepy little village that day. “When we left, we gathered the dishes and handed them to her at the counter, and her whole face lit up in a wonderful smile,” Dianne says, her own smile as big as the one she described.

Traveling by bike reveals the heart and stories of places in a way that speeding by in a car or motorcycle doesn’t allow.

In simple acts, such as when dirty dishes are passed from sweaty biking hands to old, trembling barkeeper hands, something is exchanged. A story is told and simultaneously created. The sisters now know that in Italy, Nonnas hold onto their bartending jobs to stay part of, and continue serving, their community, and that keeping your older population involved matters more than getting your coffee served quickly. And Nonna now knows that a cyclist from Australia cares enough to gather dishes to make her day a little bit easier. They will probably have different stories to tell of each other from that day, but their stories are nonetheless intertwined.

Perhaps in a way, that would not have been possible without the bicycle.

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It has been said that ‘All roads lead to Rome’ and the Viva Italia cycling tour is simply more proof that this may indeed be the case...

The foods that we grow familiar with, through our families, traditional feasts and the restaurants we visit; all heavily influence our ideas around what is tasteful and desirable. A cultural affection for foods is an important, and essential part of any community and its history. At the same time our actual sense of taste, the sensation in the immediacy of a bite of food, without bias from our cultural and culinary journeys, is something that is harder to experience as we age.

If ever there is a destination to visit, with open heart, open mind and open mouth, it is China. More specifically, Yunnan state, through which the Road to Shangri-La passes.

Golden Palace Kuixing Tower, Kunming

My own travels brought me to Yunnan in the early 2000’s. The culinary abundance, rituals and delicate care for the foods prepared has always stayed with me. I was fortunate to experience the diverse cuisine of Kunming, where the Road to Shangri La spends a rest day.

There are many reasons for the bounty of Yunnan cuisine. Certainly, the temperate year-round weather is one, Kunming is famously known as ‘The City of Eternal Spring’. Another reason is the early development of agriculture, including the over thousand-year-old Hani Terraces. Built by the local Hani people, to maximize the fertility of the mountainous terrain and steep ravines, as well as utilize the heavy seasonal rainfall for irrigation. This alludes to another factor, the cultural diversity of the region.

Hani Rice Terraces

There are over 25 distinct ethnic groups in Yunnan state, as well as the majority Han Chinese population. Though the federal government has enforced Mandarin as a common language, most of the indigenous ethnic groups in Yunnan continue to speak their own languages and continue their own distinct culinary practices.

So, to inspire food cravings, and excitement for the Road to Shangri-La’s time in Yunnan state. Below are a few of the culinary highlights to look forward to. One thing you can easily see, is that the names and stories of dishes are as unique as their tastes…

Crossing The Bridge Rice Noodles

Crossing The Bridge Rice Noodles

A beautiful noodle soup brought to the table deconstructed as hot broth with side vegetables and meats to be added only at the moment of devouring. From a Qing dynasty folktale exhibiting the inventive way a dish could be kept hot, even if having to cross a long bridge by foot before serving.

Ghost Chicken

Wild herbs, birds eye chilis and lime make this shredded chicken salad spicy, citrusy and fresh, while the name tells the story of roosters being eaten after their sacrifice at ceremonies of the Dai and Jingpo ethnic groups.

Old Grandma’s Potatoes

Imagine potatoes, in this case cooked till soft enough for even a toothless person to enjoy (old grandma in this case), and mashed with garlic, scallions and fiery peppers, and maybe even the local cured ham. This one is to be enjoyed with a cold Tsingtao beer, followed by a long nap.

Black Three Chop

Known as a “rice killer” dish, as it invites you to consume mass quantities of rice alongside it, Black Three Chop is a high heat wok cooked dish with minced pork, picked mustard greens and root, and fresh green chilies. Three ingredients to chop, and the local mustard root is black.

Yunnan mushrooms

Wrinkled Peppers With Wild Mushrooms

Yunnan mushrooms, with over 900 edible varieties, are famous in China, and though not on any restaurant menus, the hallucinogenic variety are also common in the local forests. While this dish won’t have you seeing things, it will have you coming back for seconds. Yunnan wrinkled green peppers almost embrace the mushrooms in the dish and offer a gentle, crunchy heat.

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The Road to Shangri-La

Shangri-La, an earthly paradise cut off from the world in a hidden Himalayan valley, a place where there is no war or suffering and where people live...

Pedal past Patagonia’s mountains, forests, lakes and glaciers on the way to the legendary Fin Del Mundo (End of the World).

We are excited to announce another new cycling adventure – Fin Del Mundo – a 7 1/2 week, 4022 km ride through Chile & Argentina. In October, 2028, please join us as we follow in the footsteps of intrepid adventurers like Charles Darwin and Bruce Chatwin and head south from Chile’s capital, Santiago, destined for the ‘Fin del Mundo’, literally the ‘End of the World’, at the tip of South America. The cyclists will spin past some of Chile’s famous vineyards and its stunning lakes and volcanoes before crossing into Argentina and the resort playground of Bariloche. Next up is the legendary Carretera Austral – a 1200 km odyssey through the remote and sparsely populated region of Patagonia – a vast tapestry of forests, mountains and glaciers. And, at the end of it all, looms the shores of the Tierra del Fuego and ‘The “End Of The World.’

>>Related: Click here for dates, prices and full details

Lighthouse at the End of the World

Ever since Ferdinand Magellan sailed through the waters at the tip of South America in 1520, the idea of reaching this far-flung outpost has captured the imaginations of explorers from around the planet. Now, you too can realize your own dreams and cycle to this mythic destination.

Along the way riders will sample some of Chile’s fine New World wines and feast on fresh seafood along the country’s Pacific Coast. Continuing south, cyclists will stop to marvel at the sublime view of Volcán Villarrica from the adventure tourism hub of Pucón. From there, the journey crosses into Argentina to follow the famous Route of the Seven Lakes—a stunning 107 km stretch of the country’s legendary Ruta 40.

After taking in the Argentine lakes, riders will spin back across the border into Chile to begin the historic Carretera Austral. At the end of this remote and challenging road, they will experience one of the most epic border crossings in the world—a rugged transition back into Argentina that includes two ferries, 20 kms of single-track, and a couple of the most isolated border posts on the planet. Finally, cyclists will marvel at the magnificent peaks of Torres del Paine National Park before pulling into Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, located at the spectacular Fin del Mundo. One of the most scenic cycling journeys the world has to offer awaits!

Registration is now open. 

Bariloche, Argentina

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Camille Kirby is the Content Creator on the 2026 South American Epic Cycling Expedition.

Somewhere between Cartagena and Cusco, the unexpected stopped being so… unexpected. When we started the South American Epic in Colombia, the road ahead was shrouded in mystery. We had six countries to cross, multitudes of landscapes to navigate and an incredible distance to cover.

But what does it actually take to cycle from the balmy Caribbean coast, where you’re coated with sticky sweat, to 4,500 metres above sea level, dodging alpacas and fighting off altitude sickness, in a mere few weeks? It takes a lot. Physically, yes, but mentally it’s a whole other game.

The beginning of this tour was marked by massive excitement to get moving, get on the bike day after day and keep moving forward. But it’s not that simple. The South American Epic has arrived in Cusco, a major refuelling point for riders and staff, and is just days away from the halfway point of this 5½-month trip. Our riders are starting to feel the immensity of cycling the length of South America, a gorgeous but relentless landscape of stimulation, beauty and harsh reality.

So what’s changed since we started pedalling from Cartagena?

Rona Lowe and Deb Jenner walk their bikes out of camp along the Peruvian coast

Initially, this trip was a route, a destination and an implicit promise that every day would be new and exciting. Now, several thousand kilometres later, these cyclists have developed a different relationship with the ‘uncertain.’ The unexpected has become routine – every day holds surprises and challenges, and they ride right through them without a second glance.

South America tests you but we’ve learned we can handle it. Minor inconveniences that once felt significant have lost their power. There’s a landslide? We’ll get in the van for the last 5 kilometres. A Sunday saint’s parade has blocked 5 kilometres of the route? We’ll hang at a coke stop while tour leader Michaela finds another route. The hot showers promised at camp turned out to be frigid? Maybe the next camp will have them! Something that might have phased us in the first week out of Cartagena is just life now; nothing seems to get a rise out of us anymore.

Mentally, we’ve come to understand the chaos of riding through South America. Physically, we’re re-learning what it means to pace yourself, slow down and listen to your body. Australian Richard Hughes compares this experience to his first TDA trip, the Tour D’Afrique itself, where he would push himself to the brink before he would take a lift in the support vehicle. In Peru, he’s now learned when it’s the right time to skip a riding day or cycle a half day. One stage was 154 kilometres, most of it along a high Andean plateau at 4,500 meters above sea level. The day was long, descending from the plateau to sleep at a more comfortable 3,400 meters. Twelve of our 16 riders took half or three-quarter days, a definite switch from the every-single-inch mentality that pushed us coming out of Cartagena. An almost-six-month cycle is a feat in itself; our full tour riders are starting to recognize what a toll it can have on their bodies.

Stephen Owen takes a moment to watch the sunset along the Peruvian coast

One of the clearest signs of change is how time itself has seemed to disappear. American Anne Brooks has “stopped counting the days.” She didn’t know we were approaching the halfway mark, nor did it seem to matter. The trip is now becoming a way of life, or even life itself. Riders wake up thinking about what they’re going to see that day, not what they’ll see on the rest day three days from now. They’re not checking off destinations, they’re living them. Wake up. Eat. Ride. Eat. Rest. Repeat.

Cartagena is beginning to feel less like the start of the trip and more like a whole other lifetime. This long bicycle ride is no longer an interruption to normal life; it just is. We are far from the end of the road; there are still thousands of kilometres, challenging roads, changing weather and plenty of unexpected moments ahead. The cyclists don’t know what this ride has taught them or given them yet – and that’s because it’s just life at this point. But they’ve discovered the perfect mentality for tackling South America: adapt often, don’t get rattled, stick to the plan, then let it all go. After all, it’s just a bicycle ride.

Tour leader Michaela Pye with riders Joanne Snow, Richard Hughes and Maddy Holmes at the beach in Peru’s Paracas National Reserve

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Over 7 weeks in April, May & June almost 30 riders pedalled 3760 km from the Acropolis in Athens to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, spinning through 10 European countries. Here’s what they thought of their cycling Odyssey.

“The Odyssey was my first TDA tour. TDA staff were excellent in providing information on all aspects of the upcoming tour. On tour I always felt well informed by TDA staff with the daily briefings and staff being immediately accessible. This background support made it easy to simply ride and explore ten countries at a pace of my choosing, and to be able to enjoy the adventure with 19 other like minded people was huge!!! Trips like this with the adventure of exploring many countries, challenging myself physically and mentally every day, is truly living life.” – John Hecht (Canada)

“This was my first long bike ride tour and I have to say I had a very positive experience. I worried about the riding every day, the distances, could I do it? I just took one day at a time, one week at a time, and found out that I could do it! I thought the route was well planned out to have two, three, or four riding days and then a rest day. Four riding days at the most seemed perfect. It gave you enough time to rest and recover and be ready to ride again! I found it exciting to see new places every day and riding through so many different countries was an amazing experience.The staff of TDA are all so supportive and really make the trip fun for everyone. I would highly recommend this tour.” – Cindy Sharpe (USA)

“We had a great group of riders and staff; both of which I could not have hoped for better. There was not a single person I would not want to ride with again, and all of whom I again hope to encounter. The Balkans and Bavaria were the highlight for me.” – Mitch Long (USA)

Related Post: “What’s Not To Like?” – The 2023 Odyssey Riders Speak Out

“This tour was definitely a challenge for me. But I feel a real sense of accomplishment upon completing those long rides and all the hill climbs. Were there moments when I was cold, wet and soggy? Yes. Were there hot, sweaty slogs up interminably long hills? Yes. But, I also had some of the best biking days of my life. I swam in the Adriatic, listened to the cuckoo in the forests of Bosnia, smelled the incredible aroma of the many blooming wildflowers, saw castles, medieval towns, shepherds holding crooks while tending their sheep, and even watched the women’s tour d’italia come through a tiny village. I explored the ruins at Delphi, learned about communism and bunkers in Albania, toured a tunnel from the war in Bosnia, ate kuchen at coke stops in Germany and delighted in all the covered bridges and bike paths. It was an amazing experience that I am still digesting and discussing with my husband.” – Margit Donhowe (USA)

“A truly wonderful experience cycling roads less traveled across 10 countries featuring over 4000 years of history and culture. Life is all about collecting experiences. The TDA odyssey tour provides that in spades. Both challenging but also very rewarding. Do it!!” – Chris Wille (Canada)

“A wonderful tour through lesser-visited areas in the Balkans. Beautiful vistas, interesting history and culture, and varied biking profiles every day. The crew was dedicated to giving all riders an excellent experience.” – Lori McCarney (USA)

“The TDA Odyssey section that we did, Sarajevo to Munich, was my first experience with such a long ride and it exceeded my expectations. I was nervous about the climbing but was able to do it with the support from the staff and other riders. Riding the whole coast of Croatia and through the Alps was epic. The people I met were truly inspiring, some in their 80s, just keep moving. Thank you TDA.” – David Kabaker (USA)

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The worlds of adventure cycling and professional road racing rarely overlap. But once in a while, these vastly different disciplines can meet. They did recently when the riders of The Odyssey found themselves riding on the route of the Giro d’Italia Women race, mere minutes before the arrival of the peloton.

It seems that searching the globe for the best cycling roads can lead us both to the same places!

These two worlds will meet again soon. When we heard that the UCI Road Cycling World Championships for 2026 would be held in Montréal, it seemed that TDA Global Cycling should be there.

Despite the differences between cycle touring and road racing, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to be in attendance at one of the world’s largest cycling events, here in our own country. And so, when the World Championships arrives in Montréal from September 20th to 27th, you will find a TDA Global Cycling booth in the Fan’s Village at Parc Jeanne-Mance. If you are in town for the races, please stop by to visit us. You can also attend our film screening night on September 24th.

Maybe Tadej Pogačar will get some ideas for how to spend his time once he one day retires from racing.

It has been a couple months since the cyclists on the 2026 Pub Ride pedalled into Copenhagen, marking the end of their ride through Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany & Denmark. Let’s see if they enjoyed their time together.

Registration is now open for the 2028 Pub Ride Cycling Tour.

“Such an amazing journey! Bicycle paths, towpaths, sidewalks, quiet and busy roads. Flat, gentle slopes, and steep hills for walking up with bicycles. Fields, forests, canals, coastlines, harbours, small and large towns. Sunshine, cool temperatures and hot, gentle rains and a few downpours, tailwinds and headwinds and still days, many hours of sunlight in these summer days. Cycling in small groups, stopping at cafes, rest days to explore and enjoy special places, socializing and solo time.” – Anne Fege (USA)

“It was a great supported ride with good staff and riders.” – Ross Ashborne (Canada)

“This is a great route.” – Bart Berg (USA)

>>Related Post: “I Highly Recommend This Tour.” – Reviews From The Pub Ride

“The TDA Pub Ride was far more than a long-distance bike ride—it was an exercise in resilience, curiosity, and perspective. Each day brought new landscapes, cultures, and conversations, reminding me that travel at the pace of a bicycle allows you to experience a country in ways that are impossible from a car or train. There were demanding days battling wind, rain, and fatigue, balanced by moments of exhilaration listening to the birds along quiet country roads leading to vibrant and welcoming towns. Riding into Copenhagen was a fitting conclusion to the journey. The city’s world-renowned cycling culture felt like a celebration of everything the tour represented: sustainable travel, community, and the simple joy of exploring on two wheels. Arriving after 3 weeks on the road brought a deep sense of accomplishment, and the discovery that some of life’s greatest rewards come from slowing down, embracing pain, and remaining open to the unexpected.” – Brad Klassen (Canada)

“Round for round, pound for pound there ain’t no finer pub ride bike tour around. The staff and fellow riders are first class. We all bonded at the end of each day with exactly what the tour was meant to be, a cold beer in a local beer pub laughing about the days events.” – Jeff Cohen (USA)

“This style of tour is very well run. Organized and efficient. I was more successful as a new long distance rider than I expected which was inspiring to me. The other riders in the group were welcoming as we came in half way to an established group.“- Angela Klasssen (Canada)

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Over 5 weeks you will cycle from storied Dublin to the waterfront of Copenhagen. Through Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands...

Maz Crotty joined the 2026 South American Epic Cycling Expedition in Cartagena, Colombia and rode to Quito, Ecuador. It was her first tour with TDA Global Cycling.

1,153 miles, 88,690 ft elevation ⛰️🚲⛰️🚲⛰️

Cartagena, Colombia. Saturday evening, the city is a sea of yellow as groups of family and friends gather to watch the Colombian World Cup match. The atmosphere is electric. On Sunday morning, after breakfast and a brief stop at the walls of the Old City for a group departure photo, we set off. A bunch of strangers from 11 countries are about to embark on an amazing adventure, one filled with challenges that will forge lifelong bonds and friendships.

At the start

As we ride out of the city, we quickly learn that traffic in Colombia is remarkably respectful of cyclists, always reassuring when you’re riding in a new country. We ride slowly and steadily as the heat rises each day. Any hazy cloud, patch of tree shade, or even a warm breeze is welcomed. Temperatures peak on day one at 101°F, with a “real feel” of 114°F. After just a 90 km ride, we’re completely wiped out. Each day, riding in the heat becomes a little more familiar, though not for all of us. It’s tough cycling.

Our tour leader goes for a run after lunch, and we debate whether she’s incredibly hardcore or completely crazy, before reminding ourselves that we’re probably a bit of both as well. New friends ride together through the difficult moments. No one gets left behind. The afternoon sweep rider is frequently slowed as we search for more shade and drink more water than we ever thought possible. We understand the consequences if we don’t. The TDA staff team’s ability to organize our daily movements so seamlessly, without ever appearing stressed even in difficult situations, is amazing to witness. Added to that is their attention to the small details for every individual rider, delivered with grace, patience, and genuine care.

Rider meeting on the beach

Each day I seem to discover a new favourite staff member. Will the Assistant Tour Leader returns to help when we can’t get a tire off. Tour leader Michaela picks us up after yet another mechanical issue and loads my bike onto the roof of the car so we can reach the hotel. There, Volker, the bike mechanic, helps solve the problem. Medic Jess offers advice and is the most approachable doctor I’ve ever met. They’re all cyclists themselves and completely understand what we’re experiencing. More importantly, they make it clear that they’re here to support us and keep us safe, and genuinely mean it. The food is incredible, with special vegetarian options available for me. Routes are thoroughly checked, hazards clearly reported, water refills provided along the way, and every one of the support vehicles checks in with us as it passes. It’s a big thumbs up from me.

As the days pass, we begin to understand Colombia’s rhythms and traffic patterns. Entire towns seem to head to work and school at exactly the same time. Families of four balance on a single moped: Mum on the back, Dad driving, and a child standing on each side. It’s wild to watch amidst the endless stream of scooters, motorcycles, and trucks. The traffic moves in peculiar patterns that appear chaotic and dangerous, yet somehow it all works. Days become weeks as we tackle mountain climbs on highways, cross national parks, and ride gravel roads through lush green landscapes filled with cattle, tropical vegetation, and magnificent trees.

Maz Crotty on the road in Colombia

The Colombians are happy, patient people. Everywhere we go, we’re greeted with friendly faces and random acts of kindness. It’s a refreshing contrast to everyday life back home. Many people have very little materially, yet they carry immense pride in their homes, communities, and national heritage.

Las Lajas Sanctuary

Eventually, the heat gives way to cold as we climb to elevations approaching 4,000 metres. Fortunately, we don’t sleep at the highest elevations during my portion of the tour, so altitude medication isn’t necessary. We ride through coffee and cocoa growing regions and gradually lose track of days and dates. There’s no time to read the news. We live in a bubble. Everyone knows we’re having the best time: the “slow crew” at the back. We take extra coffee stops, sample new foods and fruits, soak in the scenery, and never rush to reach camp. As long as we arrive in time to pitch a tent and take a shower, we’re happy. Some days I only ride to lunch. One memorable afternoon I visit Las Lajas Sanctuary, an extraordinary church built into a gorge near the Ecuadorian border. Along the way, I learn something important: enjoy the cycling to the fullest, but also enjoy the journey. Sometimes that means taking a ride in one of the support vans with expert drivers and excellent soundtracks rather than pushing too hard and finishing the day exhausted.

Boat transfer

Several days will remain etched in my memory forever. One is the boat ride through the wetlands from San Marcos – the cattle being driven across the water and a myriad of birds to view in this amazing setting. Another is the descent into Medellín, the City of Eternal Spring. It’s an insane ride down rough, potholed roads filled with sharp switchbacks and what feels like a million cyclists and scooters. Near the city, we stop for lunch at the roadside before being met by a local cycling club that escorts us into town, stopping traffic to ensure our safe arrival at the hotel. Oddly enough, I love riding into massive cities. Apparently being a non-native New Yorker has made me a little fearless. Traffic rarely unnerves me.

Another unforgettable day includes gravel roads, small ferries crossing the fast-moving Magdalena River, Colombia’s equivalent of the Mississippi, and delicious chilled strawberries at lunch near the second ferry crossing. From there, we ride into the Tatacoa Desert, feeling wild and free like cowboys on bikes.

I signed up for this epic adventure three years ago. My goals were simple: test every fibre of my body, gain a deeper understanding of the countries and cultures we pass through, speak bad Spanish, and be humbled by the enormous presence of the Andes and the ever-changing natural environment. The experience exceeded every expectation. What a privilege it has been to undertake a journey supported by such an incredible team, surrounded by encouragement and friendship, and to return home with a full heart etched with memories and a wonderful group of new friends.

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Arjuna Boucher-Pertuisot was the Content Creator on the 2026 Road to Valhalla Cycling Tour.

Ask everyone on Road to Valhalla for their favourite moment and you’ll probably get a different answer. A fjord disappearing into the mountains. Riding through pouring rain and somehow loving it. A Swedish fishing village glowing in the evening sun. Achieving a huge personal goal with TDA. Or, apparently, watching the Content Creator get charged by sheep.

Over more than three thousand kilometres and six weeks travelling through Scandinavia, the landscape changed constantly. Finnish forests gave way to islands and Swedish coastlines, before Norway brought the mountains, fjords, waterfalls and weather. Some days were spectacular because everything went right. Others became unforgettable because absolutely nothing did. These are a few of the moments that stuck.

Åland Islands – The Perfect Transition

For many riders, the Åland Islands became one of the surprise highlights of the tour. Leaving mainland Finland and weaving through the archipelago brought a completely different rhythm: quiet island roads, ferries between stretches of land, red houses, forests and open Baltic water. Instead of simply crossing from Finland into Sweden, we travelled through the landscape in between, island by island, ferry by ferry. For several riders, that peaceful combination of cycling, water and constantly changing scenery made Åland one of the most memorable sections of the journey.

Fjällbacka – Sweden Showing Off

Not every highlight needed to be enormous. Fjällbacka was a small fishing village on Sweden’s west coast, surrounded by rocky islands, boats in the harbour and colourful houses glowing in warm evening light. After days of forests, farmland and quiet country roads, Sweden seemed to be showing off a little. The bikes stopped. The pace slowed. Cameras came out. Nothing dramatic needed to happen. It was simply one of those places where everyone looked around and thought: Okay. This is pretty good.

Peggy Morsch & Kathy Herson – The Day The Rain Won

Norway doesn’t always give you the postcard version. For Peggy and Kathy, one of the most memorable days was also one of the hardest. Cold rain. Soaked roads. Mountains wrapped in cloud. But underneath the rough weather was incredible scenery, deep valleys, waterfalls and dark peaks disappearing into the mist. They pushed through the day together, and what could have been remembered simply as miserable weather became one of the defining memories of their trip. Sometimes the hardest days make the best stories.

Bruce Huddleson & The Norwegian Sheep Situation

Norway has mountains. Norway has fjords. Norway also has an impressive number of sheep. Bruce will probably remember plenty of spectacular cycling, but unfortunately one of his lasting memories will be watching around twenty sheep charge directly toward me in the middle of the road. For reasons nobody understood, they then decided I was responsible for them. They followed. I walked. They kept following. Somewhere in Norway, the TDA content creator briefly changed careers. For the next week, I became known as the shepherd. Bruce found the situation considerably funnier than I did.

Chris Wille – Kilometre 100,000

For Chris Wille, Norway marked something much bigger. On August 5, Chris reached 100,000 kilometres ridden with TDA, becoming the first rider ever to hit that milestone. Behind that number are different continents, countless climbs and descents, borders, camps, friendships and very long days in the saddle. And kilometre 100,000 happened here, surrounded by Norwegian mountains and fjords on the inaugural Road to Valhalla. Pretty fitting.

Anne Thompson – Arriving In Geiranger

Then came one of those days when Norway barely looked real. The approach to Geiranger was cool and grey, but after the bikes came the ferry, and an entirely new perspective. Massive cliffs rose directly from the fjord. Waterfalls dropped hundreds of metres toward the water. Tiny farms clung impossibly high to the mountainsides. Anne Thompson joined the other riders on deck as the ferry travelled deeper into Geirangerfjord. Everyone had gone inside to warm up. Nobody stayed there for long. Every turn revealed another waterfall, another wall of rock, another reason to grab a camera. Sometimes the highlight isn’t a climb or a descent. Sometimes it’s simply standing in the middle of a Norwegian fjord and taking it all in.

Francine Plante – Trollstigen, Arriving At Valhalla

For Francine, Trollstigen was the day that captured what Road to Valhalla had become. By then, nearly six weeks of riding were behind her. And on this day, Norway seemed to throw everything at the group at once. Rain moved through the mountains. Waterfalls crashed beside the road. Clouds wrapped around the peaks as the switchbacks climbed higher and higher. Cold. Wet. Hard. But for Francine, that was part of what made it so memorable.

There was something almost unreal about pushing through the rain, climbing into that enormous landscape and finally reaching the top with the other riders. Lunch was waiting, everyone was bundled into rain jackets, and below them was the spectacular road they had just conquered. After six weeks riding toward a place called Valhalla, Francine felt that this was the moment they had finally reached it. Not a finish line. A feeling.

One Last Ride To Trondheim

And then, suddenly, there was only one road left. After six weeks of waking up, climbing onto the bikes and continuing north, the group rolled toward Trondheim together. The final kilometres always feel strange. You want to arrive. You’re also not quite ready for it to end. Then came the finish line. The hugs. The tired legs. One final group photo. Helsinki was now more than three thousand kilometres behind us. Ask someone for the best moment of Road to Valhalla and they might still struggle to choose. Åland. Fjällbacka. The rain. Geiranger. Trollstigen. The sheep. The people. After six weeks travelling through Scandinavia by bicycle, you don’t really come home with one favourite moment. You come home with a collection.

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Camille Kirby is the Content Creator on the 2026 South American Epic Cycling Expedition.

“Northern Peru is flat and full of trash.”

I had been warned not to get my hopes up. Those who had visited before described a place of unsavory smells, dusty winds, and endless flatness. After the lush Colombian hills and smiling Ecuadorian faces we had grown accustomed to, they said Peru would be a slap in the face. And so we began our entrance into Peru.

I found myself cycling into Chiclayo, our first rest-day city. Seeing dusty, trash-strewn roads from the window of a vehicle is one thing; being on a bicycle in the middle of it is entirely different. The warnings quickly reveal themselves to be true. A harsh headwind blowing in from the nearby Pacific carried dust across a resource-depleted landscape, while the flat terrain stretched endlessly toward the horizon. The sameness of the straight route makes the riding feel hypnotic. But somewhere between the dust and the wind, something began to get more interesting.

I spot a huge billboard for a local hospital above a collection of half-finished homes. It depicts a pre-Hispanic warrior receiving an X-ray. He wears golden armor and an ornate headpiece, but his image is sliced in half, revealing his skeleton underneath. It’s almost the perfect metaphor for the Peru we’re entering: the past exposed by the present.

This dusty stretch of desert was once home to one of the largest civilizations in the Americas. Not the Incas—the civilization that so dominates our collective image of Peru—but the Moche and later the Chimu, cultures that flourished here for centuries before the Inca Empire emerged.

Maddison Holmes visits archeological site Chan Chan with Colleen Gordon and Yanez Novoa outside of Trujillo, Peru.

When you think of Peru, your mind tends to carve out the silhouette of Machu Picchu. You picture green mountainsides dotted with white llamas, the Amazon basin, or perhaps the chaotic sprawl of Lima. The Peru that is often forgotten is the coastal one. More than 3,000 kilometers of arid desert stretch along the Pacific, and beneath the dusty cities and surf towns lies an enormous trail of pre-Hispanic history, much of it hidden in plain sight.

Then comes Chan Chan. Just north of Trujillo sits the largest city ever built entirely from adobe. It was once the capital of the Chimu, which were at their height between roughly 1000 and 1470. At our rider meeting in Pacasmayo, the night before riding into Trujillo, I tell the riders about the ancient city and how it was once surrounded by fresh, flowing water. Their eyes widen. That can’t possibly be true.

Hundreds of years ago, runoff from the Andes flowed into the Moche River Valley, creating a network of rivers that carried water from the mountains to the Pacific. The Chimu harnessed those waterways with sophisticated irrigation systems, transforming this seemingly inhospitable desert into a thriving civilization. Lucho, our local support in Peru and the man behind the Casa de Ciclistas in Trujillo, tells me that the Incas eventually recognized the importance of these rivers to their enemies and began diverting water away from the coast. Cut off from their freshwater sources, the Chimu were driven inland. Eventually, they were defeated or absorbed by the expanding Inca Empire. Their language disappeared. Their cities were looted by the Spanish. What remains are ruins, and we’re riding right through them.

A Peruvian local watches the waves roll by in Huanchaco, Peru. 

On the surface, we’re pedaling across the flats of an arid desert. Beneath our wheels, however, is archaeological site after archaeological site—some carefully preserved, others neglected and slowly disappearing into the landscape. We are cycling on history, through history, becoming part of a geography continuously reshaped by water, wind, people, and time. As you ride into Trujillo, taking a pothole-ridden road where sections of pavement have already been reclaimed by the sea, you can see how this landscape might succumb to the same forces that have slowly eaten away at Chan Chan’s adobe palaces. This is the heart of coastal Peru.

Most people arrive in search of the Peru they already know: the Andes, the Amazon, the mountains, the dramatic vistas. The coast offers none of that. It offers dirt and grime, history and heart. It wasn’t until this section of the journey—without the picture-perfect scenery—that I began to feel like an explorer. When traversing the length of South America you’re going to get the inspiring volcanoes of Ecuador, but you’re also going to get the flat desert passes of Peru. It means Cotopaxi as well as the Pacific, lush valleys and forgotten archaeological sites, battered roads and cities that don’t look anything like the Peru we imagined.

The beauty of a journey like this isn’t just found in the places that take your breath away. Sometimes it’s found in the places you were told not to get excited about. Northern Peru is flat, dusty and messy. But beneath our tyres are the ruins of one of the greatest civilizations in the world. How lucky are we to trace its rise and fall with two wheels?

Anne Brooks rides into Huanchaco, Peru on a cloudy afternoon.

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Our newest European cycling adventure, the 2027 Plum Ride, takes riders from the Baltic Sea to the Aegean Sea, from Poland to Greece, passing through 7 other European countries – Germany, Czechia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia & North Macedonia. Along the route the tour will stop for rest days in 8 cities and towns, each with their own distinct charm and attractions.

Let’s take a look at what riders can expect on their days off the bicycle.

Świnoujście, Poland

Stawa Młyny Lighthouse

Świnoujście is a Polish spa and resort town on the shores of the Baltic Sea, just across the border from Germany. It is known for the country’s widest beach (200m) and tallest lighthouse. Riders can climb up the latter for wonderful views over the area. They can visit an island within the city, Karsiborska Kępa, which is a protected bird refuge home to over 140 species, marvel at the Stawa Mlyny, a navigation beacon built in the form of a windmill, or wander through the Museum of Deep Sea Fishing.

Insider Tip: A visit to the Wolin Island Underground City is highly recommended. This underground complex was built built by the Nazis and later became a nuclear command post for the Polish Communist State. CNN reports that “visitors are grouped into “platoons,” while the guides play the roles of the strict Polish army commanders. Lining up and submitting to harsh commands and occasional screaming is part of the experience.”

Berlin, Germany

Brandenburg Gate

Berlin is a kaleidoscope of history and architecture. Riders can visit the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and Checkpoint Charlie. They can reflect at the Holocaust Museum, the Topography of Terror Museum and the Stasi Museum. If they have the energy, cyclists can pedal all or part of the Berlin Wall Bike Trail and/or the city’s old airport, Tempelhofer Feld, now a public park and when they finish, they can wash down Berlin’s signature curry wurst dish with a fine German lager.

Outside The Box: Feeling whimsical? Riders can visit Kaninchenfeld (Rabbit Field) where artist Karla Sachse installed 120 bunny silhouettes to honour the only creatures able to cross the Berlin Wall at will. Stroll down Chausseestraße for the best chance to come across them.

>>Related Post: Gdańsk – A Cycling Capital In The Heart Of Poland

Prague, Czechia

Prague Castle

The magical city of Prague marks the end of the Plum Ride’s first section and the riders will enjoy 2 full rest days here. Even that is barely enough time to skim the city’s incredible history. There is the spectacular Prague Castle, the iconic Charles Bridge and the medieval Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square. The cyclists can also explore Prague’s Jewish Quarter (Are you familiar with the Legend of the Golem of Prague?) or read the messages for peace at the John Lennon Wall and then head to one of the city’s famous beer halls for a local pilsner.

Must See: A visit to the Muzeum Slivovice R. Jelínek must be considered mandatory for the riders of the Plum Ride! Here they can enjoy a guided tasting and learn about the process of turning the fruit into a spirit.

Bonus Founder’s Tip: Given the political climate these days, TDA Founder Henry Gold suggests you take the Self Guided Tour of Franz Kafka’s Places!

Olomouc, Czechia

Upper Square and Holy Trinity Column

Olomouc, Czechia (pop. 105,000) is one of the smaller cities that the Plum Ride has a rest day in but there is much to charm the riders. The UNESCO Holy Trinity Column is decorated with numerous religious sculptures by the Moravian artist Ondrej Zahner and at noon the riders should be sure to be at the city’s Astronomical Clock to enjoy its animated display featuring 1950’s Social Realist figures – a miner, baker, clerk, volleyball player, auto mechanic and factory worker.

Tasting Note: Riders should be sure to sample the local cheese, Olomoucké tvarůžky. A ripened soft cheese made with cow’s milk, it is known for its distinctive taste and pungent odor.

Budapest, Hungary

Parliament Buildings

One of the world’s great cities. Stunning architecture like the country’s Parliament Buildings. A fabulous castle with sweeping views over the Danube. Soothing thermal baths. Cool ruin bars built in abandoned buildings and courtyards. A beautiful subway (Europe’s oldest) and charming yellow trams. A city of statues  including one of the American TV detective Colombo (Peter Falk)! St Stephen’s Cathedral which seats up to 8,000 worshipers. You may never want to leave.

Personal Tip: Communism Bike Tour by Budapest Bike Breeze. I signed up for this in 2023 and it was one of the best, most interesting city bike tours I have ever been on. You can read about it here. Don’t miss this!

>>Related Post: Thessaloniki: The Plum Ride Finish Line, But Not Quite the End

Belgrade, Serbia

Church of Saint Sava

Belgrade is Serbia’s capital and is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. It is also the end of the Plum Ride’s second section so riders will have 2 rest days to explore this historic city. The riders should be sure to check out the Church of Saint Sava with its vast dome and intricate mosaics as well as the Kalemegdan Fortress which overlooks the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. In the evening they can check out Skadarlija, a cobblestone street with traditional food and music.

Sipping Note: Have you sampled a Serbian Wine? Me, neither but you can try them yourself at Panajotović Wine Cellar which is set underground amongst a maze of ancient Roman tunnels.

Skopje, North Macedonia

Freedom Bridge

Once the Plum Ride enters the little visited country of North Macedonia, it will pause for a rest day in the capital city of Skopje. Much of the city was destroyed by a 1963 earthquake, leaving it with few historical monuments still standing. Fortunately, one of them was the Ottoman-era Old Bazaar, which reflects Skopje’s long and diverse history. Riders can also visit the 15th century Stone Bridge and Macedonia Square which is appropriately dominated by a statue of Alexander the Great.

Spiritual Note: Did you know Mother Theresa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, was born in Skopje? If you are a fan you can visit the Mother Teresa Memorial House in the city. Its architecture, however, is controversial with one critic stating “if it weren’t for the Christian cross, it could be a disco or casino.”

Ohrid, North Macedonia

Church of St. John at Kaneo

The last rest day on the Plum Ride will take place on the shores of beautiful Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia. Once known as the ‘Jerusalem of the Balkans’, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is famous for its ancient ruins and churches. One of the most iconic sights is the 13th century Church of St. John at Kaneo, perched on the shores of the lake. After visiting the many other historic sights, riders can enjoy a refreshing dip in the lake, one of Europe’s oldest and deepest.

Literary Tip: For a brief digital detox, consider checking out Ohrid’s National Workshop For Handmade Paper and remind yourself how paper was once traditionally made.

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