Özgür Karataş

“Working outdoors is phenomenal.”

When TDA need local support for translations in Turkey in 2014, I entered the picture. Before TDA, I lived year-round there, in Izmir. Now I live on the road eight months of the year; the rest of the time I’m in Turkey, either applying for visas or rock-climbing.

Sometimes on a tour our failures are as incredible as our successes. Being defeated as my tour attempted to climb a new route on Koca Sarp, a rocky mountain in central Anatolia, is an experience I’ll always remember.

I’ve seen so much of the world with TDA. My favourite place I’ve been so far is Meteora, Greece. Probably the greatest pleasure of cycle-touring for me is never spending more than two days in a row in the same spot.

Vilma Plesníková

Hello everybody, my name is Vilma. I like going to the nature by bike or just for a walk whenever it is possible. Bottle of water, some snack, camera and good weather - what could be better :-) See you soon

Peter Plesník

Hi, my name is Peter Plesník and I work as a shop assistent and bicycle mechanic. I'll be your mechanic on this tour and I am looking forward to meeting you all :-)

Douglas Percival

There is a great sense of satisfaction seeing a Rider finishing their day with a smile on their face, and that Day by Day, we have Taken someone safely to a place on this planet that Most People will never see, and all whilst by Bicycle.

I am a South African that has lived a life of itchy travel feet, and found myself Living in Sweden. Being a passionate cyclist in my teenage years, my Bike Mechanic Brother, taught me to fix my own bicycles, a vital bit of knowledge not only for a teenager trying to save money on bike repairs, but how it would shape my working career.

I've worked in all corners of the Bike industry,... shops, import and distribution, race teams, and even now for the Swedish Cycling Federation, as well as personal Guiding for a huge mix of private clients. They have all added up into helping me grow my knowledge of a bicycle, and how I can make one operate even in the worst environments with rider abuse,....which then played into the hand of being a confident TDA mechanic.

Guiding and Leading Tours came organically through my knowledge of Traveling, mixed with my knowledge of fixing bikes, thrown into the pot of being a passionate cyclist, and large desire of being on the Move.... Quite a mix.

TDA tours have the ability to provide one with a gift. It is a gift that keeps on giving...and that is: just when you think you have seen it all, there is always something else to surprise you with! From sleeping inside the Great Wall of China, to swatting flies off your sandwich in 49celcius Australian outback, or watching stars in the Sudanese Sahara, to Sipping Expresso's in an Italian cafe. From the Orderly bike lanes of Denmark to the chaos of Freetown, Sierra Leone.... There is so much that happens daily!

For any future rider that is wondering how to make their experience better. Set your expectations reasonably, ask questions, And come prepared... and Know your equipment!

Know how your bike feels, make sure it has arrived on tour Fully serviced. Know how to put up your tent if you're not confident with it.

And Figure out your bag packing! I have watched too many people lose an hour of their precious day (and some everyday for 4 months).. because they don't have their equipment organized.

Cheers..and happy riding!

Anthony Rock

I'm a Canadian-American and split my time between urban urban life Brooklyn, NY and on the Northumberland Strait in Atlantic Canada. The Orient Express will be my 6th ride with TDA.

David Freeman

I am a semi-retired lawyer living in Melbourne Australia. I have cycled all over the world including five tours with TDA but never in Japan. The opportunity in 2020 to cycle from Seoul to Sapporo is too good to miss and I am looking forward to that tour!

Michele Kline

My Husband Anthony (Tony) and I, are from Hobart in Tasmania...we went on our first TDA tour in 2014 from Lima to Cuzco part of the South African Epic our second tour was NZ from Auckland to Queenstown 2015 and a lap around our state Tasmania in 2022 both were part of the Trans Oceania. We have completed 3 full tours the Pub Ride 2017, Viva Italia 2020 and The Orient Express in 2022. We are looking forward to Morocco!

Anthony kline

54yrs old small business owner building concreting landscaping. Enjoy adventure activities, have walked everest base camp and kilimanjaro successfully. Been a keen cyclist for several years, in 2015 Michele and did our first TDA trip from Lima to Cusco. Last year we completed Auckland to Queenstown and now looking forward to the Pub ride.

Edna Granot

Retired but very busy with grand children. I did the Orient Express in 2011, so it is time to experience another ride with TDA.

Elias (Eli) Baron

I'm now retired and live in Plano Texas. Since I retired I have been doing one or more long distance bicycle rides each year. I did the Viva Italia Ride in 2019 and it was a very special experience. This year I did a self guided self supported ride in the Sierra Blanca in Spain, in Greece from Athens to Thesalonniki, a bicycle ride in Mongolia and a bicycle ride in Maine. I'm looking forward to ride in 2023 The Hippie Trail and Madagascar with TDA.

Russ Parker

I rode the 1st ever Viva Italia trip in 2019. (Highly recommended if you haven't done it). Looking forward to more fun on the Bamboo Road

Sue Parker

I'm active and play a lot of casual sports and enjoy photography. I did a leg of Rome to Rome with my husband and really enjoyed it so looking forward to cycling abroad again and joining him on one of the legs.

Philippa Davis

I'm a mad keen cyclist, it doesn't matter what sort of bike I get to ride, as long as I'm on 2 wheels. I've done trips around Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Tour de France and Tour Down Under, cycled the length of NZ and Tour of Italy with TDA. I've got a group of friends who are just as nutty and we go off on adventures together.

Philippe Doffey

Marathon, cycling, ski touring

Roger COOK

I am a 70 year-old that has always been active, with gym-workouts, running, and biking. I completed the Viva Italia in the fall of 2019 and was impressed. As a result, i have signed up for many more adventures; however, we all know how that has worked out! The Pub Ride fits perfectly within my life: I am a lover of activity and of beer :).

Frida Percival

Medical doctor working in Sweden and travelling the world with my husband Douglas as often as we can!

David Richards

I am a semi retired ex-banker living in London. I have completed a number of tours (both guided and unguided) through several European countries and completed the Pru100 London ride on a couple of occasions.

Gergo Szanyi

Hi there, My name is Gergo [Grrr-go], I'm from Budapest, Hungary.  I graduated in Visual Communications, since then I am dealing with photography, film and all sorts of graphic design projects. After more than a decade of annual and occasional bike touring with my family and friends in the late 80's and 90's, a couple of seasons of mountain bike racing, and quite a few years of "just" sitting in an office, in 2005 I bounced into a magazine article about the Tour of Freaks... I mean... the Tour d'Afrique.  It made me wonder: how such distance is even doable on a bicycle?  Fast forward to the following January: I found myself in Cairo, at the start line of the 4th edition of TDA!  I successfully completed the full tour as the first (and only) Hungarian in the TDA's history. What a great adventure it was! Next year, in 2007 I crossed the Himalaya by bike, riding with a friend from Lhasa to Kathmandu.  On this trip we had a great off-road ride up to the "North Base Camp" of Mount Everest in Tibet, China at 5,150 metres (16,900 ft) above sea level. This is where this profile photograph was taken. In 2010 we circumnavigated the island of Cuba with Eszter. Self-supported, with the help of an outdated, but then only available paper map. Since then I did the Amber Route, a couple of Orient Express tours, Trans Europas, Odysseys and the PubRides. In the summer of 2020 we completed a long distance all self-supported bicycle tour with the kids (then aged 1 and 6) with tents, a tandem and trailers.

Coby Werlin

I am the Content Creator on TDA's tours, mostly traversing Europe and the Americas, and off-tour I spend my time between Boston, MA and Maui, HI.

Balazs Perjesy

Stephanie Thornton

Hey Everyone, I am looking forward to traveling & supporting you on your tour across Italy. This will be my 5th TDA tour. In between tours, I do all sorts of other work spanning from Fighting forest fires to working with Doctors Without Borders. Can't wait to ride bikes with all of you and eat gelato when we aren't!

Leah Fantle

Hello! I am so happy to be joining everyone for this fall's Viva Italia trip. I have been a bicycle mechanic and educator based in Washington, DC for the last 7 years. I have a passion for bicycle transportation, as a way to connect deeper with our environments, and experience places new and old in fresh light, with a sense of fun and adventure. I have a love for travel, and tend to make a habit of bringing my bicycle along with me everywhere I go. The thing I love most about Italy is the food, and I cannot wait to share some incredible miles and meals with you all soon!

Mike Windeler

69 year old. Recently retired. Have cycled several times in Europe. Second trip with TDA.

Tim Sole

Married to Judy. Both rode LEJOG in 2014, TDA Bamboo Road in 2015, the first third of TDA Trans-Europa in 2016, the TDA Odyssey in 2017, the TDA Pub Ride in 2018, and the last 80% of TDA's North American Epic (so for us Banff to Panama) in 2019. This tour will be my first on an e-bike. My superpower is finding coffee stops.

Judy Sole

Married to Tim Sole, who is also on the tour. This will be my sixth TDA trip having previously done the Bamboo Road, part of the Transeuropa, the Odyssey, the Pub Ride and 80% of the North American Epic (Jasper to Panama). Greatly enjoyed cycling LEJOG (Lands End to John O' Groats) and the South Island of New Zealand.

Sandy Shier

Always ready for adventure and unwilling to accept status quo my life is filled with talented family and gifted friends, new experiences, great wine and delicious food.

Randall Shier

Randy is happily married to his best friend and wife Sandy of 37 years. He has three adult children, two of them married and two young grandsons. Randy resides in Kelowna, British Columbia and enjoys his real estate development career as President of Mission Group. When he is not working, he loves travel, cycling, snow skiing and oil painting. Born in Vancouver, he has been a lifelong British Columbian, except for six years in Los Angeles, earning a degree in architecture from the University of Southern California. His favourite team sports to watch are hockey and football. Randy is an avid Canadian Olympic hockey team fan, a USC Trojan college football fan, as well as a Pittsburgh Steeler fan. He and Sandy have experienced long distance cycling twice before in 2015 in 2017. Their first trip they rode 1,800 km, unsupported from Canterbury, England to Rome, Italy. their second trip was the Orient Express with TDA Global from Paris to Varna, Bulgaria. Randy is grateful to be married to an adventurous wife as she has been the catalyst for our long distance cycling adventures.

Geoff White

Retired teacher - High School Maths/Sci/DigTech Cyclist/surfer/skier/snowboarder.

Brigitte Oelert

I am married to Jürgen Willrodt and our first vacation 30 years ago was a bike tour through France. After our kids were grown, Jürgen convinced me to ride the Ruta Maya in Central America in 2015. It was my first TDA tour, which was tough but absolutely fantastic! The following year I cycled part of the Trans-Oceania Tour - from Auckland to Queenstown and in 2019 the first 4 weeks of the Trans-Himalaya Tour. Now I'm looking forward to cycling in Korea and Japan, to meet some friends and to eat the delicious food.

ASRUN AALVIK

I am born in 1951 in Hardanger in the western part of Norway With narrow fjords between steep Mountains. I love hiking and biking, but most of all I love to be grand mother of two girls and one boy! I participated on 2019 Orient Express Full Tour. This year I only bike the first stage.

Finn Trygve Nybakke

My name is Finn and I have bene living in Norway all my life since I was born i 1952. I am a father and grandfather, and I did have a cat! In 2014 we joined TDA on the last stage on The Silk Road to Istanbul. After that we joined the Orient Express 2019, and last year, Viva Italia 2022. All 3 tours together with my beloved Asrun, but this time through Europe I go alone (but we are still partners). See you soon in Tallinn :-)

Bente Arnesen

I am born in 1952 in Oslo in Norway. I have two daughters and six grandchildren. I am a retired teacher. I like cycle, kayak, cross country skiing and walking in the mountains. I have previously been cycling in Italy with EXPA, but only as one-week tour. I am really looking forward to this adventure!

Graeme Robinson

I am a 64 year young male who prefers a slower pace to my ride. Really looking forward to seeing Italy.I have done some touring but not of this range or location. Cycling Europe will be a new experience for me.

Richard Madden

Hello! I am a past rider with TDA, Orient Express (2006), Amber Route (2010), and Viva Italia (2022). I presently live in Los Angeles, and am 72 years of age. I am a retired university faculty member, worked 32 years at Duke University (Biological Anthropology) and 8 years at the University of Chicago (Organismal Biology & Anatomy), teaching human anatomy in the medical schools at both institutions.. My intellectual activities have been absorbed by the vertebrate paleontology of South America, where I have done field, laboratory and museum research all my life. My present interests center on climate change, and as I understand it, bicycles will be an important part of the solution to this complex and daunting challenge. I cannot tell you how much I look forward to being with you all, once again.

Regan Dunn

I’m a newbie to long bike tours, but I love long day trips on a bike. This will be my first TDA adventure, and I am very much looking forward to a spectacular trip and excellent food. I am a paleobotanist and Curator at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum in Los Angeles, CA. I make a living studying fossil plants and the rocks that preserve them. I spend a lot of time digging holes all over the world, and even more time at the lab bench and at the microscope. I am passionate about studying past climatic change, extinction and biodiversity to understand what the past can tell us about present and future change. I haven’t taken a vacation for several years, and I am ready for a big adventure with my husband Rick Madden.

Kelly McNamara

I have found riding a bike a great way to travel and see the world. There is no barrier between you and the environment, you see all the small things and of course you feel and smell everything. Tda has been my favorite company as the tours are longer and more independent.. It's addicting to fall into the day to day rhythm and routines. I just finished up the Viva Italia with my friend Chris Dean; whom I met on The Odyssey. I'm looking forward to the next big adventure on Trans-Europe.

Chris Dean

I have just completed the Viva Italia tour this year and am keen to come back and have another European adventure.

Andrew Freeman

This will be my first visit to Asia--can't wait--and second TDA tour; rode Viva Italia 2022 (was great).

Duane Lodrige

Love to tour via bike! The Viva Italia experience was incredible. I look forward to catching up with many of my Viva Italia friends on the Olive route plus an opportunity to meet and cycle across a beautiful area of the world!!

Melinda Setters

John Hemmen

I have been an avid cyclist all my life and have done many tours on both road and mountain bikes. Cycling is simply the best way to travel through country, for it lends itself to a relaxed and visceral connection to the land and its people. I am a retired Emergency Physician and have done the Trans Europa, Odyssey, Pub Ride, and NAE tours previously with TDA.

Jan Craig

I've had some great cycling adventures in Canada, Turkey, Colombia and Australia. It's the best way to see the countryside. I'm not fast but always make it in by dinner. And given I love beer, I might just speed up a bit on this trip!

Uwe Rydzek

Sabine Hoffmann

My husband and I live in Berlin and Italy with - sometimes - our two kids, who live actually in London and the US. We like to do sports of any kind and decided to do this bicycle trip for having fun, learn more about foreign areas and having some nature experience. I don`t like social media, which does not mean that I am not a social person.

Henry Gold

Founder, TDA Global Cycling

Juergen Willrodt

I am 73 years old and have already participated in 10 TDA tours mainly as a sectional rider. I am married and happy father of three girls (42, 27 and 24) and grandfather of three grandchildren. I am partly retired working now just 1 or 2 days a week which gives me plenty of time to travel. I have studied physics and have a Ph.D. in theoretical particle physics. I have been active in sports all my life and before I started doing cycling tours I have been active in Karate and participated in World Championships 1975 in Los Angeles and 1977 in Tokyo and became European Champion in 1977. You can find more information on my website.

Louise Sims

I'm not a fast rider by any stretch, but I love to travel this way!

Richard Russek

I enjoy the slower pace of cycling that allows one to explore a country. And the opportunity to try new food. And the history. But not the sore bum.