Seek Travel Ride

Rob MacLennan is back on the pod, this time mid-adventure sharing updates as he bikepacks from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to the start line of the Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan. 
We learn about how Rob has transitioned from long-distance touring (London to Cape Town) to getting into the world of ultra-cycling and how he ended up signing up to one of the hardest off road ultras out there in the SRMR!
He also tells us why he is now out there combining both disciplines on this trip, and what it's actually been like riding through Mongolia's empty grasslands, staying in gers with hospitable nomadic families. He also shares a crazy story of ending up driving a minivan full of people after his bottom bracket failed after teh water exposure from 30 river crossings in the Orkhon Valley.
You can listen to the original episodes featuring Rob's adventure from London to Cape Town here - Part 1 and Part 2.
Be sure to also give Rob a follow via his instagram @Robbo_On_The_Road
Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.
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Back in 1986, two Englishmen in their early twenties flew to Delhi with brand new mountain bikes and a paper map, and set off to ride through the Himalaya. James Baile takes us back nearly 40 years to a trip that saw him carrying his bike over three high mountain passes, reaching Kalapattar at 5,545 metres as one of the first cyclists ever to do it, and crossing into India solo after his riding partner's frame gave out.
Highlights from the episode:
Two 20 year olds, no maps of their own making, no local language, and a bike that had barely existed as a category three years earlier
Two weeks of carrying rather than riding, before the terrain eased into Namche Bazaar
Reaching Kalapattar at 5,545 metres, among the earliest cyclists to have done it
The transition from cycling with a friend to riding solo across northern India
The hospitality of strangers shown throughout the journey
Five days in McLeodganj giving Tibetan kids bike rides outside the Green Hotel
Follow along with James' future adventures via his instagram - @JamesB.Adventures
This episode originally first aired on Feb 01 2025. 
Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.
Support the show
Buy me a coffee!
I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:
👉  CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)
👉 Zorali 
👉 Helinox 
👉 Ombraz 
Follow us on Social Media!
Instagram - @SeekTravelRide
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music

Ever wondered what it's like to cycle across a mountain range? Well in 2023 I loaded up my bike with gear and set off from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean at St Jean de Luz, to cross the Pyrenees mountains all the way to Argeles-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean Sea. 
The route we took was a mix of the Classic Raid Pyrenees road bike and touring routes and we took nine days to complete the crossing. All up it was 803kms, 24 Cols and almost 18,000m of climbing. 
You can watch the visuals behind this adventure via our Raid Pyrenees video series on YouTube
Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.
Support the show
Buy me a coffee!
I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:
👉  CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)
👉 Zorali 
👉 Helinox 
👉 Ombraz 
Follow us on Social Media!
Instagram - @SeekTravelRide
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YouTube - @SeekTravelRide
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Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music

Ever wanted to go bikepacking in South America? This episode is for you. After being laid off from her job in Barcelona, guest Marta Ballús decided to take back control of her life by loading up her bike and taking an adventure in South America. I spoke to her while she was nine months and over 9,000 kilometres into her solo South American journey. A trip taken to help her reclaim her confidence and learn to trust herself. 
Marta's mantra on this trip is 'Do what scares you until it doesn't'. 
Highlights have included:
Southern Chile/La Carretera Austral: Her emote and rugged starting point heading south
Argentina desert: So boring she ditched the bike, hitchhiked instead and learnt to paraglide
Peru: Demanding bikepacking routes 
Bolivia (Salar de Uyuni): Cycling across the salt flats and seeing the sunset and stars in the night sky was like a dream.
Colombia: Brought with it a tropical climate and an explosion of exotic fruits.
Ecuador: Where she witnessed the incredible strength of Indigenous women doing hard physical labour
Galapagos Islands: Unique wildlife experience most bikepacking journeys never get to see
Follow Marta's future adventures via her instagram @MartasWay

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.
Support the show
Buy me a coffee!
I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:
👉  CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)
👉 Zorali 
👉 Helinox 
👉 Ombraz 
Follow us on Social Media!
Instagram - @SeekTravelRide
Facebook - Seek Travel Ride
YouTube - @SeekTravelRide
Seek Travel Ride Newsletter
Leave me a voicemail message

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

Planning a bike adventure through South East Asia? Olly and Ellie just rode Thailand into Malaysia, dealt with Ramadan closures, ferry logistics, and hit some gnarly climbs. Tune into this episode for intel on what it's like to go bikepacking in South East Asia plus a masterclass in pivoting when ferries only run once a month.
Follow Olly's adventures on Instagram - @sagas.of_olly.hargreaves
Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.
Support the show
Buy me a coffee!
I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:
👉  CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)
👉 Zorali 
👉 Helinox 
👉 Ombraz 
Follow us on Social Media!
Instagram - @SeekTravelRide
Facebook - Seek Travel Ride
YouTube - @SeekTravelRide
Seek Travel Ride Newsletter
Leave me a voicemail message

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