Bicycle Touring Pro

 Quinn is an amazing 18 year old who cycled across the USA after graduating from high school. During his cross-country cycling adventure, Quinn came and stayed at my home in Park City, Utah… and during his stay I took some time to sit down with him and interview him about his epic cross-country bikepacking […] The post 18 Year Old Cycles Across the USA After Graduating From High School appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

When you travel the world for years on end, you're bound to eventually have some interactions with the police – both good and bad. In this week's new Bicycle Touring Pro video, you will hear three funny and scary stories about encounters I've had with the police in different countries all around the world. In […] The post Funny & Scary Police Encounters From My Travels Around The World appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 Traveling in Peru can be crazy… especially if you take some of the country's super low-cost buses, which commonly break down, are boarded by roadside salesman, are rarely equipped with bathrooms and smell like pee, and can sometimes even be robbed by roadside bandits. In this new video/podcast, you will hear three crazy, scary […] The post Crazy Peruvian Bus Stories appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 Have you ever been camping in the woods and heard a noise outside and thought to yourself, “Is there a big, scary animal outside my tent?” Well, in this storytime video from Darren Alff, the Bicycle Touring Pro, you will hear about three scary nighttime encounters with animals from Darren's bicycle touring adventures all […] The post Scary Nighttime Animal Encounters appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 Traveling on a train with your bicycle isn't always easy. In fact, sometimes, traveling with a bike on a train is a downright disaster! In this new video/audio podcast, Darren Alff – the Bicycle Touring Pro, shares three train and bike horror stories from his bicycle touring adventures all around the world. These are […] The post Train & Bike Horror Stories! appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Crossing an international border is not always as straightforward as you might think! While many people are familiar with the idea of crossing an international border in a car, train or airplane, many people are unfamiliar with the act of riding a bicycle across the border of two neighboring countries. So, in today's new Bicycle […] The post Border Crossing On A Bicycle appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 Travel the world for long enough and you're sure to have some scary encounters with the police. That was certainly the case for Darren Alff, the Bicycle Touring Pro, during his three-month-long bicycle touring adventure across the Southern African countries of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. During his three-month journey by bike, Darren had […] The post Scary Encounters With The Police in Southern Africa appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

The Bicycle Touring Pro, Darren Alff, has spent more than 20 years traveling around the world on his bicycle. In that time, he's eaten at Michelin Star restaurants and some of the fanciest diners in the entire world. In this video/audio podcast, however, Darren details his top 5 favorite meals from his travels in more […] The post The 5 Best Meals in the World – A Travel Story appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Don't fall for these common travel scams! If you travel the world long enough, you're sure to encounter at least one of these three common travel scams. In this special Bicycle Touring Pro video/audio podcast, the Bicycle Touring Pro himself, Darren Alff, shares the story of three common travel scams that were attempted on him […] The post 3 Common Travel Scams appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

You'd think that as a famous world traveler, I'd have tons of juicy love stories from my travels all around the world. In fact, I'm often asked if, because I travel so much, I happen to have a different girlfriend in each and every city. But the truth is far less glamorous. As a world-famous bicycle […] The post Funny “Love Stories” From My Travels Around The World appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 Colin Herron is riding his bicycle across the United States! In this half-hour interview with Colin, we hear why this young man decided to make the cross-country trip of a lifetime, what he has learned about himself and his country along the way, and the lesson's he's learned as a long distance bicycle traveler. […] The post Colin Herron's Incredible Cross-Country Bike Tour (USA) appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 In case you missed it, here is the recording of the special bicycle touring web event that took place on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2020 — a special ZOOM webinar that was hosted by TEEN TREKS as part of their “Bike Touring Education Series.” This particular webinar featured an interview between Katie Hennessey of Teen […] The post TEEN TREKS: Bike Touring Education Series appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

It’s easy to get caught up in life and obsess over the things you don’t have, the experiences you’ve been unable to make or the relationships you’ve been unable to forge. While thinking about what you DON’T have may be easy… it’s important that you sit back every once and a while and appreciate the […] The post Bicycle Touring Teaches You To Be Thankful appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 It has been almost four months since I last sent out an email, published a new blog post or released a new video on the Bicycle Touring Pro YouTube channel… and in that time, I’ve received dozens of messages from people all around the world, asking if I’m okay. ►► CLICK HERE TO WATCH […] The post I’m Still Alive… appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Bicycle Touring Pro, Darren Alff, goes on the “Tell Me About Your Bike” podcast to discuss his first experiences with bicycle touring and the 1980’s Sierra Schwinn mountain bike he used to complete his first two long-distance bike tours across the United States of America. Be sure to subscribe to the “Tell Me About Your […] The post Tell Me About Your Bike appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 My eyes were open, but all I could see was darkness. Pure black. A vague cloud of charcoal swirled in front of my eyes and I struggled to gain focus. I knew where I was, but I was unable to do anything about it. I was laying on my back, incapable of movement, and […] The post My Terrifying Encounter With The “Wild Man” appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 Hundreds of people try bicycle touring or bikepacking each year as a cure or treatment for their depression. But is a bike tour (or cycling in general) a good cure for depression? Watch the video above or listen to the latest episode of the “Bicycle Touring Pro” podcast to hear my thoughts on the […] The post Can Bicycle Touring Cure Your Depression? appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

This summer I traveled to New Ringgold, Pennsylvania to meet and interview author Cindy Ross, who has been walking and cycling the long-distance trails of North America for more than 35 years. CINDY’S WEBSITE: www.cindyrosstraveler.com CINDY’S BOOKS: https://amzn.to/2HWb5yz Cindy and her husband, Todd Gladfelter, live in a log home that they built themselves for less […] The post How To Live A Life of Adventure appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 In the summer of 2003, Darren Alff (then age 19) spent two months cycling up the Eastern Coast of the United States on his bicycle – starting in Raleigh, North Carolina and ending in Portland, Maine. Along the way, Darren pedaled his bicycle close to two thousand miles, had some incredible adventures along the […] The post My Frightening Encounter With A Mountain Lion appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

AirBNB.com is an amazing online platform that allows you to easily find and rent apartments, houses and a wide variety of properties all around the world. I love staying in AirBNBs… and over the last eight years I have rented dozens of AirBNB properties all around the world. In fact, I have rented so many […] The post 7 Ways To Save Huge Amounts of Money With AirBNB.com appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

 WarmShowers.org is a FREE community-run website that enables individuals traveling by bike to find hosts around the world who are willing to put them up for a night or two during the middle of their travels. If you are familiar with websites such as CouchSurfing.com or GlobalFreeloaders.com, then you are already familiar with the […] The post Using WarmShowers.org To Score Free Lodging When You Travel By Bike appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Here is my complete bikepacking gear list – a detailed listing of each and every item I carry with me on my off-road bikepacking adventures. My Complete Bikepacking Gear List: Feel free to use this bikepacking gear list as a template for your own bikepacking adventures. Pay attention to the bike I’m riding, the bikepacking […] The post My Bikepacking Gear List appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Join the Bicycle Touring Pro in June, 2019 for the week-long BIKE VIRGINIA cycling tour across the scenic Shenandoah Valley. Click here for details on how you can join this 3 or 6-day cycling event! 

 Help me celebrate 10 million YouTube views, my 35th birthday and Bicycle Touring Pro’s 11-year anniversary with this special LIVE YouTube webinar and Q&A session. SPECIAL OFFER – THIS MONTH ONLY ►► Get $5.00 off my how-to book, “The Bicycle Touring Blueprint,” when you enter the coupon code: BIRTHDAY at checkout (Offer valid on […] The post Bicycle Touring Pro’s 11-Year Birthday Celebration! – YouTube LIVE appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Hi. My name is Darren Alff… and for the last 18 years I have been traveling around the world on my bicycle. I’ve pedaled by bike hundreds of thousands of miles/kilometers and I’ve ridden across dozens of different countries on multiple continents all around the world. In fact, I’ve cycled across every country in Europe […] The post Cycling in Eastern Europe: Popular Bike Routes & Safest Countries appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

If you've been following me on Instagram or Facebook recently, you know that I just recently completed a short 5-day bike tour in the mountains of Northern California. This was a short, but beautiful and challenging bicycle tour with lots of climbing, snow-covered passes, and run-ins with lots of friendly people along the way. I'll […] The post 3 Important Lessons From My Bike Tour in Northern California appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

The SteerStopper is a high-end bicycle accessory that, I suspect, will split the cycling industry in two. Half of the people who hear about the SteerStopper are going to think, “Oh my goodness! This is genius. This is exactly what I've been looking for. I need to get this for my bicycle right away!” While […] The post The SteerStopper – An Innovative Bicycle Stabilizer to Help You Safely Park Your Bike appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Get ready for an incredible cycling adventure with the new Chumba Ursa 29+ bikepacking bicycle! The Chumba Ursa 29+ is an American-made mountain bike designed specifically with bikepacking in mind. Its wide 29plus tires make it great for cycling on dirt and gravel roads as well as on narrow single-track trails. The fact that the […] The post The Chumba Ursa 29+ Backcountry Bikepacking Bicycle appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Will you do me a quick favor and fill out this short survey? It's been more than 10 years now since I started Bicycle Touring Pro and began my mission of helping people from all around the world experience the joys and benefits of bike travel. In that time, a lot has happened: I've cycled […] The post READER SURVEY – What Do You Want from Bicycle Touring Pro in the New Year? appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

I know you have a lot of questions about bicycle touring, bikepacking and world travel. That's why I recently sat down and took the time to answer some of the questions my readers at www.bicycletouringpro.com have sent in to me over the last couple days. Questions such as: My name is Tim from Walla Walla, […] The post Your Biggest Questions About Bike Travel: Answered appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Don't wait until the spring or summer to buy your new touring bicycle! Save yourself hundreds of dollars by buying your new touring bike in the autumn – when bike sales are slow and bike shops/manufacturers are dropping their prices in order to make space for the new models they'll be selling in the New […] The post Why Autumn is the Best Time of Year to Buy a New Touring Bicycle appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

People know me as the “Bicycle Touring Pro” because, for the last 17 years, I've been traveling around the world on my bicycle and teaching people like you to conduct their own incredible bicycle touring adventures. But this autumn, rather than going on another big bike tour in some foreign country, I decided  to try […] The post #Vanlife Lessons: What I Learned During My First 2 Months Of Living, Working & Traveling In A Van appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

How much should your touring bicycle weigh? Well, it's hard to say exactly. The vast majority of touring bicycles weigh 26 – 33 lbs (12 – 15 kg) when they are equipped with only fenders, front and rear racks, and water bottle cages. It's important to note, however, that touring bicycles come in all kinds […] The post How Much Should Your Touring Bicycle Weigh? appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in all of California – and an excellent location for a bicycle touring adventure! Cyclists from all around the world come to Anza-Borrego to discover the wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and incredible desert scenery. But if you're anything like me, you'll come to the Anza-Borrego Desert […] The post Bicycle Touring in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Line Gammelli is a 20-year-old woman from Örebro, Sweden. After watching a video about a bike tour in Japan, she discovered the Bicycle Touring Pro YouTube channel and sent me a message: Hello, my name is Line Gammeli. I'm 20 years old and live in Sweden. This summer I'm planning a bike tour from a […] The post Line Gammelli – The Lessons She Learned From Her First Two Bike Tours appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

There's a small city called Umeå in northeastern Sweden that few tourists have ever heard of or would ever care to visit. But this beautiful university town on the edge of the Ume river became the launching pad for my 2017 bike tour in Sweden, Finland and Norway; served as my home-base for the entire […] The post Northern Sweden By Bike: Our 2017 Group Bicycle Tour From Umeå to Luleå appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

The Pinion gearbox and the Gates Carbon Drive System is a new internal, chainless, derailleur-free technology that allows you to cycle quietly, with extreme power, while performing almost no regular maintenance to your bicycle. Internal gearboxes and bicycles driven by sprockets and belts instead of metal chains and derailleurs are still relatively new to the […] The post 50 Things You Need To Know About The Pinion Gearbox & Gates Carbon Drive System appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

What is the best clothing for bicycle touring? Should you keep track of the calories you consume on a bike tour? And how do you avoid getting saddle sores on a long-distance cycling adventure? Discover the answer to these three questions in today's Bicycle Touring Pro Q&A. Bicycle Touring Pro readers sent in submissions via […] The post Saddle Sores, Cycling Shorts & Painful Butts appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Sweden, Finland and Norway are the three most northern countries in all of Europe… and these Nordic nations also happen to be three of the best places of go bicycle touring in the world. I know that Sweden, Finland and Norway are great bicycle touring destinations because I've spent more than seven months of my […] The post Bicycle Touring in Sweden, Finland and Norway – 15 Important Things You Need To Know appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

After returning from a canoe trip in Western Canada, my Aunt Christi and Uncle Tom presented me with a gift they had found at a local gift-shop: A book titled, “The Cycling Adventures of Coconut Head: A North American Odyssey.” On the cover of the book were two nude cyclists, smiling at the camera, with […] The post Confused Biker Syndrome & The Cycling Adventures of Coconut Head appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Today you're going to hear from a young woman named Shirine Taylor who has been bicycle touring around the world… on her own… and with her boyfriend… for the last couple years. During my interview with Shirine, we're going to talk about some of the best and worst parts of traveling alone, and we'll answer […] The post Is It Safe For Women To Go Bicycle Touring Alone? appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Buying, cooking and eating delicious foods while traveling the world on a bicycle doesn't have to be a painful or difficult task. In fact, cooking delicious meals with local foods found along your travels can be both easy and downright enjoyable! In her delightfully photographed and well-written bicycle touring cookbook (BIKE CAMP COOK), Tara Alan, […] The post BIKE CAMP COOK: The Food & Travel Cookbook For Bicycle Tourists appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

Pat & Cat Patterson are a retired couple from Southern California who spent four years traveling around the world together on their bicycles. They started from their home in Oxnard, California… cycled across the United States… went down through Europe and then, after reaching Gibraltar… took a boat over to Morocco in northern Africa and […] The post Bicycle Touring In Morocco With Pat & Cat Patterson appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.

In the first episode of the Bicycle Touring Pro audio podcast I speak with British adventurer, author and motivational speaker, Alastair Humphreys. In the bicycle touring world, Alastair is best known for his four-year-long bike trip around the world, which resulted in two incredible books about his journey. (Click the following links to read my […] The post Winter Cycling In Siberia With Alastair Humphreys appeared first on Bicycle Touring Pro.